Lowrider Car Show Revisited — Espanola, New Mexico, Aug. 2012
As La Puebla resident Christopher Martinez turned the corner onto Paseo de Oñate in his 1953 Cadillac it almost seemed as if the clock had been turned back. The maroon looking finish (actually the color is called Medium Garnet Red) was regal and timeless, suiting the car perfectly. The car would probably fall within the ‘stock’ category.
The Caddy looked like Martinez had just driven it out of the showroom as he was driving down toward the Oñate Street Bridge to park. His car was one of over two hundred participants in last weekend’s Main Street Showdown, which brought cars from as far away as Denver, Nebraska and Kansas.
Another car that would be in the stock category was an unrestored 1963 Chevy Impala owned by Brian Fordham of Española who belongs to the New Mexico car club. Fordham purchased the car from a Denver physician who had bought the car new for his wife. When Fordham purchased the car it had only 42,000 miles on the odometer. Fordham referred to the car as a ‘survivor’ car, meaning it was stored in such a way, and had driven so little for its age, that it appeared as almost new.
Car shows such as this one are fascinating because they bring people together who might not normally associate but have a common interest: their cars. Families were in abundance like Chimayóso Monica Valdez and her two daughters, Destiny and Jasmine, who helped their mother clean her car before the show began. Valdez and her husband, Vincente, said they have invested about $50,000 in the car, which has one of the most amazing hood murals around featuring portraits of her two brothers and father.
Another nice aspect of events like this is that since Española is relatively small, you run into people you know. I ran into photographer Nikki Bustos who was also working in the beer garden; Paul Lujan of the band Ribbed, who was getting the city’s sound system in order for the day, and a number of others. There is also a feeling of camaraderie at these shows. Even if you don’t know someone there is a common bond that makes striking up conversations almost spontaneous.
There were cars parked in the old Hunter Ford lot and building, all along Paseo de Oñate, and in side lots such as the Park and Ride parking lot.
As Jerome Rocha, who is originally from the Valley and now lives in Albuquerque, was doing a final cleaning on his black 1958 Chevy Impala he motioned to the cruising skirt that covered one of the rear wheels on the car and said just that detail alone cost around $3,000.
17 year-old Floyd Gonzales of Chimayó was getting his powder blue 1958 Chevy Impala situation on its turntable near Cooks Home Improvement. Gonzales’ uncle, Ricky Martinez was helping adjust the turntable while his uncle, Carmalito Martinez surveyed the scene.
LowLow Medina and family were showing of a lowrider limo in the Hunter Ford lot.
Fred Rael had his amazing metallic orange 1967 hardtop Chevrolet Impala on display in the main showroom at the Hunter Ford building. I’m sure the showroom had never hosted a car such as this when it was in operation.
Inside the Hunter garage section were the ‘radical’ cars like vibrant orange ‘Precious Metal’, originally a 1937 Ford Coupe reincarnated via over one hundred body modifications (or ‘mods’) into an all-steel Ford Wagon owned by William and Louise George and built by Jim ‘Bone’ Nteboon. As two of the show’s judges were looking at it they marveled at how the mods blended into each other so well that the car seemed to have been originally made that way instead of reborn in its current incarnation.
Although this was extensively a lowrider show, it seemed more of an ‘all purpose’ car show, with lowriders being shown along with radials and stock cars. But the one thing that really impressed me was the quality of the work a lot of the participants had put into their cars. In an era of looking for the cheapest item you can find regardless of its quality or life expectancy, it was refreshing to run into people who really appreciate quality and craftsmanship. The effort put into some of these cars was Herculean, but the results were well worth the time and money spent. If you missed the show you missed the kind of event we should have more often in the Valley.
The Caddy looked like Martinez had just driven it out of the showroom as he was driving down toward the Oñate Street Bridge to park. His car was one of over two hundred participants in last weekend’s Main Street Showdown, which brought cars from as far away as Denver, Nebraska and Kansas.
Another car that would be in the stock category was an unrestored 1963 Chevy Impala owned by Brian Fordham of Española who belongs to the New Mexico car club. Fordham purchased the car from a Denver physician who had bought the car new for his wife. When Fordham purchased the car it had only 42,000 miles on the odometer. Fordham referred to the car as a ‘survivor’ car, meaning it was stored in such a way, and had driven so little for its age, that it appeared as almost new.
Car shows such as this one are fascinating because they bring people together who might not normally associate but have a common interest: their cars. Families were in abundance like Chimayóso Monica Valdez and her two daughters, Destiny and Jasmine, who helped their mother clean her car before the show began. Valdez and her husband, Vincente, said they have invested about $50,000 in the car, which has one of the most amazing hood murals around featuring portraits of her two brothers and father.
Another nice aspect of events like this is that since Española is relatively small, you run into people you know. I ran into photographer Nikki Bustos who was also working in the beer garden; Paul Lujan of the band Ribbed, who was getting the city’s sound system in order for the day, and a number of others. There is also a feeling of camaraderie at these shows. Even if you don’t know someone there is a common bond that makes striking up conversations almost spontaneous.
There were cars parked in the old Hunter Ford lot and building, all along Paseo de Oñate, and in side lots such as the Park and Ride parking lot.
As Jerome Rocha, who is originally from the Valley and now lives in Albuquerque, was doing a final cleaning on his black 1958 Chevy Impala he motioned to the cruising skirt that covered one of the rear wheels on the car and said just that detail alone cost around $3,000.
17 year-old Floyd Gonzales of Chimayó was getting his powder blue 1958 Chevy Impala situation on its turntable near Cooks Home Improvement. Gonzales’ uncle, Ricky Martinez was helping adjust the turntable while his uncle, Carmalito Martinez surveyed the scene.
LowLow Medina and family were showing of a lowrider limo in the Hunter Ford lot.
Fred Rael had his amazing metallic orange 1967 hardtop Chevrolet Impala on display in the main showroom at the Hunter Ford building. I’m sure the showroom had never hosted a car such as this when it was in operation.
Inside the Hunter garage section were the ‘radical’ cars like vibrant orange ‘Precious Metal’, originally a 1937 Ford Coupe reincarnated via over one hundred body modifications (or ‘mods’) into an all-steel Ford Wagon owned by William and Louise George and built by Jim ‘Bone’ Nteboon. As two of the show’s judges were looking at it they marveled at how the mods blended into each other so well that the car seemed to have been originally made that way instead of reborn in its current incarnation.
Although this was extensively a lowrider show, it seemed more of an ‘all purpose’ car show, with lowriders being shown along with radials and stock cars. But the one thing that really impressed me was the quality of the work a lot of the participants had put into their cars. In an era of looking for the cheapest item you can find regardless of its quality or life expectancy, it was refreshing to run into people who really appreciate quality and craftsmanship. The effort put into some of these cars was Herculean, but the results were well worth the time and money spent. If you missed the show you missed the kind of event we should have more often in the Valley.
To contact Bob Eckert for assignments, consultations or workshops, please email bobeckertphotography@yahoo.com
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