Troy Staehler of Rollerz Only Car Club started his lowriding journey in the 12th grade. As Troy tells it, "I started with a Chevy S-10 truck. I lifted it at Orlie's, threw on some Daytons and a Nardi steering wheel, and quickly sold it to buy a '63 SS Impala." Early on, Troy was already exhibiting the "flip hustle," and no sooner had he purchased the '63, than he was ready for a candy paint job. "I bought a red candy and had it painted by my buddy Doug Stranno," he tells us. Unfortunately for Troy, Doug used the wrong base by mistake and the car came out pink. With that, Troy says, "That made me put a 'for sale' sign in the window."

This ride is truly a "Family Affair," which becomes clear after one hears the story of how the Chavez familia of Fresno, California, came up with that name for their '59 Chevy Nomad station wagon. As a young boy, Richie Chavez dreamed of one day being featured in the pages of Lowrider Magazine. His passion for the lifestyle began at the age of 13 when he joined True Desire Bike Club.

Back in the day, it was common to find your next ride through the classified section of the local paper or the regional AutoTrader. Maybe that next ride would be sitting in a high-profile parking lot with a "for sale" sign on the window or it could just be as simple as word-of-mouth. Today, it seems more common that people are wheelin' and dealin' online. Take for example, one of the most well-known and largest Internet marketplaces, eBay, where more than three-million cars have been sold since its inception.

Send your product releases to Lowrider Magazine New Products, 2400 E. Katella Ave., 11th Floor, Anaheim, CA 92806, or email them to jeffrey.rick@sourceinterlink.com.

The great American lowrider "factory" is in full production all across the land! Quality traditional lowriders are busting out of shops and garages all over the place as you can witness yourself on the following pages of Lowrider. Even while gas turns close to five bucks a gallon on us overnight, frames are still being reinforced, engines are being swapped, chrome shops are polishing, upholstery sewing machines are running on 240 volts, bodies are being blocked, and if there's any spray booth out their laying down custom paint, you can bet that there's a lowrider in it!

Juan Sanchez, Jr., Logansport, IN

Gator Graffix, Los Angeles, CA

OwnerSyid Rasheed

You know that old saying, "If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself"? Well, L.P. of Los Angeles, California, and a member of Individuals Car Club, knows the feeling. His pearly '99 Lincoln Town Car is the result of him not liking the other Lincolns that he was seeing around town.

Sergio Avila of Santa Ana, California, was bit by the lowrider bug at an early age. By 12, he was already building his first eye-catching ride: a Schwinn tricycle. Three years later, his older friend Peter (who was also the Klique Car Club president) drove by Sergio's sister's house where Sergio was hanging out. Peter rolled up in his lifted Buick Regal. Peter asked him if he wanted to go cruising to Whittier Boulevard and then on to Hollywood Boulevard. Sergio didn't have to think twice and jumped at the chance to go. Peter was even cool enough to let Sergio hit the switches there on the boulevard! It was a day that Sergio would always remember and he says that it was then that he knew that he was hooked on lowriding for life.

Projects and hoods across the country have people making choices every second of the day. Some of those choices are made right at the junction where life goes down one of two paths-one straight and narrow, and one whose branches and reach can grow quickly, but can break in the blink of an eye. The flash of the jewels, chrome and paint possessed by hood stars is enticing and can blind anyone to the facts.

In today's society, we're always demanding bigger, faster and better, and lowriding is no exception to the rule. It's continuously reinventing itself, from the customized bodies and suspensions to the high-tech powertrains and hydraulic systems. In addition, as new car clubs continue to be formed, some of the established clubs are increasing their membership in the hundreds as they successfully launch numerous chapters worldwide.

The story of "La Revolucion" started when Chuy Barrera was a kid growing up in Fullerton, California. His mom and dad enjoyed taking the kids out to nearby La Palma Park, one of the first places in Orange County where lowriders could chill and cruise back in the day, especially when there were special events going on like the annual Cinco de Mayo festival. Chuy remembers that his uncle, a member of Savor Car Club, would cruise and chill in a '37 Pontiac that had a nice paint job and suicide doors. You might remember the car from the movie Boulevard Nights.

CalendarAug. 3 Portland, ORLowrider Magazine and Lowrider Events present the Pacific Northwest stop on the 2008 Lowrider Tour. This event will once again be held at the Portland Expo Center and will feature the best cars in the Pacific Northwest, live concert and hydraulics competition. For more information, including move-in times, call (714) 712-2100.

DumpsOwnerJimmy Luna

2008 Show Rules
2008 Hop Rules
2008 Hop Standings (revised 8/08)

This past year marked a golden milestone in Toyota's history as the company celebrated 50 years of doing business in North America. They've come a long way since the first Toyopet Crown sedan reached American roads in 1957. Toyota opened for business in America on October 31, 1957, in Southern California, and started selling cars the following summer. By the end of 1958, it had sold just 287 Toyopet Crown sedans and one Land Cruiser-a far cry from 2006 sales of more than 2.5 million cars and trucks.

The South will rise again, they say, and we're definitely seeing a new day dawning for Dixie lowriders. Jose Reyes is a 28-year-old restaurateur down in Sharpsburg, Georgia, and when he's not on the job cooking up something hot for his customers, you can usually find him cruising his '87 "Homies Edition" Chevy Monte Carlo LS or helping out with a project build or event appearance related to his membership in Obsession Car Club.

The story of Leo Millan and his hot '61 Chevy Impala ragtop would have been right at home in the recent Lowrider Readers' Rides special. That edition carried the theme of "Heroes And Role Models" and focused on real people from all over the country (and world) who choose to cruise low and (sometimes) slow. Leo's a real estate investor now hanging his hat in Tennessee and his ride was definitely a wise investment, imported as it was from Southern California.

The only East Coast Lowrider Tour stop of the year at Tampa's Florida State Fairgrounds was a big success. The show sponsored by UTI and Phearless Records went off without a glitch. The show featured about 300 of the East Coast's cleanest rides, all coming out to show and shine on that sunny Spring weekend.

There's no substitute for experience, and that's as true in the world of lowriding as anywhere else. Trino Alfaro of Tracy, California, has been lowriding since he was a teenager, and his years of building cars, selling one to buy another, have provided him with the expertise to pull off a first-class cover car. His "Cherry '64" Chevy Impala SS convertible is the perfect vehicle for Trino to pursue his two favorite interests: building lowriders and cruising lowriders.

Install-Y Ask Why?The suspension on first generation Chevy Impalas was ahead of its time. In fact, one of the biggest changes for Chevrolet during this golden era was the new frame design on all '58 models. The new X-frame lasted through 1964. This new technology gave the cars a better ride, and it's still in evidence today, as Chevy still uses the same basic design on the rear suspension of vehicles such as the 2wd Suburban.

Growing up in Dallas, Texas, you knew that the hot spot for lowriders to cruise and chill was in Reverchon Park on the outskirts of downtown Dallas. That was the place for lowriders in "Big D" to see and be seen back in the day says Luis Morales. People would chill, cruise a little bit, park their cars and have a few hopping contests here and there.