Ep. 11 Pimp My Ride: The History of the Pimpmobile

[@aircooledhead]

You gotta do one one the “ Donk” craze: putting outrageously large wheels on a car. Like the pickup shown here.

[@chesspiece81]

I think the most impressive thing about the Donk craze is people drag racing them. With 24"+ wheels and hard compound low profile tires and they're pretty damn fast.

[@tacticalmattfoley]

Yeah, I was pretty sure they were going to be riding on four “Penny Farthings” before long.

[@hentaibodypillow250]

donks are ONLY 71-76 caprices and impalas. everyone else just got big rims

[@adoniskash9048]

i guess im asking randomly but does anybody know a trick to log back into an instagram account..? I somehow lost my account password. I appreciate any tips you can offer me

[@quintonbraylen8530]

@Adonis Kash Instablaster ;)

[@davidwhitney1171]

As a classic car buff who grew up in the 70s and remembers these cars first hand, many of them were/are quite artistic and beautiful....

[@EscapeTheMatrix3h5fi]

They even did it to bicycles. Although I think that was more of the low rider crowd. But I remember many car shows,especially because I'm in New Mexico, that actually featured these customized bicycle creations. Stretched forks with super long furry banana seats and everything all chromed out!! People still customize cars now but the artistry is all but gone now....kinda sucks tbh!

[@dimthecat9418]

Absolutely, don’t see why so many people hate them

[@tearfulsmiles9901]

I always thought pimpmobiles and lowriders were awesome. I even have a lowrider Schwinn Meridian tricycle. She's spikes and Twisted chrome everywhere, and her name is Elvira.

[@martyzielinski1442]

You’re WHITE?

[@tearfulsmiles9901]

@@martyzielinski1442 ...and your racist. What's your point?

[@chadchambliss4949]

These cars look like what 4 year old me would draw up if someone said draw a millionaires car.

[@og-greenmachine8623]

And then gave you a line of Coke

[@edgarbeat275]

Or a line of sherbet 😀

[@cjmarsh504]

@@og-greenmachine8623 😂🤣🤣🤣

[@terranempire2]

Well… you’re not entirely wrong… I mean the Kar… Kar… Kardas… You know who I am talking then there is what that Punk Justin Bab… did to an actual Rolls. Plus plenty of Rappers. Remember when the Chrysler 300s got into rap videos because it looks like a off brand Rolls.

[@markthomas6703]

A good guess for the emotional age of one of them

[@tomarmstrong4761]

In the early 1980s, I saw a Honda Z600 that had curb feelers, nickel-whites, a continental tire kit, a push bar like what was on the Dukes of Hazzard General Lee, and dingle-berry chintz lining the inside top edges of the windows.

[@pariahthistledowne854]

Vato, that was me! 😉

[@2007ghettonissanaltima]

A..... Honda?

[@billolsen4360]

@@2007ghettonissanaltima TINY honda. Z600 had a 2-cylinder engine and almost a back seat. But, they were cute.

[@csj9619]

What you call a "waterfall grill" is known as a "castle grill" in pimp circles.

[@jettelo]

House grill

[@OrlandoMGarcia]

Palace grill

[@caioaugusto3138]

@@jettelo jail bars grills

[@darracqboy]

Mansion grill

[@Cadadadry]

mac grill (go look for "maquereau" secondary meaning or "mac" in french if you wanna get this one ! nothing to do with hamburgers)

[@s2meister]

This needs some follow up episodes, one on Low Riders and one on Custom vans.

[@philipingram1667]

In 1973, my older brother and I worked at a coach works that converted Eldorados and other luxury cars to pimp mobiles for mostly New York City customers. The grills, headlights and landau bars in house - we did the interior work and farmed out the paint. I have seen the customers come in the shop in full attire with an entourage and peel off the hundreds to pay for the work. Colorful is putting it mildly - I'm talking about the pimps here not the cars! We were busy early on but by the mid 70s, the business went more into other custom coach work.

