Some things, no matter how much you try and take care of them, just wear out over time or need to be improved. For instance, if you fancy the look of the bedwood your Chevy pickup originally came with, it’s only a matter of time before the elements have rotted it out or you just decided to convert your metal floor to the more appealing aesthetic of wood and stainless strips. Thankfully, companies like Bruce Horkey’s Wood and Parts have got you and your pickup bed covered.

Brakes need constant maintenance and many have made the jump to convert their older GM cars to disc. Wilwood’s AFX kit will help you in converting or upgrading your factory GM disc brakes for the 1964-’72 A-body, 1967-’69 F-body, and 1964-’74 X-body. Thinking of adding accessories to your engine? Of course you are. You need the right system to turn all those components though, and Eddie Motorsports’ S-Drive Plus Serpentine Pulley Drive System can handle all that torque and make your engine look good doing it.

1.

Make: Wilwood
Model: AFX Body Front Brake Kits
URL: http://www.wilwood.com
MSRP: Starting at $643.99
Overview: Featuring forged Dynalite four-piston calipers with 11-inch one-piece rotors. Includes BP-10 compound metallic composite SmartPads, mounting brackets, stainless steel braided, DOT-approved flexlines, and all hardware. Kits mount to OEM spindles, while clearing most 14- and 15-inch disc brake backspacing wheels.

2.

Make: Bruce Horkey’s Bed Wood and Parts
Model: Chevy 1934-’87
URL: http://www.horkeyswoodandparts.com
MSRP: varies by year and bed size
Overview: Cut to size from kiln-dried oak or ash, grooved for skid strips, drilled for hold-down bolts, sanded, and ready to finish. You can even request select boards with a similar grain pattern for a show bed finish. Available without holes and steel-to-wood floor conversion kits for 1967-’72 Chevy/GMC Fleetsides are offered as well.

3.

Make: Eddie Motorsports
Model: S-Drive Plus Serpentine Pulley Drive System
URL: http://www.eddiemotorsports.com
MSRP: Starting at $2,150
Overview: Features an eight-rib belt configuration for wider contact patch than six-rib. Available in raw machined or polished for small-block, big-block, and LS Chevys and come with all billet aluminum pulleys and mounting brackets. Eddie Motorsports’ S-Drive Plus Serpentine Pulley Drive systems are offered complete with components, including Powermaster 140-amp alternator, Tuff Stuff aluminum water pump, Gates spring-loaded tensioner and serpentine belt, Sanden style A/C compressor (where applicable), Maval power steering pump (where applicable), and all of the necessary stainless steel fasteners.

The post July 2017 New Products appeared first on Lowrider.

To give your car the moniker “Certified Gangster” carries a lot of claim. It sends out a bold message, leaves plenty of room for scrutiny, but in the beginning – and even in the end – this ’64 definitely holds its weight. Still a legend in the game, still a certified OG, this 1964 Impala SS popped up in the show circuit just about a decade ago. The single piece bumpers, magenta paint and chrome undies immediately caught everyone’s attention and it got everyone wondering who the hell it belonged to? Well, the infamous ’64 Impala belonged to “Large” out of Leisure City, FL. As a member of Low Lyfe CC, the level and quality of his build was like nothing that had ever been produced in the East Coast and till today it remains a legend in the game.

Looking back in time, the only time I saw this car in person was about eight years ago at Bowtie Connection. I remember it vividly, I remember seeing it stuffed in the corner of the shop with a car cover on it and since then, it just about vanished. I never heard about the car again, never saw photos of it, and just like any legend, folks still talked about it, but it was hardly seen.

Certified Gangster was the first car from Florida to grace the cover of Lowrider Magazine and it went from being the center of attention to the realm of forgotten. Needless to say, I was walking through the hall at the Miami Lowrider Super Show and there it was in full glory. I walked around it for a few minutes, soaked in all the details, and just shook my head because it was still a work of art, and definitely worthy of all the hype it built up nearly a decade ago. In short, this ’64 is still a panty dropper and just like any real certified gangster, it’s earned its stripes, proven its worth and has every right to earn its title.

In closing all I can say is, “Large….pop your collars and drop the mic, because there’s no words necessary to explain the legacy you’ve built.”

The post Over a Decade Old and Still Looks Fresh appeared first on Lowrider.

Mando Curiel of Garden Grove, California, has been lowriding since he was 14 years old. He started with a custom tricycle as a youth, but eventually moved on to buying this 1983 Oldsmobile Cutlass in 1996 when he was just 17 years old. At that time, Mando admits that his plans for the car only extended to that of a basic street-custom ride. Sure, he wanted a clean car that could still look nice displayed at a local custom car show, but he wanted it to be a driveable lowrider worthy of the boulevard.

In 2001, Mando joined a local car club that was based in Orange County. Latin Life Car Club ended up being the right move for Mando as it brought him around fellow peers who shared a love for custom cars, get-togethers, and car shows. The club had a mix of members who possessed different talents and networks of contacts and this proved to be very valuable to someone who wanted to take their custom lowrider to the next level. Mando’s Cutlass did get quite a few doses of customizations and it wasn’t until the Sept. ’01 issue of LOWRIDER that his ride landed a coveted feature on the pages.

A decade later, in 2011, Mando decided to change the car completely and rebuild it as a total frame-off restoration. He changed everything, including the exterior color, interior, full engine, and trunk. The complete transformation was just recently completed and although it appears to be a different car, this second time around was well worthy for a second feature!

Mando started lowriding when he was young and now that he has his own kids, I am showing them how to lowride with their own bike and pedal car. Mando says that lowriding is definitely a big part of his family!

1983 Oldsmobile Cutlass

Vehicle Nickname
Family Hustle

Owner
Mando Curiel

City/State
Garden Grove, CA

Club
Latin Life

Engine
1983 3.8-cid engine rebuilt by Mando

Body/Paint
Armando Esquivel of Jazz Auto Body in Stanton, CA, shaved and molded the inside hood and trunk before laying down a light green finish. Sal Elias added is talents of candy patterns and detailed airbrushed murals. Oscar Mendoza of Oscar’s Graphics in Huntington Beach, CA, did the one-of-a-kind pinstriping on the frame and engine bay. Edgar of Castaneda Engraving did the engraving and Eli’s Polishing handled the chrome plating necessities.

Suspension
Chico at M&M Hydraulics in Ontario, CA, installed a whammy tank with Adex dumps. Six batteries power the system, controlled by four dash-mounted switches. Herman Sanchez of Anaheim, CA, did the full wrap, reinforcing the GM frame.

Wheels/Tires
Dayton 72-spoke knock-off rims wrapped in 155/80/13 whitewall Travel Star tires.

