By David Lamerton

A major increase in the popularity of lowriders can be traced back to the late '70s and was due to the merging of two distinct cultures. These were the California car culture and the Mexican culture.

However, Lowriders have actually been part of the Mexican-American heritage for far longer and it was only in the 60s when Lowriders were recognized as a car customizing classification mainly due to customizers such as George Barris. As far back as the late 30's cars were being lowered either using heavy weights or by chopping the springs.

In the 50s, the American economy was booming which led to the different styles of customization that we see today. Each classification fulfilled a particular need. For example: Hot Rods enthusiasts removed wings and bonnets amongst other things to increase the power to weight ratio whereas those who owned Lowriders were far more concerned with comfort, class and style.

The popular car to modify was a Chevrolet because it was comparatively cheap to repair and looked more stylish than its Ford counterparts. The modifications that were carried out on Lowriders were specifically chosen to be the opposite of those carried out by the mainstream culture. Rather than lowering the front and removing wings Lowriders would be lowered at the back and fitted with fender skirts. Other popular modifications performed on Lowriders were fitting twin side pipes, two spot lights, two aerials and a big red stop light at the back.

The Lowriders movement was not restricted to cars. Due to the expense of owning one of these vehicles people started to modify bikes as well. In 1964 George Barris modified a Schwinn cycle for use in the television series The Munsters. The Schwinn cycle resembled a dragster, perhaps due to the fact that the racing of these bikes was one of the top motoring sports of the time. Before long these bicycles became very popular and began to be modified in a similar way to Lowrider cars. They became heavily chrome plated and the forks were bent to lower them.

By Richard Gazzo

To quote the band War, "the lowrider is the one to meet". For almost one hundred years, lowriders have been not only the one to see, but the one to meet. Stemming from an old Mexican ritual called paseo which made horses the utmost symbol of prestige, lowering stock cars to almost sidewalk level and customizing them dramatically has evolved into the same sort of symbol of status.

From Mexico to Los Angeles to Chicago to the rest of the world, the art of customizing a stock car into a lowrider has been an evolution. In the 1940's lowriders only graced the streets on Sundays. As their popularity began to grow lowriders not only became more plentiful but they became the vehicle of choice for anyone who wanted attention and accolades and cruised the highways on a daily basis.

George Barris became the early face of lowriders by combining his creativity with his passion for cars and developing one of the first businesses to customize lowriders for sale. George and his brother, Sam, used their expertise in body work to straighten fenders, bolt on accessories, and use paint schemes that were unheard of during that time. Lowrider creations from the Barris brothers flourished into a very lucrative business. George used his business sense to introduce lowriders to Hollywood which resulted in not only the use of lowriders in many well known movies such as High School Confidential, but it also helped him "become the person" to contact when Hollywood stars wanted to transform their personal vehicles into lowriders.

The original lowrider artists focused mainly on customizing Chevrolet cars because they were less expensive than other manufacturers' vehicles at the time. Today, any brand, make, or model vehicle is fair game to become a lowrider. The art of creating a lowrider has also evolved well beyond using heavy weights and chopping springs to bring the body close to the ground. Modern lowriders feature hydraulics which not only raise and lower the car, but also make it hop, and tilt it from side to side.

By today's standards, the modifications the Barris Brothers made famous with their business Kustoms of America, look pretty minor. Today's lowrider can feature triple dipped chrome accessories, gold plating, spectacular paint schemes, twin side pipes, spot lights, and everything from wire wheels to spectacular spinners. The same pride which motivated early Mexican horse owners to sacrifice their own necessities in order to put more glitz into their horses, still drives modern day lowrider owners to spend a small fortune to craft a vehicle which is a tremendous source of gratification.

Exploding from early Mexican-American Sunday cruising to become rap video stars and the utmost way to display cool-status with a car, lowriders have come a long way from their modest beginnings. Back then it only took a little effort and a little time to create a lowrider vehicle which would turn heads. Now lowrider enthusiasts spend thousands and thousands of dollars along with countless hours of body work and modifications to create their show-stopping lowrider masterpieces. The methods may have changed, but the madness is the same the lowrider is the one to meet!

By Tim Gorman

Custom bicycles and lowriders have been around for a long time, but they seem to be back in fashion again. They were first popular in the 60's and 70's but in the year 2000 they started to be popular again. These bikes usually have a long seat and high curved handed bars. The riding position is usually fairly laid back. They were originally fashioned on the chopper motorbikes that were popular at that time. They often have a lot of accessories on them and are not just built for riding.

There is now a thriving industry in these bikes that until recently had been thought of as a novelty. The bikes that they are making now, although they draw their inspiration form their earlier models are much more sophisticated and stylish. They are also a lot better to ride than the original bikes were. But although they are different, they still retain the same character.

