Today was going to be a special cruise-in. In honor of the new exhibit, ‘The High Art of Riding Low’, lowriders were the special marque on this Sunday. When I arrived at the museum I was directed to park on the fourth floor, the third floor was reserved for the lowriders. After parking and going downstairs to check out the rolling artwork I ran into Phil Caliva, whose “Nasty Boy” was parked among the Chevy’s, Pontiacs, Cadillacs, and the occasional Ford. When I asked how he got on the third floor he just looked at the ground clearance beneath his exhaust pipes and said, “they thought I was a lowrider.” A number of lowrider clubs were represented and the cars that they brought were beyond belief. From the paint jobs, to the artwork on every surface of the car including the engine compartment, to the etched and colored wheels the cars were stunning. As a part of the culture of lowriders, even the kids get to show off their lowriders. The young man in the photo was awarded a special prize for his car.
Phil and I were joined by Tom Spangler and as we enjoyed the complimentary coffee and bagels we continued to ooh and aah over the details of the cars on display. As I left the show I wondered to myself if Joyce would let me do my bonnet to look like a lowrider.