Go to any lowrider car show and you’ll soon realize that the 1964 Chevrolet Impala is the most popular model of vehicle to low ride. It’s big and boxy and looks great lowered. Add some hydraulics and nothing looks more dramatic three-wheelin’ (driving with one wheel up in the air). This Impala has been parked since the ’90s but they think it could make the perfect lowrider or hotrod build. Take a look here on ebay and let us know what you think in the comment section below.
Impalas came in many flavors when new. You could choose between an economical inline-six all the way up to a fire-breathing quad-carb 425 horsepower 409 cubic inch V8! There were many options in between too along with automatic or 4-speed manual transmissions. Obviously, everyone wants the 409 but lowriders are supposed to go low and slow so the 283/auto combo will do just fine. Get it?
The original upholstery is toast but that’s okay because we would want to wrap everything in button-tuck velvet anyway. Some automotive enthusiasts like to make fun of the genres of cars that they are not into but the truth is, we are all the same. Some guys like to modify their cars, some don’t, but we all love the same four wheeled contraptions. Stroll a lowrider car show and then go to a hotrod one and try to tell me they are not the same.
Back to the Impala! The brown paint may or may not work for a lowrider. Personally, I prefer the metal flake magenta that was so popular in the lowrider world during the ’90s. It looks great with some ghost murals on the hood and trunk. Add a pair of hydraulic pumps and a bank of batteries in the trunk and you would have the quintessential lowrider. The only hard part for me would be cutting out the top of those shock towers to install those hydraulic cylinders.
Do you think this should be turned into a lowrider or should the next owner stick with stock?
Low rider, WHY ???
Too nice to turn into some garish sideshow attraction.
It needs to be a high rider. Put a 4WD system under it.
A well done lowrider is a manifestation of the creator’s dream, a work of art, and an expression of a cultural heritage. He/she has put a lot of effort, not to mention money into the project. It may not be to another’s taste but it deserves respect.
And if you spend some time at a lowrider show you’ll have a ton of fun and meet some open and friendly people who love cars. You really should go to at least once if there’s one nearby. It will be a cross cultural experience you’ll realize was both enjoyable and expanding.
A love of cars in whatever form is a universal language.