1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass - Playmate
Exotic Cutlass Plays on the Orange County streets
Beto MendozaWriter
They say the younger a Lowrider is when they fall in love with the culture; the more likely they are to pass it on to the next generation. While that may or may not always be true, it certainly is in the case of Oscar Canal of Anaheim, CA. Oscar grew up in the 'hoods of Southern California and received his introduction to Lowriding at the tender age of eleven. It seemed as if everyone around him had Lowriders, and in his junior high years, Oscar and his friend, Cesar, would attend all the local shows. Oscar knew that one day, he would take the opportunity to build a Lowrider and join the culture that he loved. That day would have to wait, however, since Oscar started a family at a very young age and had more important financial responsibilities. "I never had the funds to build one," laments Oscar.
Once his kids were older and he was more financially situated, Oscar decided it was the right time to build himself his first Lowrider. "I was getting older and I thought that now is the time to do this," says a resilient Oscar. "I want my kids to grow up into Lowriding, and I want to make sure they know more about our culture and come to learn that building a ride takes passion and dedication." Oscar bought the Cutlass over two years ago from one of his friends who had plans of fixing it up. "I wanted to start off with a car that wouldn't take too much money to build, but was elegant, and that Cutlass was that choice," he states. Looking to combine street readiness with show quality looks, Oscar certainly had his work cut out for him with the Cutlass. In order to make this happen, Oscar enlisted the help of his club president, Edgar Villegas, of "Choice of Color." Edgar has been Lowriding since the '80s and has had a number of quality builds under his belt. Oscar gave Edgar creative freedom over the car due to his experience, and Edgar didn't disappoint. "He was the perfect person to do it," beams Oscar. The paint alone showcases Edgar's skills in transforming a car into a true work of art.
Now that he had a ride worthy of cruising, it was time to pick a club to cruise with; the decision was a no-brainer. De Aquellas Car Club has been around Santa Ana since 1989, and has always had a presence on Oscar. "I grew up with my friend, Cesar, and he's been a Lowrider owner forever. He was in De Aquellas, so I've known the club for a few years now and joined. "
Though the Cutty is his first official build, Oscar would like to go on the record as saying that this won't be his last car. "I have another one coming out soon," Oscar says with a grin. Oscar would like to thank everyone that helped him put the car together, he really appreciates the assistance in completing his first Lowrider masterpiece.
Tech Specs
Owner:Oscar Canal
Vehicle:1988 Oldsmobile Cutlass
City/State:Anaheim, CA
Club:De Aquellas
Body/Paint:Edgar Villegas, of Choice of Colors in Garden Grove, CA., handled the bodywork on the car. He also sprayed the Cutlass with a Pink Pearl, topped off with patterns and fades. Bob Iverson of Fountain Valley, CA., finished off the paint by adding some fine pinstripe work.
Interior:Jesse Valadez of AJ's Upholstery in Garden Grove, CA., stitched together the custom suede and vinyl interior.
Sound System:Fellow De Aquellas club member, Cesar Lopez, hooked up the Alpine deck with the 10-inch JL W3's and JL amps.
Setup:Jimmy, at High End Hydraulics in Santa Ana, CA., installed the Cutlass' two-pump, six-battery, four-switch setup.
Tires:13-inch Daytons.
Wheels:Cornell's 155/80R13.