Interior
Joe of California Upholstery in Bell Gardens, CA, did up an eye-popping interior makeover with four bucket seats, a custom center console, headliner, and a custom dashboard with Intellitronix Digital gauges.

Sound System
Mando, himself, did the installation of the Pioneer head unit, 6×9-inch Infinite midrange speakers, and the Alpine Type-R woofers.

The post Mando Curiel’s 1983 Oldsmobile Cutlass appeared first on Lowrider.

On Tha Eastsidaz album there was one song that struck a match under the ass of many lowriders. That song was called “G’d Up” and in the song, Snoop Dogg dropped a line that said, “If it ain’t chronic don’t blaze it up, and if it ain’t a Chevy don’t raise it up.”

Well, I might agree with the first verse, but the second part was nonsense. Now don’t get your bowties in a bunch – because I’m a die-hard Chevy lover too – but I think he put that verse in there simply because it rhymed – and he got tired of spelling his name out. Now there’s no denying that what he said has become an unofficial code on the streets, written by lowriding purists, but it doesn’t mean we all have to take it literally. That said, there’s no doubt that Chevrolet has produced some of my very own personal favorite body designs, but it surely doesn’t mean that they’ve produced them all, so here’s a breakdown of some of my favorites outside of the box.

THE LINCOLN CONTINENTAL

When it comes to non-Chevy’s, one of my top favorites is the 1979 Lincoln Continental Mark V and Issac Sainz of Classic Angels car club owns the cobalt blue one you see here. To be exact, it’s from the Lincoln Collector’s Series, and while the build might seem simple to most, the truth remains that it’s the last full size gas guzzling luxury vehicles and doesn’t need much. The execution of his build was spot on with the dark cobalt paint, paired with a chrome double pump, and touch of gold, was enough to accent his ride in sheer perfection.

FORD F-100

On the flipside, I do appreciate a great build that thinks out of the box and that’s exactly what Bill Conner did with his 1953 Ford F-100. As a member of the Dukes, he hauled his truck out all the way from Atlanta, and it’s loaded with a host of custom amenities which includes a load of micro flake, a crisp white interior, a bad ass two-tone fade as well as retro patterns which flaunts and represents the70’s style era of lowriding.

THUNDERBIRD

The final car on this list is a 1965 Ford Thunderbird from USO car club. Juan Gonzalez of Miami, FL is the owner of this ride but it’s not the only one in his stable. He is also the proud owner of a purple 1964 Impala so lowriding is in his blood. But this time around, all eyes are on his fourth-generation T-Bird. Extremely rare, and hard to even come by, he did a great job flipping the script on this American classic.

In all, none of these three may be Chevy’s, but they’re definitely worthy of our appreciation and respect. They’re classic builds, which in the end pay homage to the culture of lowriding, so I tip my hat to these three gentlemen for building what they want Besides, variety is the spice of life and these cars are great representations of what lowriding is all about, and that’s self expression.

The post If It Ain’t a Chevy Don’t Raise It Up. Oh Really? appeared first on Lowrider.

Before every built Lowrider, there is a pick up truck involved in the process. From the beginning when you claim your project out of a barn or someone’s back yard, you need a truck to help pull it to its new home. During the build that same truck is out hunting for replacement parts or moving your vehicle from the body shop to the upholstery shop, and when that is all said and done eventually that prized possession is then transported to out of town Car Shows for exhibition. Without Pick up trucks our custom car hobbies could never reach their goals or completion. A pick up trucks primary reason is to tow or haul valuable possessions in the back of the beds like floor jacks, tools, parts and other valuables. The problem most truck owners have is that they need to keep an eye on their properties and possessions because the beds are open and exposed to anyone out there who can help them selves to those certain valuables if they want to, and let’s not forget about the weather exposure that has an effect on things too. It seems that most of the time what ever goes inside the back of a truck bed must eventually come back out. To cover your assets why not have a sleek and low profile Tonneau cover installed on your trucks bed by the pick up truck specialists at Fuller Truck Accessories in Southern California. Family owned for over forty years and with two locations in Fullerton and Riverside, their Tonneau Covers come with double-lock security, high strength construction and an easy opening feature. A Fuller installed Tonneau cover comes with a sleek, low profile look and improved fuel economy that’s a great addition to any truck. Fuller truck Accessories specialize in camper shells, or toppers as they are sometimes referred to, and have added several other specialized product lines as well. These newer items include truck bed tool boxes, job site storage equipment, commercial van interiors, truck bed liners-both hard and soft, truck racks and truck carpet kits along with a wide variety of other truck and SUV accessories. Friendly and with a highly trained sales staff, their super store of accessories, have seven installation bays to fit and cover all your trucks needs.

Fuller Truck Accessories strive to be your one stop source for all accessories and that’s why we took our truck hauler down to their Fullerton location to be custom fitted with a Tonneau cover. Follow our tour from the sales counter, show room, and on over to their install bay as we show you how we were professionally covered.

1. Backed in to an open bay and ready to be Tonneau covered.

2. The Installers pull the right fitting Snug Lid (RL) from their inventory.

3. They carefully unpack the cover.

4. They pick up and begin to set in place the Tonneau cover.

5. The installers make sure that the arms do not get in the way before the top is laid down into its permanent place.

6. The fork-lift is removed once the Snug top is set.

7. Now our truck will be back up into the bay to begin the mounting of the brackets, arms, and locks

8. The brackets are ready to be placed in their positions to secure the cover to the top end sides of the truck bed.

9. The Installers begin mounting the brackets onto their stationary place.

10. Brackets are mounted to each (left& right) sides of the bed.

11. The final bracket is mounted on.

12. The arm extensions are mounted in place that will hold the Tonneau cover in the up position.

13. The locking bracket mechanisms are placed and mounted at the rear and top end of the bed.

14. The Tonneau cover is then opened and closed for further inspection.

15. The cover is then looked upon and examined for final position before anything is tightened down.

16. Every bolt, washer, and nut are tightened down for completion.

17. Locking bracket is also permanently mounted in its final location.

18. The locking mechanism is thoroughly checked to make sure that the cover latches line up and secure the top down for security and closure needs.

19. Luis and Jose are ready to cover your truck next.

Final –Full Coverage by Fuller!!

Fuller Truck accessories offers great prices on the best products whether you need a truck tonneau cover, a truck bed, tool box, a Penda bed liner, Snugtop or Leer camper shell, dash covers, hood shields, pass through windows, tail gate protectors, trailer hitches or any other truck accessories. They only have the accessories to fit your style your budget and the truck you use for your custom hobby.

www.fullertruck.com
800-99-shell Fullerton, CA
800-94-shell Riverside, CA

The post Fuller Truck Accessories – Is Your Pick Up Covered appeared first on Lowrider.

