Motor Head {road scholar}: Swing low, street chariot

JIM BROWN ON GETTING INTO THE LOWRIDING GAME

By Newt Briggs

Pay attention, son: Owning a lowrider is not for the faint of heart. It's a commitment--a way of life, you might say--and if the idea of laying in the dirt by the side of the road with your hands covered in hydraulic fluid makes you a mite squeamish, then you'd better look elsewhere for your automotive kicks.

"You've got to go into lowriding knowing that you're gonna get the lowrider blues a lot," says local fabricator and filmmaker Jim Brown. "The car's going to leak, it's going to break down, you're going to need to replace pump heads, seals, batteries and all kinds of stuff. There are some people I've seen that get hydraulics on their car and then realize they can't handle the stress, so they just sell the car and get out of the game completely."

Brown, a member of Las Vegas' One Luv Car Club, is the resident expert on all things hydraulic. At one time or another, his stable has included a 1982 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme, a 1960 Pontiac Star Chief and a 1959 Chevy Impala. As of now, he owns three Chevy Impalas--the crown jewel of which is a 1961 SS convertible that landed him on the cover of Street Customs magazine. Brown's love affair with lowriding began when he was a preteen, but he really got hooked as a senior at Chaparral High School when his mother bought him the modified Cutlass for $1,500. After three years of rolling in that, Brown graduated to the Star Chief, but he hasn't forgotten the tough days as a rookie lowrider.

"That Cutlass was my only car, and when it broke, I had to fix it," Brown says. "That's when you learn the most about your car. I remember one time down in Phoenix I got stuck on the side of the road and didn't know what to do. It wasn't like I could just grab some OG from the neighborhood to help me out. I had to get under the car and work it out for myself."

From these humble, greasy beginnings, Brown gradually traded up from ghetto sled to street chariot--namely, the early '60s Impala. But as he frequently says, "You've got to crawl before you can walk," and for the novice lowrider, he recommends starting with a more affordable hooptie--perhaps something of a 1980s vintage.

"First off, you always want to start with a car with rear-wheel drive," says Brown, explaining that front-wheel drive applications can be "troublesome." "A good starter car would be like a Cutlass or a Regal or a Grand Prix or a Caprice--anything besides the '60s and '70s Chevys. Those Chevys require a lot of money and a lot of time. You've got to get the moldings and the trim and all the extras, and you're going to have to search for parts on the Internet or in junkyards or wherever."

After acquiring the car, the next--and most important--step is to drop in the hydraulics. Basically, a hydraulic system is nothing more than a series of batteries that power hydraulic pumps, which control suspension components that raise and lower the car. The electrical current going to the pumps is regulated by solenoids that are controlled by switches in the car. Since all hydraulic systems have to conform to this model, the only question is how many pumps and batteries a given car needs.

And this, says Brown, can be a very tricky business. The more batteries a car has, the more power it sends to the pumps and the faster it goes up and down. But to steal a line from P. Diddy, more batteries often means more problems. Although Brown had six batteries in his first lowrider, many mechanics recommend four batteries with two pumps--one to the front and one to the rear. The car won't win any hopping contests, but pump motors will generally last longer, solenoids will not be as likely to spontaneously combust (a surprisingly common problem) and less stress will be put on the suspension as a whole.

After completing the hydraulic work, the finish is all in the details. Thirteen- or 14-inch wheels--whether knock-off wire (classic) or mag (new-school)--are a must, as are tires with skinny tread. And then there's the matter of cleanliness--a veritable Boy Scout oath among members of the lowriding community.

"You should practice neatness at all times," Brown says. "You should never drive around with a broken windshield. You should never drive around with headlights or taillights that don't work. You shouldn't even really drive around with dents in your car. Everything should be in its place."

Neatness, however, does not necessarily equate with financial ruin. Brown estimates that with the right mechanic, a full hydraulic setup can cost as little as $2,500. "When you're getting into lowriding, you have to always be conscious of staying within your means," he says. "If you can't afford a chrome rear axle or something, you should still be proud of yourself and still get out there and ride. That's what it's all about. If you ain't riding, then you ain't in the game--that's it."

To learn more about Jim Brown, his films and his renowned rides, visit www.dipndvd.com.

Cars with wings

Blame Michael J. Fox if you want, but it seems like every generation speculates that it will be the first to introduce the flying car to the world. Obviously--with the exception of a few unfortunate drag racers--we haven't had much luck so far, but the closest anyone's ever come may be Las Vegas' annual Cars, Stars and Guitars Motorhead Festival, which combines a classic car show with a killer chicken wing contest. Of course, too many of these wings are likely to leave you grounded, but that's the price we all have to pay for progress. Fri.-Sat., May 7-8, Noon, the Cannery, 2121 E. Craig Road. Info: 507-5700.

Contact the Road Scholar at newtbriggs@lasvegasmercury.com.