A few months after this year’s Super Bowl XLIX (49) was held in Glendale, Arizona, the University of Phoenix Stadium became the largest indoor/outdoor LOWRIDER Magazine-sanctioned Super Show anywhere. Once again this state-of-the-art stadium rolled out its enormous football field and then hit the switch to open up the world’s biggest retractable moonroof to welcome over 600 custom and classic one-off lowrider creations. Tens of thousands of lowrider fanatics jammed the spectacular arena and were entertained by a huge indoor stage that featured the live performances from The Game, Midnight Star, Baeza, Candy Man, and Baby Bash just to name a few.
There were two huge jumbotron HD video screens as well that captured the indoor hopping contest that displayed the top contenders with charged and sizzling batteries demonstrating their hydraulic equipment’s capabilities right in front of the main stage. The Arizona Super Show saw multiple cars debuting; most notably Eric Wisterman’s 1962 Impala from Northern California named “Breaking Bad ’62”. This ’62 was the talk of the show with its four Weber 48 IDA carburetors and its television show murals by Alberto Herrera.
After retiring his three-time Bomb of the Year “Inferno,” Gene Baer of Cashing, Arizona, debuted a one-of-a-kind 1958 El Camino. What makes this car so special is that Chevrolet didn’t start producing El Caminos until 1959, so Gene took it upon himself to create one out of a 1958 wagon. Self Made Car Club out of Los Angeles broke out with a 1959 convertible Impala named “The Mothership.” This black with red interior Impala looked flawless at the show.
The large venue’s escalators were running full capacity as usual, bringing hundreds of spectators down inside or up to the outside parts of the Super Show in seconds flat. The outdoor part of the venue was very much entertaining as was the inside, with hundreds of show cars lined up for miles on display, along with vendor booths full of happy customers gathered around. There was too much food and a huge garden with a surplus of cold beer to quench the thirsty crowd.
The Arizona Cardinals cheerleaders, and their mascot “Big Red” were also present at the huge history-making car show. If you haven’t ever shown your show car, enter it here at next year’s event. You’ll experience the amazing stadium event feeling that only promoter Tony Herrera and the Arizona Super Show staff members can bring once again.
Since his first ride, Dai Nunokawa of Japan has been into lowriders. “When I first started building rides I used to import LOWRIDER Magazine and it was my only source of instructional material to build cars. There weren’t any other means of getting information like there is today, so I truly appreciate the opportunity to be featured in the magazine as I’ve had respect for a very long period of time.”
Through the years, Dai has built multiple cars, but once he reached his 30s he wanted to build something that he could enjoy with his family. He decided on a 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche. He took it to KTC in Ibaraki, Japan, where they added multiple modifications, such as removing the door pillars, adding suicide rear doors, and moving the rear door handles to the front, adding a wide body, rag top, and extending the bumpers.
Hammar Design then sprayed a House of Kolor sunrise pearl base with candy gold before adding pinstriping and gold leafing. With the body and paint completed, the Avalanche head over to 666666 (Six by Six) in Gunma, Japan, to get a custom interior and a massive sound system by Claire in Niigata, Japan. Seek in Ibaraki, Japan, installed four Viair 408Cs to tuck the 32-inch Asanti wheels.
“I just hope that my vision for the truck is well received by the many readers and fans of your magazine and in hopes of being able to send a slight message that Japan is going strong, even after going though some rough times.”
Tech Specs
Model: 2007 Chevrolet Avalanche
Vehicle Nickname: El Levival
Owner: Dai Nunokawa
City/State: Japan
Club: Dope Fellows
Engine: 5.3 V-8 with custom Gibson exhaust and a yellow top Optima battery
Body/Paint: Some of the body modifications include suicide doors, wide body, pillarless, extended bumpers and slinging rag by KTC in Ibaraki, Japan. Hammar Design at KTC used House of Kolor sunrise pearl base and candy gold before adding gold leaf, pinstriping, and a mural.
Suspension: Seek in Ibaraki, Japan installed the four Viair 480C setup
Interior: 666666 (Six by Six) in Gunma, Japan, used genuine leather, elephant skin, stingray skin and suede for the custom interior. The interior also features billet trim, Dakota gauges, custom door panels, and a custom center console.
Sound: Claire in Niigata, Japan, installed the Pioneer head unit, six Rockford Fosgate 1.5-inch tweeters, six Rockford Fosgate 8-inch mids, single Rockford Fosgate 15-inch 2,000-watt subwoofer, and four Rockford Fosgate 600w amps
It’s up to all of us to keep this lowriding lifestyle going. For most, our culture and traditions continue to be passed down from generation to generation. This is exactly what Martin Parra of Pachucos Car Club did when he decided to give his godson a brand-new lowrider bike. Little did Gabriel Ureno know the influence his godfather’s gesture would have on him.
With lessons learned from his grandmother, such as making sacrifices and how to save his money, and with help from his family, Gabriel was off to complete his full custom bike, “Mi Esperanza.” Gabriel and longtime friend, Joey Escobar, completed the metalwork and sprayed the bike’s signature Sunburst Orange House of Kolor candy paintjob.
Then it was off to Felix Dezigns where Zack Felix and Luis “Swigs” Gutierrez would come together to lay down a dazzling combination of tape shades, gold leafing, and pinstriping accents with Cosme Lojero creating the custom airbrushed mural found on the seat. Wicho of Las Vegas, Nevada, would sew and stich an array of old-school diamond tuck patterns into various shades of oranges serving as a steering wheel, seat, and custom continental kit cover.
With another custom lowrider bike already in the works, Gabriel thanks his godfather, whose gesture would transform his childhood and eventually lead him to join Tiempo Bike Club of Las Vegas…down a path filled with car shows, awards, and lowriding recognition.