Earlier this year, South Towne Exposition Center in Sandy, Utah, played home to over 300 of America’s finest hot rods, customs, lowriders, trucks, and bikes for the 42nd Annual Autorama car show series.

Since 1975, this three-day event continues to showcase the highest quality builds and, as expected, the show was littered with live entertainment as well as some of the biggest names in the industry. This year, there was a special batch of celebrity appearances from WWE wrestling superstar Daniel Bryan, “Daisy Duke” (Catherine Bach) from the Dukes of Hazard, Steve Darnell from Vegas Rat Rods, and “Artist Alley”—the pinstripe/airbrush section sponsored by One Shot.

To add to the excitement, the encore display of “Lowrider Nation” aimed to please and included not only the LOWRIDER big rig display area but also select cars from SoCal’s Lifestyle Car Club. In all, the show flaunted a strong aura of lifted spirits and camaraderie and we couldn’t end without giving a huge shout-out to the Salt Lake City Chapter of Good Times Car Club as well as Luxurious Car Club, for their strong showing, support, and presence.

The post 2016 Salt Lake Autorama appeared first on Lowrider.

When lineman Sal Herrera was working on the frame-off resto of his 1962 Impala something just didn’t feel right. He then realized early on that his heart was really set on a 1959 so he went with his gut instinct, ditched his 1962, and went on the hunt. After months of scanning through classified ads and looking for the perfect project 1959, he wound up in Spokane, Washington, where he found the car of his dreams.

With the car finally at home, he kicked off the celebration by slapping on a set of 13-inch OG Zenith wire wheels with crosslaced spokes, and then in the following weeks installed two JL subs mated to hidden Fosgate amps. Now when it came down to getting the stance he wanted, he opted for air instead of juice, and went with a custom AccuAir setup complete with custom copper lines.

In all, it’s definitely a mild setup, but the quality of the workmanship found all throughout the car makes this a clean and impeccable build. But what really got us was the color combo he chose. The custom candy brandywine mix from House of Kolor is accented with custom fades and accent pinstriping, which is what really sets this car off. The paint is incredibly deep and pictures do this car absolutely no justice at all. The fade and color combo helps accent the elegant lines of the 1959 and it’s one of the finest color combos we’ve seen on this year Impala yet.

Moving on inside, the all-white interior provides a great contrast to the rich exterior. It sports brandy piping as well as custom patterns found throughout, and it offers a fresh appeal that is bright, inviting and not for the faint of heart.

As a child, Mr. Herrera was always around cars. He remembers the times when he used to build and repair cars with his pops and now he’s carrying on the tradition with a build of epic proportions. With a ride this clean, you can’t help but envy the finished product and it has all come to life because of his dedication, passion, and love for lowriding. As with all builds, it’s a dedication to a culture, to a craft, and to a style that speaks volumes about our industry. In short, it’s a labor of love that has plenty of stories behind each build and this is yet another great example of why our scene is alive and well.

1959 Chevrolet Impala Convertible

Vehicle Nickname
Lucky ’59

Owner
Sal Herrera

City/State
Roseville, CA

Club
Impalas, Sacramento chapter

Engine
348 big-block with 3×2 barrel and chrome air filter and valve covers

Body/Paint
Marcos Garcia of Lucky 7 Customs in Antioch, CA, sprayed this House of Kolor candy brandywine with fades nearly 20 years ago. Danny D of Baldwin Park, CA, added red striping to the 1959.

Suspension
Sal installed the AccuAir setup in his Frame Offz Kustom Shop in Roseville, CA, with two Viair 480 compressors, AccuAir controls, Dominator airbags, and polished copper hard lines.

Interior
Bob Divine in Pittsburg, CA, added the white vinyl interior with burgundy trim.

Sound
Sal installed the Alpine deck with Rockford Fosgate amplifiers, Pioneer mids, and JL Audio subwoofers.

Wheels/Tires
13-inch cross-laced Zenith wire wheels with Premium Sportways 5.20s

The post Selling an Original ’62 Impala to Buy a ’59 Impala Project appeared first on Lowrider.

If you want your lowrider sporting an exceptional ride with superior handling, then you really do have to look into the products by Art Morrison Enterprises. When the engineers at Art Morrison put their heads together, they not only came out with great frames, but also feasible solutions—which in the end is much more cost effective.

Specifically, we were interested in their chassis solutions for the increasingly popular ’59-’64 Chevrolets Impalas. After years of R&D, their engineers have developed an innovative chassis that provides a low ride height, coupled with comfort, excellent handling properties, and even better is the fact that the frames are all fully customizable.

What’s more, the new AME chassis is built to last and it sports 3×4 main framerails, along with specially designed crossmembers, which not only provide structural rigidity, but also ample clearance for their exhaust system.

Up front you frame and suspension enthusiasts will be overwhelmed and impressed by AME’s highly acclaimed Independent Front Suspension. With beefy tubular control arms, Strange Engineering coilover shocks, or optional Art Morrison Air Spring Plus Suspension, those components are coupled with the heart-stopping performance of Wilwood spindles, as well as your choice of adjustable antisway bars and a power rack-and-pinion steering.

The flexibility of options for your frame also includes the ability to have AME motor mounts to be used with your specific engine configuration. Whether you choose to run with a small- or big-block, or LS-series engines, it’s all a matter of choice and they can build it to fit whatever you need, and the same also holds true with their transmission mounts.

Out back, the rear suspension offers the best your wallet can afford, and their available components and build quality ensure that you will be getting superior handling and the ability to handle an abundance of power, thanks to a triangulated four-bar rear suspension and a beefy 9-inch rearend. Adjustable coilovers and an adjustable antisway bar provide the desired ride height, while a new two-piece driveshaft greatly reduces vibration and minimizes floorboard modifications. In fact, the ’59-’64 Impala frames require less floor mods than any aftermarket chassis for these cars.

These restomod frames come available with fully customizable options and if you let them know what hydraulic suspension you intend to run, they’ll make sure that everything fits like a glove. Though Art Morrison frames come equipped with Performance Air Spring suspension, coilovers, or AME’s exclusive Multilink Independent Rear Suspension, you also have the option of ordering your own chassis, which can easily support a coil spring platform as well. From rolling chassis to bare frames, the only limitations are your budget.

Now your classic ’59-’64 Chevy can have the handling characteristics of a newer muscle car’s suspension technology! All it takes is a CAD-engineered replacement chassis from Art Morrison and it’s a project that most competent do-it yourselfers can accomplish in their own garage. Little to no welding is required to install this chassis.

The bottom line is this, we’ve done our homework, have decades of experience building cars, and when it comes down to it, even GM’s famed X-frame will still twist and flex. That said, take a look at the frames from Art Morrison Enterprises. We’ve compared them side-by-side with custom-wrapped and boxed frames and if you do the math, it only makes sense to purchase an Art Morrison engineered chassis as opposed to wrapping or boxing an old obsolete frame. In addition, all their frames will have modern suspension and you no longer have to mod older frames in hopes that it’ll fit.

