Ray's '48 Ragtop Is On The Prowl Once Again.
writer: Marco A. Patino
photographer: Marco A. Patino
When you have the talent and resources available to you, it's a no-brainer that if you've got the time and motivation, an individual like Ray "Raynbow" Vasquez of Buena Park, California, can accomplish a lot. You can even build an awesome ride like this '48 Chevy ragtop dubbed "El Coyote."
Built as a tribute to his late father, Ray has a ton of a respect for the man who brought him up in Southern California. As a supervisor for a truck company, Ray figured that he could put together a head-turning bomb that can run with the best of them. An initial investment of $17,000 swelled to some $25,000 to get this car back on the road.
Now you may think that that's a lot of dough, but what if Ray didn't do a majority of the work himself? "I did everything but the interior, glass and plating," reports Ray. "I built it to drive, not to try and compete against these radical bombs out there these days."
The car was found on a whim in Las Vegas, Nevada. Ray had sold his last ride to someone out there and later on he received a call from the same person. "I told him that I was going crazy looking for a car," Ray recalls. "He said that he had a '48 Chevy and so I went back to Vegas for the car."
Over the course of two years, Ray, his buddy Albert Lomeli, his wife and fellow Viejitos C.C. members saw the fruition of this boulevard beauty. You may say that El Coyote is out on the prowl again. Oh yeah!
El CoyoteOwner: Ray "Raynbow" VasquezVehicle: '48 Chevrolet convertibleCity/State: Buena Park, CaliforniaClub: Viejitos C.C.-Orange County
Engine/Drivetrain: A 2006 350-c.i.d. crate engine was built by Raynbow to suit the '48 ragtop. Custom headers and a 350 transmission transfer the power from the engine to the rearend.
Body/Paint: With the help of his buddy Albert Lomeli, the owner got down on the hide of the ride by reducing the exterior to its raw state of bare metal. Body mods were not a choice, Ray simply wanted it to be a canvas for his paint job of pearl mahogany, the perfect color to envelope the car's voluptuous curves. There's a touching piece of artwork found on the underside of the hood... a mural depicting a portrait of his dear father for whom the car is named. The mural was executed by www.oscarsgraphics.com.
Interior: No fluff or do-dads, just clean lines from the dash to the boot at the rear. The dark brown tweed and leather combination was done by Tony's Upholstery in La Habra, California. This includes the top which connects to a chrome-plated framework. The frame as well as the rest of the plating was done by La Habra Plating in La Habra.
Sound System: Albert installed a Pioneer head unit along with two tweeters, four midrange speakers and a pair of subwoofers. A pair of 600-watt amplifiers power the system which is wired into the hydraulics and the charging system of the car to keep it up to capacity when on the road.
Setup: The team of Ray and Albert installed old school-style pumps and two tailgate-type units with Am-Flo dumps tucked away under the boot of the ragtop. The front end sports 6-inch cylinders with 8-inch strokes in the rear. Three-ton coils are at each corner and a C-notched frame helps create the low stance of the Chevy.
Tires: P155/80-R13 LeMans
Wheels: 13x7 chrome Laser wire wheels