SP Rides: Low-riding the Hot Rod
BY MICHAEL KITCHENS
Name: Marty Sarabano
Age: 45
Occupation: Heavy equipment mechanic
Hobbies: Fabricating and customizing cars and trucks
Year/Make/Model: 1962 Chevrolet Impala
Color: Black
Engine: 350 small block Chevy, TH350 transmission
Exterior: 3 VIAIR compressors, 6-gallon tank, ½-inch lines and 4 double bellow airbags; body work and rust repair by Sarabano, with assistance from Clifford Casem. assisted by Clifford; and paint and refinish by Casem and assisted by Daniel Vidad.
Interior: Upholstery is partially custom-stitched and assembled by Sarabano
Wheels: 19-inch U.S. mags billet wheels, 22×8.5’s in front and 22×10 in back
Marty Sarabano started building vehicles from a very young age. In fact, his first taste of a custom build occurred during his early teen years and came courtesy of a cherry low-rider bike. By age 16, he left his home in northern California and moved to Hawaii, where he became engrossed in the local VW scene while continuing to enhance his modification skills. That burgeoning skillset eventually led to this — Sarabano’s 1962 Chevrolet Impala that proves he is near the pinnacle of his craft.
Sarabano had been looking for an Impala that was in decent shape for a while and, after an exhaustive search, he found this week’s featured ride in the Pacific Northwest. The Impala turned out to be a turnkey, mildly modified automobile done up in the style of a hot rod. But after two years as the owner, he decided the car needed a bit of revamping.
A low-rod is what we’re looking at here, an amalgamation of some of the best features of both low-riders and hot rod vehicles. (Think Chip Foose and his modern take on classic automobiles.) With the low-rod style on Sarabano’s mind, he spent one day tearing the ride down and nine months building everything back up. The results are spectacular.
First off, this absolutely stunning black beauty features an immaculate paint job. After Sarabano worked up the body, he turned to Clifford Casem to add the lustrous, liquid black paint and gallons of clear coat. A mix of the original and aftermarket chrome and side panel pieces have been polished or added to bring the exterior up to par. Of special note are the front headlights, which are halo projectors. It’s the first I’ve seen of its type on a classic car.
This ride is built to scrape — a loud, violent process of riding so low that pre-installed drag blocks with special metals scrape the ground, emitting a huge trail of sparks. The wheels are huge, with polished and blinding 19-inch U.S. mags wrapped in super low profile sticky rubber. The contrast between sparks and chrome can be blinding.
You simply cannot ignore the interior. It’s stunning, with a vibrant red texture, custom stitching all around, and a gorgeous red steering wheel. Even the shifter is wrapped in a new custom enclosure.
Although the engine bay and rear air installation are not fully complete, what has been done is well done. Sarabano’s dream has always been to build a truly classic automobile — one that will be passed down and remembered for generations in his family.
“I built this car for myself. This is something that I wanted to build for many years. This is my redemption and the opportunity to do it right,” he said.
