When Being Able To Hop And Three-Wheel Just Isn't Enough.
What do you get when you combine a custom-built 400-hp motor, blueprinted transmission and NHRA-strength rearend? On a lowrider? You get to go through sets of wire wheels from breaking spokes and winning burnout contest hands down. Combine that with six batteries and a pair of shiny hydraulic pumps in the trunk and you'll see why this vehicle can be downright scary.
"Negro" built this lowrider with one thing in mind and that was to do some fast and furious driving. Starting with the body, the car was handed off to John and the crew at Bowtie Connection in Artesia, California, to get the bodywork and paint in order. Deep purple (eggplant) color went down as a base and then the top received its flair of patterns shot by Frank to highlight the 42-inch moonroof that was installed. Being a member of SouthSide Car Club, Negro did something different by flying his club logo airbrushed on the trunk.
The interior also received its fair share of attention with some exotic skins to boot. Black ostrich skin was used on the seats and highlighted throughout the interior and trunk with patterned cloth inserts. The crew at Homies Hydraulics in Paramount, California, put their creative minds together with a one-of-a-kind setup meticulously installed in the trunk. This two-pump setup was also the first to sport these one-off custom engraved square tanks which required a larger than normal block of aluminum (side note: aluminum stock comes round) and then cut into shape.
The real heart of the matter in this car is the engine, which was built, along with the drivetrain and frame, with two things in mind-to put out plenty of horsepower and to take the abuse. Anyone who knows Negro knows that he does not baby this car and it gets its fair share of burnouts and hammer to the floor action on a regular basis. Detail was key and everywhere you look there are subtle mods, performance tricks and parts.
The frame to this '64 had some heavy modifications as well. A rack and pinion steering system was added to the front as well as rigid motor mounts to hold the engine firmly in place. Moving further back on the frame the X-part of the frame was removed and replaced with a newer "A-body" style suspension and welded in place. Just these mods alone make this car to be quite a special one-off build.
The balanced and blueprinted 383-c.i.d. engine is surrounded by many of the best "go fast" products that money can buy. Start at the top of the engine and you'll notice that there's an anodized purple dual carb setup with K&N filters to keep the dirty air out of the polished Edelbrock manifold. An MSD ignition keeps the sparks timed correctly and healthy in size, while a Street & Performance pulley set makes sure that the fluids flow correctly, AC unit just spins and alternator keeps charging.
The chrome brake booster assembly is a Classic Performance Products unit looking good and giving the four-wheel disc brakes the authority that they need to haul down the '64 in a hurry. Keeping the car in the right gear is a 400R tranny, and a two-piece driveshaft is always the right length no matter what the stance of the car is.
When you talk about heavy-duty rearends, Vida Guerra might first come to mind, but when a ring and pinion is in it, Mark Williams is the winner. These rearends are known for their durability and being able to take a pounding without spitting gears all over the track. Their hefty cost is far outweighed by the security of knowing that no matter what kind of power and abuse you throw at it the unit will perform flawlessly.
All of this on a lowrider you say? Yes, and that brings us to the weak link in this chain of power and that's the wheels-a set of 13x7 wires connected to a set of P185/80-R13 Remington radials, which is kind of like having a set of 20s on a dragster. Traction is almost nonexistent for most intents and purposes, but that's part of the appeal of driving this car, we're sure. Negro has literally spun the spokes out of more than a couple wheels, laughing all of the while doing it.