’49 Chevy Fleetline Deluxe – Lessons Learned. Stripes Earned.

There’s no denying the culture of lowriding is a family affair. Stroll into any of our shows and you’ll find the place littered with families in full swing. But take a deeper look and you’ll often find countless fathers teaching their children about the tradition, styling, and values of lowriding—and that’s essentially what we’re all about.

You see, lowriding is about passing not only the torch but also passing along the culture and the heritage of lowriding. And for Roy Gutierrez, these childhood memories and valuable lessons have resulted in him creating this beautiful, award-winning bomb. Then again, what would you expect? Roy didn’t have just any ordinary teacher. His father is none other than Viejitos Car Club cofounder Roy Gutierrez Sr. who, in 1985, also happened to own a similar 1949 Chevy—the inspiration for this build.

After purchasing a Chevy Fleetline DeLuxe from an 18-year-old kid, Roy soon found out that the young man he purchased the vehicle from had actually inherited this gem from his 92-year-old grandmother, who incidentally had purchased the vehicle brand new off the lot at a Flagstaff dealership.

1949 chevrolet fleetline deluxe hood ornament

1949 chevrolet fleetline deluxe side mirror

Upon its return, the Chevy was off to Bell Auto Upholstery where the transformation would begin. There they would install a brand-new cloth interior with original stitching and patterns with Gordo, of Fontana, California, redoing the woodgrain dash and window frames. Roy and wife, Jychelle, just as they would on a great deal of the car, took on the task of wiring the Alpine stereo, which controls the mids and highs powered by two JL audio amplifiers. From there, they would drop in a 1959 Chevy 1/2-ton 235 with three-speed transmission and custom split manifold connected to 1/2-inch straight pipes. Roy and Jychelle themselves would also apply the enamel PPG Vanilla Shake custom paint found throughout the car.

Longtime friend Ramon of Long Beach, California, would be called in to install the custom Helix airbag suspension with 1/2-inch line setup. With the original five-lug 15-inch Chevy rims painted and chrome beauty rings installed, it was finally time for the unenviable task of tracking down all those hard-to-find OEM accessories that make every bomb build complete. The long list would eventually include an original 1949 Bango steering wheel, Fulton suicide knob, original Pres-A-Lite cigarette lighter, GM reverse backup light, and GM vent shades.

Roy and Jychelle would like to personally thank all those involved with the build, “especially, Roy Sr. and Lydia Gutierrez, my five brothers, and our kids Kylee, Tico Jr., Robert, and our baby girl who is on the way. Many thanks, as well, to our friends Martin Ochoa and all of the Viejitos familia.”