Only one thing is guaranteed for young men and grown men, the toys get a lot more expensive. As a child in New York, Fabian Soler began playing with Hot Wheels. From there it only got more expensive, graduating to remote-control cars. However, as adulthood got closer and closer, Fabian’s attention began to shift to the West Coast movement that was broadcast on TV and magazines. LOWRIDER magazine played a big part in his growth in the new culture, and everything got much clearer once he purchased his very first vehicle. From his first car to his next two, Fabian became more and more involved in the intricacies of lowriding.
One vehicle that always caught his eye was the ’61 Chevy Impala. In the New York area it seemed to be something that would always elude him because so many others desired the classic car. Fabian’s brother, Jimmy, was on the lookout for the ’61 and about a year into searching he found one in Pennsylvania. The brothers made the trip to take a look at the Impala and within days it was purchased and delivered. Fabian’s first step was giving it the lowrider image by adding a set of wire wheels and whitewalls to the car.
The motor was rebuilt and the transmission was swapped out so the Chevy would be more reliable and get on the road quickly. As a well-versed hydraulic suspension guy, Fabian decided to go with something a little more safe and comfortable for his children in the vehicle, so he opted for an air-ride suspension setup that would bring the heavy Chevy from the ground to the air for driving. With the stock interior being in such bad shape, Fabian ordered a whole new kit and installed it himself. For the outside, Fabian made sure the color was something that would stand out.
Fabian wishes to thank his wife, Gabriella, and his three children, Melissa, Melinda, and Jonathan for their support and understanding. A special thanks goes to his car club, Certified Riderz, and his brother Jimmy, for not only helping him locate the Chevy but for all his help through the years. He already has the Chevy apart again for even more custom upgrades, making sure that Empire ’61 will be on top for a very long time.
1961 Chevy Impala Convertible
Vehicle Nickname
Empire ’61
Owner
Fabian Soler
City/State
Portchester, New York
Club
Certified Riderz Car Club
Engine
Rebuilt Chevy 350, chrome dressing
Transmission
Chevrolet 700-R4
Interior
Interior kit from Cinderella Interiors, door panels, carpet, dash panels
Body/Paint
Chevrolet Dupont Blue BS159, all-new glass with green tint
Sound System
Aftermarket head unit to replicate the original look, Pioneer components 61/2-inch front, and 6×9 in rear
Suspension
Universal air with four 5-gallon air tanks, eight valves, engine driven compressor, 1/2-inch air lines, four switches
Wheels/Tires
14×7 Galaxy Wire Wheels powdercoated to match with diamond-cut spokes, 175/70-14 Hankook whitewalls
The 1961 Impala
The ’61 Impala was distinguishable from other Chevys with its six-taillight design, crossed racing flags insignia, and Impala scripts on the rear fenders.
After 15 months and $90 million of renovation, the Petersen Automotive Museum reopened its doors in early December 2015. The restomod exterior of the Los Angeles Museum features an incredible stainless steel ribbon facade, while the interior includes three automotive-themed floors with a central staircase leading up to each level. History, Industry, and Artistry are each showcasing the impact of the automobile throughout the eras.
Exclusively in silver in the “Precious Metals” exhibit.
The grand reopening was a celebration event showcasing the history and future of the museum. The new construction was the first significant change to the building since it once was a Japanese department store back in 1962. Over five decades this automotive museum has always housed precious metalworks of art known only as the automobile. Located in the Miracle Mile area of Los Angeles, current floor exhibits include “Cars of Film and Television,” which range from an Aston Martin featured in the James Bond Movie Spectre to a Pontiac used in the very popular series called Breaking Bad; there is also a “precious metal” exhibit featuring rare and exotic cars all finished in silver.
Every type of automobile is on display as well at the museum, including hot rods and customs, classics, and prototypes. You will even find a full custom ’64 lowrider Impala up on a rack showcasing a fully dipped chrome and molded multi-colored chassis! This Gala event was packed with lines around the building but you can get your admission ticket here as we show you our special coverage taken from this artistic exhibit.
The 55th Annual AutoRama Custom Car, Rod, Lowrider, and Motorcycle show took place once again during the Thanksgiving Holiday at Downtown Houston’s George Brown Center with over 500 Custom features on exhibit, including an automotive swap meet, toy show, and a classic car auction. This major four-day event brought in a massive holiday crowd of car lovers.
More than just tradition, the Houston AutoRama is where car builders and car lovers of all ages can celebrate craftsmanship, engineering, artistic vision, and camaraderie. Classic rods and muscle cars are always popular, but big bragging rights-and big money-are at stake since the Houston AutoRama is part of the International Show Car Association’s championship series.
The exclusive “Lowrider Nation” section was the attention-getter this time as well, with aisles of slammed quality rides from all over Texas. The well-known family hydraulic shop, Shorty’s Hydraulics out of Houston, took part in the judging and trophy award ceremony. Various car clubs and show car exhibitors get together to applaud each of the special category winners to show their support for most of the up-and-coming quality builds. Besides the sportsman-like camaraderie atmosphere that was present at this event, the LOWRIDER Rig and show car “LS-SS ’68” was on display as well. There was also an outdoor Lowrider Cruise on Sunday surrounding the huge venue. A bikini contest, TV show celebrities, and Gene Winfield, the dean of American customizing, also returned to demonstrate how to chop tops and work his metal magic. The AutoRama in Houston is a great way to walk off those Thanksgiving calories, but you can never get enough of your fill of classic custom vehicles on display, especially the servings of colorful candy customs from the Exclusive Houston Lowrider section
The Editor’s Choice Award goes to Shorties Hydraulics’ lime-flaked...
