Pueblo Viejo

An all-American classic could not be matched up any better for Independence Day than a '64 Chevy Impala on the cover of our July issue. Jose Coronado of National City, California, gladly provided this beauty of his, known as "Pueblo Viejo." The '64 took him approximately three years to build and, as a delivery driver for the local school district, Jose has been working hard to deliver a ride of show-stopping status.

Jose first purchased the '64 with the intention of having a basic daily driver. As time went on (and as some "bad" influences from fellow Groupe Car Club members came his way) Jose decided that it was time to take the ride to the next level. Starting with the powerplant, Jose's friend Marcos Santiesteban of National City custom built the engine with trophies and magazine coverage in mind. Swapping out the black rubber hoses for chrome hard-lines kept him busy for awhile. A chrome (not polished) intake was also placed into the engine compartment for added shininess. When all was said and done under the hood, the 327-c.i.d. engine, connected to the Powerglide transmission and dual exhaust, was drowning in a sea of chrome.

Eddie Hijar, a close friend of Jose's, was called upon to take care of the hydraulic prep work. Eddie smoothly molded the front and back arms before sending them out for a dip in chrome. Miguel Martinez of AMC in Riverside, California, set Jose up with his best, including two chrome AMC hydraulic pumps and three chrome Adex precision dumps. Two-ton springs with 8-inch cylinders are found up front while 1-ton springs with 12-inch cylinders sit in the rear. Running the sangre to these chrome cylinders are the prominent chrome hard-lines and tubing. This custom-bent tubing is found all around the hydraulic pumps and was even bent into the shape of the famous Impala logo. Three Trojan batteries power the entire hydraulic suspension, controlled by four switches. Juan Castaneda of Street Knowledge in San Diego, California, handled the work on the OG Canadian frame and chassis.

When it came to the bodywork, there was no reason to go outside of the club when fellow Groupe member Art Contreras could do it all. Art used a beautiful metallic candy tangerine paint scheme with orange pearl box patterns that are fogged out at the edges. After Art was through with his part, the car was handed over to Victor Cordero of Chula Vista, California. There, Victor laid down his artistic talents in murals that surround the body of the car. Overall, the murals depict images of what Jose calls a "pueblo viejo" or old Mexican town. Inside the car, a mural can even be found on the dashboard of some beautiful lovelies. For the rolling gear, Jose chose old school 5.20 Premium whitewall tires wrapped around a set of 100-spoke Crown wire rims with anodized orange spokes with chrome dishes.

The focus soon turned to the interior and Jose was after the luxurious look. Don Ramon and Sergio of Tapiceria Villegas in Tijuana, Mexico, stitched up tan leather, covering the seats, armrests and door panels. A custom-made Trenz steering wheel, in the shape of the Impala logo, and a molded back dash were installed in the ride, as well. While still in Tijuana, miscellaneous parts were shipped over to Marcos and Pelon of Cal Chrome. These parts, consisting of undercarriage and engine parts, received careful attention during the chrome-plating process. Make sure to don the shades when viewing as Marcos and Pelon brought these parts to a bright, shiny luster!

Luis AKA "Cheesy" of the Majestics Car Club helped out by hand-manufacturing the custom panels on the inside of the trunk. These panels, sporting the Impala Super Sport emblems, were done so well that the trunk looks like it came from the factory that way. Ronnie's Electronics in National City supplied the Custom Auto Sounds stereo system, which was neatly installed into the dashboard, giving some clean sounds to all passengers' ears while cruising or kicking it at the car shows.

Jose would like to thank many people who made this masterpiece on wheels a possibility. Jose sends special thanks to his parents and girlfriend Connie for their support. In addition, he thanks all of his friends involved in the making of Pueblo Viejo. Last, but not least, Jose sends a big thanks to Eddie H., Eddie B., and Gerardo for their big efforts! Happy Fourth of July!