If you wonder what four 26-inch wheels can do for your street credibility around town, Henry Johnson would say, “sky’s the limit.”
Had those same wheels been rolling under an SUV, nobody would blink. But when they find their way under the chassis of a 1995 Chevy Caprice, the rules of the game are forever altered.
Called Hi-Risers, this faddish custom car genre, said to have originated in the South, draws on older model vehicles that may have lived out their lives as grocery getters. With today’s customizers always after new looks, putting lifters on a car might seem like an evolutionary detour on the road to bigger and better customs. Only time will tell if the fad bears fruit or dies on the vine of imagination.
For as many curious looks as the car gathers, there is an equal amount of people scratching their heads wondering who would do such a thing. Johnson said attention comes in the form of questions about the ride height.
“People love it. People always want to know how I did it, how’d I get them [wheels] on there,” he said.
For the moment, curiosity may just be a symptom of this trends northward progression. The genre has not yet to find support in Maryland; Johnson styles himself a pioneer in bringing this look to the Free State where he said he knows of only a handful of vehicles like his.
However much freedom is allowed in Maryland, an unbridled custom still remains a public safety issue. Johnson said he’s already been pulled over three times, each occasion being issued a repair order. Johnson said Maryland inspection stations require that lift kits go no higher than 20 inches off the ground. Johnson’s currently measures around 21 inches. It may only be an inch of adjustment, but the young customizer may just neutralize any gains made in favor of saving face with local ordinances if he successfully accomplishes his next feat: Seeing if 30s will shoot him clear through the stratosphere.
When Johnson is not scraping the sky, he works as an auto body technician. With the help of a friend, the entire process of assembling the lift kit and new suspension onto the car took only four hours. The most expensive part of the car, maybe even more than the car itself, was the wheel and tire combination. Johnson said he paid about $2,000 for the wheels and $3,400 for the tires.
Despite the awkwardness of riding high, the car, he said, is surprisingly agile and he has had limited issues with control capability, although highway performance does lack considerably. The future will bring with it more modifications as he prepares to reupholster the interior with black leather and add a custom center console.
What do you drive?
A 1995 Chevy Caprice.
And why do you drive it?
For the looks people give me.
What makes this car so special?
Because I put hard work and time in it.
What’s your most memorable driving experience?
Doing 180 mph on my 2001 ZX-9R.
What was the first vehicle you owned?
My first car was a ’93 Geo Prism, and I’ve still got it.
What’s currently in your CD player?
Plies.
And your first ticket? What was it for?
Doing 75 mph in a 50 mph zone.
Check Out My Stats:
- Wheels: 26-inch Cabos
- In-Car Entertainment: Pioneer 7-inch in-dash receiver, two headrest TVs, one 1,000 watt amplifier, one 15-inch Memphis Mojo subwoofer
- Suspension: 3-foot lift kit
- Paint: House of Kolor candy
