Hippies were smoking pot, grooving to the Jefferson Airplane and protesting the war in Vietnam. Twiggy was the new fashion craze out of England and rent was only $125 per month. Chicano students and the Brown Berets were on their way to beginning organized walkouts, demonstrating against racism and inadequate education, and all the while gas was only 33 cents a gallon! Countercultures were blowing up everywhere! African Americans, Native Americans, women and minorities were experiencing a rebirth of interest in their own history. What happened in America in '67 inspired movements for social justice all over the world that continue to this day.
Of course, the music was better in '67. Jimi Hendrix burned his first guitar and the Doors burned up the charts with "Light My Fire." Chicano musicians like Chris Montez would open the doors for other bands that wanted to portray their ethnic self-identity-musical groups like Cannibal and the Headhunters, Thee Midniters, El Chicano, Santana, or, when Jorge left Carlos, Malo! And let's not forget Los Lobos and Tierra. The cars were a lot better too!
The connection we have here is between our '67 Chevy Impala cover car and the era it represents. The Impalas were good family cars, and a rebellious generation of youth took these rides to the floor in any way possible. America had to recognize this form of defiance. Chevrolet would continue to manufacture different models that would be transformed into lowriders. The persona of that generation, in those times, defines what would later become an automotive culture!
The American automobile circa '67 representing those renaissance times had chrome moldings that would stretch down the sides from the fenders and through the doors to the skirts, and from there they would join the long quarter panels. The "fastback" roof line and other sleek design details would complete what very few automobiles out there can compare to then or now... voluptuous! This full body designed by Chevrolet does not fail to entertain. The name Impala was taken from an African antelope known for its speed and prowess. If the lowrider gods had to design the right style of car they would have drawn this one in stone.
Kick back now! I know the army of arguments that would come at me from all over and everywhere, backing up the claim that the '64 Impala or '76 "glasshouse" were the best lowriders, but the '67 body line details are very hard to match, especially when "sleeping" on the floor. And the '67 fastback had back up too-the Caprice Classic!
And now, we introduce the cover car that took us on this trip into the past, and it belongs to Cisco Chairez, the owner of this attractive Lifestyle Car Club beauty. Magenta, purple, fuchsia and pink flakes adorn the body of fabricated and pressed metal. This custom-painted lowrider is full living proof that there are no other types of vehicles out there that can give any custom painter the same chance to prove how bad he really is. In other words, if you haven't painted a lowrider, then you haven't picked up a spray gun!
And for those of who argue for '64 Impalas being the best lowriders, feast your eyes on our centerfold car, built by Anthony Fuentes of South Side C.C. This convertible was fully loaded with most of the accessories available from that era. It's nice sometimes when you don't have to go to the candy store, because the store's already included. We also take another trip down to the Lone Star State where Fernando DeAnda covered the show in Odessa, Texas, put on by Lowrider Hall of Famer/show promoter Nick Hernandez.
With the chemical laws constantly changing out there, it's hard to locate a good chrome shop that can do vacuum plating on plastic. Very few plastic chrome shops will piece out any parts that are not of quantity, unless you're a manufacturer with a ton of parts. Even then, they sometimes don't hold up. This month, freelancer Sammy Perea shows us how to bring back the plastic chrome with the Alsa brand paint process. This is as close as we'll ever get to chrome in a can.
There's a whole lot of other jobs going on in the Lowrider Garage, including how to prevent leaks in your setup by using brass seals that average 75 cents apiece. This is a very cheap price, but a very dependable way to prevent leaks, especially when you have those thousand-dollar hydraulic setups in your molded or paneled trunk compartments. With this month's magazine being our Audio Guide issue, we also show you the sounds of summer, and bring you the best audio and video accessories for your custom car just in time for those picnics or cruises to the park. Also, make sure to stop by the Lowrider website to cast your vote for our entry in the Castrol Syntec Top Shop Challenge and we'll continue to fill you in as the engine build progresses.