The whole thing with customizing is to take a car that everyone has and make it your own. When "Topo" and his nephew "Junior" set out to make something different, they went with the "go big or go home" motto. A friend named Martin brought Topo along into this lowriding thing quite a few years ago. Martin owned a few lowriders and would take Topo along with him to the shows to see what was going on in the scene back in the day.
Later on down the line, when Topo was old enough to drive and in the market for a car, his brother Tino surprised him with an '85 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham. The stage was set for a lifetime dedicated to one of the modern day staples of lowriding and Topo has built nothing but Caddies every since. Having done quite a few cars, Topo felt it necessary to step up his game and spend quite a few nights staring at the ceiling through the purple haze. When the smoke and his mind cleared, it was obvious what he had to build and that was something that GM had neglected to, a two-door big-body convertible.
Engineering on something like cutting a four-door car down to two doors at first glance seems like an easy deal. Topo and Junior spent many days brainstorming before they started the project. Since none of this had ever been done before to their knowledge, it was up to them to figure out even the most mundane things, like body moldings, the length of the doors and the door panels, just to name a few. There were many trips to the junkyard finding parts that would work.
Take for example the convertible top, which is from a Chrysler LeBaron convertible. Topo spent plenty of time there eyeing up convertible tops and came to the conclusion that the LeBaron top would work. With some modifications, it works like a charm. As a matter of fact, the project was going along more quickly and smoothly than anticipated. With the 2005 Lowrider Magazine Super Show looming around the corner and things going so well, they figured that they would put themselves into high gear.
Shooting to have it ready to debut at the Super Show had Topo and Junior pulling quite a few all-nighters to have the car ready in time. In the end, the car made it, though not quite complete, but that's where Sheen Jones of North Carolina comes in. The new owner made some changes to the car, like changing out the top, adding a Continental kit and having the side glass made, which in itself was a $6,000 expense! In the end, what you have is a car that's totally unique and the perfect addition to this topless issue.