Of course anything goes in either world when it comes to modifications, but the best rides are always the cleanest, most detail-oriented that are tailored to the overall body style of the car itself. Not everything looks cool on every frame; you just gotta use your best taste and judgment, keeping in mind how functional it will actually be at the end of the day. Custom cars that are modified should open up with the flow of the design and not against the flare or grain of the vehicle's body. You can, as I've said before, "chop top" a car if it improves the looks, but don't do it for the sake of judging points. Tilting a hood is also cool depending on the style of lowrider you are building, but hoods should only open up one way, not three ways. The same goes for your doors and trunk lids; everything needs to flow uniformly. A Ferrari or Lambo is the baddest looking vehicle out there when it comes to design for a reason. Take a look at them when they are completely opened up, from the hood to the doors to the trunk, and you will see that they look a whole lot meaner. Detail is everything! Look at some of these rods and you will see custom body mods with suicide doors or slanted windshields, but the windows on them are still fully operational. You still need that functionality and practicality in your designs to truly make them successful. I mean, anybody can have a Hollywood top, but you need to complete the job with a working clamp fixtured roof to go back on as well.
In a nutshell, lowridering has more passion, guts and glory than any other automotive culture, but we need to take a step back and pay attention to detail before emptying our pockets. Wouldn't it be cool to roll around in a semi- or full-custom lowrider, all molded the right way, tastefully speaking, with the windows cranked up and the air conditioner blasting? Check out our coverage and see the point we're trying to make. And don't be afraid to head on out to a hotrod show yourself, so you can see what the other guys are doing that might help you figure out what you can do better. It's all about respect. The cover and centerfold cars that have been featured in Lowrider Magazine for the last couple of decades can, arguably, go toe to toe with the best from the other sport cultures. But now it's time we step up our game in order to be seen not only as an automotive culture, but be recognized and respected as a quality automotive culture as well.