Julio Ochoa Ruelas, co-founder of Duke's Car Club-SoCal (with brothers Oscar, Fernando and Ernesto), and its first president, died of heart failure January 21 at Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center. He was 62. "Julio and his brothers were long recognized as the spark that ignited the lowriding trend in Los Angeles," said autoblog.com writer Mike Magda.
The L.A. Times reported that the history of the lowrider has been written by men like the Ruelas brothers, who lived the lowrider life and promoted the best of it, even when time seemed to have passed it by. From their base in South Los Angeles, Julio and current president Fernando Ruelas, spent more than 40 years heading the oldest existing lowrider car club that now has 29 chapters, including one in Japan, and restoring cars in the lowrider style that turn heads even in L.A., a city with more than its share of car connoisseurs.
Julio's best-known car "Duke's '39," was a centerpiece at the most popular exhibition ever presented at the prestigious Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. "Every discipline, no matter what it is, needs some icon to be the one everyone turns to," said Dick Messer, director of the Petersen Automotive Museum. "In hot-rodding it's Wally Parks. In NASCAR it's Tony Stewart, and in lowriding it's the Ruelas brothers. They were the godfathers of lowriding."
Julio Ruelas was among the first people to be inducted into the Lowrider Hall of Fame. Their cars have appeared in the pages of Life Magazine, in the movie Zoot Suit, in the documentary Low and Slow, and he was featured in a segment of Speed Channel's Car Crazy.
In 2004, Julio and Fernando were honored as "Treasures of the Hobby," at the Meguiar's Award ceremony held at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, because their "substantial contributions to lowriding as a sport and lifestyle have encouraged family-oriented car clubs around the world."
"Julio was the personification of everything that I love about lowriders," said Barry Meguiar, president/CEO of Meguiar's Inc. "While he loved his cars, he was the embodiment of devotion, love and generosity for his family and for all of his car crazy friends."
"The story of the brothers is intertwined with that of the lowrider, which began with World War II, when factories that normally produced cars instead made tanks and other vehicles for the war effort," Messer said. "During those years and shortly after the war, it was impossible to buy a new car. Many of the veterans who settled in Southern California after the war brought with them new skills, money and a desire for something uniquely theirs.
"So these guys just took their old cars and customized them and changed them and did all of these things to make them individualized," Messer said. "Lowriders are artistic creations that are also mechanical marvels. They ride low. They ride high. They 'hop.' They are canvases on which art is painted."
The Ruelas brothers learned to love lowriders in a multi-ethnic neighborhood of South Los Angeles, where they were raised and worked. Julio Ochoa Ruelas was born in Guadalajara, Mexico, on Dec. 5, 1944. When he was 12, his mother moved the family to South Los Angeles. She worked in a factory and later owned a grocery store. She raised her five boys without the help of a husband but with the assistance of extended family that included Uncle Tinker.
A mechanic who owned a shop on 41st Street, Uncle Tinker looked for ways to keep the brothers out of gangs. He introduced them to go-carts and mini-bikes, then, moved up to cars. He also taught them to work; they cut grass and shined shoes.
"We started doing the car thing when we were very young," said Julio's brother Fernando. "At 11, 12, 13, we basically owned our own cars already. Back then you could buy a car for $15."
By the time they were old enough, they were not just driving in style, they were cruising: along Whittier Boulevard, in Elysian Park. "You got in there with a nice-looking vehicle and cruised up and down to show your car off," Fernando said. "You had good music, of course. You had a nice-looking lady inside-all three had to go together."
After starting Duke's, they socialized, went to dances, cruised and shared their love of the lowrider. During the Vietnam War, each brother was drafted to serve except Julio, who ran the store (Julio's Market) and kept the car club alive.
By the early 1970s, the brothers had returned and Fernando had opened Ruelas Custom, which specialized in building lowriders and a variety of other customized work. Julio ran the grocery store and on the side began searching out hard-to-find parts for old cars and supplying them to owners, a task he continued until his death.
"Used to be those guys who worked on the telephone lines or inspectors could see into backyards, they'd let me know what people had stashed in their backyards or garages," Julio once told a Times reporter. "Then I'd go pay them a visit."
As the brothers became fathers, they shared their passion with their families. The club purchased a bus, painted it with the Duke's logo and used it to take their wives and children to the shows. Today the custom shop is Ruelas & Sons.
"Back when we first started [Lifestyle Car Club], we were still wet behind the ears, but Julio and Fernando opened up to us. They told us who was who, what the trends were," said Lifestyle president Joe Ray. "It got to where Barr and I would meet with Julio and Fernando at our spot or theirs, and walk the shows together. Julio may be gone, but he didn't take it with him, there's a lot out there and he left it all."
People who love lowriding know this. In a display of respect, the members of more than a dozen car clubs arrived at Ruelas' funeral in lowriders, some outfitted with parts he had acquired. "His funeral looked more like a car show than a funeral," said Richard "Chivo" Ceniceros, a longtime friend and original member of the Duke's. "Everybody knew Julio."
"I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone. The support of all car clubs and friends during our time of grief is deeply appreciated," said Fernando Ruelas. "Although we mourn for our brother, our spirits were lifted to see all those who loved him this will preserve our memory of him forever."
Julio is survived by his other brothers Fernando, Ernesto, Oscar and Rene; his wife, Carol; and his four daughters Patricia Molina, Carol Langevin, Elizabeth Velis and Veronica Ochoa.
The Man, the Husband, the FatherJulio was a gracious and patient man.He always said "Never judge people. It doesn't matter who someone is or where they come from, you should always learn to get along with everyone." People who knew him were aware of the warm, friendly individual that he was. Julio's greatest pleasure was to be surrounded by people, especially his friends and loved ones, no matter what the occasion.
He was recognized at "The Godfather" due to the genuine leadership he exercised when president of the Duke's Car Club. His favorite pastime was lowriding. Lowriding was his passion. He not only pursued the art of lowriding throughout his life, but also gave it a new meaning. He said that it was something for everyone to enjoy, no matter what nationality, ethnic background, sex or age.
As a husband, he will never be forgotten. He will be loved and adored throughout eternity by his wife Carol. According to Carol, not even death can separate them. Julio was also a dedicated father and grandfather. The advice that he gave to his children and grandchildren was to respect themselves, stay out of trouble, get an education and pursue a meaningful career. He taught his children how to be self-reliant. He sent his children to private school in order to ensure that they were given a good education.
Julio loved to drive his lowriders when taking the children to school. Julio was a selfless and giving father who genuinely cared about his loved ones. He spent endless hours as the owner of Julio's Market on Long Beach Avenue in South Central Los Angeles. He was never ashamed of where he came from. In fact, he was rather proud of it!We love you, dad!Your daughters, Patricia Molina, Carol Langevin, Elizabeth Velis and Veronica Ochoa