It's no surprise that Anthony Aguilar acquired an interest in automotive customizing. For this resident of Surprise, Arizona, hot cars just run in the family. "Cars are a big part of our family," Anthony admits. "I've been with lowriders and hot rods since I was young." In fact, it was Anthony's parents who blessed him with this '62 Chevy Impala. "My parents bought it for me when I was 15," he says.
The '62 now known as "The Blue Carpet Treatment" has been tinkered and toyed with, tweaked and fine tuned many times since Anthony was a teenager. The "deuce" has been completely transformed from its earlier incarnation. "This is the second makeover for the car," Anthony explains. "It was [mostly] a father and son project in the backyard. I learned a lot from this project."
In addition to his father, George, who was particularly helpful with the building of the '68 327-c.i.d. Chevy engine, Anthony received invaluable support and hands-on help from his network of family, friends and fellow Spirit Car Club members. He especially mentioned his uncle Phoenix Aguilar, and friends Jesse Murillo and Anthony Sagasta, as well as his wife, Jennifer, for "putting up with it!"
The Blue Carpet Treatment
Owner: Anthony Aguilar
Vehicle: '62 Chevrolet Impala
City/State: Surprise, Arizona
Club: Spirit C.C.
Engine/Drivetrain: Anthony and his father, George Aguilar, dropped in a '68 Chevy 327-c.i.d. V-8 and bolted on a number of custom pieces, including a unique Harley-Davidson air cleaner. A 350 Turbo transmission and chrome-plated exhaust system complete the performance-based particulars.
Body/Paint: After doing the necessary prep work, Anthony and "Big Mike" sprayed DuPont ChromaBase Spectramaster Blue paint. Albert Lebario of Vicious Graphix is responsible for the patterned top while Ron Hernandez added pinstriping to the frame. Ideal Plating in Tucson, Arizona, and Pete's/Papago in Phoenix are Anthony's chrome platers par excellence.
Interior: Anthony cruised away from Cruising Customs in Phoenix, Arizona, with a spotless OG white interior. And yes, the carpet's blue.
Sound System: Putting the beats on blast is a Sony head unit with Rockford Fosgate amplification, Pioneer tweeters and midrange speakers, and 8-inch JL Audio W7 subwoofers.
Setup: Anthony installed his own chromed-out, hard-lined hydraulics setup, going with three CCE "fatboy" pumps, three Adex dumps, four switches and eight Sure-Power batteries. He also molded and reinforced the suspension. Frank's Hydraulics in Phoenix performed additional chassis work.
Tires: P155/80-R13
Wheels: 13x7 OG wires (painted and anodized)