David Romero has been into the lowrider game since he was 12 years old. His neighbor at the time was the president of City Knights Car Club, which was well known for riding with chrome undercarriages and double-whammy hydraulic setups. David's first true lowrider experienced happened when he was 15 and his uncle took him to the Lowrider Super Show in Los Angeles, California. His uncle at the time cruised in a clean black convertible '64 Chevy Impala. After the show, David remembered them cruising the night away and checking out the hynas. This was a life-changing experience for David and he's been lowriding ever since.
David's first car was a '67 Buick Riviera that he got by trading in his bike. Then his mom got him his first '64 Impala, a convertible that he's still working on today by gold plating every piece of metal that can possibly be plated. Within three years, he was able to build a full arsenal of 12 convertible "Bowties."
David's latest creation is a '48 Chevy Fleetmaster that was purchased from its original owner for $48,000 dollars in perfect condition. The bomb drove like a dream and still had the original 8,051 miles on the odometer. The car was taken home to Bowtie Connection World in Chandler, Arizona, and David worked on it for a full month, pulling all-nighters to get the car ready for an upcoming Lowrider Tour show in Phoenix, Arizona.
The stock 216-c.i.d. engine was left alone, since it was maintained on schedule by the original owner who even changed the oil at the designated times. David took the car off of the frame and sent everything that needed to get chrome plated to Electro Plating in El Paso, Texas, and Metro Plating in Meza, Arizona. The body was sent to D.J. Kustom Paint in Chandler, where D.J. Jaurez took on the job of applying a two-tone candy blue paint job with tons of flake. Larry Jimenez at Cars One in Phoenix reupholstered the '48 with a mixture of new and old school, including blue '62 vinyl and '64 cloth inserts accented with chrome piping to give it a unique look.
After a month of late-night wrenching, David put the bomb back together again and it was ready to hit the show circuit. In fact, it made an immediate impact at the Lowrider Tour show in Phoenix. David couldn't have done it without the help of wife and kids, as well as his fellow Klique Car Club members, D.J. Juarez, "Mr. Chino" and everyone else who had a hand in "Da Bomba." A
Da Bomba
Owner: David "Mr. Impala" RomeroVehicle: '48 Chevrolet FleetmasterCity/State: Chandler, ArizonaClub: Klique C.C.Engine/Drivetrain: Stock 216-c.i.d. engine with original three-speed transmission.Body/Paint: The car was hooked up with a two-tone candy blue finish with plenty of flake by D.J. Juarez at D.J. Kustom Paint in Chandler, who also added Fleetline moldings and skirts.Interior: The upholstery was redone by Larry Jimenez at Cars One in Phoenix, Arizona, with a custom mixture of cloth and vinyl with "chrome" piping.Sound System: StockSuspension: StockTires: P175/70-R40 HerculesWheels: 14x7 all-chrome Player wires