[@JBuddis]

You know who designed the Stutz? None other than Virgil Exner. He had this idea of designing "revival" cars that would take design cues from cars of the past and melding them into cars with more modern dimensions. Most of these never left the paper they were drawn on, but a prototype of the Duesenberg was made and still exists, while the Stutz became an actual production car (and a surprisingly popular one at that). Also, I've always kind of liked the Cadillac seen in Superfly, which did belong to an actual drug dealer and was loaned to the filmmakers. That movie alone helped make Les Dunham's business explode when suddenly everybody wanted Superfly Cadillacs of their own.

[@tonywalker2334]

Fun fact Isaac Hayes car actually had remote start on it. This back in the early 70’s !!!!

[@LearnAboutFlow]

Too bad he lost his entire car collection to the IRS.

[@andrewdzierson2036]

I enjoyed your fun fact friend.

[@TheRoadhammer379]

My 1970 Lincoln had auto dimming headlights for oncoming traffic, you'd be surprised at some of the technology that was around back then.

[@stuchbrosmnore8627]

@@TheRoadhammer379 Yep. Same with the Power Windows that had been aroun' since the 1950s.

[@jamesmcinnis208]

"actually"

[@paulpalmtree9295]

The 1978 Cadillac Eldorado Custom Biarritz Classic Coupe, with power sunroof, and finished in two tone beige and brown, and thickly padded quarter vinyl top. Looks like its a factory production pimp car to me.

[@millardiii]

I remember in the late 1980's pulling up next to a pimpmobile when my brother in law at the time turned to me and asked "I wonder what kind of sales job he has?". After exchanging a few jabs with each other regarding the two obvious choices, we decided that the driver was an "Urban Sales Professional". I have never used the word pimp since.

[@mapi576]

... Drive a great big Cadillac. Diamond in the back, sunroof top. Diggin' the scene. With a gangsta lean. Gangsta whitewalls. TV antennas in the back ...

[@CycolacFan]

Got them big whitewalls wrap-wrapped round them hundred spokes...

[@MyNameIsCurrentlyUnavailable]

Mayfield

[@peterrivney552]

Had one of those once great big cruse ships

[@mercparts364]

I just came here To search for this Comment

[@angelsepulveda8393]

@@MyNameIsCurrentlyUnavailable William DeVaughn not Curtis Mayfield.

[@georgemcmillan9172]

Dude, this had me cracking up! Isaac Hayes had another Pimpmobile in the movie Escape from New York. Now, the 70s were AWESOME fof customization! Everything from cars, vans, bicycles, and just about everything else! Those Stutz cars were hidious, as is the Dunham Special! To be honest, I miss the 70s...

[@The.world.has.gone.crazy...]

Most people then had the knowledge to work on theire own car.

[@shaylernoah1178]

“Excuse me for a minute while I puke now” lol best line In the video

[@davehelmboldt6790]

Let us not forget the "custom van" craze of the same era.

[@pariahthistledowne854]

Shaggin' wagon!

[@spaceracer23]

Pimpmobile, Bender's sixth most used word.

[@jasondiaz8431]

Dam it beat me to it.

[@madskills6387]

I swear the writing on this channel is just brilliant

[@toddaulner5393]

I love Isaac Hayes' Car! It is beautiful!!!

[@buggerall]

Yeah, you're not the only one. It's ridiculous but the color does it all.

[@djbhe]

I saw plenty of those cars growing up on the southside of Chicago in the 70's & 80's.

[@Zenniter]

Chicago Chicago

[@jamesmcinnis208]

I wondered where those cars grew up.

[@Thomas63r2]

Slow down - you barely focused long enough on any of the pimpmobiles to allow the viewer to soak in all the delicious details!

[@jamesmann1243]

What " Delicious" details??????? Garishness to me!!!

[@thelistener4101]

press "PAUSE" then take the infamous "screen shot".... and stuff in your home made folder...

[@Δημήτρης-θ7θ]

Also, a pet peeve of mine: Why all KZbin videos have pictures that are low-resolution heavily compressed jpegs, when a higher-quality version of the same image can be found with a quick image search?

[@Thomas63r2]

@@Δημήτρης-θ7θ We are all students to some degree - many videos are low quality simply because their creator is still learning how to make videos. So easy mistakes are being made.

[@stejer211]

@@Δημήτρης-θ7θ Low quality pics are harder to detect by the YT algorithm and prevent demonetization.

