Francisco Chairez, or "Cisco" as most of his friends and family call him, got into lowriding through his dad and uncles. Cisco is originally from Escondido, California, but moved up to Los Angeles where he was further exposed to the lowrider lifestyle and culture. His '67 Chevy Impala fastback, "American Woman," is a rolling testament to his lowrider dedication.
The '67 had been sitting for many years before Cisco bought it from a friend named Sergio. Cisco went through the engine and worked all of the "bugs" out of the drivetrain. He then began to use the car as his daily driver. One day, Cisco made a bold move and checked out Lifestyle Car Club. Because of that decision, Cisco says, "my life changed forever," and his daily driver went in a new direction.
With the right car in hand and a style of paint in mind, Cisco paid a visit to the legendary Mario Gomez (now sadly deceased) at the Candy Factory in Lancaster, California. After discussing what would be done to the stripped-down car, Mario got busy. Mario made sure to remove all of the emblems, keyholes, wipers and door handles, and worked around the 42-inch moonroof that was installed at Munoz Moonroofs in South Gate, California.
After taking the car down to metal and blocking it, Mario worked his magic and laid out several graphics in pink, violet, blue, teal, red and silver. Once the subtle patterns were laid out, the car was taken to Walt Prey, who complemented the paint job with spun gold leaf and candied silver leaf. The leafing was broken up with a combination of pinstriping colors that work well together. The result by the duo was a paint job that features pearls, flake, marbleizer, a touch of pebble base, and some of the nicest striping of the time.
Once the car was rubbed out, it was time to start putting it back together again. Cisco went to Tim Rodriguez of R&R Restorations in Santa Fe Springs, California, who handled the chrome plating for all of the trim on the vehicle. R&R also hunted down some of the hard to find parts for this ride, including a few NOS trim pieces that were also dipped at the chrome shop. Including the mirror-finish trim, Cisco carefully assembled the car.
Cisco was so excited by the project that he was even spotted driving his '67 as it was coming together. He might just have been driving to the upholstery shop, Santana's Auto Upholstery in Santa Fe Springs, where Ramon and his crew got busy wrapping the custom dash, and parts that were incorporated by Cisco in his driveway. Ramon wrapped the front Toyota Corolla seats and the rear Ford Taurus seat in a colorful combination of suede and vinyl. Complementing the upholstery are a Dakota Digital dash, billet door handles and painted armrests.
Cisco's friend Luis Lemus then installed a sound system featuring an Alpine head unit that controls Alpine speakers and amplifiers. With the sound system tuned in, Cisco began to concentrate on a few odds and ends, including the custom tubular grille that was made by J.W. Enterprises. The tubular grille gives the car a custom look like a traditional lowrider from back in the '70s. The original hydraulic setup installed by Cisco and the club was gone through to make sure that everything was working right and proper when Cisco rolls down the boulevard on his Premium Sportway 5.20s.
With the support of his family and the guidance of Lifestyle C.C., Cisco built a street car that he can be seen driving most every chance he gets. Cisco let us know that it took a lot of hard work and sacrifices, but that he'd do it all over again if he had to. "When I see people appreciate the car, it was all worth it," he says. Keep up the good work, Cisco, and we hope to see more of your American classic in the future as Cisco told us that he plans to add more to the vehicle, including possibly dropping the frame and undercarriage.
American WomanOwner: Francisco "Cisco" Chairez
Vehicle: '67 Chevrolet Impala
City/State: Escondido, California