Tattoo You

The whole build on the car is out of the norm for what a typical lowrider would be, but then we've already established that we're dealing with an artist here. The chameleon paint job gets it all started. Much like the mind of an artist, "Tattoo You's" color is always changing with a move in position or a change of light. The play of light off of the paint will take you through a psychedelic dance of purple to burnt orange to royal blue with no drugs necessary.
Tim Rodriquez--a fellow member in Lifestyle Car Club and one of the major players at R&R in Santa Fe Springs, California--took care of a lot of the work on this car. Tim reinforced the roof after a rather large hole was cut in it for the purpose of letting in a little sun. "Uncle Ed" of R&R then stepped in and sanded and rubbed until the body was as smooth as glass and ready for paint.Tim's talented hands may not be able to lay down some ink, but he can certainly assemble a hydro setup and one in the engine compartment has to be a tricky deal. We can only imagine the amount of planning that would go into making this setup a reality. As it was, they moved the brake booster to a more stealth location, and shaved and molded the firewall for that show finish.
Tattoo Tony also had his creative hands in the mix, literally. With a 24 close at hand and some help from his friend "Porkchop," they started on the build of the grille and center console. After some sketches, a bent piece of metal and a couple of beers for creative inspiration and thirst quenching, the center console came to life. Although at this point it was more like a skeleton than a newborn child, the bent tubing was sent to the Draggin Shop where it was properly "birthed." Mario at the Candy Factory laid the paint and Walt Prey loaded up the guns and laid out the patterns and then grabbed the brushes to do some pinstriping.
The infamous girls on the car, "I Spy" and "Whisper," were the brainchild of none other than "OG Abel" of Abel Creations. These ladies are probably the first things that you see when you're checking out the car and somewhere these ladies are walking around breaking hearts. Tattoo Tony is lucky enough to have them riding shotgun with him whenever he's cruising the streets of L.A.

Tattoo You

Owner: "Tattoo Tony"
Vehicle: '69 Chevrolet Impala
City/State: Los Angeles, California
Club: Lifestyle C.C.

Engine/Drivetrain: The '69 Chevy 327-c.i.d. small-block was color matched and detailed with plenty of stainless steel. Billet valve covers, air cleaner and a chrome alternator, along with a polished intake manifold, all make for plenty of bling bling in the engine compartment.
Body/Paint: The paint job on this car is one of the things that make it a show stand-out. From the shaved firewall to the de-chromed body to the molded front and rear valence and molded cowl vents, this Impala says smooth. "Uncle Ed" at R&R in Santa Fe Springs, California, handled the bodywork. For the House of Kolor chameleon paint job, the vehicle went to the Candy Factory in Lancaster, California, where it was sprayed by Mario. He also took care of the roof, which received a multicolor flake. OG Abel of Abel Creations in South Central L.A. added the girls "Whisper" and "I Spy." Walt Prey of Walt's in Northridge, California, finished it up with metalflake and pinstriping to bring it all together.
Interior: The interior harkens to the art deco era and certainly takes it cues from the hot-rods of today. Armando's Rod and Custom in San Jacinto, California, stitched up the leather, suede and chameleon panels. The center console and dash are fiberglass and color-matched, along with a custom-made steering wheel. The trunk has a raised floor and custom panels featuring matching pinstriping embroidery.
Sound System: The oval-shaped center console houses a Panasonic head unit. The rest of the system consists of Directed Audio tweets, mids and subs. John Wilson of Directed's "Snake Pit" in San Diego, California, installed the sound system.
Setup: "Unusual placement" are the two words that best describe this setup. A look in the normal area for the setup reveals a lot of nothing. Another look under the hood and two ShowTime pumps show up in the front corners on either side. Three switches, three solenoids and three batteries take us back to the day when it was all about up and down. Tim Rodriguez of R&R installed the setup and bent all of the hard-lines for the system.
Tires: 5.20 Supreme
Wheels: 14-inch 100-spoke L.A. Wire