When you grow up in a car-crazy family, it’s hard to not get sucked in-and that’s exactly what happened to our featured guest. Back in the day, when fullsize vans on Rockets were in style, Anthony Martinez recalls all the times he used to go with his father to car shows. Decades later, that quality time spent with this father proved to be invaluable, and it was also that influence that got him hooked on lowriding.
Seeing these cars created such a huge impact on Anthony’s life that at a young age he took to a part-time job in order to buy his first car. After months of managing his money right, he ended up having enough to pick up a Cutlass Supreme, and before long he had enough money for a set of chrome roadsters and a single hydraulic pump. Along with a friend they did a garage install, which included a bungee cord holding down the batteries in the trunk, and while some may have read that last part with a frown on their face, you have to remember that he wanted to hit the streets by any means. In short, the install was done to temporarily feed his passion to lowride, but it also marked the beginning of a love affair that would soon grow into something so much more.
Years later, he heard about a 1958 his friend Bert at the Chevy Shop was building. At the time Anthony had just completed two cars of his own, so he didn’t think much about it, but when the car went up for sale they reached out to Anthony to see if he was interested in buying it. “It wasn’t good timing because I had just finished two cars of my own and didn’t have the money for it.” Knowing that he was financially strapped, he still went out to look at it and after seeing it in person he knew he had to have it. The quality of the car was like nothing he had seen in the area, so he decided to put his freshly built cars up for sale and weeks later he had the money to purchase the 1958.
“I’ve always built my own cars so it was nice to get one that was almost finished,” he says. During the build, the most challenging part was getting the Level Air to function correctly. The frustration of trying to get it working almost made him slap an airbag setup on it, but eventually they got the rare factory option to work properly and it was a blessing, to say the least.
At first, the car was merely garage art that sat pretty, but after fighting the unbearable feeling he decided to take it out and that feel was simply incredible. Till today, Anthony can still recall the incredible morning he took it out. With the top down, good music banging, and his wife sitting proudly by his side, he remembers the admiration he received from passerbies, and that in itself was enough to make his voyage all worth while.
1958 Chevrolet Impala Convertible
Vehicle Nickname
Boulevard Nights
Owner
Anthony Martinez
City/State:
Albuquerque, NM
Club
New Mexico
Engine
348 engine that was restored to original condition with Delco Remy generator/starter and three Rochester carburetor
Body/Paint
two-stage PPG black
Suspension
Factory original rearend was shortened to accommodate the wire wheels and a hard-to-find factory Level Air suspension was restored to working order
Interior
Black vinyl Ciadella interior kit with black, blue, and green inserts
Sound System
Factory-original Wonderbar radio
Wheels/Tires
Cross-lace 13×7 Zenith wire wheels with Premium Sportway 5.20s
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