Johnny Arevalo of Tucson, Arizona, is no stranger to lowriding. With a career that already includes multiple custom and original Impala builds, as well the previously featured 1939 Chevrolet “Mr. Magnifico,” he brings us his latest creation aptly named “Mr. Bel Air.” “I wanted to fill my garage with something new,” Johnny says, “and a 1954 Chevy convertible is something I have always wanted.” So after finding this rare ragtop Chevy in his own backyard of Southern Arizona it was off to the infamous Old Memories Bombs Factory where majority of the restoration would take place.
The build was in full swing and while Royal Plating in Tucson was both polishing and chroming all the original metal trim, Roger of Wicked Whips was called upon to bodywork and spray this Bel Air’s signature Turquoise Blue paint. The original 235 engine was then rebuilt and upgraded with factory power steering. With a front and back lowered suspension the set of 13-inch, all-chrome, 100-spoke wire wheels bolted right up. The interior was freshened up as it still echoed the original two-toned factory white leather patterns and green leather inserts. With the brand-new Kenwood audio system way past 10, it was time to hit the switch on the power convertible top and cruise down that open Arizona desert highway.
“I want to give a special thank you to my wife who continues to support me during past and present builds, and thank her for always leaving the checkbook open,” Johnny says. With the assembly line at full speed, rest assured Bombs Factory will continue to produce more rides from both Johnny and the rest of the Old Memories South Arizona chapter.
Nickname Mr. Bel Air
Owner Johnny Arevalo
Car Club Old Memories So. AZ
City Tucson, Arizona
Vehicle 1954 Chevrolet 235 convertible
Engine Original 1954 Chevy 235 with power steering
Upholstery Original patterns with white leather and green inserts
Body/Paint Roger of Wicked Whips in Tucson sprayed the signature Turquoise Blue
Suspension Both front and back are lowered 3 inches
Wheels/Tires 13×7 Galaxy wire wheels with 155-80/13 Cooper radials
For the seventh year, 25th Street Riders and USO Car Club joined forces to welcome in the New Year at spacious and historic Virginia Key Beach in Miami, Florida. Almost as tradition, 2016 welcomed the best year yet with hundreds of custom lowrider vehicles making their way from as far as California to celebrate the lifestyle.
“It’s an honor to hold this event in South Florida every year,” Martian, a 25th Street Riders original, says. “We do it for the love of the custom car scene down here but most importantly for the lowrider community.” Both clubs wish to thank everyone who traveled and the local enthusiasts for their continued support, including all the sponsors and vendors.
Team Midwest showed their dedication as they lined the hopping pit with some of the most notorious high flyers in the country. From Wisconsin, Kentucky, Indiana, and Illinois, it was a blending of every state for a great time.
Although a small thunderstorm threatened the day early on, like true Miami fashion after 20 minutes there was no sign of any inclement weather as the temperature bounced right back to 80 degrees. As one of the staples on the calendar for shows to attend, 25th Street Riders and USO’s New Year’s Picnic is something that you just can’t miss.
The Kickin’ Crab is a Louisiana-style seafood and Cajun cuisine joint with 10 locations throughout Southern California. You don’t get any plates or utensils with you order. You eat your dinner out of a bag or on the paper covered table with your hands and only a plastic bib to protect yourself.
We started off with an order of Cajun Calamari and Grilled Shrimp Tortilla Bites. The Calamari wasn’t overcooked and the cocktail sauce made it that much better. The Grilled Shrimp Tortilla Bites ended up being a real disappointment. They placed grilled shrimp on top of a potato chip bowl with pico de gallo. The tortilla was no were to be found.
The seafood specialties are a four-step process to order. You start of by picking your choice(s) of seafood per pound from shrimp, mussel, clam, king crab legs, snow crab legs, Dungeness crab, lobster and crawfish (seasonal). The second step is to pick one of six seasoning for your order. The third is picking the level of spiciness. They have a total of five options ranging from Extra Mild to Spicy Spicy. The last step is to pick your add-ons. Corn, potato’s and sausage are the three options for add on and this step is optional.
We ended up ordering a pound of shrimp, a pound of snow crab legs with the kickin’ style seasoning and spicy sauce. We also add all three options for the add-ons. Our specialties order was perfectly cooked with the right amount of seasoning. We just wish we would of ordered it with the Spicy Spicy sauce. If you haven’t tried them, we suggest you do and to not forget to order line, salt and pepper with your order. For more information go to www.TheKickinCrab.com.
Not all projects we begin start off with perfectly rust-free and dent-free metal. This was definitely the case when we really starting digging into our 1953 Chevy pickup truck build. Once we got the cab all stripped down to bare metal we discovered a number of problem areas that would need to be cut out and replaced with fresh new metal. And for this we called upon Brothers Truck Parts, one of the leaders in replacement parts for Chevy trucks.
For this installment we focus on the replacement of the lower rear cab corners, which are a very typical area for cancerous rust holes. They always manage to be a catchall for any type of debris over the years and just rot away the metal. We also address the truck cab’s floorboards with toeboard pieces that were mangled up from years of abuse and holes from where a different chassis had been mounted underneath. Luckily Brothers Truck Parts came to our rescue and were able to supply all of the necessary replacement pieces to return our cab foundation to its original factory glory.