In closing, it might seem like a big one-time purchase, but when you add up the hundreds of dollars you’ll spend here and there, AME frames are the best choice in the market. You also have to remember that you’ll spend much less time doing follow-ups to see if your fabricator is working on your frame, less time trailering the frame here and there, and the bottom line is time is money, so the savings in buying a custom frame are worth its weight in gold when it comes to dollars, common sense, and time.

Art Morrison Enterprises Inc.
(800) 929-7188
www.artmorrison.com

Axalta Coating Systems Paint Tip of the Month

by Axalta Coatings Systems

How To Remove Weather Corrosion from your Precious Metals

This month’s paint/metal tip is brought to you by the good folks from Axalta Coating Systems. Their coating chemists would like to introduce you to the cure for metal and aluminum corrosion resulting from extreme weather conditions. Axalta’s 225S is an aluminum metal product that contains an acidic metal cleaner and conditioner formulated for aluminum. It effectively removes corrosion, resulting from weathering, and prepares the surface for the use of their step two Aluminum Refinishing System 226S. That next step process is a conversion coating that’s designed to stabilize aluminum, producing a high degree of corrosion resistance for adhesion when applying a paint system.

If you are restoring the metal body of any old car or truck project, chances are that over the years the weather elements came into play somewhere and left some corrosion and rust problems everywhere. Once you get your hands on a gallon of 225S, you will find that it is a very simple solution to use. Axalta Coating System products can always be found at any paint supply store near you.

For any or more technical paint support, feel free to contact Axalta Paint Specialist steven.c.chaparro@axaltacs.com, Southern California District (909) 938-5416.

The post A Classsic Car on a Rodded-Out Chassis and Suspension appeared first on Lowrider.

Lowriding is a global phenomenon. From the streets of Los Angeles to the ports of Japan, lowriding is a small but powerful culture that represents camaraderie and creativity. So when we shot out to Quebec, Canada, to do this feature we were more than humbled and impressed.

While most know Canada as the home of Celine Dion, dairy, and poutine fries, you can now rest assured that they’re also becoming known for their lowriding scene. Though small in comparison to lowrider culture in other countries, they are still producing great rides like this one here. Owned by Warth Stevenson, a member of LuxuriouS (North Side Chapter), this build was inspired by his buddy who owned a 1963 rag. The feeling of a drop-top with an open cabin impressed Warth so much that he decided to build the 1966 Impala that graces the pages of this issue.

With years of experience building lowrider bikes, Warth Stevenson is no stranger to customization. At a young age, he was already building custom bikes and that was his entry into the game as well as into LuxuriouS Car Club. “While I was cruising around on my bike when I was a kid, one of the guys called up David Gravelle, the founder of LuxuriouS in Montreal” Warth says. “They came down, we were super impressed with their cars, and [David] ended up liking my bike so much that he asked me join the club.” Since then, Warth has been a loyal member of the club and the fruit of his labor are seen in this clean 66 rag.

Once Warth had purchased his car, the first job was to take it to Mike’s Custom Shop where he did a mechanical and cosmetic overhaul on the vehicle. Jonathon Raymond of Kartel Hydraulics changed up the hydraulic system, did a partial wrap on the frame, while Yve redid the canvas top and the gangster window. Considering that the car was purchased in really good condition, it was just a matter of adding in his own personal touches and creating what you see here. It’s a clean classic with super curb appeal and once you pop the hood you’ll see a mildly customized engine bay that’s prim and super straight to the point.

To see how his passion as a kid building lowrider bikes evolved into him creating this clean rag is super indicative of how we are molded by our predecessors. It’s also proof that the strength in lowriding is not only in the cars itself but also in the owners who encourage future generations to build cars of their own. That said, keep inspiring the next generation of lowriders because the scene is as strong as ever.

1966 Chevrolet Impala Convertible

Vehicle Nickname
Luscious Red

Owner
Warth Stevenson

City/State
Quebec, Canada

Club
LuxuriouS, North Side Chapter

Engine
Mike Custom Shop in Canada dressed up the 350 with chrome alternator/water pump, chrome Edelbrock intake/carburetor, billet valve covers/air cleaner, electric fan, and a polished radiator.

Suspension
Jonathan Raymond of Kartel Hydraulics in Blainville, Quebec, Canada, partially wrapped the frame and installed the two chrome Showtime pumps with Black Magic dumps, six deep-cycle batteries and four switches. A B&M quicksilver shifter was added to control the TH350 transmission.

Sound
Pioneer stereo

Wheels/Tires
13×7-inch OG Wire Wheels

The post A Canadian’s Kid’s Dream Comes True With a ’66 Impala appeared first on Lowrider.

Say the word USO Car Club and the first thing that’ll come to mind for those familiar with the scene is Kita. For years, he’s been the ambassador of USO and a familiar face and activist for the lowriding scene. Known best for spreading visions of love, unity, respect, and camaraderie, Kita started UCE back in 1992—when it was formally called USO.

His chief aim for starting the club was to create an organization with show-quality cars, which were all bound together by a strong brotherhood of members. In all, Kita wanted each of his members to know they belonged to family that promoted love and respect. He practiced what he preached, and for those familiar with Kita, they can all attest to the infectiousness of his positive vibes. You know what we’re talking about, his trademark greetings always started with a sincere smile, followed by a “What’s up USO?!” a hug, and a kiss.

A humble, kind, and giving man, Kita brings a sense of peace and tranquility to those he meets. Even after suffering a massive heart attack in 2013, the episode may have left him in a wheelchair but it hasn’t broken his spirit. The passion he has for the community is evident when you look into his eyes, and he can still light up a room.

To give back to this incredible human being, the City of Sacramento, along with fellow car clubs and solo riders, got together to throw him an epic event that went down on April 16, 2016. The 2nd Annual Brotherly Love Picnic, its official name, was hosted to help raise funds to help pay for Kita’s medical expenses.

With a remarkable lineup of cars, food, and festivities, the picnic was flooded with a barrage of industry tastemakers and influencers. Hosted by AMP and Young Hogg, the turnout was proof once again that lowriding is a family affair that is backed by compassion and good people.

As always, it was good to see everyone out there in support of a lowriding legend and it serves as further proof that behind all the candy and chrome, the glitz and glamour, is a community that is built on the foundation of camaraderie, respect, love, and support.

The post The 2nd Annual Brotherly Love Picnic appeared first on Lowrider.

As luck would have it, we were out in San Diego during a road trip when we spotted this Sting Ray, which belongs to Christian Hernandez. Needless to say, we struck up a conversation, expressed interested in shooting the bike, and after exchanging information realized that they too were on a little vacation—and actually lived a few blocks away from our studio in Santa Ana.

