1965 Chevrolet Impala SS - Lowrider Magazine

Jerry Villa of Oxnard California was born into Lowriding. His family and family friends were already Lowriding when he was born. As a youngster he remembers the cruising that used to happen on Cooper Road in La Colonia. Looking at all of the nice rides going up and down the road was an instant attraction for him so it was only natural that his first car would be a Chevy Impala.

When Jerry turned 16 he bought his first car, a 1965 Chevy Impala SS hard top. Jerry immediately started to work on the car and transformed it into his first Lowrider.

As he got older, the lure of street life caught Jerry and he battled with drug addiction and for a period of time became a guest of the state of California. Like we have read in this magazine before, Lowriding and the support of friends and family turned Jerry's life around. Jerry became a member of La Gente car club and is now the Vice President of the club.

Jerry's latest project is this 1965 Chevy Impala SS convertible he named "The LowLow". Jerry came across an advertisement in a classic car publication listing the car. The Impala was in Oklahoma, so Jerry contacted the seller and he agreed to fly Jerry out to check out the car. The Impala was in pretty good shape so the deal was made and Jerry had it shipped back to Oxnard.

Once the car was in California, Jerry dismantled it and started the restoration process. Jimmy's Customs in Oxnard CA changed all of the quarter panels, floor panels, and firewall. Once the body was prepped for paint, Jimmy sprayed a three stage Crystal Green Mint with a Silver and Blue Pearl throughout the Impala. Jimmy's Customs also painted the frame and had some of the components powder coated to match the color scheme.

Renee at Robert's Upholstery covered the interior in double stitched leather and embroidered the Impala logo in the seats. The leather selection makes the interior looks like it should be in an Italian sports car. Miguel at Bass Audio added a Kenwood head unit in the glove box to keep the classic look of the Impala. He then added Atomic brand components throughout the car and finished off the trunk with a custom speaker enclosure.

Jerry wanted to keep the Impala intact so he did not install a traditional hydraulic set up in the car. He opted to go with an air bag set up. Dean from Dean Sports installed the set up which not only gave Jerry a nice comfortable ride, he can still move the Impala front, back and side to side. Jerry finished off the suspension with a set of 88 spoke Daytons wire wheels and Cooper tires.

Rigo's Automotive in Oxnard CA rebuilt the 350 short block and the 357 power glide transmission and installed both in the Impala. Jerry added a full chrome exhaust system to the sixty five to complete the mechanical components.

As you can see from the photos, there is no shortage of chrome throughout the Impala. Jerry is the owner of JV Chrome & Plating so he made sure to chrome and plate everything he could on the car. Not only is all of the chrome a great way to attract potential business, it is a great compliment to the overall look of the Impala.

After an initial investment of $9,000, it took Jerry a few more thousands of dollars and seven years to complete the restoration to his standards. Jerry would like to thank everyone who helped steer him in the right direction and those who helped him with the build of the Impala like Ralph Durazo, Shorty, Jimmy's, Rigo's Automotive, Robert's Upholstery and of course his club La Gente Chiques Chapter and the Los Angeles chapter. We like to thank Jerry for a great representation of Lowriding in Oxnard California.