1965 Chevrolet Impala - True Love
MotorTrend StaffWriter
Model: Melissa
At the early age of 13, Eddie first laid eyes on a picture of a 1965 Impala hard top inLRM. It was then that he said time seemed to stand still - he fell in love and vowed to one day have one like it for his own. Like his father before him, classic cars were admired and cherished and simply more affordable than the newer models that were up for sale. Eddie's father used to tell him about the cruise nights on the infamous Whittier Boulevard in East Los Angeles, California and the Lowriding lifestyle just fascinated him that much more.
At 16, Eddie's uncle, Jose, told him about a '65 Impala that just happened to be for sale down the street. Eddie begged and begged his father to go take him to see it, but his father was hard to convince since money was tight. Eddie remained persistent and was finally able to talk his father into at least seeing the car. When they arrived, Eddie noticed the '65 had an uneven stance to it, mismatched tires, American mag rims, aftermarket plastic mirrors, missing emblems, and was covered with avocados from sitting under an avocado tree. The ride definitely needed work, but for the most part, it was a complete, running vehicle. Eddie's father said it was a nice car, but they just simply did not have the money to buy it.
Unbeknownst to Eddie - because he was a good kid and got good grades in school - Eddie's father discussed the find with his mother and the parents decided to get the car for Eddie's upcoming 17th birthday. When the day came and Eddie's dad rolled up to the house and threw him the keys, Eddie was the happiest guy on earth! He just stared at the car and was in shock that it was actually his to own!
After the initial shock wore off, Eddie spent the next few years fixing it up, adding upholstery and paint to his dream car. Eventually, the undeniable Lowrider-defining chrome spoke and whitewall tire combo was added for the rolling attire and an airbag setup was installed for a frame-laying stance. Little brother, Miguel "Moco" Flores installed a nice audio system in the Impala so that Eddie could have some tunes to listen to while cruising at the local Lowrider spots.
C. Although Eddie's father passed away in April 2012, before he could see that happen, Eddie knows his father is looking down at him and saying what he would always tell him; "I knew you could do it." Eddie gives thanks to his Unidos Car Club brothers and sends love to his family for always being there for him in life. Special thanks are also sent to Moco for being Eddie's right hand man throughout the build and for helping his dream of being featured inLRMfinally come true.
TECH SPECS
"True Love"
Owner: Eddie Flores
Vehicle: 1965 Chevrolet Impala
City/State: Chino Hills, California
Club: Unidos Car Club
Engine: Stock '65 Chevy 283-c.i.d. V8 engine was rebuilt by Eddie and his longtime friend, Pinky.
Body/Paint: Luis, at RM Auto Body in La Puente, California, laid down a metallic blue finish before Mike Lamberson, of Riverside, California, carefully outlined pinstripes around the car's body.
Interior: Don Francisco, of Lopez Auto Upholstery in Covina, California, handled the interior with a white OG stitch fashion, both in the car's interior and trunk.
Sound System: Brother Miguel Flores installed a Kenwood head unit along with Kicker amplifiers and woofers.
Setup: Aaron, from Chassis in Covina, installed a airbag setup in this '65 with custom made upper and lower control arms, allowing the ride to raise up both in the front and back.
Tires: 155/80/13 Mohave R/S whitewall
Wheels: 13x7 100-spoke
