Do you agree that life works in a circle. It's a constant cycle of patterns that define who we are and what we do with our lives, which ultimately decides our destiny and our legacy. This is certainly the case for 31-year old Javier Rodriguez. His parents, Elsa & Fabian, moved to Miami, Florida where Javier was born and raised through the beginning stages of his childhood. At eight, his parents decided they would pack up and move to Glendale, California, swapping coasts and lifestyles for their young son. Growing up watching music videos and living in Southern California, he quickly became a lowrider enthusiast. His first real experience came around the time he received his driver's license. "One night when my mom was sleeping, my buddy and I cut the springs on her car to make it lower," Javier says. He adds, "I got in a lot of trouble." That "trouble" only further sparked Javier's interest in the culture, ultimately driving him to want a car of his own to customize and modify.
One of Javier's friends, Mario Hernandez from Santa Maria, California, was building a 1964 Chevy Impala convertible and just couldn't seem to finish it. He had been toiling away on the classic machine, and his interest faded in the '64. Knowing what a great car it could still become and not wanting to waste all his hard work, he decided it would be better left for Javier to finish, and sold him the "in-progress" Chevy. Gratefully, Javier began the painstaking task of searching for small additions to clean up the convertible. Growing up in a lower to middle class environment, in a wealthy area, his struggles to find inexpensive parts became much harder than he had anticipated. He soon realized it would take all of his patience to see the project through.
The stock '64 Impala 327-c.i.d. V8 engine was removed by United Engine in Compton, California and replaced with a Chevy 350 Serpentine system, modernizing the motor while adding a little extra power. The outside of the car needed some dressing up, so the first order of business for Javier was to call upon Miguel Duran to take care of all the chrome additions. The Chevy drop top was then driven to Joe Hernandez of Trend in Bakersfield, California for a full PPG Sandalwood coating, leaving it elegant and sophisticated while still maintaining the intimidate big body presence the '64 is known for. Javier cleaned up the interior and left it with a restored, "grown man feel", ready for riding. Now that he finished the car of his dreams. He was faced with the dilemma of which streets to bless the mighty "Gold Digger" with, in which, he would ultimately call home again.
At the age of 20, Javier made the big decision to move back to Miami, again switching lifestyles and following the original cycle that he was initially born into. The Impala was mounted on a trailer and with his belongings packed up, Javier made the long drive back to his birthplace. Instantly blending into the lowrider culture in South Florida, Javier joined the 25th Street Riders Car Club and has since received plenty of attention with one of the cleanest topless Impalas in the Sunshine State. Learning first hand, while focused on bringing up his 2-year old son Jayden, Javier is teaching him by example that you can go from rags to riches, to being a "Gold Digger," if you stay determined.