Surely I can’t be the only one who has driving styles that are shaped by moods, can I? On average, I feel I’m a pretty safe driver with a slightly aggressive streak. I try to not turn every green light into a drag launch and I don’t fishtail out of intersections. But that’s everyday driving…if I had my way, 90% of the time I’d drive like a damn maniac. To hell with the tires, sorry about the clutch, I want sideways, loud and fast. I’d be Larry Rayder in half a second, consequences be damned, scaring old ladies and farmers out on some rural road, flying between towns in a ‘caged up hot rod, ripping gears as if I was Vin Diesel in the middle of roid rage.

Then there’s the other ten percent, the side of me that just wants to roll down the road at the speed limit in comfort, or cruise the streets as the sun sets. This is the family-friendly gearhead, and traces back to my well-buried but still present fondness for low riders. I can’t tell you where I got this from, I have no idea whatsoever. And I’m not into traditional lowriding…I could care less if the car is on hydraulics or bags, and personally I prefer a stock or very mild custom look over the wild-ass paint jobs normally associated with the scene. This is cruising…just enough power to be useable, enough comfort to go anywhere, and enough visual pull that even guys who aren’t into low riders can appreciate the car for what it is…clean, custom, and comfortable. I’ve only got a few body styles I like for low riders, though: 1969-1970 Chevrolet B-bodies, 1977-90 GM B-bodies, 69-73 Chrysler C-bodies and Lincoln Mark IV and V coupes like the one featured in the video below. This 1979 Mark V is based in Japan and is a pretty traditional setup: front and rear hydraulics, tiny Dayton wire wheels, and small custom touches that add up to a decent car that the mother and daughter enjoy.