For Johnny Millan, lowriding has been in his blood from birth. In the '70s, Johnny's parents lived in the Northern California area of Gilroy, but soon made their way down to Southern California. The Oakland Raiders were somewhere else, but the lowrider scene in SoCal was in full swing and Johnny's dad built two of the heavyweights in the lowriding arena at the time-a '54 Chevy Bel Air called "El Original," and a '66 Chevy Impala known as "Sweet Pumpkin."
Johnny didn't want to be left out of the family legacy so he decided to build this '84 Buick Regal, "Regalator." The silver and black has influenced many a Cali resident and Raiders pride is what Johnny wanted to show when rolling the streets in search of hapless victims, ready to send the front end reaching for the sky at a moment's notice.
One of the youngest members of Heaven C.C. in the San Fernando Valley, Johnny was reaching for a lofty pass, but he seems to have caught the ball and ran with it using all the instincts of a seasoned player. The silver and black exterior features silver patterns and Raider emblems throughout. Joel at Jagster made Raider emblems for the knockoffs and custom licks like some airbrush work on the vinyl top bring it all together.
Football season is deep upon us and whether or not you're a lover or a hater of the Raiders, you gotta love the Regalator. And if you live in the San Fernando Valley watch out for this hard-hittin' ride at the light.
Owner: Johnny Millan
Vehicle: 1984 Buick Regal
City/State: Reseda, California
Club: Heaven C.C.
Engine/Drivetrain: Hernaldo Sanchez at Discount Motor in Reseda brought the motor back to factory specs for prowling the boulevards of the San Fernando Valley.
Body/Paint: For Johnny, dirty hands and smooth panels is a way of life, and the Regalator's bodywork got handled like Ronnie Lott handled anyone who got in his way on the football field. Ricardo Munoz at R&M Customs in Reseda sprayed the PPG two-tone Oakland Raiders paint scheme.
Interior: Keeping it a family affair, Rafael Millan, Jr. of Shorty's Customs in Reseda tackled the Raiders interior. Raiders material along with perforated black vinyl and white piping keep it hard hitting and street cred worthy.
Sound System: An all-Alpine system makes for a hard-hitting sound system. An Alpine head unit passes off the signal to a five-channel amp and runs a 12-inch sub and a set of 6.5- and 5.25-inch separates. Galaxy Autosound in Northridge, California, handled the install.
Setup: When tackling the streets, you need a setup that can take the hammering that hittin' switches can dish out. "Chino" and "LoLo" of C&L Hydraulics in Sylmar, California, are the guys that you want on your team and they called the plays, starting off with a full frame wrap. A full Pro-Hopper setup with 8- and 10-inch cylinders, 3-ton coils and two pumps was then in stalled. Suspension guru "Mac" at Pro-Hopper whipped up the special triangulated A-arms.
Tires: P155/80-R13 Hercules
Wheels: Crystal two-tone black and chrome