Low Riders
Customized cars are reflections of personalities
16 August 1998
By Mark Cooper
Messenger-Inquirer
Photos by Robert Bruck
Jason Rowan admits that when he's behind the wheel, he's not so much driving as he is showing off.
The black paint on his 1987 Chevrolet Beretta has specks of gold. The reversed wheels extend about a foot out on either side of the car. The car is like no other car on the road, and that's just the way he likes it.
"I couldn't see myself driving a plain car," said Rowan, 21, of Owensboro. "I've got to stand out."
The same goes for Steve Wagner, who bought his 1986 silver Ford Escort with the intention of drawing attention.
"I'm just trying to be different from everyone else, a little wilder than anyone else," said Wagner, 21, of Owensboro.
Once, young drivers bragged to each other about a "need for speed." Today, the need is for style.
Buying a smaller, less powerful car and adding tons of personal touches is both less expensive and more cautious than buying a muscle car that had its glory days in the '70s and '80s like a Trans Am or Camaro, Daniel Turner said.
"When I first got my license, I wanted a fast car," said Turner, 21, of Whitesville. "But you can get tickets pretty easy these days. You can't get out and race, there are so many cops."
There's nothing about his modified 1987 Honda Prelude that could grab the attention of police "except the stereo," Turner said.
A Dodge Neon - a favorite among local car customizers - can be purchased and heavily accessorized for the same price as an off-the-shelf muscle car with few accessories, said Kim Audas, a salesperson at Stacy Chrysler. Neons cost from $14,000 to $16,000, she said.
Small car owners also save money through lower insurance rates, she said.
"In my opinion, they can get more bang for their buck" by customizing the smaller cars, Audas, 32, said.
And Audas said she isn't offended to see a brand new Neon turned into something that looks more like a child's toy than a car.
"I think they look great," she said. "It shows the versatility of our product. They can individualize them and still run with the crowd."
Josh Turner of Whitesville is a self-made car customizer who changed the fenders, hood nose and running boards to his 1972 Volkswagen Beetle, adding a spoiler, front and rear disc brakes, and a gas heater to it. He has done the paint jobs on several customized cars in town.
Any self-respecting customized car must have at least the basics: tinted windows, reversed or "bow-legged" wheels, low-profile tires and a decent stereo, one that can be heard at least two city blocks away. After that, it's every car for itself.
Rowan, for example, turned his ride into a statement with the addition of gold flake paint on his Beretta. The paint job was done by another self-made car customizer, Josh Turner, 19, of Whitesville.
"Everywhere I go, people ask me if they can touch it," Rowan said. "They want to know if they can feel the flake in the paint."
Bryan Devine added about $4,500 worth of items to his 1997 black Dodge Neon, including a high spoiler, chrome wheels and racing muffler for more horsepower . . . and that's just for starters.
He also plans to add new paint and bumpers and continue modifying the motor and interior.
"It looks fine, but I've got to change it because it's factory," said Devine, 20, of Owensboro. "It's something to spend money on, I guess."
But perhaps no one has pushed the envelope as far as Tim Clark, who bought about $5,000 worth of customizing accessories, including a "lowrider" hydraulic system that has turned his car into a no-frills amusement ride.
At first, Clark styled around town in a red 1996 Pontiac Sunfire but recently switched the hydraulic system onto a dark blue 1991 Chevrolet Caprice.
Four individually controlled hydraulic pistons - powered by 10 car batteries - allows Clark to lift the car's front, rear or either side nearly 3 feet off the ground while cruising around Owensboro.
Clark said the car will be entered in car shows and "dance" contests which award cash and trophies for cars that can actually bounce or "dance" themselves several feet off the ground.
"I figure I'm living at home, I might not be able to do things like this when I'm on my own," Clark, 20, said.
But car customizing isn't merely a "guy thing."
"When I meet someone new, they ask, 'Wow, is this your boyfriend's car?' " said Heather Axley, 19, who drives a purple 1997 Chevrolet Cavalier with sporty chrome wheels, headlight covers and other accessories.
Axley said "95 percent" of all customized cars are driven by boys, but that doesn't mean girls don't like to stand out in a crowd as well.
"To me, my car is a personal statement about me," Axley said. "It's an extension of my personality. I want people to notice it and see what I've put into it. I want them to be proud of it."
But unlike others, Axley didn't buy the car with the intention of customizing it. Instead, the car was customized slowly, she said.
"I bought it just to have a new car," Axley said. "But I got the windows tinted. Then I thought it would look good with chrome wheels. Then I wanted to see what black headlight covers looked like. It gave the car a whole new look, so I went ahead and bought taillight covers. And I've got neon purple undercarriage lights on order."
Devine said young drivers have the time and money right now to "have a little fun" with their cars.
"I'm sure I'll grow out of it," Devine said, "but I'll probably always have something done to my car."
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