1960's Low Riders - Sixties low riders

Gipsy Rose

Impala's car club

Impala's car club

It's been said that you're a byproduct of your environment, and in the case of 31-year-old Morris Franklin of Peoria, Illinois, he just may disagree. Rather, he'd be the first to tell you that your surroundings can definitely affect you, but it's the decisions you make after the fact that truly define you. Growing up in one of the worst areas in the city, he watched crime run rampant, yet rather than turn his head, he decided to join the force in order to help clean up the neighborhood and now he helps bring tolerance and understanding into the community.


Back in high school Morris' love for lowriders instantly hooked him the minute he saw his first Impala. Just out of high school Morris saw a 1968 Chevy Impala covered by dirt and tree sap sitting in a driveway. While the owner saw a lawn ornament, Morris saw potential, so after saving up the funds he made his move. The first step in building his dream was making sure the Chevy was road ready and mechanically sound so he had Brian Duncan drop in a brand-new crate motor to help the Impala along.


Morris then brought the Impala to Jerry & Maurice at A1 Upholstery to make sure the cabin played home to a unique blend of creativity. The next stop was to his friends Brian and Josh for a custom paintjob that set the Chevy apart from the rest. To bring the Impala lower to the ground, a full air ride system was installed and hidden away completely out of sight. Morris needed some sounds to play when he took his topless Chevy out on the road so he installed a Sony head unit in the glove compartment along with high-quality Sony components.


Morris wishes to thank his son Sean Franklin for the motivation and his Street Style family worldwide as well as Maurice Rutherford for pushing him to get the Chevy completed. As a veteran police officer, Morris brings the two worlds together of lowrider and law enforcement to show that you can own a custom vehicle and uphold the law at the same time. The story behind the building of Lethal Weapon has made strides to help bring tolerance and understanding to the community and it actively involves young kids and inspires them to follow the same pattern Morris did.


Tech Specs

Vehicle: 1968 Chevy Impala

Owner: Morris Franklin

Vehicle Nickname: "Lethal Weapon"

City/State: Peoria, Illinois
1968 Chevrolet Impala Street Style Plaque

Club: Street Style C.C.

Engine: A crate GMC 350 was dropped in along with an Edelbrock carburetor at Brian Duncan Auto in Peoria, Illinois

Body/Paint: Brian Sackman and Josh Wren used a black basecoat with PT Cruiser gold for patterns. Old-school lace work and a water-drop effect with gold metalflake are seen throughout.



Suspension: A complete Firestone air ride was installed by Brian Duncan of Peoria, Illinois

Wheels/Tires: 100-spoke OG chrome and gold wheels with Hercules P155/80R13 tires

Interior: A1 Upholstery in Bartonville, Illinois, added Aztec gold and black leather throughout

Read more: http://www.lowridermagazine.com/features/1406_1968_chevrolet_impala/

Model: Halina Miranda
Makeup: Meagan De La Torre
Wardrobe: KandyShopBikinis.com



When you're surrounded by uncles and cousins that are into lowriding you can't help but catch the bug, and this is exactly what happened to Richard Lopez of Reno, Nevada. As with most kids, they never really begin to understand the influence their family has on them and for Richard, the final confirmation of their influence came when he purchased his first car. After years of toying with model cars and bicycles it was time for Richard to pick up his first ride. So at 17 years of age he opted for a '70 Impala.
1965 Chevrolet Impala Trunktop Pinstripes



As with most kids that are 17 years old, your dreams tend to be bigger than your budget but that still didn't slow Richard down. With the little money he saved from side jobs working with his dad, his first priority was a set of wire wheels. Once the wheels were installed he primered the car and hit the streets. Since then, the rest is history and the bug has never left as Richard has owned 26 classic cars. He further explains, "I bought and sold many of them in order to get the ones I wanted." Ultimately, his goal was to have a Bubble Top and he now proudly owns two—one of which was featured in the August 2010 issue of Lowrider and the other, which is still under construction.



Ask any lowrider enthusiast and they'll be sure to tell you that the one thing harder than tracking rare parts is dealing with a nagging wife so as the old adage goes, "A happy wife means a happy life," and Richard was sure to give his wife the gift that'll keep on giving. That gift? A '65 Impala. "My wife has always supported me with building cars" says Richard. He adds, "I felt that it was time that I did something for her so I bought the car and brought it home as a surprise for her."



The Impala, which was purchased from his boss, was treated to a full restoration and after spending nearly a year tracking down all the parts required for the re-up, he began the restoration himself in the garage. "I work fulltime so everyday after work and on the weekends I would work on the car. But when the kids played sports, I skip those weekend," says Richard. In all, the build took eight months to complete and he'd not only like to thank his wife and kids for the support but also Bowtie Classics out of Lincoln, California.



In closing, this car truly is a blessing in disguise and it pays homage not only to his uncles and cousins that influenced his drive to build lowriders but also his immediate family for supporting his passion. Richard would also like to extend a dedication to his good friend, Paul Davis of Bowtie Classics, who passed away last year.

TECH SPECS

"Mrs. '65 Impala"

Owner: Denise Lopez

Vehicle: 1965 Chevrolet Impala

City/State: Reno, Nevada

Club: Tradicionals
1965 Chevrolet Impala 98 Chevy 383 Stroker Engine

Engine: John Figoni of Figoni Racing in Reno, NV, installed the 383-stroker engine from a '98 Chevy with a 350 transmission. Street Fighter TCI, Edelbrock 600 CFM carburetor & intake, GM Performance valve covers, March Performance Pulleys serpentine system & air cleaner, MSD electronic ignition, Optima red top battery, Billet Specialties wire loom/oil pan/transmission pan, BeCool three core polished radiator, Flex-A-Lite cooling fan.

Body/Paint: Richard Lopez of Lopez Brothers in Reno, NV, did the bodywork and sprayed the Spies Hecker dark brahma jewel paint on it and let Armando Serrano of Psychotic Customs lay multicolor candy and pearl patters on top, he also pinstriped it and added the day of the dead mural.



Interior: Once the I Did It steering column, Billet Specialty steering wheel and Dakota Digital gauges were installed, Bob Ketner of Bobs Custom Upholstery in Reno, NV, stepped in and took care of stitching together the leather interior with suede headliner.

Sound System: Richard of Lopez Brothers in Reno, NV, installed the all-Alpine sound system.

Tires: Firestone 155/80/13

Wheels: 13x7-inch cross lace Zenith

Read more: http://www.lowridermagazine.com/features/1405_1965_chevrolet_impala/