A day later, we agreed to meet up at the LR studio to capture these images and the history behind this bike definitely has deep-seated roots. What initially started off as an excuse to build a father-son project, they stumbled upon this 1981 Schwinn Sting Ray that was in the hands of a friend. “The bike was in good condition but we needed to add our own flavor,” Christian, who wanted to dedicate the bike to the memory of his grandfather, explains. “My grandpa would always talk to me about Pancho Villa, so that’s what inspired the theme of my bike.”

For starters, the bike was taken to Choice Of Colors where the crew sprayed the bike frame and fenders with a heavy micro flake brandy paint. From there it was dropped off to Mike Lamberson of Draggin Lines, where he added the red and cream-colored striping followed by a hint of leafing. As if that weren’t enough, Christian wanted a bit more customization so he put his bike in the hands of Sal Elias, who added the murals, which were inspired by his grandpa’s stories of the Mexican Revolucion and Pancho Villa.

For the seat, they went with a unit from Red Beard Leather, who came up with a custom hand tooled leather seat sporting two revolvers. In the end, the father-son team put together a definite showstopper that snapped necks, and they’ll be the first to admit that they knew they had an award-winning bike, but winning at the LOWRIDER Las Vegas Super Show is what confirmed those beliefs and added even more pride in this epic build.

1981 Schwinn Sting Ray

Vehicle Nickname
El General

Owner
Christian Hernandez

City/State
Santa Ana, CA

Club
True Life

Body/Paint
Axalta

Interior
Tooled leather banana seat

Wheels/Tires
144-spoke

The post Building this Schwinn Sting Ray was More Than a Family Affair appeared first on Lowrider.

When you’re the VP of your car club chapter, there’s a certain amount of pressure that sits on your shoulders. It’s a pressure that comes from within, and not one imposed upon you by fellow members. That pressure to lead and build by cars by example comes naturally, so when it came time for Pete Beltran, the VP of the Westside Chapter of Goodtimes Car Club, to build his 1962 Impala, he went full force and never looked back.

At the time of his build, he was the owner of two 1962 Impalas—both of which needed a lot of work. He decided at the start of his build to use one of the Impalas as a donor car in order to speed up the process. Along with the help of plenty of friends it took him 2 1/2 years to get it running, and a total of five years to get it how it sits today.

To begin, he started by purchasing an original X-Frame, which was wrapped and reinforced by Augie Gomez. Aside from the reinforcements, he had the rear of the frame modified to accept a wishbone suspension, and then removed all weathered and rusted suspension components, which were then revamped and reinforced. Once complete, the frame was color-matched to the body, while the accompanying accessories, like A-arms were either powdercoated, painted, or chromed. To get to this point was a grueling process, which involved his longtime friend Anthony Macias, putting in countless amount of hours stripping the car down to nuts and bolts.

Meanwhile, the body of the vehicle was dropped off to Adolfo at Saticoy Auto Body & Painting. Once there, the interior was gutted, the glass was removed, and then they went to town straightening all the panels and working out any kinks or cosmetic blemishes. Once complete, the vehicle was laced with PPG Candy Copper paint, all the while having the interior worked on at the same time by Rene Rivera from R.R. Designs.

Inside, you’ll find custom door panels and headliner along with refinished interior accent pieces that adorn the guts of this Impala. With the vehicle slowly coming together, many of the chrome parts were picked up from Peter Tapia at Anaheim Plating and then delivered to famed engraver, David Renteria, where he engraved the bumper guards, A-arms, lower arms, handles, and much more.

With the frame and body reunited, they got working on the 383 stroker and engine bay and shortly thereafter it was dropped off to Pete Becerra at Krazy Petes where it was literally topped off with a patterned and flaked-out roof to add that extra little punch.

In all, this short story does no justice to the time, sweat, and money poured into this build. As with any lowrider, it’s a labor of love that tests the strength of your friends, family, and finances, and it’s safe to say that we can expect more exciting builds from Mr. Beltran sometime in the future.

1962 Chevrolet Impala

Vehicle Nickname
El Chicano

Owner
Pete Beltran

City/State
Oxnard, CA

Club
Goodtimes, Westside Chapter

Engine
383-strocker engine with a short Chevy chrome water pump, 110-amp chrome alternator, Demon double-pump carburetor, Edelbrock endurashine intake, flex fan with additional electric push fan for the three-row aluminum radiator, stainless steel headers, and glasspack exhaust

Body/Paint
Adolfo of Saticoy Auto Body & Painting in Ventura, CA, used candy copper PPG paint on the 1962. Pete Becerra at Krazy Petes added the multi-pattern on the car’s roof while Gabriel Frias of South Gate, CA, added the murals on the hood, trunk and doorjambs. Leo “LG” of Simi Valley, CA, added leafing and ‘striping while David Renteria added the engraving and Anaheim Plating and SGV Plating did all the chrome work

Suspension
Augie Gomez of Lugo’s Hydraulics in Oxnard, CA, installed 2-Lugo chrome pumps with 4-Delta dumps, 2-Delco solenoid blocks, stainless steel hard lines and 8-Centenial 31-series batteries. The X-frame was full wrapped, the stock A-arms were extended 1 inch molded, chromed, and engraved. Eight-inch cylinders in the front and 14-inch cylinders in the rear were installed.

Interior
R.R. Designs in Oxnard used sand and copper-colored allante vinyl to reupholster the stock seats. A custom center console and a chrome tilt ididit steering column were added.

Sound
Sony CD player, Kenwood 404ZA equalizer, 2-Alpine PDX-type amps, two 8-inch Alpine Type-R suboofers, and Alpine Type-R mids

Wheels/Tires
13×7 Dayton 72-spoke straight-lace wire wheels on Travelstar 155/80/R13 skinny whitewalls

The post Building this Impala has Been a Life Long Dream for Pete Beltran appeared first on Lowrider.

What are the first thing the average American thinks of when they think about Tijuana, Mexico? Well nowadays, the first thing that comes to mind is the Cartel Drug Wars. I will admit that you will see donkeys painted as Zebras, and I’ve even seen a dog shaved to look like a lion, but as far as the drug war goes, well, I’ve never seen anything go down and I’m thankful for that.

This is my third year covering the De La Raza show, which is produced by Alex and Victor the two brothers from South Side Customs and it doesn’t disappoint. The show is limited as there is only room for about 100 cars, but scarcity of space also helps bring only the best to the show. At the show you always have a good mixture of lowriders from Mexico and a few from the States. As always, Majestics and Groupe have been regular supporters of the show and this years Swift decided to show up strong.

