How to Make a Lowrider Car
Low riders have been around for as long as cars have been modified, and are still a popular way to customize a vehicle. Low riders have been featured in rock and rap videos, they are driven and shown by professional car builders, and they definitely grab attention. Classically, a low rider is an older vehicle, usually from the 1940s through the 1970s. There are many ways to build them, but the general idea is always the same: Make it low, make it comfortable, and make it shine.
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Things You'll Need
- Jacks and stands
- A complete car tool set
- Torches (if heating the springs)
- Reciprocating saw (if cutting springs)
- Lowering blocks or airbags
- Paint and a paint sprayer
- Assistants
Instructions
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Lower the vehicle. Older vehicles (the most common low riders) usually have coil springs in the front. These can be heated up with a torch while under pressure. This will cause them to shrink, but be careful to do both sides the same or the car may sit crooked. Another way to lower a coil-sprung front end is to physically cut the coils. Just be sure they mount in the spring bucket the same way they came out, and cut them equally. Some old Plymouths are suspended using torsion-bar technology. Simply turning the screws on the ends of the bars underneath will effectively lower the car.
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Replace the shocks to shorter units after lowering.
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For the leaf springs, lowering blocks are recommended. The most popular height of the blocks is three inches. Alternatively, leaves can be removed from the pack, but the results of this method vary according to the strength of the remaining leaves and their age. (Air bags are also an option, and make the vehicle's ride height adjustable. A professional shop should install these units.)
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Add custom paint and an interior. No low rider is complete without a really snazzy paint job. Some owners go with a pearl-based paint that changes colors in different lights and angles, and others go with a solid color (usually bright), while still others implement detailed graphics such as flames or scallops. Whichever design you go with, make sure that plenty of sanding and prep work is done before painting, and a quality clear coat is added afterward. For the interior, a simple vinyl setup with piping accents is very popular, as well as velour and custom carpeting.
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Tips & Warnings
While not an integral part of lowering the vehicle, installing custom rims has been the norm for decades. Two of the most popular designs are rally wheels (Chevy and Chrysler were big on these) or "Moon" style wheels. Moon wheels consist of a chrome rim with a rounded, half-dome cap, also chromed.
Check local ordinances to be sure the ride height of your vehicle meets code. Some states have limits on how high or low vehicles can go.
