How to Customize a 1981 El Camino
If you have a 1981 El Camino, you have a piece of automotive history and a low rider in the making. All you need to do is get out there and customize your 1981 El Camino. The El Camino was one of the first vehicles slammed to the ground with hydraulic shocks. It was also one of the first vehicles with flashy paint jobs and excessive chrome plating. And it was one of the first low riders.
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Things You'll Need
- Lowering springs
- 20-inch rims
- Low profile tires
- Hydraulics
- Custom paint
Instructions
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Install lowering springs on your El Camino and convert its traditional truck-like stance to a "low rider" profile. Made popular in the 1960s, low rider vehicles are noted for their lack of ground clearance.
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Replace the stock tires and rims with 20-inch rims and low profile tires. Larger rims with lower profile tires give a late-model, aggressive look to a vehicle, and with the lowered springs, the rims will sit inside of the wheel wells of your El Camino. This enhances the aggressive look of a low rider vehicle.
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Install hydraulic shocks. Although an hydraulic shock system can be very expensive, it is a mainstay on low rider vehicles. Hydraulic shocks serve several purposes. For one, they can raise the vehicle for situations where ground clearance is necessary, such as pulling into a parking lot with a high curb or driving over speed bumps. In addition, with hydraulic shocks, the front end of your El Camino can be made to "hop" off the ground. This is a stunt made popular in the film "Cheech & Chong's Next Movie."
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Invest in a custom paint job for your El Camino. Low rider vehicles are designed to catch the eye of onlookers. A vehicle riding just inches above the road with the ability to jump its front wheels off the ground and a flashy custom paint job are all staples of the classic El Camino low rider.
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References
- Photo Credit garage image by Gerd Reiber from Fotolia.com