With live bands playing all throughout the day, there is also a fleet of food vendors that deliver real Mexican food. As expected, the most popular both will always be the beer vendor with Micheladas being served all day long, and let me tell you, they serve a good one.

In all, the show went off without a hitch and we’ll definitely be back for next year’s festivities. It should also be on your bucket list for shows you need to attend and don’t mind all the media hype about Tijuana being a dangerous spot — unless of course your there looking for trouble.

The post 2015 De La Raza Car Show in Tijuana appeared first on Lowrider.

Even in this day and age of open-mindedness and social awareness, there are still many cultures overshadowed and haunted by negative and age-old stereotypes. Of the many cultures that continue to be judged or perceived on the basis of false or dated misinformation is the culture of lowriding. Typically pigeonholed as vehicles for gangsters and the mode of transportation for the underworld, lowriding has long been at the receiving end of negative press.

That said, “Roll Models” was created to introduce video segments that teach the masses otherwise. In our next episode, we’re featuring Sam Chavira. A God-fearing man who loves lowriding, he may be the owner of a clean 1959 Impala but he’s also the one responsible for spearheading a campaign for some major feats, which happen to include getting the Super Bowl hosted in Arizona. In addition, he’s orchestrated some of the biggest entertainment venues and shows in Arizona, and he’s a cultural icon who has remained in the background till now.

To see the story of our other Roll Models please visit our video section or visit the LOWRIDER YouTube page. These stories will impress, entertain, and make you proud of how far we’ve come, while also giving you a glimpse into the tastemakers and influencers who have achieved some major feats in their given field.

The post LOWRIDER Roll Models Episode 4: Sam Chavira appeared first on Lowrider.

For this DIY installment, we’re literally getting under the hood of our 1953 Chevy “Bomb” Truck. After looking at its current condition, we decided that it was necessary to address the tired, hole-tattered firewall so we decided to have it removed and replaced.

Just like many projects, we discovered that the firewall was riddled with holes and dents from past abuse and poor installs, so it was time to get things prim and proper. To do this we decided to utilize a thicker piece of 16-gauge cold-rolled sheetmetal. Prior to that, we started off by using a Miller Electric Manufacturing Company’s Spectrum 375 Xtreme plasma cutter to do the dirty work of removing the old firewall and then the Miller Multimatic 200 to burn the new firewall back together. In short, it sounds like a snap but there was more to it than meets the eye, so we’ve included some of the steps necessary to make the magic happen.

1. Using a Miller Spectrum 375 Xtreme plasma cutter, we made quick work of burning out the old firewall. As always we suggest wearing protective clothing and eyewear, and be sure to have no combustible products anywhere in the near vicinity of your working area.

2. With the firewall cut out, it was time to start creating the new firewall and inspecting the surrounding areas of the cut out area for any proof of rust or weak metal.

3. We used a wire wheel on the electric angle grinder to clean off the edges. A clean, fresh point of contact is necessary to ensure that the welds have a good bond with no impurities.

4. While holding up our fresh sheet of 16-gauge cold rolled steel sheetmetal, we marked out the shape of our firewall. This step is much easier to do with a few helping hands, so have some beers ready and call a few friends.

5. Here we are drawing the cut line a 1/2 inch in from the outer edge.

6. Using our trusty electric shears, we cut through the new 16-gauge sheet like a hot knife through butter.

7. Using Miller’s Multimatic 200 with the MIG gun attachment, we made short work of welding the new panel. And for those wondering, the Multimac plugs into a 110V power supply and not a 210.

8. All welded up solid and looking great. We welded it one tack at a time every inch or so to minimize warping.

9. Using an electric grinder (and a 36-grit flap disc) we conservatively smoothed out the welds.

10. Our Harbor Freight mini DA pneumatic sander and an 80-grit disc was just the ticket for doing the final finish detail work on the weld seam.

11. Complete! With the new firewall freshly installed, the engine bay takes on a whole new life and the difference is huge.

Part 2: A Fresh Metal Headliner

Typically on Chevy trucks produced from 1947-1955 they require a separate upholstered headliner piece to be installed in order to cover up the inside of the roof skin. This panel attaches to the inner skin of the back of the cab—as well as to the edges of the roof—so we decided that in lieu of having an upholstered panel, we wanted to weld in a secondary inner roof skin that would make for a nicer, seamless, painted headliner.

For this task Brothers Truck parts supplied us with a secondary roof panel skin (PN ORPP053), but this time we used it on the interior side of the roof, instead of the outside. Since it is was made for the outside of the cab, it needed to be shrunk down some in length and width. To do this, we slit the front corners, and used our Harbor Freight English Wheel equipped with sheet rubber on the upper wheel to allow for the panel to be gradually bent in a single direction—instead of all directions creating a crown. Once the inside of our cab is all body worked and painted it’ll look custom but also natural, as if it should have come from the factory that way!

1. Our friends from Brothers Truck Parts supplied us with a new roof panel skin.

2. After taking the appropriate measurements, we trimmed the excess off of the roof panel. We also slit the front corners, and you’ll see why next.

3. Since this new roof panel skin from Brothers Trucks is normally intended as an outer piece, it was oversized for use as an inner headliner. After trimming the excess and slitting the front corners, this allowed us to use our English Wheel from Harbor Freight to roll the sides in. For this we put sheet rubber on the upper wheel so the machine would only bend the metal a single direction.

4. We rolled the edges in a couple inches on either side the panel. After a few test-fits we clamped it into place to create the final cut lines.

5. With all cuts and rolls into place, it fit like a glove and it was time to tack it in, weld, and grind. Now it’s ready for paint, and we’ll have a clean interior headliner that can be painted to match the exterior skins.

Supplies and Fabrication Provided by:

Engle Brothers
englebrosfabrication@gmail.com

Miller Electric Manufacturing Company
www.millerwelds.com

Brothers Truck Parts
www.brotherstrucks.com

The post DIY: A Fresh Firewall and Metal Headliner Install appeared first on Lowrider.

We usually keep our Web Producer, Josh Ching, locked up in the office. With a staple diet, which consists of a large Slurpee and massive amounts of pizza, the aroma of his cubicle is enough to make you hungry—or quite possibly vomit. He’s a work machine, and we’re his wardens, and at the end of the day he’s the one responsible for keeping our site continually updated—and rumor has it he’s also the guy who has been unofficially blamed for stealing cans of Chef Boyardee from the lunchroom.

But let’s focus on the positive. Just recently, Josh bought himself a new camera setup and he’s wanted to go out on the field. At first he had proposed to do an expose on the best pizza joints in the OC area, but instead we sent him out to the Pomona Swap Meet. It was there that Josh met Luis Lupercio of Pacoima, California. Luis was in attendance at the swap meet with his two-tone Chevy stepside, and that’s when Josh approached him to see if he was interested in shooting for LOWRIDER. Luis was honored, but had instead suggested we shoot his 1947 Chevy Sedan Delivery that was in the works and almost complete.

