SP Rides: Build It To Break It

sp-rides-front-84coupdeville-072712

Image 1 of 13

by Michael Kitchens

Dylan Levi is only 20 yet has been a part of the lowrider community since he was 10 years old.  Starting off in the lowrider bike community, he rode low and slow with chrome apehanger handlebars and white-wall tires.  He then purchased his first lowrider, a 1984 Caprice Classic, at the age of 13.

“I had mopeds off on the side; I built and sold those, then saved up cash and bought me a ride,” he says. Being young and new to the hydraulics scene, he blew up the trunk by accident.  “I didn’t know that you can’t play with the things all day.”

Not one to mope about the situation, Dylan immediately purchased a Buick Regal from the classifieds. With the help of Mamerto Magsypoc, who’s known for being a mentor within the Undivided community, Dylan learned the ins and outs of lowrider construction, and built and bagged the Regal.

“Merto has taught me everything I know now,” he says.

Continuing the buy and sell cycle, Dylan eventually sold the Regal and purchased this 1984 Cadillac Coupe de Ville as a project car from friends, Rex & Piggy.  The first thing you’ll notice is the vivid “Candy Red” paint job by Jason Lum of No Limit Customs.  Using only the highest-quality paint, the car is practically devoid of swirl marks and looks as if it’s several feet deep.  Devoid of any bondo, it took four months to hammer dolly the body to perfection and six hours of paint.

Rolling on real, original 72-spoke Daytons sized at 14-inch inches, the car features a fully hydraulic Pro Hopper 3-pump setup powered by eight batteries. Dylan took the time to demonstrate the system’s ability to get up on three wheels, which resulted in some fantastic photos. The interior has been fully restored and features luxurious black leather with custom carbon fiber inserts.

Surprisingly, this stunning car is nothing more than a starting point for the Undivided crew.  “We’re going to try and do a competition show car,” says Dylan, who plans to install a 3-pump setup, hidden batteries, a fully painted frame, chromed under-carriage and lots more. Not one to play around, he intends to start from ground up with a fresh new look.

One thing that impresses me about the lowrider community is the clubs that stick together like family. They believe in helping each other out while working together on projects that exemplify their beliefs. Originally formed in the 1990’s, Undivided has been reformed by Merto after being shut down for several years. Undivided believes in having show quality cars that put it up and down at the same time.

As a member of Undivided, Dylan looks forward to making this car bigger and better in order to represent the club’s ideals. As far as he is concerned, Dylan says, “We don’t build them to sit in the garage.  We build it to break it.”

LATEST POSTS