For a gentleman like Art Patino of Surfside, California, living the lowrider life is as natural as breathing. He does it with passion and ease, but he has his opinions as to what can and can't be done by those who are involved in the culture that we so love. When someone tells him that it can't be done, Art's the first one out there in his shop showing his peers, no, helping his peers, figure a way out to do the task at hand. That's how it was when Art built his pride and joy, "Hoochie Mama," a 1940 Chevrolet Master Deluxe.
"It was my dad's at one time," says Art, "all original, and then when I got it, I started to take it to its destiny where it belonged." As a young Chicano growing up in the late '60s and early '70s, Art joined the Sons of Soul Car Club out of East Los Angeles and he also hung out with the Ruelas brothers. Art had a '54 Chevy at the time and then got himself a '64 Buick Riviera before eventually dropping out of the scene. Why? He went into the Army, did his duty and received an Honorable Discharge. He came home, started his own family life and then came the Hoochie Mama and Art was back on the scene. Cars are in his blood and he'll do it until the day he passes on.
"I do what I say," Art quips. "My dad taught me that his word and his handshake meant more than his signature, and I'm the same way because a lie will catch up to you." Art has become a promoter and started a promotional company call C.C.A.P. Promotions, which deals in fundraising and helps give monies to worthy causes. As for the initials and what they stand for, Art explains, "They stand for Camilo, Connie and Artie Patino, family members who have passed away, but I will see them again one day."
Standing up and doing the right thing can take on many forms. "I was in another club for many years and the president of this club made us boycott Lowrider Magazine for his own personal reasons, but know I'm my own man and I do what I can," Art relates. "The way I look at it, only the best can get into Lowrider, and I always thought that I wasn't good enough to be featured. Hey, the 'Hooch' is clean. I drive her whenever I can."
Well, Art, now we can safely say that you and your righteous ride are among the elite to graces the pages of LRM. We believe in karma, good and bad. With the help that you've given to your fellow men and women, you had this coming. We can only say to keep it up and congratulations, brother!
Mr. MagnificoOwner: Art Patio
Vehicle: '40 Chevrolet Master Deluxe
City/State: Surfside, California
Club: The Counts
Engine/Drivetrain: Art had Blain Baker of Baker Automotive in Paramount, California, go over the block and internals of the original 216-c.i.d. powerplant before his friends Mac, Felip and himself reinstalled the engine back between those vintage fenders. The stock transmission is controlled by the three-on-the-tree column, while the "rap, rap" of the exhaust is created by the split manifold with one straight and one 12-inch glass-pack unit.
Body/Paint: The Master Deluxe has a finish that's actually two paint jobs in one. After getting the bodywork to his liking, Art painted the car black, 22 years ago! The finish was still looking really good, but he wanted the paint to pop more, so he went over the black with some brown and added the rainbow flake for some eye-popping pizzazz. The plating and polished goods on the car were done some 20 years ago by a man named "Frank," who's no longer in business. The crazy painters at Kelly 'n' Sons in Bellflower, California, added their graphic touch to "Hoochie Mama."
Interior: The upholstery is also 22 years old and was done in the traditional mohair finish with kudos going to an unknown gentleman who has since passed on. The rest of the relic has the right details to say that it's 1940 all over again.
Sound System: So who did the stereo on the Chevy? Why, Art, of course. Using a Kenwood head unit, the rest of the system is made up of Audiobahn amplifiers, six 6-inch three-way mids and 12-inch Audiobahn subs for the boom in this bomb.
Setup: Art's the owner of a shop called Every Man's Dream in South Gate, California, so it's a no brainer that he'd do the suspension on his bomb and what a setup it is. He modified the stance of the Chevy by keeping the OG coils to seven "turns" and used 8-inch Red's Hydraulics cylinders and sixes in the rear. While back there, he did a number on the rear trailing arms and did step-fronts on the front arms. While a single battery powers a single Red's pump and a Red's four-block dump setup hooked up via hard-lines, another battery powers the car and sound system.
Tires: P155/75-R18 Remington
Wheels: 13x7 Zenith wires done in a 72-spoke cross-lace design