1. As we begin our floor and cab corner replacement for our Bomb Truck project, here is a very common problem area on these older Chevy and GMC trucks. The lower rear corners of the cab gather debris and rust from the inside out.
2. We started out by masking off our initial straight cut lines and used the electric grinder and cutoff wheel to start removing the problem areas.
3. The new cab corner patch panels from Brothers Truck Parts fit perfectly over the contours of our cab.
4. With the bulk of the old corner sheetmetal out of the way, we can now see the condition of the inner rocker panels, too. We discovered the driver side inner piece needed to be replaced due to rust holes.
5. On the passenger side the inner rocker piece was still in good condition so we decided to retain it. In order to remove the outer sheetmetal piece at the spot welds we actually used a hard grinding wheel on the electric grinder to thin the outer piece until it was paper thin. This method we’ve learned works much better and quicker than trying to drill out all of the spot welds.
6. Brothers Truck Parts came to our rust rescue by supplying a new Inner Cab Corner patch panel. The perfect fitment made installation a snap.
7. The new lower cab corner was trimmed to fit with perfect gaps then butt-welded in place for a seamless finished product. We made sure to keep tack welding a little at a time to reduce warpage. Once the seam was fully welded up, we proceeded to smooth it all out.
8. Our next part of metal panel replacement was the floor of our truck cab, which also showed definite signs of wear from over the years, so we decided to call on Brothers Truck Parts for all new panels too. The new floorpan with toeboard pieces from Brothers are formed to factory specs and will make our floors just like new.
9. After mapping out the cut lines, Greg used our Miller Electric Manufacturing Company plasma cutter to get rid of the old floor and toeboards.
10. With the old floor pieces out of the way, we now have a clean slate to start the reconstruction process.
11. Both of the floorpans with toeboard pieces from Brothers dropped right into place, flawlessly.
12. Now that the new floorboards are welded in they’re good as new, if not even better, thanks to the amazing replacement pieces available through Brothers Truck Parts!
The historic Barrio Centro in Tucson, Arizona, was the home of this year’s Picnic in the Park event, held by the storied Old Memories Car Club. Reid Park served as the background for this yearly awaited, family friendly event.
The venue overflowed with some of the sport’s top car clubs, such as Viejitos, Dukes, Groupe, Society, and Imaginations. The parking lot was also filled with Old Memories chapters who came from California, New Mexico, and Texas. Attendees enjoyed never-ending plates of free food, as well as a pinata and jumper for the kids. All the while the wives and girlfriends of Old Memories were busy handing out cake and commemorative event T-shirts.
The day’s soundtrack consisted of old-school oldies, courtesy of DJ Feroz who set the mood for this must-not-miss event. The day was filled with great conversation where new and old friends were accompanied with a dazzling display of custom cars keeping the lowrider cultura alive. See you guys next year.
The ’90s were an unprecedented time for lowriding. From music videos to movies, it seemed as if mainstream media was finally embracing our culture. It was this national attention that led to influence many youth who might not have otherwise been exposed to the lowrider community. Such is the case for Dave Edades who, while seeing the iconic movie Boys In the Hood, immediately knew he would one day own a 1963 Impala convertible. He would soon make his dream a reality and after a few upgrades to his recently purchase convertible, he found himself cruising just like Ice Cube had done in the movie. Active military duty would soon come calling and only after a few years of cruising he decided to sell his beloved Impala … a decision he would soon regret.
That feeling of regret would eventually lead him to search for another 1963 Impala convertible. Only this time, with the help of a few longtime friends, he was going to do a complete frame-off restoration and “build it right.” The project’s first step was to take the original 327 small-block engine and give it a breath of fresh air by adding a Billet Specialties serpentine pulley kit, dual fans, a two-speed powerglide transmission, custom dual exhaust, and Edelbrock accessories. This was all done with the help of Danny Gonzalez and Carlos Ponce, owners of G-Spot Customs in Las Vegas. From there, they would cover the car in a Cameral Brown pearl. Gary Jensen, a pinstriper in Las Vegas, then laid down some gold leaf and pinstriping to accent the vehicle’s body lines.
While FM Plating was busy chroming the vehicle’s original metal trims, Old Man Jerry put together the tan leather and Eggshell White leather interior, featuring original stitching and custom side panels. Dave himself would take on the task of installing the AccuAir I-level system, as well as some of the audio/video components featuring an Apple iPad serving as the control center for subwoofers. Rolling on 155-80/13 radials mounted onto custom 13×7 diamond-cut chrome and gold-plated wire wheels, don’t be surprised if you find Dave cruising up and down the Las Vegas strip. He has no intentions of selling this convertible anytime soon.
Dave would like to give thanks to his wife Amie and his sons Jason, Izzy, and Steven, for their support during this build. “To Danny Gonzalez and Carlos Ponce, I thank you for all your hard work … I could not have done it without you. This build is dedicated to Randy Green and William Pertgen.”
Nickname Sugar Daddy
Owner Dave Edades
Car Club Devious Ones Car Club
City North Las Vegas
Vehicle 1963 Chevrolet Impala Convertible
Engine Original 327 with Billet Specialties serpentine pulleys, dual fans, and a two-speed powerglide transmission.
Upholstery Old Man Jerry put together the tan leather and Eggshell White leather interior, featuring original stitching and custom side panels
Body/Paint Danny Gonzalez and Carlos Ponce of G-Spot Customs would cover the car in a two-tone Caramel Brown pearl with Gary Jensen laying down some gold leaf and pinstriping accents.
