Pimped Their Rides

Most of mainstream America’s exposure to custom cars begins and ends at MTV’s Pimp My Ride, in which the easily excitable Xzibit and a crew of mechanics upgrade junky cars with accouterments such as mobile music studios in trunks, laptops in center consoles, and thin fish tanks instead of windshields...

By Jordan Sargent

June 23, 2011

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Most of mainstream America’s exposure to custom cars begins and ends at MTV’s Pimp My Ride, in which the easily excitable Xzibit and a crew of mechanics upgrade junky cars with accouterments such as mobile music studios in trunks, laptops in center consoles, and thin fish tanks instead of windshields (only one of those is made up). But the truth is, tricked-out cars have long been a small yet thriving subculture, where vehicles both old and new become triangulation points of high architecture, fine art, and Hot Wheels toys. Car customization, as ridiculous as it seems, is also incredibly competitive, where paint jobs trump motors and hydraulic bounces are valued over acceleration. All will be on display at 99 Jamz Summer Jamz 2011 Concert, Car, Truck and Bike Show, which will feature East Coast Ryders and King of the Street, a bevy of musical performances, and a raffle for a pair of 26-inch Forgiato rims. The wheels exhibition begins at noon Sunday at Sun Life Stadium.
Sun., July 3, noon, 2011

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