The 1 - 1961 Chevrolet Impala

Greg Maximillen probably isn't the typical name for a guy into lowriding, but then again Greg isn't your average guy. His love for and dedication to the sport goes back to 1995 when he just wanted to have some hydraulics installed in his Olds Cutlass. He approached fellow Washington State resident Steve Cates about doing the job and in the process they became friends. Steve taught Greg all that he knew about lowriding, and in turn, Greg was forever changed, being drawn into the sport and lifestyle of lowriding. Being a senior support mechanic for Boeing means that he has what it takes in the attention to detail department to hang with the big boys.

The heart is where the essence of any lowrider lives and Greg's drawn to the creativity and atmosphere that surrounded the scene, even to the point of bringing that Cutlass out in the snow to have it photographed. Well, actually it started snowing while we were shooting it, but none-the-less it was a glimpse into his dedication.

Fast-forward to this '61 Chevy Impala. After more than a decade of building and learning the various tricks, "The 1" is just that. Greg's friend Bobby had a few too many projects going at one time and Greg was the beneficiary of him wanting to sell one off.

Taking his inspiration from a number of things and seeing other cars being built at the time steered Greg away from his initial wants to keep the original seafoam green color. One of the projects that his friend Bobby was building was seafoam green and not wanting look at another local car in the same color he had to reconsider. The typical yellows and reds were everywhere and Greg's idea was to paint it a color that was different but had a traditional feel.

The violet color certainly brings back nostalgia for the older crowd and has the cool factor for the younger crowd. Stack on top of that how far Greg's come since his first car and it's plain to see why he and his car are The 1.