For episode 2 of Roll Models we take a look at San Diego native and Klique Car Club member, Miguel Alatorre.
Miguel dropped out of school at 16 in order to help his family. After the birth of his son, Miguel decided that he wanted to change his life, so he went back to school and enlisted in the U.S. Army and became a combat engineer.
After serving four tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, Miguel was injured in an IED ambush and received a medical discharge from the Army. Transitioning back to civilian life was a bit tumultuous for Miguel, but he used lowriding as an outlet to help relax and adjust to life outside of the military.
Today, Miguel works with his local chapter of VFW, helping other veterans with their transition back to civilian life as well as helping break through the stereotypes most people associate with both lowriders and veterans. Miguel is deeply involved with his family, his car club, and his community and that is why we look up to him as a LOWRIDER Roll Model.
Pete Tavares grew up in a ranch in the outskirts of Salinas, California. His first experience riding was when his dad purchased a Kawasaki 100 from the local dealership. “I learned how to ride at the age of 9 with my six siblings. My older brother got himself a 750 Ninja in the late ’80s. Since then I knew I wanted to get a bike and I ended up going with a Harley, an Iron Horse,” Pete says.
In 2005 Pete bought an all-stock ’00 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail. With the help of James Serasio of Hole In The Wall Cycles in Salinas he stripped the bike down and began working on it. He wanted to go with the cholo look and began looking for a painter. “Matt Sherman, owner of Imperiouz Auto Body, told me about this new kid, Eddie Padilla, who was painting. I saw a top he did on a ’62 Impala and figured I’d let him paint my bike. After all, how bad could he do on a gas tank and fenders?”
Pete was happy with the end result. This is the first motorcycle he added to his collection of cars. He has four lowriders, a couple pedal cars, and Schwinn bikes. “I’ve got five boys and one daughter. My boys are from 12-18 years old and my daughter is the youngest. I’m hoping when they all have their licenses we can all ride together.”
Efern Munoz got his ’08 Harley-Davidson Softail Deluxe in 2013 from a friend. “The owner got into an accident with it and it needed a new front end. He also got into a financial bind, so I got it for a good deal,” Efern says. He sent the bike to his cousin Eddie Padilla to have work done to it. Eddie had Boulevard Speed Shop in Santa Cruz, California, extend the rear fender and shorten the front one. After getting it back, Eddie added wild cherry candy and pearls. “I got the bike to ride with friends of mine but I ended up going a lot crazier than I planned and don’t ride it as much as I’d like,” Efern says.
2000 Harley-Davidson Heritage Softail
Nickname
La Otra
Owner
Pete Tavares
City/State
Salinas, CA
Club
Tavares Family Car Club
Engine
88ci, Samson true duals 39-inch exhaust, Magnum platinum cables
Body/Paint
Boulevard Speed Shop in Santa Cruz fabricated the fenders and Eddie Padilla from Castroville, CA, used House of Kolor Candy Apple Red
Suspension
SAS lowering system
Wheels/Tires
Landmark 21-inch 80-spoke Diamondback in the front and 18-inch in the back
2008 Harley-Davidson Softail Deluxe
Nickname
Purple Haze
Owner
Efern Munoz
City/State
Castroville, CA
Club
Westend
Body/Paint
Boulevard Speed Shop in Santa Cruz fabricated the fenders and Eddie Padilla from Castroville, CA, used House of Kolor wild cherry candy and pearls
Wheels/Tires
Landmark 21-inch 80-spoke Diamondback in the front and 18-inch in the back with Avon tires
The Championship Auto Shows produce the largest car show series in the automotive business. Better known under the monikers of Autorama or World of Wheels, there are close to 20 events held annually across the United States and Canada. Though hot rods and the competition for the Ridler Award are always at the heart of each show, in recent years the composition has expanded to include more custom lowriders on their tour. Houston, Salt Lake City, and even Omaha are on this year’s list, as well as this issue’s featured coverage of Kansas City’s Autorama where the spacious venue, Bartle Hall recently hosted hundreds of custom cars, classics, hot rods, trucks, motorcycles, and of course the Lowrider Nation all under one roof. In addition there were many feature exhibits and several celebrity guests, like Danny “The Count” Koker from the Counting Cars TV Show, who was in concert Saturday night with his band the Counts 77. Also getting rock star type of attention was an immaculate white 1957 Cadillac Eldorado Seville, chopped top Mercs, and a 1965 convertible De Ville on jackstands, putting Minnesota on the lowrider GPS.
Kansas City’s very own legendary car builder Blas Ledezma broke out with a satin and slammed 1949 Buick Roadmaster, and as always, the Viejitos Kansas City chapter brought out their mean-looking bomb classics. There were many different car club show cars exhibited and represented well at this show, and though everyone looked like a winner, the Editor’s Choice award went out to a 1964 Impala rag from SouthSide.
The unity amongst the Lowrider community has been brought upon by the sincere guidance and blessings offered by none other than the man known as the “Preacher.” Though he once again displayed his two beautiful rides in support of the show it was with a heavy heart, because his wife was also gravely ill and after the show she died. God bless her and may she rest in peace; we’re sure many prayers went out from the good friends gathered around her.
