Chris Roark, of Vacaville, California, is only 38 years old, but at his young age he's accomplished what only few even imagine in the lowrider world. It's easy to see that Chris is no stranger to the lime light because he's been a top contender for the past few years with his '57 Chevrolet convertible, which made top three in the original class to his "Dark Side" '58, which took the traditional category to a whole new level. With these cars under his belt, he knew that he would have to come out swinging with the next car he built--and that he did, breaking decades of trends that were created by car builders who have been channeling, chopping, and suiciding their car creations to other levels to receive the famed and coveted Lowrider of the Year trophy. Don't misunderstand, there's nothing wrong with a chop top on the right car when it's done to enhance the body lines, or in some other cases, create new ones.
Since Chris didn't want to tear into his Dark Side '58, he picked up this one from his cousin Danny Sausa who had started a project but then lost interest. This was perfect because Chris wanted to build a car that he felt he could take to the next level. The result of his decision would be his latest creation, the "Perfect Score." With that being said, you know that no bolt was left unturned. This car, like his other cars, would be pulled off the frame and gone through completely--his crew added tubular arms on the molded frame. New stainless steal lines were created and run along the frame. The old drivetrain was revamped and rebuilt, taking a '60 stock 283 and hooking it up with a mild RV cam, just enough to make a difference over the stock one. They also dressed up the engine with a matching paintjob that features graphics on the camel-back heads, a custom air cleaner, and a Billet Specialties serpentine system. The engine compartment was dressed up with engraving, paint, and chrome, and tubing also runs throughout the compartment. A hand-built radiator fan shroud also received a touch of paint.
When it was time for painting, they tried keeping the original Aqua with a gold and green pearl color scheme. Unfortunately, the only thing that they were able to save was the color combination because the whole car was stripped down and repainted in a custom candy mix with flake, added by professional painter Steve Santos of Tekni Kolor Auto Body in Fairfield, California. The murals on the paintjob were done by Sammy de Leone and were incorporated into the patterns. The paintjob had "blow outs," as Chris calls them, as well as tape shades. All of the graphics were done with candy and pearl colors. Reflective tape was used in certain parts of the paint for highlights with a turquoise candy sprayed over the tape. The pinstriping and silver leafing were done by three different artists: Rory, Angelo, and Ralph Finley. The hours were endless on the paint scheme of the car since details like the pinstriping were cleared over the top for a smooth glass finish.
With Chris' history in regards to tailgate hydraulics, he had some pressure in creating a unique setup that would separate him from the rest of the competition. His three-month trunk buildup consisted of four custom hydraulic reservoirs, a custom pressure manifold, and two custom mini pressure manifolds that were plumbed in 1/2- and 3/8-inch stainless steel tubing. Chris used four Adex dumps with custom machine logos. The hydraulic setup was powered by four Group 31 batteries, hidden behind upholstery walls. The crew also created a sub floor that kept the trunk 2 inches above trunk level to run all the wiring underneath to keep everything hidden. The sub floor was painted with graphics running through all the painted sections. The entire hydraulic system was mocked up and assembled outside the trunk. The system was then bench-tested on a custom hydraulic tester before it was installed to ensure there were no leaks.