Rick of Hollywood, Florida, is one of those guys who's been into cars since he was a kid. This LRM photographer used to design cars in the third grade with futuristic shapes and crazy wheels, and Rick is no different. But we'll let Rick tell us how it went down for him.
Swrv: So how did you get into the whole car game?
Rick: It actually started with Lowrider Magazine, and I'm not just saying that because I'm talking to you either. I used to buy the magazine and cut it up, tape pictures all over my wall and just dream about owning one of those cars.
Swrv: We're sure that there were some girls up there too.
Rick: Without a doubt! But I really got my car education from there. Reading Lowrider, you naturally become a Chevy guy, and I could tell the year and make of a car just from its taillights after a couple of years of reading the mag.
Swrv: When did you get your first car?
Rick: My dad got me a part-time job at Miami Subs where he was manager and I worked to save up money starting at 14 years old. At 15, in Miami, you can get a restricted license, and on my 15th birthday, I took the test and passed, and already had a '69 Impala four-door waiting for me at the house that I bought with the money that I had saved up. It had 15-inch Roadsters and an OG 350 engine.
Swrv: So you were on the hustle at 14, huh?
Rick: (laughing) Yeah, and by 16, I took my test for a regular license, passed and haven't looked back since. I've owned more than 60 cars since then. There was a time when me and a buddy of mine were finding clean low-mileage grandma cars in Tampa and the surrounding areas and selling them in the Auto Trader down here for sometimes as much as $4,000 more than we bought them for. Convertibles, Caddies, whatever was cool we were flipping 'em like crazy.
Swrv: It sounds like you had a good hustle going?
Rick: Yeah, we helped put a lot of the hot cars that you see in our neighborhood. I was rocking whatever was the biggest wheel at the time, starting with the 15-inch Roadsters, then 17s then 20s etc.
Swrv: The wheels thing just keeps growing, but something tells us that you had more than just cars going on.
Rick: Yeah, I was into the whole rap scene too; did a couple of things with Danny for one of the first East Coast Ryder videos. Those guys got me a lot of exposure so I have nothing but love for them. Whenever they need my car, I'll drop everything to help them out.
Swrv: That's definitely some real spit. Well, Rick thanks for sharing your story with the readers.
Rick: No problem. I'm working on the car; just put some 24-inch Dub Bellagios on it, but I'm gonna move up to some 26s in a minute so you'll be seeing me.
Swrv: We're sure we will, Rick, and we appreciate that.