Tech Specs
Bike: 1999 16-inch lowrider bike frame
Bike Nickname: Mi Esperanza
Owner: Gabriel “G-Man” Ureno
Car Club: Tiempo Bike Club
City: Las Vegas, NV
Upholstery: Wicho of Las Vegas, NV, sewed the various shades of oranges into diamond tuck patterns
Body/Paint: Joey Escobar sprayed multiple patterns of candy orange paint with Luis “Swigs” Gutierrez and Zack Felix coming together to lay down the various pinstriping color combinations
Wheels/Tires: all chrome wire spoke wheels with custom gold leafed whitewalls
Cadillac Le Cabriolets sort of marked the end of an era. Extravagance and large-body cars were losing out to tighter regulations, more economical cars, and the rising price of fuel. Most regard Cadillacs as the kings of the road and if you had the scratch to be able to afford one of these convertibles back in the day, you certainly had money to burn. It’s increasingly rare to see many that didn’t end up in the wrecking yard. Thankfully Eduardo Gonzalez was able to save one from the scrapheap.
After seeing a similar car that a friend owned, Eduardo decided that this was the car for him — if he could ever find or afford one. Thankfully after searching enough he found one on Craigslist, and get this…his dad decided to pick up the tab for him as a present. Now that finding his car became a reality, tracking down parts and deciding on modifications became the next order of business.
It still retains its 425ci powerplant and trans. Juice for the hydros is doled out through a double whammy Pro Hopper pump, Pro Hopper dumps, four solenoids, 8-inch cylinders in front, and 10-inchers in the back. Work was done by Camino Real Collision Center in Pico Rivera, California. Four AC Delco batteries bring everything to life, including the Sony stereo system with two 6x9s in back and 5 and 1/4s in front. It’s all rolling on 100-spoke 13-inch Daytons with 5.20 Premium Sportways.
Inside, the dash has been decked out with ’90s Cadillac digital gauges. California Upholstery in Bell, California, recovered the original seats in leather and suede in purple and blue to mimic a 2008 DTS pattern. A Nardi Torino wheel completes the package.
After experimenting with a few different colors including red, Eduardo and his fellow club members discussed things and decided to go with the bluish purple you see here, which is actually House of Kolors Cobalt Blue. The paint was laid down by Georgie “G.LA” Gomez. Danny D added the pinstriping and additional accessories include Fleetwood chrome rockers and shaved keyholes.
After five years or so, Eduardo finally got his dream car on the road and future plans may call for detailing the trunk, hood, and undercarriage a bit more, but for now this rolling royalty is out reining the freeway once again. Eduardo thanks his Lifestyle club and close friends for helping him with the build, his wife Teresa, parents, and four daughters who supported him in the build.
Tech Specs
Vehicle Year/Make/Model: 1979 Cadillac Le Cabriolet
Vehicle Nickname: Born to Mac
Owner: Eduardo Gonzalez
City/State: Los Angeles, CA
Club: Lifestyle
Engine: stock 425 V-8 and automatic trans
Body/Paint: House of Kolor Cobalt Blue, shaved keyholes, Fleetwood rockers, pinstriping by Danny D
Suspension: Pro Hoppers pump and dumps, four solenoids, four switches, four AC Delco batteries, 8-inch cylinders front, 10-inch cylinders back
Interior: Suede and leather by California Upholstery
Classic Instruments can provide the finishing touch to your classic or custom creation by incorporating superior quality, exceptional styling, and constant innovation to your instrument panel. Besides their extraordinary value, Classic Instruments offers premier gauges because they set out to build them better or they won’t build them at all!
Each and every one of their gauges is designed, assembled, and calibrated with pride and quality. Classic Instruments offer various types of unique gauges to fit the style you are looking for. You can choose from direct-fit, universal, individual gauges, or you can also upgrade, retrofit, and even have a gauge custom built for your own specifications.
To prove a point about their superior quality and innovation, we took a resto-mod ’59 Impala and had the original gauges replaced with Classic Instruments’ ’59-’60 Chevy Impala and El Camino “Direct Fit” package! This specific package includes the speedometer, fuel (0-30 ohms), volts, oil, and temperature gauges. All the necessary hardware, including the brackets, wiring, sending unit, and the polished aluminum adapter ring for this ’59 are included too.
Classic Instruments also offers you many types of pointer options as well as matte black, stainless, and gold bezel finishes. You can have your choice of curved or flat glass and include LED halo, turn signal, and high-beam upgrades too. Follow along with us and get a good reading on how simply you can install and apply the “finishing touch” to the instrument panel of your dashboard and make your gauges look exclusive as well.
1. After removing the OEM gauges from each of the dual chrome ’59 Impala bezels, we began by mounting the new Classic Instrument gauges. As you can see they fit directly in place.
2. The left side chrome bezel includes the fuel and oil gauges with mounting brackets and screws, while the right bezel contains the temperature and voltage gauges.
3. From here the center round bezel comes with a polished aluminum ring with a mounting bracket that is attached before the speedometer gauge is mounted on.
4. The Classic Instruments gauge is mounted onto the original chrome center pod with a “U” shaped mounting bracket.
5. Jesse begins with the easy step-by-step wiring connections provided in the attached installation manual.
6. The center speedometer gauge is wired and ready to connect to the speed signal interface terminal.
7. The dual oil, fuel, temp, and voltage gauges are also ready to connect to the model SNZ4Z terminal.
8. Classic Instruments SN74Z terminal is the perfect complement to your Classic Instruments speedometer or tachometer. It has the ability to function as either a speedometer or tachometer interface and it works with many standard aftermarket gauges.
9. Here we have Classic Instruments “Direct Fit” ’59 Impala gauge assembly mounted to the ’59’s original chrome bezels ready to be reinstalled onto the Impala’s dash panel.
10. Jesse installs the Classic bezels onto the Impala’s dash area so that from there he can continue to wire the ground and 12VDC power to the terminal.
11. Here we are designed, calibrated, and assembled in place for that exclusive classic gauge look.
12. Handcrafted in America since 1977 with the simple goal of perfection. If you want that exclusive and premier look as the finishing toucfh on your special ride then gauge your attention over to www.classicinstruments.com or please call them and let them know Lowrider sent you! (800) 575-0461.
