It's our pleasure to finally present Eli Martinez' two-tone '47 Chevy Fleetmaster, "Double Mint," from Chimayo, New Mexico. Done in two shades of green, seafoam on the body with an emerald top, Eli's ride has been a familiar sight in New Mexico lowrider circles, and a clean example of one of those drivable bombs that we're used to seeing when we visit the "Land of Enchantment."
Most of the work on the fat-fendered '47 was done at Eli's shop in Chimayo, Extreme Twist Body Shop, where Eli trusted no one but himself with the body work or paint, though he did employ a few specialists to help with the project elsewhere. For instance, Daniel Garcia wrenched on the original 216-c.i.d. inline-6 engine and Elmo Sanchez wired in an Alpine sound system.
Eli thanks Daniel and Elmo, along with Albert Martin, Gary Herrera and his father, Eli Martinez, Sr., for their invaluable assistance in this project. Though still just in his early 30s, Eli's already put together more than a few beautiful bombs at his shop. "I got into lowriding as a youngster through my uncles," he says, which just goes to show that it always helps to get an early start in life.