Troy Staehler of Rollerz Only Car Club started his lowriding journey in the 12th grade. As Troy tells it, "I started with a Chevy S-10 truck. I lifted it at Orlie's, threw on some Daytons and a Nardi steering wheel, and quickly sold it to buy a '63 SS Impala." Early on, Troy was already exhibiting the "flip hustle," and no sooner had he purchased the '63, than he was ready for a candy paint job. "I bought a red candy and had it painted by my buddy Doug Stranno," he tells us. Unfortunately for Troy, Doug used the wrong base by mistake and the car came out pink. With that, Troy says, "That made me put a 'for sale' sign in the window."
Not one to sit around too long, Troy purchased a '63 Impala SS convertible next, one on the long list of cars that Troy's owned. This car was a hit its first time out, though, and "Fully Loaded" won first place in the Traditional Lowrider Sweepstakes at the San Diego, California, Tour show in 2001. The car was built frame-off and featured a four-pump setup, chromed floor pans, plenty of gold, and had power everything, thus living up to its name. And Doug made good on this car for Troy, painting it for free with Troy providing the supplies.
Troy's the founder of Rollerz Only, which is not only a club, but also his family. Troy's street smarts have elevated the club to worldwide status and have given many people the opportunity to get into lowriding. Troy's taken the simple act of running a club and turned it into an empire. Started in 1988 with the help of his brothers, Rollerz Only has 44 chapters in the U.S., Europe and Asia with more than a thousand members.
Troy's made it a point to make sure that his members attend shows regularly and represent the club at Lowrider Magazine Tour events. He knows that showing up in force is one way to command attention and earn respect. That dedication to making sure that his club rolls deep has netted Troy and his club four Club of the Year awards. Come to a Lowrider show and you're going to see plenty of Rollerz Only vehicles. On the business side, Troy oversees everything from shirts to plaques, and he even put together an exclusive deal with Etnies and New Era for his own Rollerz Only shoes and caps.
With the continual parade of cars rolling through his life, Troy wanted to get the "godfather" of Impalas, a '58. The purpose of this car was twofold. One was for Troy to have a car that he'd longed for, but he also wanted to lead by example. Troy got the car to inspire others in the club and make them aspire to bigger things in the lowrider game.
On getting the car, Troy said, "Now I have this '58 Impala convertible, which a good friend of mine built, Johnny at Big Worm's Restoration. I've always wanted one and when I went out looking, Johnny was the man. He came through with many options to go with it. I plan on keeping it original." Troy says that he'll add many more options to it to complement the cruiser skirts, Continental kit, '58 spotlights and electronic eye that are currently on the car. Also with the prices of '58 Impalas these days, Troy knows that he has a great investment on his hands.
Boss RollerOwner: Troy StaehlerVehicle: '58 Chevrolet Impala convertibleCity/State: Corona, CaliforniaClub: Rollerz Only C.C.
Engine/Drivetrain: Original 1958 348-c.i.d. Tri-Power package with a Turbo 350 transmission. Chris at Manic Mechanic in Glendale, Arizona, handled the work.
Body/Paint: Johnny at Big Worm's Restoration in Inglewood, California, performed a stock respray with PPG Arctic White. Accessories include cruiser skirts, Continental kit, '58 spotlights and electronic eye.
Interior: Junior at J&R Upholstery in East Los Angeles, California, restored the interior to its original luster using an upholstery kit.