Axalta Paint Tip of the Month
“Pinstripers” Tip
By Axalta Coatings Systems
The fine lines of pinstriping not only connect an intricate or subtle patterned custom paintjob, but also complement and coordinate the colors too. Today, lowrider-styled paintjobs require all kinds of pinstriping art skills and it seems that almost every lowrider has a line or two accenting a body style. So, this month’s paint tip pertains to all of you famous and not-yet-famous pinstripers. We all know that talent, practice, and imagination make for a good striper, but a real good striper will tell you that the product you work with and the consistency of it is the “icing on a cake.” Well, Axalta Paint Products has something new for you to get your paint brushing hands on!
Introducing Axalta’s new Hot Hues, Hot Pinstripe Efx brand that is specifically mixed from Axalta Paint product components. This new brand comes in half pints, and with the quality of high-performance driving colors that provide exceptional coverage. The Hot Pinstripe Efx paint is both gloss and clearcoat compatible, it also has a trouble-free application with excellent brush ability that will deliver superior results in solid and metallic colors. You are able to mix solid colors with metallic colors that will allow you to create your own custom colors. Hot Pinstripe Efx has a two- to three-hour pot life depending on temperature once it has been activated with 15309S activator only. You can activate what you intend to use for the project you are working on, let it flash for 15 to 20 minutes, and depending on temperature, you can then apply Axalta clearcoat for the final finish. For more technical advice please feel free to contact product specialist Steven Chaparro at steven.c.chaparro@axaltacs.com.
Big Mando from SouthSide CC found this 2001 Harley-Davidson Road King on Craigslist about a year ago. This isn’t his first Harley, Big Mando has been riding ever since his club started up. Big Mando, the president and founder of SouthSide Car Club, has been running the club since its start in 1994. “I’ve been riding Harleys since before the club started and since we started the club we’ve had Harleys in our lineup.”
Big Mando’s lowriding roots can be traced back to the early ’80s. “SouthSide Harley-Davidson is not a club or anything like that. Me and a few of the guys just got a few jackets done, but its still part of SouthSide Car Club.”
After installing a cam, Big Mando added diamond-cut to the motor, loaded it with Performance Machine accessories, 18-inch ape hangers, and an alligator seat. The all pearl paintjob was done at SouthSide Customs USA and Willie Olea did all the patterns and fades, while Curly’s Pinstriping in Paramount, California, added the striping.
Mando would like to thank all the guys for always supporting him.
Tech Specs
Vehicle Year/Make/Model: 2001 Harley-Davidson Road King
Vehicle Nickname: SouthSide Road King
Owner: Big Mando
City/State: Los Angeles, CA
Club: South Side
Engine: The stock 1449 cc, four-stroke, V-Twin received the diamond cut treatment, a cam, Merc air cleaner from Performance Machine and Bassani pipes
Body/Paint: The bags were stretched 3 inches, headwinds front lights and multiple Performance Machine accessories such as fork legs, bag latches, kickstand, levers, and floorboards were added. Willie Olea of SouthSide Customs USA added the all pearl paintjob, patterns, and fades, while Curley’s Pinstriping in Paramount, CA, added the pinstriping.
Interior: Alligator seat
Wheels/Tires: Ridewright Fat 50 with Diamond Spokes / Shinko SR777
Forced induction has been around for decades, but it’s a relatively new concept when it comes to building a lowrider. Of course, our cars have always been built as cruisers, but over the past decade the use of LS motors has changed the scope of our builds and while we don’t need the power, it adds a level of customization that’s downright necessary.
It’s not uncommon to have people ask us why we put LS motors into our lowriders. They don’t understand why we’d need gobs of power on a car that rolls on 13-inch or 14-inch wire wheels and we understand their curiosity. The bottom line is that we do it because of the pride we take in our builds. For us, it’s about building the best vehicle we can with the best components we can source and, in short, dropping in an LS motor is much like having a gun in your closet because it’s better to have it and not need it, than to need it and not have it.
The addition of a supercharger will not only give you increased performance, but the whine of the pulleys and the aesthetic look it provides is worth its weight in gold. We can also assure you that forced-induction systems of any kind are sure to become the next major upgrade for the big dogs in the game of lowriding.
That said, we stopped by Magnuson Products to take a look at a few of their offerings and we were more than impressed. In particular, we were interested in their “LS” series of superchargers, so here’s a breakdown.
How does a supercharger increase power?
A supercharger adds significant horsepower gain by compressing more air into your intake. The supercharger runs off of a belt that is spun by your motor, and while it uses power to create power, the amount gained is much greater than the amount used. Now when you couple more air with a correspondingly greater amount of fuel, and the proper timing and spark, this results in bigger spark and boom, resulting in more horsepower.
Why choose Magnuson Superchargers?
Magnuson Superchargers builds the world’s most popular aftermarket Eaton TVS superchargers for late-model muscle cars, sports cars, and trucks. At Magnuson, they believe that each of their customers should be given the ability to have big horsepower, drivability, and a long-lasting, reliable product. They’ve been in the business for well over 30 years and they have not only learned to master their craft, but backed it with numbers, which has given them the title as “the best-selling, most complete line of bolt-on superchargers anywhere.”
Each Magnuson Supercharger is also tested before it leaves the factory, and they stand behind their product with a three-year/36,000-mile warranty.
Supercharging to OEM standards
It’s going to run like it was factory installed because Maguson manufactures and calibrates to OEM standards. Just ask their OEM customers. They also use Eaton rotors exclusively, the same supercharger rotors found in virtually all of the OEM supercharged applications from Audi, GM, Jaguar, and Ford. Most Magnuson Supercharger kits carry a CARB EO# and are 50-state emissions legal for on-road use.
Magnuson kits are known for their drivability and reliability, achieved through their Powertrain Integration approach. Simply put, this is the process of recalibrating the engine and transmission control programs to work with the altered induction path and boost pressure of the supercharger. This results in a seamless and consistent delivery of power over the entire rpm range, not just high end. It also means that your vehicle will continue to meet emissions and fuel economy standards.
About Magnuson Supercharger?