The fashion of custom bicycles and lowriders really started in the US around 40 years ago. But they were not called lowriders then, they were called dragsters. Although they were originally bikes that were made by their owners, they were soon being mass produced by Schwinn bikes. Their owners could still customize them as the company sold many ad ons to the bikes, so that they could still get that home made fashion.

But the more recent custom bicycles and lowriders are much better made than the originals. They are also much lower to the ground. This is really a fashion thing but that is what these bikes are all about. But there is usually suspension on the front wheels and an oversized rear tire to make them more comfortable to ride. They also are trying to make them have more of a motorbike thing to them.

Another thing that the custom bicycles and lowriders usually have is a stick gear system. This is actually more like a car gear and it is an essential part of the bike. There are a lot of these bikes being sold at the moment and they are getting more and more popular. There are some really good websites as well where you can get some good advice if you are new to them. But if you are going to get one of the m then you have to customize it. That is really the whole point of these great bikes.

By Richard Gazzo

To quote the band War, "the lowrider is the one to meet". For almost one hundred years, lowriders have been not only the one to see, but the one to meet. Stemming from an old Mexican ritual called paseo which made horses the utmost symbol of prestige, lowering stock cars to almost sidewalk level and customizing them dramatically has evolved into the same sort of symbol of status.

From Mexico to Los Angeles to Chicago to the rest of the world, the art of customizing a stock car into a lowrider has been an evolution. In the 1940's lowriders only graced the streets on Sundays. As their popularity began to grow lowriders not only became more plentiful but they became the vehicle of choice for anyone who wanted attention and accolades and cruised the highways on a daily basis.

George Barris became the early face of lowriders by combining his creativity with his passion for cars and developing one of the first businesses to customize lowriders for sale. George and his brother, Sam, used their expertise in body work to straighten fenders, bolt on accessories, and use paint schemes that were unheard of during that time. Lowrider creations from the Barris brothers flourished into a very lucrative business. George used his business sense to introduce lowriders to Hollywood which resulted in not only the use of lowriders in many well known movies such as High School Confidential, but it also helped him "become the person" to contact when Hollywood stars wanted to transform their personal vehicles into lowriders.

The original lowrider artists focused mainly on customizing Chevrolet cars because they were less expensive than other manufacturers' vehicles at the time. Today, any brand, make, or model vehicle is fair game to become a lowrider. The art of creating a lowrider has also evolved well beyond using heavy weights and chopping springs to bring the body close to the ground. Modern lowriders feature hydraulics which not only raise and lower the car, but also make it hop, and tilt it from side to side.

By today's standards, the modifications the Barris Brothers made famous with their business Kustoms of America, look pretty minor. Today's lowrider can feature triple dipped chrome accessories, gold plating, spectacular paint schemes, twin side pipes, spot lights, and everything from wire wheels to spectacular spinners. The same pride which motivated early Mexican horse owners to sacrifice their own necessities in order to put more glitz into their horses, still drives modern day lowrider owners to spend a small fortune to craft a vehicle which is a tremendous source of gratification.

Exploding from early Mexican-American Sunday cruising to become rap video stars and the utmost way to display cool-status with a car, lowriders have come a long way from their modest beginnings. Back then it only took a little effort and a little time to create a lowrider vehicle which would turn heads. Now lowrider enthusiasts spend thousands and thousands of dollars along with countless hours of body work and modifications to create their show-stopping lowrider masterpieces. The methods may have changed, but the madness is the same the lowrider is the one to meet!

By David Lamerton

A major increase in the popularity of lowriders can be traced back to the late '70s and was due to the merging of two distinct cultures. These were the California car culture and the Mexican culture.

However, Lowriders have actually been part of the Mexican-American heritage for far longer and it was only in the 60s when Lowriders were recognized as a car customizing classification mainly due to customizers such as George Barris. As far back as the late 30's cars were being lowered either using heavy weights or by chopping the springs.

In the 50s, the American economy was booming which led to the different styles of customization that we see today. Each classification fulfilled a particular need. For example: Hot Rods enthusiasts removed wings and bonnets amongst other things to increase the power to weight ratio whereas those who owned Lowriders were far more concerned with comfort, class and style.

The popular car to modify was a Chevrolet because it was comparatively cheap to repair and looked more stylish than its Ford counterparts. The modifications that were carried out on Lowriders were specifically chosen to be the opposite of those carried out by the mainstream culture. Rather than lowering the front and removing wings Lowriders would be lowered at the back and fitted with fender skirts. Other popular modifications performed on Lowriders were fitting twin side pipes, two spot lights, two aerials and a big red stop light at the back.