Being no stranger to the scene, Luis has been involved in lowriding since the ’80s and actually owned a flawless 1935 Chevrolet Master DeLuxe that was featured in the Nov. ’06 issue of LOWRIDER. “My 1935 Chevy was a badass ride but I wanted a new toy,” Luis explains. His boss found this 1947 Sedan Delivery on Craigslist and suggested to Luis that he pick it up. He offered to trade his fully restored 1935 straight across for the 1947, and once the owner saw it the deal was done.

“The 1947 was about 90 percent done when I got it, so I have to give Joe Olivares his credit for restoring it.” When Luis got it, he added a few personal touches and the main one was to bag it so it would lay on the floor. From there, a few more minor tweaks were done, as well as him adding Fleetline moldings and a few accessories to get it to where it now sits. “I’m real happy with it, the only thing I would have done different is to go with a different color combo.”

Needless to say, his Sedan Delivery is as clean as they come and the pride he takes in his build is evident through every detail that shines through. We’d like to thank Luis for taking the time to shoot with us, and we’d also like to congratulate Ching on this great find.

1947 Chevrolet Sedan Delivery

Vehicle Nickname
La Mas Chingona

Owner
Luis Lupercio

City/State
Pacoima, CA

Club
Bad Bombs

Engine
Adams Metallizing & Grinding in Lancaster worked on the 235 engine with split manifold, original carb, and 2-inch straight pipes

Body/Paint
Ruben’s Auto Body in Los Angeles used Axalta beige and cream to paint the delivery. David Renteria added a touch of engraving while J.V. Polish Metal in Lynwood, CA, chromed everything

Suspension
Goodyear airbags, two ViAir compressors, and a 10-gallon tank

Interior
A banjo steering wheel was added before Luis “Chelis” added the woodgrain dash. Lalo’s Upholstery in San Fernando, CA, brought the interior back to life with a khaki velour interior

Sound
Hidden Pioneer head unit with Kicker amps, Kenwood 6×9 mids, and 10-inch Crunch subwoofers

Wheels/Tires
16-inch Artillerys with Firestone 500

The post Luis Lupercio’s 1947 Chevy Sedan Brings the Head and Delivers appeared first on Lowrider.

JB Kustoms presented their Annual Cultural Art & Lowrider Super Show at the Dallas State Fairgrounds. At past years’ events, there have been about 150 car entries on average that had to be turned away, so it was time for promoter Joe Ruiz to move over to the larger automotive building at this great facility.

This charitable event had complete support once again from the crowds of enthusiasts who came in droves to appreciate the lowrider show cars from car clubs representing the Houston, Pasadena, San Antonio, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Arkansas areas. The Car Hop competition got things jumping to start the day off, but the local entertainment, which included Grammy-nominated La Tropa F, brought down the house with their high-energy act and show. As always, JB Kustoms continued their decade-long objective to be the key supporter of the Dallas Parks & Recreation Afterschool Program.

The post 2nd Annual Dallas Lowrider & Cultural Art Show appeared first on Lowrider.

Car customizers are obsessed with station wagons, and we’re talking about real wagons—not a PT Cruiser. There’s just something about earlier model wagons that simply gets our attention. Maybe it’s their sheer size, or the fact that they have longer, linear lines, which are way cleaner when compared to their counterpart sedans, but either way they’re powerful pieces of machinery that are also rare to come by.

Let’s face it, the minute you see a wagon, like this 1965 Chevy wagon, you can’t help but stare at it. Its imposing size, and its huge canvas, gives you a platform to envy, and this one stands out because it’s got a plethora of body modifications—the most obvious being that it was converted into a coupe.

In short, this thing is a beast. Even though it’s been doused in pink, there’s nothing feminine about it. Its owner Richie Valles concocted the custom PPG mix, and it features a silver base with ghosted mini-flake lace patterns. With all these mods it should also come as no surprise that he owns Unique Twist, a body shop in Burbank, California.

In all, the complete transformation took 3 1/2 months to complete, and the hardest modification was to convert it from a four-door to a coupe. Further modifications included a molded frontend, removal of the front bumper, a molded rear bumper, as well as a custom front grille. From the inside out, the vehicle has a laundry list of modifications, but what else would you expect? He’s also a member of Lifestyle Car Club.

Purchased for $500 from the former president of the Elvis Presley Fan Club, the previous owner used to take the wagon to Vegas twice a year to see Elvis perform at the Las Vegas Hilton. Before departing with her beloved wagon, she had one perquisite and that was to sell it to someone who would give it life and purpose again—she chose wisely.

With a new life ahead of it, this Impala wagon stands out, but it can also lay low by way of pumps and dumps from Pro Hopper. It features 8-inch, square cylinder dumps up front, 10 inches in the rear, and it’s all mated to Ford solenoids and an eight-battery setup. Under each wheelwell, you’ll find a set of Buick Skylark wire wheels that measure in at 15×6, and they’re massaged onto a set of Firestone tires, compliments of Coker Tire.

Power for the vehicle comes by way of a rebuilt 327 that was mated to a two-speed Power Glide, all of which was rebuilt, tuned, and installed by Burbank Speed.

Moving on in to the guts of the vehicle, Santana Upholstery handled the revamping of the stock interior and took care of the audio, which features a catalog of parts from Kicker. With two 10-inch subs and 5.5-inch separates in all doors, the car definitely kicks while bass and road noise is improved by way of rolls and rolls of Dynamat found all throughout the floorboards and door panels.

As with most classic cars, the history of this vehicle is important, but where it’s been, and where it’s at today is sure to create many more historical memories, which will go down in history as some of the greatest stories ever told. It’s also proof that lowriders have the ability to bring life to what was once abandoned and it give it a new lease on life with a residual value that is worth its weight in gold.

1965 Chevrolet Impala Wagon

Vehicle Nickname
Sweet Soul

Owner
Richie Valles

City/State
Burbank, CA

Club
Lifestyle

Engine
Burbank Speed and J&H Automotive in Burbank assembled the 327 engine with AC Delco water pump, AC Delco 110-amp alternator, and original four-barrel intake

Body/Paint
Unique Twist loaded the 1965 wagon with body modifications. To begin they converted the original four-door wagon into a two-door, they rolled the hood corners, shaved header panel, and molded it with the fenders and splash pan, shaved parking light, extended the grille, and many more modifications. With the help of Miguel Zarape they chopped the top and slanted front post. Richie Valles then sprayed the car a silver base with mini-flake. He then made a custom magenta mix with PPG toners to paint it with. He added fan and lace patterns throughout the car while L.G. in Simi Valley, CA, striped it. E.G. Auto Glass made the custom windows and Torkelson Polishing Inc. in Santa Fe Springs, CA, did all the chrome.