Magnuson Products, LLC promotes and distributes hybrid roots-type superchargers to the automotive aftermarket industry worldwide. Magnuson’s R&D team combines more than 60 years of system designing experience with state-of-the-art engineering and the latest in computer design and fabrication technology.
Magnuson is capable of developing a complete supercharger system and taking it through every facet of design, fabrication, testing, and production. The goal of Magnuson’s R&D team is to create the most durable, quiet, powerful, and efficient supercharger system possible utilizing the “roots-style” blower.
Design & Engineering Perfection
Utilizing the latest in computer design technology, Magnuson creates the initial designs and drawings to begin development of the essential supercharger components. With the use of solid modeling techniques we are able to utilize original designs in our CAD/CAM software to create full-size models and patterns, loose run samples for prototypes, and production parts.
The Perfect Fit
Magnuson has a complete model and pattern shop. They specialize in casting technology, and generate their own match plates and core boxes. No mods, no shaving, no grinding, unless of course you have modified your engine or engine compartment in ways that would interfere with the system.
Is it legal?
Since we’re talking lowriders, most of them don’t have to abide by emissions laws so you don’t have to worry. Now if you’re planning on supercharging anything newer than a ’75, than you’ll be pleased to know that many Magnuson supercharger kits carry a CARB E.O. number thus making it legal to have. So whether you’re driving a Corvette, Cadillac, Silverado, Hummer, Camaro, or a Mustang, Magnuson supercharger kits deliver maximum performance, while continuing to meet emissions and fuel economy standards!
When it comes to music, it seems only fitting that the lowriding men, women, and children have a liking for those oldies but goodies. Lowriding itself, after all, has been around for decades and many of the cars we see were originally built in the ’40s, ’50s, and ’60s. These rides have been carefully restored to like-new status, ready to cruise the boulevards in the evening hours just as tradition has had it for decades. Following a similar tradition, at least three generations of lowriders from East Los Angeles have cruised the infamous Whittier Boulevard, tuning in their car stereos to hear Mr. Art Laboe over the radio.
Born in the 1920s in Salt Lake City, Utah, Art Laboe’s mother was a maid and his father a smelter. As the family took on The Great Depression of the 1930s, times definitely did become very difficult, however, it brought on an opportunity for the family to move to Los Angeles — the city that would eventually bring Art worldwide fame and would serve as his home from then to this present day.
Graduating George Washington High School at the age of 16 in the summer of 1942, Art went on to serve in the U.S. Navy during World War II, particularly as a radio officer for PanAm’s Latin American division based in Miami, Florida. Art’s service brought him great experience with the technical and commercial aspects of radio and it earned him a coveted FCC-cleared first class radio license.
Shortly after returning to Los Angeles, Art recalls stopping by the radio station, KSAN 1450 AM, looking for a job. He simply walked in and asked the receptionist for the manager. The receptionist directed Art to the manager’s office and when he walked in, the manager did not seem too interested in speaking to Art. The manager’s first question was, “Who let you in here?” Art explained he was just looking for a job and the manager basically said, “Kid, we have no job here for you unless you have an FCC-cleared first class license.” Art proudly pulled out his license and showed it to the manager. After an initial moment of disbelief, the manager offered Art a job on the spot!
It was that moment that seemed to change Art’s life forever, bringing what would become a lifelong career in radio. To this day, Art has been on commercial radio for 72 years — longer than anybody. During his on-air experience, Art has been playing just about every genre of music there is from big band and country to the first stages of R&B in the early ’50s. Although not officially inducted, Art is a part of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Art was officially inducted in the Radio Hall of Fame in Chicago in 2012 and Art was one of the famous celebrities to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame near the corner of Hollywood and Highland. Art was also the first non-Hispanic recipient of the Impact Award from the National Hispanic Media Coalition.
So why is Art Laboe so popular among the lowrider crowd? Art believes it started in the mid ’50s when he did his first “Oldies But Goodies” concert at the El Monte American Legion Stadium in the East Los Angeles area. Of course the area was predominantly Latino, as is LOWRIDER Magazine’s readership, but it was Art’s ability to coordinate concert appearances of popular artists at the time. The Clovers, Big Joe Turner, and Bruce Brown were just some of the many artists who played to the concertgoers. Art also cites the old “Lovelines” section that used to be in LOWRIDER Magazine for many years (the section was for readers to make love dedications to each other) and he compares it to the popular part of his radio show where he reads dedications over air. Art says Latinos are always big on dedications!
Art’s on-air presence and his personal appearances for concerts and community events have definitely put him on the map. It wasn’t uncommon for Art to do a plethora of charity shows and give away scholarships in the Latino community in the L.A. area. Art was even the only non-Latino grand marshal for the East Los Angeles parade!
Looking back at his career thus far, Art has had so many great experiences. He has made friends with people like Dick Clark, and Les Paul, the inventor of the electric guitar. He has been able to bring the joy of music to millions of people over the radio waves and in his concerts. Even to this day, Art still coordinates numerous concerts throughout the year bringing together popular R&B singers and bands from back in the day.
His radio show, “Art Laboe Connection,” is still going strong airing over a dozen stations in the Southwest U.S. from San Diego to Las Vegas to Albuquerque. The show also broadcasts six nights a week worldwide online at KOKO94.com. Art may be about 90 years old, but as you can see, there is no slowing him down! Somehow, he is finding time to write an autobiography. The book, which will be available soon, promises to give interesting details in Art’s career voyage.
Art says he plans on continuing to do his radio show and concerts, but when that day comes where he is no longer on this earth, he says you can best believe that he’ll be throwing concerts up above with all the late artists.
Art Laboe Connection Radio Station Affiliates And Show Broadcast Times
(Station Local Time):
The entire show airs Monday through Friday,
7 p.m. to midnight and Sunday 6 p.m. to midnight Pacific Time worldwide on KOKO94.com.
KOKO 94.3 Fresno, CA,(a station owned by Art Laboe):
Monday through Friday 7 p.m. to midnight and Sunday 6 p.m. to midnight, also heard with KOKO94.3 Android app (and hopefully iPhone app by time this prints).
