by Curtis Randolph
Picture by Vertualissimo
1959 Chevrolet Impala Convertible Lowrider
Lowriding is the term given to the demonstration of heavily customized automobiles, both at car shows and special community events as well as on unofficial cruises around the neighborhood.
Lowriding involves the slow driving of a lowrider vehicle, with the frame lowered to the point it is almost touching the ground, and the driver seated so that only the top of their head can be seen. Lowriding began in Mexico back in the 1920s.
A lowrider vehicle is essentially a work of art that can actually be driven via the extensive customization of a car’s interior and exterior. Although the most common vehicle to be transformed into lowriders are Chevy Impalas from the early to the mid 1960s, vehicles from as far back as the 30s can also be extensively customized in this fashion, as can more recent cars from the 1980s.
Period factory choices are available for exteriors in addition to extensive paint jobs that come with distinctive graphics and lettering that are hand-painted. Lowrider vehicles are installed with either suspension airbags or hydraulics in order to allow the touch of a button the ability to raise and lower the car’s body.
Lowrider cars are legal to drive, although the extent of customization a car can undergo before it is deemed to be unsafe for driving in public may prohibit it in some states. Certain states, for example, have banned the use of deeply tinted windows and multi-colored lights.
Those looking for lowrider parts Los Angeles need look no further than Lowrider Solutions for all their lowrider needs.