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[<< Prev][Next >>] Post: July 2nd 2010
The Independent Seen

I’ve just backed into my spot and I’m ready to talk Independence. This week being Independence week (or Freedom week as I like to call it), I figured lets talk about some of the unique type of rides that are seen from sea to shining sea. One of the things we love to do (but cant get enough of) at Your Car Care REPs is travel. Every time we cross state or country borders we are amazed at how each individual city or town has their own unique independent style in this thing we call Car Culture. For example, out in the west the Low-Rider scene is huge and no one does it better than the auto clubs over in Cali. While on the other side of town, the Whips in NY are flashy with a variety of modified vehicles that run the streets day and night. Down in the Dirty South the S.L.A.B.S are candy colored – every flavor you might find in a bag of Skittles. In Motor City you can find a mint ’56 Chevy Belair convertible looking like it was driven off the dealers lot yesterday. Let’s take a trip to each one of these locations separately.

The Low-Rider culture has been around since the 60’s. Low-Riding has such unique origins. The Chicano Mexican culture that migrated to California are the founders of this movement. While white counterparts of this generation were living it up, casting off older cars for newer ones. The Chicanos saw these older vehicles as a way to gain a part of the American Dream at a fraction of the price. The term Low-Riding (supposedly a derogatory term turned positive) got its origin when drivers would load their cars up with an entire family of 8 or more. As a result, their cars would be so low to the ground people called it Low-Riding. The Chicanos, determined to make something out of nothing, began transforming these unsightly eyesores into lavish artful beauties. They not only restored the engines on these vehicles, they began putting one of a kind artwork on the exteriors of these cars that transformed them into rolling canvases. The Low-Rider is not just a unique type of vehicle style, but it is also a statement saying to all “Look at what can be transformed from nothing into something”.

The East coast wouldn’t be the same without the reigns of the flashy fast Whips. The term Whips came into play in NYC during the 80’s. Some say, named after the song “Whip it” by the band Devo. During this time period a lot of street racing was going on. Guys not only wanted to run their cars fast on the streets, they also wanted to be noticed by spectators. Riders started to apply exterior accessories to outshine their competition while racing. Early Whips would have side panels saying “Down by Law” or “Eat my Dust” which were in a bright gold or chrome paneling. Five star rims were also a craze that the Whip era begat. Today is no different as Whips continue to pursue chromed out accessories, high tuned engines, amplified audio systems and even colored light show effects that gets noticed as they “Whip” by you.

Let’s take it to the south where the S.L.A.B.s run the roost. The word S.L.A.B. stands for Slow Loud And Bangin. Opposite from its northern peers the southern car culture likes to drive slow and steady. Once you are in the south it is easy to spot a S.L.A.B on the road. They usually have a paint job that looks like a Jolly Rancher flavor, most sit on chrome or Dayton rims, their speed hovers around 20 MPH on a main Boulevard and there is most definitely bump in the trunk. S.L.A.B owners take pride in transforming used and abused vehicles such as Crown Victoria’s or Chevy Impalas into custom beauties. Every S.L.A.B that is created is a ritual in its own right. The interior is gutted out and transformed to an updated but vintage appeal. The exterior is resurfaced with a paint job color that looks like it might give you a cavity. The final piece of this puzzle is the audio system. A S.L.A.B is just not a S.L.A.B if its audio system is not bumpin.

Let’s take a run over to Motor City a.k.a Detroit. Some of the best Classics, Hot Rods, and Muscle cars are in this part of town. Rightfully so – this is America’s car capital. Detroit is infamous for having some of the cleanest classic rides out there. Engine bays that look like you can grill out of them. I’ve seen a pristine red ’29 Chevy that would have had Henry Ford turning green with envy. Detroit lives up to its history of Old School rules. During the summer you can find plenty of picnics, BBQs and good old outings surrounded by these classic vehicles. That’s what makes this part of town so unique everyone either works or knows someone that works in the auto industry. These cars are more than just a form of transportation; it is a way of life for these folks.

These are just a few of the unique styles of vehicles out there that have emerged from the blossoming Car Culture. There are plenty more (especially overseas) that were not included in this article. During this Freedom week I want us all to remember, being Independent means being able to have a unique identity while still being considered a part of the whole union. Your Car Care REPs appreciate all the support and comments that we’ve been getting on this Blog. We have just launched a new site called www.wegotpull.com Here you will be able to get your daily dosage of Your Car Care REPs as we chop it up in the shop. So make a pit stop by and please drop us a line. Enjoy your 4th and if you’re traveling this week be on the look out for Smokey.




Your Car Care REPs

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