KDUC 94.3 The Duck Barstow, CA:
Monday through Thursday 8 p.m. to midnight, Friday 9:30 p.m. to midnight and Sunday 6 p.m. to midnight, also heard on Tune In radio app.
KISV Hot 94.1 Bakersfield, CA:
Monday through Thursday 10 p.m. to midnight and Sunday 6 p.m. to midnight, also heard on Tune In radio app.
KPAT 95.7 The Beat Santa Maria, CA:
Monday through Thursday 10 p.m. to midnight and Sunday 6 p.m. to midnight, also heard on Tune In radio app.
KAJM Mega 104.3 Phoenix, AZ:
Monday through Thursday 10 p.m. to midnight and Sunday 7 p.m. to midnight, also heard on Tune In radio app.
KOCP Old School 95.9 Oxnard-Ventura-Camarillo, CA:
Monday through Friday 9 p.m. to midnight and Sunday 6 p.m. to midnight.
KQAV Old School 93.5 Palmdale-Lancaster-Antelope Valley, CA:
Monday through Friday 9 p.m. to midnight and Sunday 6 p.m. to midnight.
KQIE Old School 104.7 Riverside-San Bernardino-Redlands, CA:
Monday through Friday 9 p.m. to midnight.
KOAS Old School 105.7 Las Vegas, NV:
Sunday 6 p.m. to midnight, also heard on iRadioNow app.
KXEW Radio Tejano 1600 AM:
Sunday 6 p.m. to midnight, also heard nationwide on iHeartRadio.
KABG Big 98.5 Albuquerque:
Sunday 6 p.m. to midnight, also heard on Tune In radio app.
KFYZ Z94.5 Santa Barbara, CA:
Sunday 6 p.m. to midnight.
XHRM Magic 92.5 San Diego, CA:
Sunday 8 p.m. to 10 p.m., also heard on Tune In radio app.
Alex Rodriguez’s grandmother used to own a bakery in East L.A. A nearby college held regular car shows and he and his brother would always go and check out what showed up. That’s when they began to also talk about fixing up their own rides one day.
Alex began working at an automotive production shop when he was 16, called In and Out in Los Angeles…no not the fast food place. He began by detailing the cars, but he was eager to learn more so he would hang out at the shop after work and would go in on the weekends just so he could learn from how it worked. “I didn’t go school, I learned everything there.” Alex then went though some difficult times that included losing his brother. Over a decade had passed before he began working on cars again.
“I got a job at a body shop, but everything had changed. From the way of doing things to the types of products used. I had to reteach myself the new techniques and use the new products.” Luckily for him, it didn’t take him long to pick everything up again.
He bought this truck from a friend in Sacramento, California, who got the truck as payment for some electrical work that he did and offered it to Alex for $1,600. Alex and his friend Joe Gutierrez from Whittier, California, drove up and back in the rain to pick up the truck. The truck was in rough condition with the cab, rear fenders, frame, and the engine being the only things that were salvageable.
He tore it down in February and completed it in August of the same year. This 1949 pickup made its debut at the 2015 Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona and caught everyone’s attention with its flawless body laid on the floor. This is Alex’s second feature, the first (a 1939 Chevy Coupe) was featured in 2013 and we will now wait and see if he builds a third pavement-kissing classic.
Tech Specs
Vehicle Year/Make/Model: 1949 Chevrolet Pickup
Vehicle Nickname: Laid To Rest
Owner: Alex Rodriguez
City/State: Pomona, CA
Engine: 1958 Chevy six-cylinder with a three-speed transmission, Rochester carburetor, Fenton Headers, aluminum radiator, and straight-pipe exhaust
Body/Paint: Alex Rodriguez prepped the body before using custom DuPont teal/blue/green for the paintjob
Suspension: A Mustang II front suspension from TCI and 1961 truck rearend were added before installing the Firestone airbags and Goodyear rear shocks
Color choice on your car can be one of the hardest aspects of a build. You want something that looks slick and stands out from the rest of the crowd, but also speaks to your personality. It can often take months of experimentation and thousands of dollars to get what’s in your mind’s eye done right. And that’s only the beginning. Once it’s decided, the domino effect of pulling all the other aspects together to complement the shade you’ve decided on is a whole ‘nuther task.
Let’s face it, we don’t see a lot of cars done in brown. You’ve got to do it right for it to really catch your eye. Ciji Ulloa bought this car as a stock ’64 and restored it to original, but was then tempted to take it into lowrider territory. When it was decided he’d do it up in brown, he tore it all down again, and with the help of his friends and fellow club members in the Stylistics Car Club, Ciji came up with what you see here. From the gold trim, to the pinstriping and leafing to the two-tone interior, we think he pulled off quite a subtle beauty.
Powering “Mi Morena” is the 350 it came with, dressed up with some bling. The Powerglide was ditched in favor of a 350 trans. Rick at Low Life in Inglewood, California, installed the Whammy pumps with two dumps and six batteries to keep all the juice flowing. The A-arms were molded, but since the frame is a stronger Canadian unit, further mods weren’t necessary. A chrome rearend along with a host of other shiny accessories keep the undercarriage looking good. It’s all rolling on 13-inch Chinas with engraved gold and chrome knockoffs.
Walter at West Coast Auto Body laid down the custom Walnut Metallic Brown, which was followed up by some fine pinstriping, leafing, and graphics by Curly in Paramount, California. Carlos at Salas Engraving handled the engraving on the door handles, bumper guards, mirrors, and wheels. Gold trim was applied by Speedy’s in Long Beach California, while chroming duties were done by Anaheim Plating.
The suede and vinyl upholstery along with the fiberglass work in the trunk and kick panels was handled by Big J in Paramount, California, and makes for a slick color combo to accent the exterior. Pulling all these aspects together didn’t just happen alone. Ciji thanks Angel Ibarra and members of the Stylistics for helping him put the ride together. He also gives props to his family for being patient with him while it took a lot of long hours to build. We’ve got to say this is one ride that’d make any doubters of using brown on a car fans of this finished product. Just goes to show you that you can make any color look good with the right combination of elements.
