I have always been curious about when customs became lowriders. What was and or is the major differance. Could people say a lowrider is more "traditional" because they use hydro's instead of customs using air bags. Basically when did the split happen.
The split is essentially ethnic and goes way back, at least to immediate postwar era. Two different approaches to customizing, with considerable cross-influence since they largely started in the same area. Hydraulics and airbags are at least mostly much more recent than the genres of car building. Most early customs had lowered normal suspensions.
The line between Low Riders and Customs used to be a lot thinner. It’s hard to say when the split occurred because there has always been an amount of custom in every Low Rider and a little Low Rider in every Custom. In the 60’s into the 70’s it was common to see mild and full custom Low Riders, also many a Custom had hydraulic suspensions installed to get them really low. The line was thin. A trend began in the early 70’s where most Low Rider’s concentrated on wild candy paint jobs and fancy velour upholstery in place of body modifications. Shaved trim, shaved door handles, frenched headlights and taillights, etc. was out. Small 14” and even 13” wire wheels and very small 5.20 thin white wall tires became vogue. Customs kept the big 15” and even 16” WWW tires and hubcaps. Simple organic hue paint remained. And upholstery was kept simple in comparison. The Low Rider for the most part was less concerned with performance; instead they got more elaborate with the suspension detailing, chrome plating everything. Customs have always tipped their hats to the past as far as styling and the use of bias ply tires, period correct modifications and finishes. Low Riders keep evolving i.e. mini trucks, newer body styles and in the last few years they have rediscovered custom body modifications, some are doing very radical work creating more of a rolling sculpture then automobile. The argument hydraulic VS air suspension is just a matter of preference to most. The verteranos or old Low Riders want to hold onto their past and the younger car builders are looking to the future. Some Low Riders and Custom car builders alike hate them both and will only use lowering blocks and cut coils. I know some old timers that will not buy a lowering block, instead to be “true” you must make your own lowering blocks. There is an amount of rivalry between the two but for the most part we all get along.
I've heard it said that sometimes the only dffierence between a low rider and a custom was the zip code. There are some killer lowriders out there with a history all their own. It's just a different way of making a car their way.
Happy Hoppy seams like a reliable source. for starters, his car blends the lines perfectly secondly, his car also happens to give me a hard-on. It's been the desktop of my work PC for a month
The Jalopy Journal
