I remember in the 7th grade I took my model car, a 1963 Impala, to show and tell for Spanish class. I don’t remember exactly what I stood up in front of the class and said, but I do remember having a lot of pride and a sense of accomplishment in my gold-flaked 1963 Impala model car. That was almost 35 years ago. I used to read and stare at Lowrider Magazines for hours as a teenager. Cars like Altered Image, Punch 84, Tantalizer, Wife's Enemy, and of course Loco 64 and Las Vegas. They used to be sold at the local grocery store. In front of my parents' house, there was a small dip in the road. One day I saw a Cutlass Supreme ride by with hydraulics. He had the car locked up front and back. When he hit the dip in the road and the car bounced, that’s when I knew I had to have something like that.

In high school, I worked part-time jobs in food service and retail. I saved up the first summer in 1995 and bought a brand new set of Crown Wire Wheels: 60 spoke with gold spinners, 13x7 reverse with 175/50 13-inch tires for my soon-to-be Euro lowrider. I had to have the gold spinners because at the cruise spot, I wanted to be different from the all-chrome wheels. Back then, on the local radio stations, they would advertise these huge car stereo expos, promoting entire car stereo systems for under $200. I went and soon learned that was a lie to get you in the door. Deterred but not defeated, I continued to save my money and bought my first amp and subwoofers. It was a Sherwood 4-channel and Pyle subs. I went to RadioShack and bought the cheapest tweeters and mids I could find. At age 15, unaware to me, the DIY mentality was born. I installed that stereo system in a custom-made box with no tech support or Google search engine. I remember when Lupe from across the street came over. He wanted to see what I had done. He couldn't believe I did the install.

In high school, I was in the auto mechanic shop class and learned a lot. We used to do things like brake jobs, oil changes, and other minor repairs for teaching staff and other faculty members. When I graduated high school, I had my eyes set on my friends' dad's 1963 Impala convertible. It was for sale for $7,000. As a graduation gift, my dad bought me a 1980 Monte Carlo. He paid $200 for it, and we drove it home. A far cry from the laurel green '63 vert I wanted. But nonetheless, I was in love with the Monte. I wanted it like "Sideshow" from LRM.

Fast forward to over 25 cars, from Cadillacs, Impalas, Lincolns, and Monte Carlos. The DIY movement is thriving. I had always done small things to whatever car I had—things like wheels, hydraulics, and stereos—but around age 30, I had a desire to do a complete “frame-off” build, in-house, myself. I achieved that goal, and since then, my group of friends, along with the support of my wife, have built over 10 cars, all frame-off restorations and all in-house, literally.

Join me to gain the confidence needed to achieve your restoration goals and dreams.