How to Get Parts for a Low Rider

Low Rider culture is more popular today than ever before. While the Anglo culture of the 1950's was giving birth to the souped up hot-rod, Latino teenagers in Southern California began creating exaggerated and loud symbols of "cool" that rolled slow and low through the streets of their city, Los Angeles. Here are a few steps to get you started finding parts for your low rider.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Design your ride, it is important when building a low rider to start with a solid design this will help you decide what parts you'll need.

2. Look online for wheels. The retail mark up on custom wheels can be ridiculous so shop online. Many people try to sell their wheels on online auction sites so check these out. Installing low-profile tires requires special tools and experience so hire a pro for this.

3. Consult a professional about the suspension. Different models of cars need different modifications to their suspensions so find out what you need and which manufacturers make the parts before ordering these important parts.

4. Decide if you want to install active hydraulics to give your ride some bounce. These hydraulic systems need to be custom designed and built, but you will find most parts at an industrial supply shop.

5. Build your speaker box light. Use light weight composite boards rather than the more common and heavier plywood.

6. Custom interior parts are pretty easy to find, but if you are looking for cool and unique accessories for your ride, try swap meets and flea markets. You will find a whole culture of people who are making cool and interesting things and some of them will be right for your ride.

Resources

• Low Rider Magazine's website.
• A low rider enthusiast's website.