At some point in time, every boy has dreamt of being the cool kid at school with the fastest car. To pick out a first car and have the freedom to drive fast entices young people. Kevin however, did not have the luxury of getting a track ready machine. He got a large, heavy, and unappealing Lexus sedan; one which was handed down to him. Little did Kevin know, he would transform his first and only car into a work of art. Kevin Pedraza’s 2001 GS430 pushes the limits of the VIP scene in America, and inspires many people within the car community.
Although I had never seen the GS roll on the streets before our photo shoot, I was a little apprehensive when I told him that we were shooting on a canyon road with dips and uneven terrain. He laughed and said that scraping was part of the VIP car culture.
Kevin decided that going fast was not necessarily as cool as being low after he had met members of the Liberty VIP car club. “After i saw Phily’s GS and the other members of Liberty VIP, my plans for my car made a complete 180. Instead of going fast, I wanted to go as low as I could and fit the widest wheels possible.” Being that he was very new to the stance scene, Kevin saved up and opted for an AirRunner air suspension kit, combined with Studio rear upper control arms, Figs toe links, and Auto Fashion front and rear RCA’s to lower his car to the pavement.
Kevin admits that he is very obsessed with camber. “Well for one thing, I can fit more aggressive wheels on my car. I just love how much presence it gives a car when it runs a lot of camber. After seeing Cuban Chris’ car, a member of Liberty VIP, I was amazed at how it screamed for attention. He was running -20 degrees of camber! I knew that I could be like him, which in turn inspired me to build my car. After having this current setup, I can’t imagine having my car with no camber.”
Currently, Kevin is running SSR SP3 offset 18×10-10 in the front and 18×12-2 in the back. Although 12 inches is very wide, Kevin believes that he can only push the limits as the car matures. “Im a wheel whore. I’ve owned nine different sets of wheels so far, and I believe each new set outshines the last in one way or another. I love the SP3’s I have now. I love the amount of lip they have, how low these wheels make my car, and just how beautiful they are in both pictures and in person.” To say that Kevin is not open minded, is an understatement.
As many of you have noticed by now, Kevin’s GS has undergone some major body work. Custom widebody does not just happen overnight, nor does it come without complications. “At first, I didn’t know how I felt about it since I had problems with the body shop that I went to. Seeing it now and how it separates my car from all the other GS’, makes me love it even more.” I have never seen any GS like Kevin’s in the states. If his car was in Japan, it would fit in with its widebody styling and Onikyan.
Although Kevin’s car may seem to have peaked in its overall appearance, he says that he is far from finished. “I want to match my front and rear camber and possibly get a bodykit soon.” Getting a new body kit is one thing, but to match camber is very ambitious. If Kevin does decide to match up his front and rear camber, he would probably have almost 20 degrees of negative camber! To add on to the insane amount of camber, he also plans to dial in the fitment and get wider wheels with even bigger offsets.
“All the members of Liberty VIP are my main inspiration. Seeing their cars come out more aggressive every year pushes me to make my car even more stunning and more jaw dropping.”
Kevin is just a regular guy with a regular job. Many “enthusiasts” have the negative connotation that people with nice cars buy cars, add a few mods, and try to become internet famous. Kevin is a prime example of what years of hard work can achieve. Works of art do not happen in an instance; time and consideration make art worthy of appreciation.
So next time you go on your Instagram account or online forum, do not immediately spit upon a car build just because it is very extreme or different from what you are used to seeing. The car is not broken; neither is the owner stupid. Appreciate everyone’s different taste in art, and just enjoy the car community.
Modifiations:
Engine:
SRT intake with piggyback ecu
Interior:
Nardi Steering wheel, NRG short hub, NRG quick release, Nardi shift knob and good wood Jesus
Exterior:
Custom fender flares/widebody , TTE lip, Kbreak grill, chrome door handles, and custom quad exhaust.
Suspension/Wheels:
Airrunner suspension, Autofashion front and rear rcas , Studio lower control arms, Figs toe links
Wheels : SSR SP3 offset 18×10-10 and 18×12-2
Photos and words by Alan Luarca. If you are in Southern California and would like to be featured on CarsxHype, please email Alan at ajluarca@gmail.com. To see more pictures, follow us on Instagram @carsxhype and @ajluarca.
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