Story: Michael Crenshaw

Photography: Andrew Link

Go to any Maaco or “stealership” body shop and you can cop a blend of paint to match your color of choice, but if you want something that no one else will be reppin’, you’ve got to dig a little deeper. When Poe Morales set his mind on a purple hue to drench his ’73 Donk, he was persuaded to go on a search that lasted seven months and taught him a geography lesson through five states.

“I ended up taking it to Toby’s Body & Custom Shop,” Poe explains. “I wanted purple, but my buddy told me [I should] do this violet, which is discontinued.” After deciding on the rare palette, the quest commenced. Some less enthusiastic owners might call off the search after hearing their obscure color choice cost more than $300 a quart, but persistence paid off—literally. “So, yeah, it was a real pain in the ass to get that color. It took me almost seven months to get five quarts,” Poe laughs.

With the cross-country coat in hand, Poe wanted a subtle interior to keep the “classy” Caprice look but also give it a modern swagger. For the guts, he enlisted Kenny of Kenny’s Upholstery, who outfitted the interior in all-black leather with suede inserts.

For the final touch, Poe decided to tuck staggered 26-inch Asantis into the frame without making any suspension adjustments. “I put the 26-inch Asantis on there with the skinny Toyo tires,” explains Poe. “If I had to go with any tire other than the Toyos, I would’ve had to make some sort of adjustment.”

With more in the works for this passionate purple Donk, we’re certain Poe will have no problem crossing a few more borders.

Spec The Technique:

Performance: 350 Chevy small-block crate motor; High Performance brake pads and calipers

Interior: Black leather with suede inserts done by Kenny’s Upholstery of Hollywood, Florida

Exterior: Three-stage House of Kolor violet; new convertible top

Ice: Double-DIN Pioneer head unit; three 12-inch Kicker Competitions; Eminence Eminator Series speakers

Wheels/Tires: 26-inch Asanti AF151s; Clear HP166s front, Toyo Proxes4 275/25/26 rear

Shout-Outs: Kenny’s Upholstery; Toby’s Body & Custom Shop