Besides the car shows attendance also being huge for this three-day weekend event, the crowd was very much attracted to the LOWRIDER exhibit area where the LOWRIDER Rig and a couple of L.A. cars were also show cased. Kansas City has a very humble and passionate Lowrider community that really cleanses the soul. If I thought that the love I have for lowriders could not be matched, I was wrong. Kansas City doesn’t take lowriding for granted, despite the weather, economy, and lack of hydraulic shops, body and paint shops, and even interior shops. Their belief and passion for our culture is remarkable. It doesn’t come easy like out here on the West Coast, they have to try harder to prove their passion. That’s why their state is called the Show-Me state, because as I witnessed, they do.
It’s easy to lose count of things when building cars. Time, money, new parts, used parts, parts to replace the new parts that went bad earlier than expected, and things that just didn’t turn out looking as good as you envisioned all have a way of blurring your memory. Before you know it, months have fallen off the calendar, thousands have been spent, and sometimes it feels like you’re no nearer to finishing than when you brought the car home. But nothing worth having in life is easy, especially lowriding.
Darwin “DMack” Wilson scored this clean ’63 Impala off a fellow Majestics club member in Detroit. He fell in love with it and had to have it. It was supposed to be a fairly simple street car, but as things go, once one modification was made, it needed another. And another. And … well, you know the story. A domino effect of changes led to six years’ worth of work done to the car you see here, known as 63 Ways, but one thing’s certain-DMack did it his way. It’s a nod to those who are in it for the love of the game.
The original 327 the car came with was pulled and DMack and his friend, Carl, dropped in a 5.7L Escalade motor connected via a slip driveshaft to a 700-R trans. He removed the fuel injection and replaced it with an Edelbrock carb, manifold, an aluminum radiator, plenty of chrome, shorty headers, and Flowmaster 3-inch exhaust and mufflers. After tinkering with the original rear and going through a 9-inch, DMack finally settled on a Tacoma rearend. A quartet of 13-inch Zeniths put the power to the pavement and disc brakes on each corner bring it all to a quick halt.
What lies beneath is a totally chrome suspension with molded upper and lower A-arms, molded trailing arms, and a fully wrapped and powdercoated frame by How High Hydraulics. A Street Life Hydraulic setup consists of four pumps, four dumps, four switches, and eight solenoids with 8- and 12-inch front and rear cylinders. Eight Optima batteries keep it all powered up.
1963 Chevy Impala
Vehicle Nickname
63 Ways
Owner
Darwin “DMack” Wilson
City/State
Lancaster, CA
Club
Majestics Compton
Engine
5.7L V-8, 700-R trans
Suspension
Molded upper and lower A-arms, molded trailing arms, and a fully wrapped and powdercoated frame by How High Hydraulics. A Street Life Hydraulic setup with four pumps, four dumps, four switches, and eight solenoids with 8- and 12-inch front and rear cylinders. Tacoma rearend.
Body/Paint
Oriental Green by Area 51. 44-inch moonroof by Nunez and Son. Pinstriping by Mike Lamberson. Muraling by Shin. Patterning on roof, dash, and package tray by Kandy and Chrome.
Sound System
Pioneer head unit, front speakers, and amps, Image Dynamics subwoofer, and four JBLs in the package tray
Interior
Dakota Digital dash, leather interior by Mario’s Upholstery, Detroit, MI
The 700-R4 was first introduced in the ’82 Corvette. The trans had lower First and Second gears (3.06 and 1.63, respectively) than other automatics, its lockup torque converter offered potential fuel-mileage gains, and the 0.7 overdrive decreased the overall drive ratio by 30 percent. But the original design was not considered a strong transmission, with failures behind even a mild 350 not uncommon. The trans was so weak that in its original setup, GM deliberately calibrated it to kick out of lockup and high gear under full throttle, top-end conditions to avoid burning it up. The original versions had only downsized, 27-spline input shafts, one of many possible, and common failure points. By 1984, 700-R4s intended for use behind small-block Chevy V-8s began to receive beefy, 30-spline input shafts similar to those found on classic TH350 and TH400 transmissions. From 1984-1987 the most failure-prone internal parts, from the ring-gear to the oil-pump housing, were upgraded. An auxiliary valvebody was added in October 1986. Finally, on performance cars like the Corvette, additional internal lubrication improvements permitted the trans to survive in high gear, full-throttle, top-end conditions.
Although Queens doesn’t have an aggressive name, it’s a rough part of New York. When Ceez Bejarano was a young boy his father knew the right step was to get him and his older sister out of New York. He requested a work transfer to New Mexico and the family decided to look around for new homes in the area. Coincidentally there was a wedding that day in the area they were in and parked alongside were lowrider cars. Having never seen one before, Ceez became enamored with the look and style of the custom rides. He started looking around for any information on these vehicles and found his first LOWRIDER magazine. From that moment he promised he would have his own customized ride.
With his own creativity in mind, Ceez tore down the Cadillac and gave it a fresh coat of paint. The undercarriage was painted, pinstriped, and leafed. The suspension was overhauled and a complete stereo system was added. The help he got along the way was very integral to his success.
He wishes to thank his club brothers, Chuck Linebaugh, Jays Meade, Norman Parra, as well as the rest of his supportive club members, Nene from Majestics for starting this project, his family, and most of all his beautiful wife, Tiffanie, for always supporting the lifestyle and understanding his passion. This Caddy had passed through so many hands but nobody ever stopped to make it their own. Ceez and his crew gave it a home and made it their own.