[@catjudo1]

There's a Stutz Blackhawk less than fifteen minutes from me, and when I saw it in its open garage I didn't know what the heck it was. The retiree that owned it was quite proud of it, as he was free to admit it was a garish freak of a car without a care as to any negative thoughts. What's kind of nuts is that people like Elvis Presley (who bought the first example when Frank Sinatra declined), Sammy Davis Jr., Paul McCartney and Evel Knievel bought them. I am just old enough to remember the 70's, and I remember these things. I also remember the van craze of the same time period, with the wild naked women murals on the sides. I'd love to see a video of those old "Shaggin' Wagons". Custom vans, oh yeah!

[@MrStrocube]

Brilliant, man. I love it. Dude, I grew up occasionally seeing these things in the wild when I was a kid in the 70s. I remember the tv show Starsky and Hutch, they had a pimp called Huggy Bear that would make regular appearances. I don’t remember him having a pimpmobile, but he did have huge platform, plastic shoes with gold fish in them; big pimpin!

[@martykrausse]

You are hilarious, I lived during the pimpmobile time, it was garish then , now just funny. Keep it up!!

[@DeadPollo]

1970s: Pimp 2020s: Simp

[@jonlouis2582]

Growing up in the 70’s I loved it when my family would visit Hartford, Connecticut. There were so many there, and I was obsessed with checking them out, much to my Mom’s discomfort. The plush fake fur under the rear windows seemed so exotic to me.

[@pariahthistledowne854]

I recall lowered Hyundais with gold rims, fat tires, and sound systems cruising around my highschool. Sometimes with Mac 10's...

[@drewdederer8965]

You left out Hayes's car as the "Duke" in "Escape from New York" that is some kind of pimp mobile. One trick I want to see is a pimp mobile with a vanity plate, OEDIPUS.

[@frankmaeder4358]

I had that in mind and checked the comments before writing, so not to say exactly the same hehe. Yea, the Duke-Mobile was so great, with the crystal chandeliers on the fenders and the disco mirror-ball instead of a oh-so-normal rear view mirror. and the lifting up of the back, so they could get out easily.... i loved this car.

[@patrickhorvath2684]

Or the pimpmobile on the supertanker in Waterworld.

[@5roundsrapid263]

Oedipus? Oh….WOW. That’s a good one!

[@talon262]

@@frankmaeder4358 A-Number One!

[@theslowride66]

Love the commentary Sarcasm Noted & appreciated.

[@hipcat13]

When mentioning Blaxploitation films you forgot "Dolomite". A classic if there ever was one.

[@manicmechanic448]

The first pimpmobile I ever saw was on "Dirty Harry, Magnum Force. "

[@farnthboy]

Yeh, when I saw that ride it "Made My Day".

[@spacecowboy2483]

Fun fact: Elvis had a Stutz, it is on display at the Graceland museum in Memphis. A very similar looking Stutz was featured in the movie 8mm from late 90s/early 2000s. It was a mean looking pimp car which in the movie was driven by a shady pornographer, which is kind of a pimp.

[@MP-zf7kg]

Every time I see a pimpmobile, I congratulate the driver of said vehicle (when I can). And every single one of them gave me a very gracious "thank you!!".

[@billfeld5883]

Having lived in Las Vegas in 1975 and having gotten too drive one of these fabulous custom just the reaction of other people was worth it!!! 2021

[@JxT1957]

diggin the scene with a gangster lean

[@CEOkiller]

Pimpin ain’t easy but it’s nessesary

[@Dextro1945]

In germany pimpmobiles are always old or new Mercedes. In the 90s the Mercedes were often even König-Specials.

[@tobihaifisch7558]

6:55 According to Wikipedia, the Corvorado was based on the C3 chassis, not the C2 shown here.

[@dewarkhodern9990]

Yep. Exactly. C3.

[@erlycuyler]

Pimpin' ain't easy,but somebody gotta do it. I love these pimpmobiles. It's a big responsibility being a straight OG,requiring the right ride. Pimp on,brothers!

[@oscarmeyer-weiner2372]

The ride of choice in my local ghetto is, believe it or not, the Mazda RX-8. The dealers just leave them parked on the footpath so the cops have to break down one less door when they come seizing goods.

[@g.a.c.4139]

There are so many social landmines that you could have stepped on with this subject, but you avoided them, and you did great. Just my opinion...one Dutchman to another.