The Lowriders movement was not restricted to cars. Due to the expense of owning one of these vehicles people started to modify bikes as well. In 1964 George Barris modified a Schwinn cycle for use in the television series The Munsters. The Schwinn cycle resembled a dragster, perhaps due to the fact that the racing of these bikes was one of the top motoring sports of the time. Before long these bicycles became very popular and began to be modified in a similar way to Lowrider cars. They became heavily chrome plated and the forks were bent to lower them.

By Richard Gazzo

To quote the band War, "the lowrider is the one to meet". For almost one hundred years, lowriders have been not only the one to see, but the one to meet. Stemming from an old Mexican ritual called paseo which made horses the utmost symbol of prestige, lowering stock cars to almost sidewalk level and customizing them dramatically has evolved into the same sort of symbol of status.

From Mexico to Los Angeles to Chicago to the rest of the world, the art of customizing a stock car into a lowrider has been an evolution. In the 1940's lowriders only graced the streets on Sundays. As their popularity began to grow lowriders not only became more plentiful but they became the vehicle of choice for anyone who wanted attention and accolades and cruised the highways on a daily basis.

George Barris became the early face of lowriders by combining his creativity with his passion for cars and developing one of the first businesses to customize lowriders for sale. George and his brother, Sam, used their expertise in body work to straighten fenders, bolt on accessories, and use paint schemes that were unheard of during that time. Lowrider creations from the Barris brothers flourished into a very lucrative business. George used his business sense to introduce lowriders to Hollywood which resulted in not only the use of lowriders in many well known movies such as High School Confidential, but it also helped him "become the person" to contact when Hollywood stars wanted to transform their personal vehicles into lowriders.

The original lowrider artists focused mainly on customizing Chevrolet cars because they were less expensive than other manufacturers' vehicles at the time. Today, any brand, make, or model vehicle is fair game to become a lowrider. The art of creating a lowrider has also evolved well beyond using heavy weights and chopping springs to bring the body close to the ground. Modern lowriders feature hydraulics which not only raise and lower the car, but also make it hop, and tilt it from side to side.

By today's standards, the modifications the Barris Brothers made famous with their business Kustoms of America, look pretty minor. Today's lowrider can feature triple dipped chrome accessories, gold plating, spectacular paint schemes, twin side pipes, spot lights, and everything from wire wheels to spectacular spinners. The same pride which motivated early Mexican horse owners to sacrifice their own necessities in order to put more glitz into their horses, still drives modern day lowrider owners to spend a small fortune to craft a vehicle which is a tremendous source of gratification.

Exploding from early Mexican-American Sunday cruising to become rap video stars and the utmost way to display cool-status with a car, lowriders have come a long way from their modest beginnings. Back then it only took a little effort and a little time to create a lowrider vehicle which would turn heads. Now lowrider enthusiasts spend thousands and thousands of dollars along with countless hours of body work and modifications to create their show-stopping lowrider masterpieces. The methods may have changed, but the madness is the same the lowrider is the one to meet!

By Tim Gorman

Custom bicycles and lowriders have been around for a long time, but they seem to be back in fashion again. They were first popular in the 60's and 70's but in the year 2000 they started to be popular again. These bikes usually have a long seat and high curved handed bars. The riding position is usually fairly laid back. They were originally fashioned on the chopper motorbikes that were popular at that time. They often have a lot of accessories on them and are not just built for riding.

There is now a thriving industry in these bikes that until recently had been thought of as a novelty. The bikes that they are making now, although they draw their inspiration form their earlier models are much more sophisticated and stylish. They are also a lot better to ride than the original bikes were. But although they are different, they still retain the same character.

The fashion of custom bicycles and lowriders really started in the US around 40 years ago. But they were not called lowriders then, they were called dragsters. Although they were originally bikes that were made by their owners, they were soon being mass produced by Schwinn bikes. Their owners could still customize them as the company sold many ad ons to the bikes, so that they could still get that home made fashion.

But the more recent custom bicycles and lowriders are much better made than the originals. They are also much lower to the ground. This is really a fashion thing but that is what these bikes are all about. But there is usually suspension on the front wheels and an oversized rear tire to make them more comfortable to ride. They also are trying to make them have more of a motorbike thing to them.

Another thing that the custom bicycles and lowriders usually have is a stick gear system. This is actually more like a car gear and it is an essential part of the bike. There are a lot of these bikes being sold at the moment and they are getting more and more popular. There are some really good websites as well where you can get some good advice if you are new to them. But if you are going to get one of the m then you have to customize it. That is really the whole point of these great bikes.