1982 Cadillac Coupe De Ville
Vehicle Nickname
La Cosa Nostra
Owner
Ceez Bejarano
City/State
Brighton, CO
Club
City Wide
Engine
OG 4.3L with painted accents
Interior
Original with updated ’90s interior lighting
Sound
Pioneer head unit, two Rockford Fosgate T400 amplifiers, two Rockford Fosgate T2 10-inch subwoofers, custom fiberglass box built by Chuck Linbaugh
Suspension
A Whammy tank setup with Red’s blocks, Black Magic faucets, hard lines by Chuck Linebaugh, six batteries, 8-inch cylinders in front and 12-inch cylinders in rear, engraved 1-inch check valves by Norman Parra
Wheels/Tires
13-inch OG wire wheels, 72-spoke cross laced with Dayton adapters and knockoffs, P155/80-R13 Uniroyal Tiger Paws
City Wide Car Club initials replace the Cadillac crest.
For the 13th year in a row, the Grand National Roadster Show took over the Pomona Fairplex for another weekend, filling its buildings with over 500 of the most beautiful show vehicles around.
This year’s show saw a definite blending of styles in the builds, from the bodywork to the paintjobs to the choice of accessories. There were lowriders rocking hot rod wheels, and hot rods in lowrider-style paintjobs and colors. This was a show that many times made us stop and ask, “Is this a lowrider, or is this a hot rod?”
Last year, Rudy Sandoval from Groupe Car Club debuted a beautiful blue 1973 Ford LTD, “True Blue,” that we featured as our cover car for our Aug. ’15 issue. As a follow-up to last year’s successful debut, Rudy was back again with True Blue, which he displayed alongside his latest build, another LTD, that we’ll be featuring sometime in the future.
At the end of the weekend, Darryl Hollenbeck came out as a big winner. Darryl and his 1932 Ford Roadster took home the L.A. Deuce Award as well as the title of America’s Most Beautiful Roadster. Other big winners from this year’s show include Andrew Ursich and his Ursich Customs Knucklehead, which was named America’s Most Beautiful Motorcycle, Jerry Logan and his 1960 Cadillac, which won the George Barris Kustom D’Elegance award, and Elsa Cisneros’s Chevy Impala convertible, which won the Best Restored award.
After seeing the high level of builds at this year’s show we can’t wait to see what the 2017 Grand National Roadster Show will bring us.
Bombs and especially Bomb trucks are taking over the lowrider scene! Because of the popularity with these classic trucks, we decided to take on building a ’53 Chevy as our preferred choice. We started from the ground up with a TCI Engineering frame, and LSX Chevrolet Performance drivetrain. As we continued along with the latest build steps on our Lowrider Bomb Truck project, we finally got the chance to jump into the cab itself and begin the metal fabrication repairs. When we first found this ’53 Chevy Truck cab out on a farm, we chose it because of its fair body condition and minimal amount of rust. Though we had hoped to find a five-window cab we found out as we began our journey that they are becoming a lot harder to find, so we settled on this nice condition three-window instead.
Our quest to have a five-window Bomb Truck didn’t end there either because a while back and long before we started our truck build project we took a tour of the Brothers Truck Parts facility. We knew that they were America’s number one source for ’47-87 Chevrolet and GMC truck parts, both classic and custom. But upon our visit we saw that the sky on a classic Chevy or classic GMC truck was the limit. They have thousands of the highest quality truck parts you can find. Whether you’re restoring an original or seeking custom classic truck parts, they’re the source. So since finding out that nothing is impossible from our store visit, we knew that Brothers had a three- to five-window conversion and that the transformation would be a snap. They also reproduce the inner and outer rear window panels to convert any Chevy pickup from a ’47 to ’54.
After getting our ’53 truck cab media blasted we discovered the top of the roof was beyond repair too, so we decided to replace it as well during the conversion process. Once again Brothers Truck Parts came to the rescue with a whole new roof panel skin to replace it.
Since we had all of the pieces inside and outside, including all of the necessary inner braces, we decided to utilize our Miller Spectrum 375 X-Treme plasma cutter to get the bulk of the old and damaged sheetmetal out of the way. We examined our new pieces and laid out our initial cut lines on our cab a couple inches in from where our final cut lines would be. By doing this we were able to remove the old material very quickly and then lay our new roof panel and rear window panels on the cab in no time at all. These replacement panels are stamped to factory specs, and they are joined together at all of the factory spot-weld flange joints. For our cab we decided to cut off the flanges on the new pieces around the driprails so we wouldn’t have to remove the rails. This also worked to our advantage since we were then able to lay the new roof panel on the cab and scribe our final cut lines to create a perfectly fitted joint.
The corner joint where the roof panel and rear window panel meet is also typically an overlapped and spot-welded joint that is covered in lead from the factory. We decided to hammer and dolly the flange flat so we could scribe a cut line and make this a butt-welded joint. By doing so we were able to hammer and dolly the joint and metal finish it so it would require very minimal body working. Our Miller Electric Manufacturing Company Multimatic MIG/TIG welder worked perfectly for this whole conversion and repair job. After all of the outer pieces were fully installed and welded on, the inner rear window pieces from Brothers were spot-welded in and around the window frames and also to the new inner bracing.
Please see for yourself that the transformation on this Truck Projects cab is an easy one, as long as you have genuine Brothers quality metal panel parts and the right metal fabrication experience on hand. Follow along with our step-by-step five-window conversion and roof panel replacement install.
1. The metal magicians, aka the Engle Brothers, started off by grinding down the roof of the cab’s spot welds so that they could remove the old and sort of caved-in roof panel.
