National Treasure
This Super-Clean ’62 Impala Has A One-Way Ticket to Japan.
This article was originally published in the March 1997 issue of Lowrider magazine.
One of the many American-built lows winning admirers in Japan, “National Treasure” was built specifically for a Japanese lowriding aficionado, and was shipped to him shortly after these photos were taken. Trans-Pacific business transactions like this are sending hundreds of quality custom cars every month from Aztlán to the Land of the Rising Sun.
Kunihiko Tsuchiya is a Japanese lowrider broker. While Detroit’s “Big Three” automakers struggle to sell stock American autos across the Pacific, Kunihiko and his Los Angeles-based partner, Yuzuru Oishi, are among the elite few furnishing the hopper-hungry islands with Aztlán’s hottest lows. And after importing hundreds of custom cruisers, lowrider fever hit this dealer hard.
Tsuchiya knew just what he wanted: the crema de la crema de OG Impalas, so he contacted his California homies for help. Mike Lopez, the shop manager of Oishi’s House of Lowriders in Buena Park, California, has a well-known thing for ‘62s [His own world-famous ’62, Twilight Zone, was the original cover for my Lowrider: History, Pride, Culture book]. So, when he and Oishi located a super-straight street sweeper out at Chevy Classics in South Gate, California, a steal of a ragtop at $12,000, they knew that they already had a treasure in hand.
Almost anyone would have been happy with former owner (and renowned lowrider) Miguel Duran’s low as was, but Mike and Oishi [whose Poison was the May 1993 centerfold] had bigger plans for their partner’s ride.
The restoration began with a full frame swap. After wrapping and reinforcing a “Canadian frame” – a stock boxed unit designed for a heavier four-door model – Mike and Danny dropped the body on its new skeleton. The A-arms were extended and the axle shortened to accept skirts, and this ragtop was ready to hop.
Known as “Mojo” to his legions of Japanese fans, Box of Box’s Custom Hydraulics was commissioned to build the finest setup yen could buy. A solid aluminum block was bored out, four eternally interconnected pumps firmly inlaid. Four original Adel square dumps send the juice through show-quality steel pipes and into four 8-inch, custom-made cylinders. “It’s basically a Pro-Hopper setup,” says Mike of the trophy-winning hydraulics. “Although it can do front, back, side-to-side and anything else, I doubt he’ll be hopping much on the boulevard. With anodized green detailing, chrome and engraving, this setup can certainly show up anything in Japan without once hitting the eight switched; it’s outshined only by what’s under the hood.
With a nod to the hot-rodding set, Vince and Chip of House of Lowriders rolled up their sleeves to implement some speedy improvements on the stock 283. An Edelbrock intake manifold and Holly carburetor are dressed up with a bowtie and custom Chevrolet valve covers. Hooker headers stand out against a bevy of blinding chrome-plated and powdercoated parts, not to mention the clear radiator hoses revealing the matching green fluid flowing through. And, of course, all those aftermarket extras on the inside are complemented with good-looking goodies on the exterior.
Mike first replaced the two backup lenses, running blue dots all around. Bridged bumper guards, a spotlight, scuff pads on the fender skirts, dual mirrors and antennas were all hard-to-get options back in 1962. The entire undercarriage was detailed in triple-dipped chrome with green accents; perfection. And all you OG guys and gals out there have already noticed the white wheelwells. “We wanted to give the car a nostalgic feel,” smiles Mike. “But Johnny powdercoated them, instead of just grabbing a can of spray paint like we used to.
Similar care was taken with the unbelievably clean plaint scheme. Johnny at Johnny’s Impala in Long Beach, California, went over the body one last time, smoothing out any tiny imperfections Miguel might have overlooked. Next, he expertly laid down a two-stage mint green with gold microflake. While he was busy with the paint, Mike was sending everything out to El Monte Plating for the chrome treatment, from the gas filler neck to the wiper arms right down to the convertible rack. Well, almost everything: “The strips are original factory chrome,” he emphasizes. “Never redone.”
The interior may look all-original as well, but take a closer look. A kit that Chevrolet designed for their hardtop models, using cloth instead of more weather resistant vinyl, was stitched in by Arturo at Arturo’s in Santa Fe Springs. Other interior tricks include electric seats and windows. Also look beneath the center of the fully chromed dash – six toggle switches operate the windows and wings – not the lifts. For easy access, those controls are under the chrome steering column.
The one thing this ride doesn’t have yet is a sound system. “We’ll let them take care of that in Japan, where the components are less expensive,” the Aztlán-based crew explains. In the meantime, they’ve been keeping busy installing all the little extras the Japanese love so much.
On the trunk and inside the doorjambs are marijuana-themed murals by Mr. Cartoon. The 72-spoke Daytons have white powdercoated nipples and custom knockoffs designed by Otsuka. Dual exhaust and glasspacks, as well as heat-treated aluminum mufflers (all innovations appreciated by the street-racing set) make this car something to treasure.
But, Aztlán won’t be holding onto this gem for long. Thanks to Mike, Oishi, Danny, Ichi and Nick, Kunihiko is already cruising his hometown of Ibaraki, Japan, in style even as you read these words. Some die-hard lowriders worry, and with reason, that we are losing our national treasures when we ship fine craftsmanship like this overseas.
But not to worry. More than 10 million Impalas, prime raw material for luscious lows like this one, have rolled off the assembly lines and into automotive history over the years. The real national treasures, like the automotive artisans who created this custom masterpiece, are safe right here at home.