SP Rides: Family First

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By Alysia Paaluhi

“California hot rod style,” is how Daniel Jose of Nanakuli describes his ride. This 2001 Chevy Silverado was built for the Ultimate Showdown this year at Aloha Stadium.  It took months of late nights and hard work, but Jose says, “We wanted to represent the trucking scene a little bit better than it is now. The truck scene here is like everyone get the shirt, the shoes, the hat, the walk and the talk, but they forget about the trucks…we stay all about the trucks.”

Jose, 31, has had Chevy trucks his whole life. He works with explosives, aka a “powder man” at Kapaa Quarry.  Since work is quite a distance from Nanakuli, his daily driver is a Kia Spectra.

This ’01 Chevy Silverado was attained through a friend. Other than the hard work that was invested into this truck, Jose also says it is also unique because it is one of the first Silverado’s on a frame of 26’s on the island. The truck is also “bagged” which, for the low rider novice, means it has air suspensions on all four corners of the truck.

Jose is president of his car club, Bow Tie Boyz, which officially started up in 2003. The club consists of a group of friends from around Helelua St., Nanakuli, who are into drag racing and low riding. At its largest, the club boasted about 25 trucks.  It is a much smaller operation now, which Jose says is because many members grew up, started families, and took different paths.

As mentioned in last week’s article, the Bow Tie Boys comes from the Chevy bow tie emblem. Jose Jokes, “We don’t run around with bow ties, some ladies ask us ‘where’s the bow ties?’ and one lady thought we were strippers.”

Jose and the Boyz work out of his garage, which has fondly become known as Killjoy Customs. The name came about from the reaction the club would get when they showed up at cruises. “People see us and react, ‘ah here they come the killjoy’s,’” Says Jose.

Much of his free time goes to working on cars, so his 5 year old daughter “Babaz” is shaping up to be a Chevy low rider lover too. “When she sees a truck that’s not low, she says ‘oh dad the truck broken, it doesn’t go down,’” laughs Jose. Bubaz is his co-pilot on all of his test runs; it truly is a family operation.

“I want to Stress that this is not my truck, it is all of ours (Killjoy Kustomz)…if it wasn’t for all our hard work it would have never been built.  I am the president of “Bowtie Boyz” but without the “Boyz” part, it would just be the “Bowties” (the trucks).

The club has a saying that they have stood by since day one, “Bowtie Boyz the trucks are only half the story” the brotherhood, loyalty, friendship, family is what makes us a club.  The trucks are just something for y’all to remember us by.

The future event Jose and the boys are looking forward to most is the next ultimate showdown. One of his projects in the works is a ’90 single cab GMC.

Jose would like to give special mention to his girlfriend, Crystal Zablan and Babaz, for giving up their time and putting up with the the crazy late night antics. Also he thanks Allen Taylor Gomes, Evan Balderama, Joseph Christopher of Top Dawg Designs, Jimmy Keola of JK Designs, BIll Akiona of Bill’s Chop Shop and president of “OUTSIDERS” car club for always being there for me.

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