Tech Specs
Vehicle Year/Make/Model: 1964 Chevrolet Impala
Vehicle Nickname: Mi morena
Owner: Ciji Ulloa
City/State: Bellflower, CA
Club: Stylistics
Engine: 350 V-8 and 350 trans
Body/Paint: Walnut Metallic Brown by Walter at West Coast Auto Body. Pinstriping, leafing, and graphics by Curly in Paramount, California. Engraving by Carlos at Salas Engraving. Gold trim by Speedy’s in Long Beach, California. Chroming by Anaheim Plating.
Suspension: Rick at Low Life in Inglewood, California, installed the Whammy pumps with two dumps and six batteries. Molded A-arms. Chrome rearend.
Interior: Suede and vinyl by Big J.
Sound System: JVC with Pioneer speakers
Wheels/Tires: 13×7 100-spoke Chinas / Milestar Touring SE P155/80R13
The San Fernando Valley is home to almost 2-million people. “The Valley” as it’s known locally, is located north of Los Angeles and surrounded by mountains that cause extreme heat during the summer. Bringing more heat to The Valley is the Oldies San Fernando Valley chapter with their annual car show and concert at the San Fernando High School. Proceeds from the show help purchase new equipment for S.F.H.S.
Gates opened at 10 a.m. and this year’s event featured multiple live performances that included MC Magic, Lighter Shade of Brown, and many others. Along with the musical performances, spectators got the opportunity to meet the team of Repo Radio and the star of Machete, Danny Trejo.
Every year the show grows bigger and better, this year over 600 entries registered for the show. Some of the clubs included Majestics, Westside Originals, Viejitos, Low Lifes, Stylistics, Klique, One Bad Creation, Chevrolet, and many more.
Roman Felix of Visalia, California, has been collecting pedal cars since 1999. When he stumbled into this 1959 pedal airplane at a local antique shop he had to have it. “I figured it would be nice to keep around for the day I have grandkids.” Shortly after purchasing the pedal, Roman found out his wife was pregnant with their third child. Once receiving the news, he began working on the stroller. It took Roman over a year to build the pedal plane. “I’m the owner of Premier Paint and Body and my priority is to make the overhead to keep the shop running, so I only get to work on my personal projects during my free time.”
He used a custom candy violet from House of Kolor with flake and over silver leafing. For the seat he used tan ostrich with black vinyl and had his company’s logo stitched to the backrest. All the chrome pieces were removed and sent out to Lugo’s Engraving in Hanford, California, before Mike with New Age Chrome in Fresno, California, dipped them in chrome. Roman would like to thank his wife and kids for all their support
Our first day at SEMA and we thought it would only be fitting if we started off with a few of the lowriders that are out here representing.
The first is a 2009 Harley Davidson Road King we found at the MTX booth. John Shope built the Road King from Dirty Bird Concepts in Phoenix, AZ looked a various issues of Lowrider Magazine to get ideas for the build. He began by bagging it and laying frame on a 30inch front wheel. For the paint he decided to go with a 70’s style patterns and prison style pencil drawing throughout. “I saw how lowriders always incorporate rosaries to their rides so I decided to build a custom rosary on the gas tank,” explained John Shope.
The rest of the lowriders we are highlighting are all representing in the Axalta booth.
We start off with Luis Lemus of House of Pain Customs in SoCal and his 1964 Chevrolet Impala convertible. Built by Luis himself and painted by Phillip Rincon of Phillips Finelines. Phillip used Axalta Hot Hues blue moon CFX basecoat and hot candy concentrates with a cromax premier LE8700S clear coat.
The black 1961 Impala convertible belongs to Lorenzo Rodriguez. The ’61 was also built by Luis Lemus who used Cromax Super Jet Black basecoat and a Cromax clear coat.
Rudy Sandoval of Groupe CC brought out his Lowrider Magazine cover, a 1973 Ford LTD. Danny D painted the LTD and he used hot hues basecoat, hot candy concentrates with a Cromax clear coat.
The 1954 Harley Panhead belongs to Phillipe Coquard and was built by Ryan Fielding of Paragon Customs. The Panhead was painted with Axalta Jazzy Blue and an assorted Hot Candy Concentrates.
The final car that we are showcasing is a 1936 Ford Pickup belonging to Sal Sierra. This 1936 Ford has been representing in the lowrider scene for decades and came out to SEMA with an updated look by Adam Stone of Stone Cold Kustoms who used Axalta Hot Candy Concentrates to update the trucks looks.
Lowriders are known for our intricate paintjobs, wire wheels and hydraulics but we don’t seem to get credit for our custom interiors. When one thinks of custom upholstery, they think about the custom seat patterns in suede and leather but there is so much more to our upholsteries than the stitching. So we’ve gathered a list of some must have accessories to finish up the custom look on your interior.
We will start with Dynamat. I know what your thinking, “Dynamat for a custom interior?” The first thing you should do after gutting your interior is to add this noise reducing material to battle all the road noise.
Lokar aluminum pedals. Here we have Lokar billet aluminum throttle pedals featuring a spring-loaded pad with removable inserts. Lokar pedals come in a variety of designs as well as looks.
The chrome ididit tilt steering column has been a popular item in the lowrider scene.
ididit is now featuring a keyless entry and push start system for their columns. The push start can be added to the column or a custom one to be mounted on the dash.
Your going to need a custom steering wheel to go with that column and Concept 2 Reality (aka Con2R) has exactly what you need. Their classy designs and fully customizable options are a perfect fit for any and all lowrider interior.
Classic Instruments offers direct fit electronic cluster kits. These kits come with real glass lens that are accented in polished stainless steel or satin black bezel. Lighting for the clusters is provided with warm white LEDs.
If you more a custom look, then I recommend going with Dakota Digital. Dakotal Digital offers both, direct fit gauges that fit in your cars excising dash unit or custom one that give you the freedom to mold them into your custom dash or build a custom center console for them.