2. Here we have Greg Engle prying away at the roof’s flange.
3. The new Brothers roof top panel is now placed on top of the cab’s structure so it could be used as a template.
4. The old roof is then cut away and removed to the side.
5. Greg starts to do away with the old rear window panel from its structure.
6. Here we have the complete removal of the rear window and top roof panel sections.
7. From there, Greg begins to grind down the old metal and prep it for a cleaner and smoother finish so that the areas can be set for a good welding joint.
8. At this juncture of the fabrication, Greg begins to map out his exact cut lines on the outer (third) window panels from Brothers for the proper fitment.
9. The brand-new Brothers sheetmetal panels are then placed together as a rough mockup.
10. The Engles begin to clean and prep for surgery on the old cab. Everything, including the inside structures, are also etched in a primer seal. (Inner Horizontal Brace, PN RCB54RR; Inner Vertical Brace, PN RCB4754.)
11. The tight but also overlapping pieces of metal are scribed in a sharp line for the exact cutting to get the proper fitting of all joining panels.
12. The roof panel is placed near its exact and soon-to-be permanent location after more scribing is done.
13. The new metal roof panel is clamped down together masterfully as the welding will be the next phase of our reconstruction and fabrication.
14. The rear three-window panels are also clamped down in place, as the welding will be the next phase of our reconstruction and fabrication.
15. Diamond Dave grabs hold of his trusty Miller Electric welder and begins the tack welding process.
16. Tack welds are continuous as the puzzle of panels start to become permanent.
17. Follow along the dotted tack weld lines.
18. The outer and inner third-window panels are also tack welded together.
19. Dave and the Miller welder continue their journey welding seams together for a good cause.
20. Greg follows his brothers trail of welding and grinds everything to a semi-smooth finish.
21. The roof side panels are also ground down smoothly.
22. Dave follows his brother’s grinding trails with a DA sanding disc to completely smooth out the entire metal welding transformation.
23. The perfect joint! Tacked welded, ground, and DA to the perfect metal finish.
Every school has their “cool kids”… the ones with the latest clothes or the ones who always seem to be the life of the party. For Jaime Villa, he was one of these fortunate cool kids. You see, his older brother, Oscar, owned a custom 5.0 Ford Mustang on 13-inch Dayton Wire Wheels and Jaime remembers when his brother would pick him up at the end of class. “Everyone would look and stare as we cruised away,” Jaime says. From that time on, he vowed to have his own custom car one day.
“I always wanted a Ford Expedition,” Jaime explains. “After a few years of saving my money, it was finally time to graduate from riding shotgun to the driver seat.” On the very first day he purchased the SUV, it was off to the tint shop where they would also install a custom T-Rex billet grille. From there it was off to Tune It, who would complete the bodywork with Triple J Custom Pintura creating an intricate display of teal, blue, and purple pattern combinations. Local Arizona artist Chavo was brought in to add miles of pinstriping lines throughout the vehicle. Todd Jubert’s Interior Shop in Phoenix created the custom two-tone blue and tan tweed interior, added a custom Billet Specialties steering wheel, and bolted on the custom Bentchi B15 chrome wheels wrapped with Diablo 255/30-26 radial tires. CJ Silvey of Superior Auto Sound installed the custom Slam Specialties AccuAir airbag system powered by Optima batteries, as well as a custom JL Audio speaker sound system. The litany list of custom modifications to this vehicle would eventually include a shaved tailgate, Lambo-style doors, custom tilt hood, 3-D headliner, as well as custom fiberglass center console and dash.
To this day Jaime continues to improve on the car of his dreams but is reminded that this could not have been possible without the help and support of good friends and family like Abel, CJ, Todd Jubbert, Eddie Aviles, Ricardo Rubio, Lil John, and, more importantly, his son, Isaac, and beautiful wife, Mayra.
Nickname Relentless
Owner Jaime Villa
Car Club Swift
City Mesa, AZ
Vehicle 2000 Ford Expedition
Engine 2000 Ford 4.6L
Upholstery Todd Jubert’s Interior Shop in Phoenix created the custom two-tone blue and tan tweed interior and added a custom Billet Specialties steering wheel
Body/Paint With Tune It completing the bodywork, Triple J Custom Pintura created an intricate display of pattern combinations with Chavo adding pinstriping lines throughout the vehicle
Suspension CJ Silvey of Superior Auto Sound installed the custom Slam Specialties AccuAir airbag system powered by Optima batteries as well as a custom JL Audio speaker sound system
Many things motivate people to create a custom lowrider vehicle. For Fred Bryant of Raleigh, North Carolina, it was disappointment. For 17 years Fred owned “Jungle Love,” an ’82 Cadillac that graced the pages of LOWRIDER in 2013. After owning a Cadillac for that long, he decided it was time to go bigger. Because the ’64 Chevy Impala is the most desired for the lowrider enthusiast, Fred, the president of USO in North Carolina, enlisted his friends and USO members to keep an eye out for a project Impala.
The multiple blue ‘flaked top complements the Midnight Blue Impala body.
A hit came back for a ’64 Chevy Impala SS in Charlotte, North Carolina. Fred drove there with cash in hand and purchased the vehicle and brought it back home. He threw a hydraulic setup on it and added some wheels and then brought it to a local show. Fred had been used to receiving top honors with his Caddy so he was excited at award time with the new Impala. To his surprise he didn’t even place in the show. Disappointed, Fred brought the Chevy back home and put it on jackstands.