Suspension
Richie Valles installed a Pro-Hopper setup with heavy-duty battery, two switches (front and back), and 8-inch cylinders in the front and 10-inch in the rear

Interior
Richie first molded and painted the dash before having Santana’s Upholstery in Santa Fe Springs do pink suede biscuit tuck interior.

Sound: Scott Burton and Chase Germeroth installed the Kenwood stereo, Kicker amps, and Kicker speakers on the wagon.

Wheels/Tires:
15×6-inch 40-spoke Buick Skylark wire wheels with 560/15 Firestone Coker tires

The post Two-Door ’65 Impala Wagon That Turned a Lot of Heads at the GNRS appeared first on Lowrider.

There are plenty of people that won’t leave their city, let alone their county to attend a car show, but that’s not the case for Bernardo Casian. A resident of Cathedral City, CA, he’s a diehard lowrider enthusiast who took to the streets by taking a two-way trip to Miami just to hit the Miami Lowrider Super Show.

Driving such distances can be quite the adventure, especially when hauling a truck and trailer, but thanks to social media, we let him sweat the journey while we enjoyed the trip. With his 1950 Chevrolet Deluxe in tow, he took to social media to chronicle his adventures and we followed him all the way through.

Now let’s look at the facts. To get to Miami from Cathedral City is roughly 2,622 miles and it would take you just about 45 hours to get there if you were driving 71 mph — with only 8 hours and 30 minutes left to sleep and pop a few squats. We also know that you can’t really legally drive at 71 mph with a trailer so this was definitely a brutal trip.

Needless to say Bernardo (@19five0chevy) of Uniques car club made magic on the trip along with the help of Indo (@indiorollerzonly) from Rollerz Only. But no road trip is complete without a hiccup and that’s exactly what went down. Everything was going great until we got into Texas,” explains Bernardo. “We got pulled over in Texas because the cop suspected us of being commercial drivers and not having an ICC/DOT numbers. In the end, the cop let us go but I had to put ‘Not For Hire’ stickers on my truck.”

Other than that, the rest of the trip went off without a hitch and once the pair got to Miami it was game over. At the show the pink bomb grabbed everyone’s attention – especially the ladies who fell in love with the flaked out pink patterns. By the time the show ended they also ended up taking home 1st place in their respective category and also taking home Best of Show Bomb.

To celebrate the winning, and to get ready for the maiden voyage back home, the fellas did what most lowrider guys would do by having the required celebratory dinner. Complete with lobster and steak, the two feasted into the night and as with most fancy dinners somehow their fingers were to too busy to reach out and dial a homie.

So in closing I’d like to say thanks for the invite, but we’ll catch up soon — and hopefully at a place that serves lobster and steak. But all jokes aside, I’d like to congratulate the fellas for taking home the win and for sharing their journey on IG.

The post We follow this Cali bomb to the 2016 Miami LOWRIDER Super Show appeared first on Lowrider.

Lowriders have long been associated with hard and bouncy rides, but what if we told you they weren’t necessary—unless of course your car was built in the ’70s. For the most part, the ride quality and firmness of any vehicle is primarily dictated by the coil spring rate (be it heavy or soft) and whether or not shocks were even installed on the front of the vehicle. Long story short, the hydraulics themselves are just there for altitude adjustment, so if you want a good ride you’ll need to literally shock your system up.

To see if this theory works, we tried to gain the ultimate ride comfort by installing shocks all around our project ride. To help get this task done, we called our friends at QA1 to get a full set of their double-adjustable shocks.

These billet aluminum shocks are made in America and each come with an 18-position knob so you can adjust the compression and rebound of your suspension independently of one another. So how does this help? Well, this grants users up to 324 valve combinations so you can have your ride as firm or as soft as you desire. Having these options gives you the chance to fine-tune your ride.
Who knows? You may want to add some compression on the rear because of the extra weight of the batteries, or maybe you want to soften it all the way around. The bottom line, this multitude of settings allows you to dial in a sweet and perfect ride that suits your liking.

Before we go over the step-by-step instructions, here is some advice that will help you out:

• When you decide to make this upgrade to your lowrider, you first need to decide where you wish to mount the shocks.
• Make sure when determining the best location for them on the front suspension you turn your wheels full lock-to-lock to find a spot that’s not going to run into any obstructions.
• Lay out your ride and measure that spot for the height of the shock then lock it up and measure again. By doing this it will tell you the stroke of shock length that you’ll need. This is a very crucial step because you don’t want to bottom out the shocks because you will damage them.
• This same measurement process applies to the rear as well but typically the shocks can be mounted in the stock location as long as the stroke length is enough.

1. We started off with our ride laid out on the ground and collapsed our shock in order to determine the length of our upper bracket needed.

2. We opted to use 1/2-inch-thick flat bar along with some tabs that we got through QA1. We cut the bar to length and added more to give us a good amount on the frame to weld to.

3. For the lower control arm mount we used a shock mount stud. With both the upper mounts attached to the shock, this allowed us to tack them in place so we could carefully cycle our suspension and turn the wheels to check that we have plenty of clearance in all directions. By doing this we could also check the stroke length.

4. For the rear, we were a little tight on space due to the tube work so we had to find the best location for our QA1 shocks. Again cycle the suspension up and down to determine proper length.

5. We opted to use shock studs for the upper and lower mounting point for the rear QA1 shocks.

6. All wrapped up and ready to roll. The last step is setting the stiffness level of the compression and rebound just by turning the knobs. We started off at a medium stiffness setting on both just to use as a baseline. Once we’re able to hit the streets, then we’ll know how much more adjusting it will require, but the ride is already stable, more controlled, and it feels like there’s no hydraulics on the car at all!

Axalta Coating Systems Paint Tip of the Month

When Seasons Change So Should Your Products And Spraying Techniques

The heat is on, and with the summer’s warm weather here for a while, Axalta Paint would like to remind you that when seasons change so should a painter’s spraying habits. When winter temps are gone, with them should go those habits or ways of adjusting to spraying paint products in the cold weather season.

In summer, you need to slow your paint product material down and let it do the work for you. It doesn’t matter whether you are spraying Axalta product clear primer, solvent base, waterbase, sealers, or even the CFX candy colors. You need to slow down to speed up! Axalta offers slower products for the right purpose and temperature. Choosing the right hardener, reducer, or controller selection in hot weather will improve your overall quality finish. Slow down and let Axalta products do the work for you.

For more technical advice please feel free to contact your product specialist steven.c.chaparro@axaltacs.com

Source

QA1
(800) 721-7761
www.qa1.net

The post QA1 Double-Adjustable Shocks Install – The Truth May Shock You appeared first on Lowrider.