With car show season upon us, many of you will drag your wife or girlfriend to every show you attend with the majority of them merely there for support. Fortunately, the past few years has seen a rise of not just female attendees, but more importantly, female participants. After one particular show, Lupe Barreras told her husband Jose that she’d decided she no longer wanted to ride shotgun with him, but instead drive alongside him. So with help from her husband and fellow HighClass Car Club members, Lupe was off to give her 1979 Chevy Malibu a touch of “high class.”
In a car club dominated by full show cars, she knew she had to stand out. So the Malibu was sent to ColorWorld where they would lay down the car’s vibrant House of Kolor Sunrise Pearl Gold found throughout the vehicle. Curly’s Pinstriping would apply custom patterns and pinstriping variations with colors such as Sunburst Orange and Pegan Gold pearls just to name a few. California Upholstery was the only option for when it came to the interior. Joe at California would install a complete custom interior with powered Lexus bucket seats, which were covered in array of yellow leathers contrasting the vehicle’s lively exterior. With the accenting engraved trim, custom murals, and the mandatory Dayton wire wheels in place, it was finally time for Lupe to cruise her own lowrider.
“Thanks to everyone that helped out,” says Lupe. “But special thanks to my husband, Jose, for helping me complete my car and giving me a taste of the high class.”
Tech specs
Vehicle: 1979 Chevy Malibu
Vehicle Nickname: Evil Sunrise
Owner: Lupe Barreras
Car Club: HighClass C.C.
City: Hawthorne, CA
Engine: 1979 original 3.3
Upholstery: Joe at California Upholstery
Body/Paint: ColorWorld, Curly’s Pinstriping with Direone completing the murals
Suspension: One Way Hydraulics
Wheels/Tires: OG 13×7 Dayton Wire Wheels / 155-80-13 radials
For everyone out there that happens to be addicted to the Automotive culture of performance, restoration and customizing, you have to mark down your calendar, and make it a once in a lifetime experience to visit the worlds largest Aftermarket Superstore called the SEMA show. Every year, and for the last 49, this Automotive Holiday comes around and takes place the first week of November at the one million square foot exhibit space called the Las Vegas Convention Center. There are about 15 hundred one of kind muscle cars, rods, trucks, Lowriders, motorcycles and off road vehicles that occupy almost every exhibitor booth possible to demonstrate how aftermarket products are used or displayed. The SEMA show estimated to have about 2,500 exhibitors, including 500 that exhibit for the first time. We have been coming to this event for decades now but besides the growth of this show over the years, the thing that has also made it’s presence felt is the quantity of Lowriders on display and the effect or “Influence” that the Lowrider style has spread amongst all the different automotive industries. Besides most vehicles being slammed on the ground, now you see “Flaked” out Ferraris, “Candied” out Muscle cars and Intricate patterned Tuner cars with gold leafing. So while on the subject of custom paint, we wanted to show you what the exhibit booths and displays look like from the big three custom paint companies, Axalta Coating Systems, PPG and House of Kolor. These are the scientists who continue to produce different colors of paint to support the craving custom world of Lowriding. Hope you enjoy this as we always do, and we’ll be delivering a whole lot more coverage of SEMA, so stay tuned right here.
If you are not an exhibitor, manufacturer, or a buyer, SEMA opens the doors on Friday, to allow enthusiasts, hobbyists and consumers a chance to see what everyone was viewing the previous four days.
On Saturday, April 25, 2015 the city of San Diego celebrated the 45th Chicano Park Day. The historic park is located south of downtown San Diego, under the San Diego-Coronado Bridge. I’ve heard about the Chicano Park celebration for many years, but was never able to make it until this weekend. As soon as we took the Cesar E. Chavez Parkway exit off I-5, we could see a large crowd walking toward Chicano Park. Spectators took advantage of the free entry and brought out their entire family to enjoy the day’s events that included traditional music, dance, live bands, guest speakers, a kids art workshop, and of course lowriders.
Viejitos car club had a sea of bombs at the northern entrance of the park. They had every style and year of bomb, but the one that stood out was Johnny B. Good’s 1936 Packard convertible. The extremely rare bomb sat on the floor and its luxurious grille was highlighted in between a pair of ’57 Bel Airs.
Klique car club was also in full effect at the show. They were posted up in their usual picnic table area, surrounded by their high-caliber cars. On the southern end of Chicano Park, the Majestics were all together at the first house after passing Chicano Park and this year’s celebration reached past the house. They had a DJ setup, tables under canopies, a large barbeque area, and their own port-a-potties. Since they were technically on their own property, they didn’t have to worry about the strict alcohol laws that were being enforced in the park.
I’d like to thank all the San Diego car clubs for making my first Chicano Park Day a memorable one and we will see everyone next year.
SEMA can be labeled as the Super Bowl of car shows. Everyone that’s anyone in the custom car world is here. This is the only show were you cant find a little of everything, from lowriders to hot rods, from tuner cars to muscle cars, from mini-trucks to lifted ones, and everything in between. With its vast variety of vehicles, SEMA is the perfect place to get ideas from different car cultures and implement them to ours. I compiled a list of five of my favorite rides at SEMA with a build style that can be incorporated to a lowrider build.
1960 Cadillac Series 62
Dave Kindig and his crew built the Cadillac at Kindig It Designs in Salt Lake City, Utah. “We did a custom mix with PPG paint to get the effect of a candy paintjob but without the hassle of having to match the paint. We did that because this car is a driver and will take a lot of ware and tare,” Kevin Schiele, the car’s builder, says. The Cadillac has a 4-inch chop, custom-built trim, cut fenderwells with a 454 Ram Jet engine, and took roughly 13 months to build.
1952 Chevy Kustom
Gene Winfield in Mojave, California, built this 1952 Chevy for the owners of Wheels Unlimited Kustoms (a Japanese-based alloy wheel company). The Chevy’s front bumper is comprised of about five different makes and models. A 1959 Chevy dash was molded along with countless Winfield modifications. The car was finished off with a Winfield signature fade paintjob.
