Image via Complex Original
Legendary tattoo artist Mister Cartoon is equally well-known for his love of classic cars. In this new monthly series, Cartoon will introduce us to various aspects of global car culture — from favorite models to the best customizers in the game.
What’s up? My name is Mister Cartoon. I’m mostly known for my tattoos, but the homies on the street know I’m a longtime car fiend. This is the part one of my monthly Car Review. It only makes sense that I start off with one of my favorite cars, the Chevy Impala.
The most often collected Impalas span the years of 1958 through 1969. In my opinion, Impala delivered some of the finest looking cars of that era. The most desirable are the '58 and '59 models. Those go for double the price and keep collectors on the hunt.
1964 Chevrolet Impala
On his first lowrider; "My first lowrider was a 64 SS hardtop with hydraulics, Dayton’s, and 520s. When people think of a lowrider, they picture a 64. We can thank Eazy-E for that. He opened the 1987 track “Boyz-n-the-Hood” with the unforgettable, “Cruisin down the street in my six-fo'.” He not only rapped about them, he owned them. Eazy delivered the line, “wrap the six-fo’ around a telephone pole.” And that’s all it took. The 64 was the official lowrider of the hood."
Photo by Estevan Oriol.
Japanese Lowriders
On Japan's interest in lowriding; "In 1992, I designed the Kizz My Black Azz album art for NWA co-founder, MC Ren. Shortly after, I took a trip to Tokyo, Japan. My mind was blown when I saw over 100 show-ready Impalas in just 10 days in the country. The Japanese are not playing around. They devote themselves to every detail when restoring a classic Impala. They shoot for perfection. In my opinion, they offer the biggest competition outside of California in the lowriding community."
Photo by Estevan Oriol.
Estevan Oriol's '64 Impala
On LA car culture; "Estevan’s 64, Blue Velvet, was the canvas for a mural I created of a weeping women on one side and a horny clown on the other. Estevan’s love for cars comes through in his photos and music videos. Estevan not only documents the culture, he lives it. He and I are 19-year members of Lifestyle Car Club, Los Angeles.
"This 64 SS was painted by Anthony and Candy Connection and striped by Walt Prey, R.I.P."
Photo by Estevan Oriol.
Cartoon In His '64 Chevy Impala
On collecting Impalas; "64s are getting harder and harder to find. Chevrolet is not reissuing them any time soon. Us car fiends may not look like historians, but that’s turned out to be our legacy. We keep the past alive. Restoring cars is a painstaking and costly hobby. Recreating and preserving an era isn’t easy. The 60s were a great time for soul music and automotive design, two things that continue to inspire me in every other aspect of my life and career. So sell your shoe collection and treat yourself to a 64 Impala. And remember, when the top goes down the price goes up."
Photo by Estevan Oriol.
The 1958 Chevy Impala
On the origins of the Impala; "In 1958 Chevrolet came out with the first Impala. It’s got aggressive body lines and makes a statement. The 1958 is the car the boss would drive."
Scraping
On lowrider stunts; "One of the joys of owning a lowrider you don’t hear people talk about much: It offers a million ways to clown people. If you catch fools waiting in line for a club you can drive by at 5-miles-an-hour, bumping your music. When everyone turns to look, hit the switch and lock it on three wheels. If you really wanna shit on them, drive by the club slow as fuck, ass-end to the ground, (check the road in front of the club to make sure its smooth) then flip a U-turn. Lock your car up and, when you’re getting close, gently hit the switch to lay the ass-end down. Your titanium blocks should be welded to the frame; scrape that shit for the next 50-feet. If you don’t get arrested, you may get yourself laid from the girl you just scared in front of the club."
Photo by Estevan Oriol.
The 1959 Chevy Impala
On the best designed Impala; "Everyone has different taste when restoring a car. A huge trend is pure restoration, taking a car back to Chevy’s original production look. Others personalize by installing hydraulics, wild candy paint, and wire wheels. The 1959 is one of my favorites and among the best-designed Impalas. The cat eyes alone set it apart and launched Chevy designers to the most respected in the field."
The 1961 Bubble Top Chevy Impala
On the design of the '61 Impala; "The 1961 Impala was Chevrolet’s first attempt at making a smaller, sportier car in an effort to hit a younger demographic. 1958 through 60 were larger and had fins. The 1961 ended the era of the bumper kit. It’s nicknamed the bubble top because it’s mostly glass with skinny posts."
1967 Chevy Impala
On the appeal of a '67 Impala; "1965 through 1969 are not as sought after by collectors, but the 1967 stands out as the most respected of those years. Armed with these facts, I bought a 1967 fastback and painted it tangerine with a gold pearl. It started to take shape. Then I installed hydraulics and wire wheels. It was almost there. Then I muraled the door jams and firewall with a detailed mural of Scarface getting brain in the Jacuzzi and doing a mountain of coke. Perfection. Any year model can be hot if you put some love into it."
The 1962 Chevy Impala Wagon
On family traditions; "My kids grew up in Impalas. My wife owns a 62 Impala wagon that she bought from her girlfriend in the Harbor Area. This is the wagon that the kids ride in to the car show, and a car show is the closest they are going to get to camping. It’s family time. Even my kids’ strollers are from the 1930s and candy painted. I use cars to teach them to value something. They see the care I put into my cars. The lesson is to take something old and make it new. I want the kids to look after what they have. I even created my own line, called Sanctiond, of products to help clean and protect classic and new cars. That’s dedication and that’s love."
