Memo Rivera is your average lowrider fan. He grew up in the city of Coachella, California. Known as the "City of Eternal Sunshine," Coachella is largely a rural, agricultural and family-oriented community in the desert and one of the state's fastest growing cities. Memo was introduced to lowriding at the age of 16 when he used to travel up north to San Jose, California, to work in the fields. When it was time to relax on the weekends, Memo would hook up with his good friend Oscar Lopez, a member of Royal Emperors Car Club.
Memo would accompany Oscar in his slammed '54 four-door Plymouth lowrider. They would travel to car shows around San Jose as well as in Monterey, Salinas and Watsonville. Memo remembers going to shows back when it was not about how much money you could spend on an engine, upholstery or engraving. Memo recalls that back in the day, lowriding was simpler and more enjoyable, and there was more heart put into the game.
Memo's love for lowriders kept growing as he got older In the late '70s, Memo joined his hometown City Cruisers. In 1995, during the mini-truck era, his truck named "Tangerine Express" was featured in Lowrider Magazine as well as the '96 Calendar. After a few years, Memo sold Tangerine Express and began a quest for a new truck to build. Memo always liked the curves and body style of the bombas, but he soon realized that finding a bomb truck in good condition was close to impossible.
Memo traveled all over California trying to find his dream project, but the metal on most of the older trucks that he found was so bad that as soon as he lifted the floor mats he could see through the floorboard. About to give up, Memo visited well-known car dealers Heckle and Jekyll in San Bernardino, California, and found the perfect '48 Chevy truck. He paid $6,500, drove it off of the lot and all of the way home to Coachella.
The '48 was driven for a few weeks as is and was present at a few City Cruisers meetings. Soon, though, it was fully stripped and taken apart by Memo, and the extensive makeover was well on its way. The first thing was to ship all of the parts that needed to be chrome plated to Chromadora ABA in Mexicali, Mexico. The frame was modified with a Chevy S-10 front clip and a '70 Chevy Monte Carlo rearend, and then powdercoated to match the exterior paint.
Memo's nephew Robert Buenrostros chopped the top 3 inches, shaved the door handles, added a Frenched antenna, shaved and molded all of the emblems, split the tailgate, shaved the firewall, molded the seats to the floor pan, and added '59 taillights. Memo had seen a see-through bed on a truck a few years back at a Lowrider Super Show and liked it so much that he added one to his truck, though changing it up a bit by adding an upholstered frame around the bed just to give it a different twist.
Eight years later, "Wicked '48" was finished and ready to hit the show circuit where it has won numerous awards. Memo thanks his wife, Chela, and his family, friends and fellow City Cruisers C.C. members for helping out. For sure, all of the sleepless nights and long hours working on the '48 were not in vain now that Memo gets to show one of the best bomb trucks on the circuit.
Wicked '48Owner: Memo RiveraVehicle: '48 Chevrolet truckCity/State: Coachella, CaliforniaClub: City Cruisers C.C.
Engine/Drivetrain: The stock engine was replaced with a '70 Chevy 350-c.i.d. engine hooked up to a '70 TH-350 Powerglide transmission. The engine was dressed up with chrome valve covers, brackets, water pump, alternator and air filter cover, and is finished off with a polished intake manifold.