Story: Michael Crenshaw
Photography: Andrew Link
Traversing the country toward the West Coast looking for Donks is like searching for gold: It’s out there, you just gotta know where to look. Luckily, there’s a passionate fan who lives about an hour northeast of L.A.—practically in the desert— who builds Donks not just worthy of the show scene, but of this magazine.
“I got the idea from the first DONK magazine y’all did [DBB Vol. 1, Summer 2006]. I liked the way they looked on the big rims,” says Mario, or as he is better known, “Slicc 50.” While he was conscious of how traditional riders were modifying their Donks, Slicc decided to add the Cali touch while still staying mindful of the game. “I figured I’d get one of those types of cars and put the L.A. touch on it,” he reiterates. “Everything that we do for our lowriders—nice motor, nice undercarriage—I’d apply to a Donk so it would look a little different.” He admits that years of reading DBB as well as watching music videos inspired the build.
With a proper frame-off restoration of this 1971 Impala, brand-new 468 big-block motor and custom three-tone teal interior, a name needed to be bequeathed to this blue beauty to finalize the character of this build—and so “Aqua Boogie” was chosen. The naming is most obvious because of the color and, secondly, because of Slicc’s love for clean music and for his dance moves. Thanks to custom MOZ Tide wheels and Fullrun tires, he can also express his moves on the street, with more than 525 horsepower being put down.
While Aqua Boogie wasn’t fully furnished when we rolled up on it, the ’71 is now packing some serious upgrades: fully custom trunk with JL Audio gear, undercarriage treatment, a Night Rider strobe light to match the color of the car behind the grille and a cosmetic refresh under the hood. Speaking of the grille, All Wired Grills fabricated a custom mesh piece adorned with a crown to fully drive home the royal righteousness of this ride.
Slicc is also making a celebrity of sorts out of his ’71, showcasing his work in his newest venture as shop owner of Nation Motor Sport. “We’re going to cater to all classic cars,” Slicc says. “What’s going to make us different from all the lowrider and classic car shops in the area is we’re going to apply new technologies and techniques from modern cars. I don’t care if it’s the brakes or the interior—everything is going to be modernized.”
Hopefully paving the way for future explorers of the Cali Donk scene, Aqua Boogie gives prospecting enthusiasts something to admire. We know there’s gold out there; it just needs to be discovered.
Spec The Technique:
Year/Make/Model: 1971 Chevrolet Impala
Performance: 468 big block with Holley 770 double pumper carburetor, fuel pump; custom air cleaner; March Performance Serpentine pulley system; MSD ignition; Edelbrock performer intake; race heads; ceramic-coated headers with 3-inch Flowmaster exhaust; 400 Turbo transmission with shift kit; 3200 stall with custom powder-coated 12-bolt rear end; modified with posi traction, 3.73 gears; Wilwood disc brake system
Exterior: Custom two-tone aqua teal paint with candy accents done by Nation Motor Sport; painted bumpers; blacked-out lights; custom 44-inch moonroof by Sunroof Performers; custom grille by All Wired Grills
Interior: Full custom three-tone teal leather and suede double-stitched remolded seats done by Joe at California Upholstery; billet window cranks, mirrors, custom steering wheel; Dakota Digital dash
Ice: Pioneer double-DIN head unit, EQ; fiberglass center console, kick panels, doors and rear deck; 22 JL Audio highs and mids components run by three 450/1 amps, two 13.5 W7 subs run by two 1000/1 amps; two Optima yellow-top batteries; Viper talking alarm; Night Rider strobe light; HID lights
Wheels/Tires: Custom 26-inch MOZ Tide wheels with a 6-inch rear lip; Fullrun tires, 255/30/26 front, 275/25/26 rear
Shout-Outs: Fly and the crew at Nation Motor Sport, and all the other shops that helped with the build
