In the barrios of California, lowriding is a sport. It is often thought of in a different way.
Kathleen Bade discovered that lowriding is more than just cruising. Taking everyone else along for the ride is what it is about.
The music is playing in the car and we like to cruise them slow. Marcos Arellano said that it just takes you into another world.
Rabbit has owned a lowrider in San Diego for more than four decades.
Rabbit said that it wasn’t a hobby for them. He says it’s a passion.
The United Lowrider Coalition is headed by his wife.
We love the lowriding culture. The heart of a Hispanic is lowriding.
Thousands of dollars are poured into customizing their cars, but they don’t just pour their heart into it.
The price for a paint job right now is between $8,000 and $12,000.
It can go over $30,000 if you add in graphics. New wheels and tires can cost as much as $8,000. That is just the inside. Rabbit says the interior of a car can add up to $14,000.
Nobody can say when the love affair between the Hispanic culture and the cars started. It can be narrowed down to the 60s.
It began in childhood for Rabbit.
When we were young, our parents couldn’t afford to take the vehicles to the mechanics. Rabbit said that they had to learn from their own fathers how to work on cars.
Through the generations, it is a skill that is passed down. It has become a way for families to remember important events.
We are going to do a caravan this friday. Rabbit said that they were asked if they could take the bride and groom to the other family’s house.
There are also lowriders at car shows. They are part of the Latino community, which is why they are trying to get rid of the 30-year ban on cruises in National City.
It is important that we bring back the cruising so that we can bring back the culture.
Rabbit said that this is more of a lifestyle for him and his wife. It is a big passion for us, thislowrider stuff.
To find an authentic one, Rabbit says to look for a clean paint job and chrome with no dents, no tinted windows, and smaller tires with a white wall on it.
Rabbit said that you have to have the fluids on it.
It needs to be low to the floor.
The frame of Rabbit’s car will hit the floor when he brings it all the way. It’s so low, you can’t slip a dollar bill under there.
The music is loud. It isn’t about the destination but about enjoying the ride.