His vision became more and more grandiose. He started by removing the engine and transmission. The hydraulic setup was gutted as well as the undercarriage. Fred got his hands dirty handling the bodywork to the Chevy along with shaving the firewall. A new custom mix of Midnight Blue was added throughout the Chevy but he needed something even better. Pablo, better known as “KandyNChrome” was flown in to lay patterns down to the firewall, roof, frame, package tray, and beauty panels.
The undercarriage was sent off to be chromed at Concord Plating in Concord, North Carolina, along with all the dressing for the engine. The second hydraulic suspension was added by Fred with the welding help of Mbuchi Thiani in his carport. Fred brought the Impala to JB Auto Upholstery in Raleigh, NC, for a new custom interior. His friend Hernan engraved the door handles, seat supports, antenna bases, and other odds and ends.
Fred’s second attempt at a build was a huge success. He wishes to thank his family, his wife and kids, Makena and Robert, his friends, his USO family, along with friends, Mbuchi Thiani, Rudy Carr, and Wil Brannock. He may have been disappointed with the results of his first show but after finishing the Impala there’s never been a show he’s come back from without an award. His Chevy Impala is a success that has everyone wanting to “PayFred.”
1964 Chevy Impala Super Sport
Vehicle Nickname
Payfred 64
Owner
Fred Bryant
Fred is a proud president of the North Carolina USO Car Club.
It was one of those classic Southern California nights where the hot summer air was briefly replaced by a cool ocean breeze. It’s 1975 in classy San Diego, and Joe Navarez, Jesse Alvarado, and Armando Napo found themselves cruising to the recently constructed Chicano Park. All three were fans of vintage cars and had recently decided to put out a flyer that read: If you have an old car and want to start a car club, please meet on July 10th at Chicano Park. With oldies music playing in the background, the total of 10 members who decided to join them that fateful day eagerly began to get to know each other. “Hey, we all like oldies and have oldies,” someone shouted and so the name for this new car club was decided.
Time passed and Oldies Car Club flourished into a respected and vital part of the San Diego lowriding community. A crucial day in this club’s history came in 1981 when a member, while in Los Angeles, came across someone wearing an Oldies Car Club T-shirt. This T-shirt had a significantly different font and color scheme that read San Fernando Valley. Phone numbers were exchanged and soon both clubs found themselves hanging out together. With so much in common, these clubs decided to unite, taking up a black and gold color scheme and blending the plaque font into an “Old English” combination that appears to be waving at you as their caravan rolls by.
Forty years later, this club is stronger than ever. They have grown into nine chapters that include Las Vegas, Washington, Houston, and Tijuana. With a parking lot full of award-winning classic cars, guests came from all around to celebrate such a historic milestone anniversary. A few of the special invitees included Individuals, Amigos, La Gente, The Crowd, and Viejitos car clubs, who all helped kick off the night with dinner and dancing amidst a live band performing those memorable oldies that helped bring this car club together.
With lifetime achievement awards handed out, it was time to share classic car club stories and reflect on lifelong memories. Seldom does a car club get the opportunity to celebrate such an event. But with chapters separated by numerous miles, they are just one club, which is reflected in their plaques that do not name a city, but instead simply say “Oldies Car Club.” Who would’ve thought that the love of classic cars from a handful of guys would go on to have such an impact on so many people? “I believe our club has lasted due to the commitment from former and current members,” the current Oldies president says. “Can’t wait to see what the future holds for us.”
Lorenzo Angel Garcia was raised in San Jose, California. His mom gave him a 1972 Chevy Caprice when he was 8 years old, yes 8! “I couldn’t do anything with it at the time, it mostly just sat there until I got older,” Lorenzo explains. “I got rid of it when I was in high school.” Lorenzo had traded his Caprice for a running 1968 Cutlass. This would be his first trade of many more to come. “I’ve had about 45 cars. Whenever I get tired of the car, I go out and start looking for trades. I began with a ’70s car and I’ve worked my way down to the ’40s. I could have been in the ’30s by now but my dream car is 1941-47 convertible.”
He was able to pick up this Suburban by trading a fully patterned 1947 Fleetline Fastback he had. “The Fleetline was in great condition but I feel like my chances of getting a convertible are greater with the Suburban.”
The Suburban already had the root beer brown paint and candy tangerine top. “It was pretty clean but I knew what it could look like by adding my style to it.” He began by adding triple gold Zenith and a hydraulic setup. Lorenzo then had fellow club member Pete help him out by adding patterns and ‘flake to the Suburban. Pete used candy tangerines and candy pagan gold to add multiple tape shades and patterns to the top. “I was speechless with the work Pete did in four days but I still felt I had to take it to one more person to add the final icing on the cake.” That man was Carlos Lima, San Jose’s legendary painter from the ’70s. With full creative freedom to do what he wanted, Carlos pulled out his brushes and laid out yellow and red fine lines thought the entire body as well as gold leafing.
During our shoot, Lorenzo was in the middle of a deal to trade this Suburban for an all-original 1947 convertible. If he does get it, he plans on having it fully patterned, juiced, and on Zeniths. We wish him luck on the deal and can’t wait to see his vision on it.
1948 Chevrolet Suburban
Vehicle Nickname:
Trade Up
Owner
Lorenzo A. Garcia
City/State
San Jose, CA
Club
408 Ryders
Engine
235
Body/Paint
Rootbeer brown with candy tangerine top
Suspension
Mustang II front clip, disc brakes, Monte Carlo rearend, two pumps, three batteries
Interior
Banjo steering wheel, chrome steering column, and brown velour seats in original pattern
