Am I missing something, or does anyone else think that having a ride sit on the ground when parked is silly? I have to wonder what the point is. Just looking for other thoughts on this since the trend seems to be growing really fast. If this is an inappropriate post for this forum, feel free to delete it.
Beyond silly imho. I did a show last month in New Mexico which is big time low rider country. Nice group of guys, I really liked some of their rides(4 wheeled or 2 legged) except for the slammed thing. One guy from Albuquerque with a 48 chevy told me he had to trailer his cars to the show (in Red River) because the approx 200 mile trip would have taken him 8 hours and the slow speeds make a trip like that very dangerous. Like you said, what's the point, except I think most of them are built for LOCAL cruising.
A lot of money to spend to "be cool and lay frame" this Old Fart can't see the value in it I guess I lean more traditional I'd rather see it spent other ways like an interior or under the hood horsepower.
You're not thinking............Those jacked up trucks act like portable awnings...........a place to get out from the sun when you're in the desert. Besides, it makes it easier to navigate over really big desert tortoises, AND it's fun watching women climbing up into them. 'course the latter could be said for low riders. Maybe they have something going there.
In Rhode Island, the roads would rip the bottom of the car off. And, IF you were able to drive to a spot and park next to a curb, most likely the doors would not open.
The only air rides that interest me are the systems that came on some cars from the factory. These things they put in customs these days make cars look like they've either collapsed or are melting.
Something to think about ? https://www.rodauthority.com/tech-stories/brakes-suspension/bump-steer-fix/
remember the air ride in the mid to late 90s lincoln mark vii. cant be too impressed with the longevity of that design. lincoln had its older demographic market base s****ing the ground
viii.............93 thru 98. That system was very complicated but was a big part of why the Mark VIII was one of the most impressive cars ever put out by Ford. You are correct though, longevity was not real good.....system rarely went beyond 15 or so years without major repairs and expense. Had a new Mark in '94. The car would adjust itself to a consistent height regardless of load distribution, and would lower itself at 50 mph for streamlining and handling. Very comfortable ride and excellent road handling car as well. However, with that said, there's a big difference between air ride and using air ride to intentionally slam your car to the ground. When I stripped the donor Mark VIII for my '57, the air ride was still original and still good, btw. After pulling the engine/K member and cutting all the electrical and plumbing (air lines included), to get the car movable again after reinstalling the now empty k member with now empty air bags, I cut the airbags and stuffed 2 x 4's in there to prevent the car from dropping to the ground.
I was thinking more about the air suspension that was used on late 50's GM's like the Cadillac Brougham.
Back in '63 one of my high school buddies bought a Citroen that had this suspension that allowed it to raise and lower the car. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydropneumatic_suspension
This was bagged was my favorite I have owned but let it go to get my 53 Ford. If built correctly these vehicles will ride very well and you have enough ride height to go over most anything without dragging
Nice Camino, but glad to see you ended up the Ford way. Yep, definetly nothing wrong with air ride, not sure how we got on the topic because air ride and a slammed vehicle are two different subjects.
If you're looking for practicality, you've come to the wrong place. I'm not a fan of bagged cars, either, but then again I'm a 'practical' kind of guy. If I have to rely on a compressor, hoses, fittings and bags or lift cylinders to prop up my car to keep it in the air and streetable, then dump all the air out just to look cool sitting in the mall parking lot, I'd be really wanting to make sure that system is bulletproof so I could get it up and get home (Confession: I do have air bag "helper springs" in my OT ElCamino instead of air shocks).
I have a good friend who just build a very very nice 55 two door sedan with air ride an it is awsome. He doesn't sit the thing on the ground though at shows. Unless you got under it or looked at the fabricated tank he put in the trunk behind the spare tire, you would never know it was bagged. I'll se him at the Syracuse show this weekend. I'll get a pic of this thing and post it. It is very nice. I don't get sitting it on the ground either, but I'm glad that younger people are still in the hobby even if I don't get it!
Its really popular here in NC, I have a few friends that have done it to cars. If set up right, it rides phenomenally...that being said most folks around here hack job it. I cant see the appeal myself, adding a bunch of extra parts that can fail and leave you stranded and not able to just run to napa and grab a fix for it.
I'm cool with Low... but on the ground is a bit extreme and gets away from the original style/custom cculture. You're better off buying a snowplow!! (probably would ride better too! lol
I’ve had mine both ways , with a hard top and Victoria side chrome I just like the back a little lower than front for a cruiser, I love the pro street look too though with front dropped
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