1965 Chevy C10
Mike Slosh of Arkansas is the owner and builder of this 1965 Chevy C10. Mike did all the metalwork, including Z-notching it and lifting the woodgrain bed. Two-tone green and white paint was added for a classic look but don’t let that fool you. Under the hood you will find a 6.0L motor with a Magnuson supercharger and MSD throttle body.
1968 Chevy Chevelle
This one-of-a-kind Chevelle was built at Kindig It Designs in Salt Lake City, Utah. The red LS7 sits on top of an Art Morrison chassis. The front and rear bumpers have been heavily modified along with the taillights. “It’s been a great marriage between Kindig It Designs and MSD. We use a lot of their products, like their coils and throttle bodies,” Kevin Schiele, the shop foreman at Kindig It Designs, says.
2013 Ford F-350 Heavy Duty
This truck debuted last year with a white paintjob and platinum wheels. Laurence Garza from Houston, Texas, decided to rebuild the truck for this year’s SEMA show. He decided to copper plate everything on it, including the wheels. A black vinyl wrap finished up the truck’s new look, and only took three weeks.
Yesterday, as I walked around the opening day of the SEMA Show, it was business as usual. From one meeting to the next I felt like a preprogrammed robot on a mission. Yet as I was talking to one vendor, I looked over his shoulder and found myself locked into a car that was sitting over at the Savini Wheels booth. The car, which was a 2015 Skyline GT-R, wouldn’t have normally caught my attention, but this one was engraved.
Once my meeting was wrapped up I walked over to the booth and I was more than impressed. Most of the front clip was engraved, but the highlights and details on the fenders and rear wing were done in even more extensive and detailed fashion.
Flown in from Japan, the car was created by KUHL Racing and it sports an incredible metallic finish/bodywork by “Artis” and he calls the car the “3D Ultimate Engraving Metal Paint.” As I pressed on for more information I found out that it has a custom body kit by Love Lark as well a limited-edition set of Black Di Forza Wheels by Savini.
While pictures do no justice to the vehicle, it’s impressive to say the least. It’s also pretty evident the build has taken on some cues from the world of lowriding. From laying it down low to the engraving, it’s exciting to see that we’ve influenced other niche markets of car customization.
In addition, it was nice to see the Porsche 356 Speedster that was sitting pretty at the Coker Tire booth. The gray Porsche was created by car builder “Slang 500” and it sports a set of custom-made Magnus Walker rims massaged onto a set of Firestone F560 radials. But what really caught my attention again was the attention to detail that Slang put into the interior. From all the chrome accents to the engraved fuel filler cap and front windshield pillars, it made me wonder what influenced the builder to add all those details. The answer was simply: “Lowriders.”
It turns out that John, aka Slang 500, is also an avid lowrider enthusiast who himself has an Impala that is currently in the works. With this much work and attention to detail in his build, it’ll only be a matter of time before he completes his Impala, and we can’t wait to see the end results. We’ll also be sure to do a follow-up feature on both of these vehicles.
In the meantime I encourage all of you to stop by our booth, which is located outside. In addition, take a look around and soak it all in. There’s a lot of great lowriders at the show, but I encourage you to check out all the rides. Just like the aforementioned Skyline and Porsche have been influenced by the world of lowriding, there are plenty of styling and performance cues that we as lowriders can implement into our own builds. Remember, creativity is what gives us vision, and inspiration is what gets us thinking out of the box.
Alfonso started lowriding at the young age of 8 with his neighborhood buddy, Jose Pena, from Touch of Class Car Club in Southern California. Alfonso would help him out, working on Jose’s ’90 Lincoln Town Car and, in return, Jose would take Alfonso to the car shows. Jose’s positive influence made a lifelong impression on Alfonso and the lowriding lifestyle stayed with him from adolescence through adulthood.
Alfonso recalls his first official ride was the lowriding bicycle his mom gave him as a gift. He started taking it to the car shows with Jose and that’s when he started to realize that he wanted to do more, and with that came the need for money. As soon as Alfonso was old enough to work, he started to paint houses. With each dollar he earned, he would set some cash aside for a car. By the time he hit 17 years of age, Alfonso had enough money for a good down payment. That Saturday following his birthday, Alfonso’s father signed the papers for his son’s first car, a gray 1999 Lincoln Town Car. Alfonso soon added his first set of 100-spoke chrome rims, Black Magic single-pump hydraulic setup, and a set of pinstripes on the outside.
A couple years later, Alfonso met Mike Gomez from Kolor Me Krazy, and had this talented automotive painter do up a custom paintjob on the Lincoln. When Alfonso moved with his family from California to Arizona, he ended up meeting a member of the Avondale chapter of Majectics Car Club. From there, Alfonso not only joined the club, but he was also introduced to some custom builders from the area. With one customization after another on his Town Car with the utmost attention and care, soon things were picking up the pace. The ride, now famously known as “Str8 Payasiando,” basically means that this Lincoln is “straight clowning” on the competition!
Alfonso gives big thanks to his wife, Yvette, for all her support, and to his friends and acquaintances whom helped build this super-custom ride.
Tech Specs
Vehicle Year/Make/Model: 1999 Lincoln Town Car
Vehicle Nickname: Str8 Payasiando
Owner: Alfonso Avila
City/State: Avondale, AZ
Club: Majestics Car Club
Engine: 4.6L V-8 engine with upgraded chrome accessories, custom covers, and engraving and built up by Anthony Baca of PHX Kustoms in Phoenix, AZ
Body/Paint: Kolor Me Krazy did the bodywork and custom silver paintjob with purple patterns. LG Pinstriping tackled the striping and Rick of Voodoo Works did the airbrushed murals found in and outside the vehicle. Swing Engraving in Phoenix added the elegant touches.
Suspension: The two Black Magic hydraulic pumps and six Workaholic deep-cycle batteries were installed by Leonard Ruelas Interior: The RR Design in Saticoy, CA, did up the interior with custom engraved pieces, etching, LED lighting, fiberglass, and 3-D suede pop-outs Sound System: RR Design also handled the custom stereo installation, mostly hidden Wheels/Tires: 72-spoke Dayton wire wheels / whitewall tires