[@bldontmatter5319]

Especially blacks

[@RichieRouge206]

Really good! Gotta love a pimpmobile

[@agoodballet]

Fun fact: Isaac Hayes, the man referred to in this video from “Shaft”, is also the voice of Chef from South Park.

[@noelcaraballo3959]

Ok

[@6host8558]

Literally no one asked

[@ferrete8967]

Thanks for the fact, bro

[@chupacabrasforever4405]

No shit Sherlock

[@anthonypayne4665]

That’s only relevant to idiots who watch idiot tv shows.

[@bws1971]

Oh, man, that Continental Mark IV at the end is fire. Want.

[@markshepler7525]

Well done. Enjoyed

[@Duke_of_Prunes]

I actually saw one of those Leata Caballero Chevettes for sale in a New Orleans car lot a few weeks ago. I had absolutely NO idea what it was until watching this video.

[@jamesmcinnis208]

"actually"

[@Kiwionwing]

You make me miss the Netherlands car culture You guys know your stuff

[@dougboyer5829]

I saw a pimp mobile AMC gremlin on chasing classic cars

[@alanhumphrey4198]

Are you kiddin me???

[@coolbreezejoe44]

I know man Pimping isn’t easy , but it’s necessary!

[@bleedinblue5675]

....ain’t

[@WeUpYn]

Somebody’s gotta do it- MJG

[@mikewasfaret9563]

I always get a laugh from your downloads.

[@punk46664]

"Pimp cars, not hoes" is my new favourite saying

[@patrickradcliffe3837]

Yeah I agree Isaac Hayes ride is pretty fly. To me it just works compared to other Frankenpimps I've seen.

[@uncinarynin]

I first came across the term Pimpmobile in a Futurama episode where it was mentioned as one of ten most used words by Bender.

[@jamesslick4790]

1:50 the 1967-1970 Cadillac El Dorado was a masterpiece of style, And THIS is what someone did to one. That's vandalism!!!

[@andrewlawson5779]

There's a nice subtle Lincoln in the movie magnum force, Albert Popwell cruising along.

[@Pro1er]

Though you may not drive a great big Cadillac Gangsta whitewalls TV antennas in the back You may not have a car at all But remember brothers and sisters You can still stand tall Just be thankful for what you've got Though you may not drive a great big Cadillac Diamond in the back, sunroof top, diggin' the scene with a gangsta lean Gangsta whitewalls, TV antennas in the back

[@stickpd7885]

Gotta admit I do like the purple Lincoln at the end.

[@MotoStoriesandmore]

This was awesome!

[@Foxonian]

The 70's Stutz Blackhawk was the car of the rich and famous back then. It cost more than a Rolls Royce and the body was hand made in Turin Italy. It was even designed by geriatric car designer Virgil Exner. But, all the mechanicals ( drive drain, heater controls and dash layout) were stock 70's Pontiac Grand Prix. Everyone from Elvis to Dean Martin owned one. Personally, I always thought this car one of the biggest scams played on the entertainment industry in the 70's. A classic example of the idea that if one famous star has one then the next star has to have it too. Even if it was overpriced crap.

[@knighttuttrup]

Well written, funny too, thanks.

[@pzakkly3976]

Great job I love your videos and history about the cars cant wait for new vids

[@DailyLifeSolution]

Morale of the story- Don't pimp hos, pimp car instead.

[@rwall514]

This is fucking amazing and your content is fucking amazing. To think, when I first saw your videos, I thought you were some hack like most other channels infesting my recommended like a weed.

[@blackpool321]

Was the term " pimp mobile " not first coined in the James Bond film " Live and let die"?

[@CowSaysMooMoo]

no

[@P_RO_]

I worked at one of the few 24-hour gas stations here in the late 70's. Friday and Saturday nights the pimpmobiles showed up on numbers, the well-dressed owners swaggering around acting like they were really somebody. Then after waiting till those who knew them had left they'd scrounge up what pocket change they could find and put it in the tank. It was hilarious watching them try to out-do each other trying to look rich when everybody knew how poor they all really were!

[@turboscotty33]

I always enjoy watching these and look forward to the new ones. Is there any chance you may do one about the custom van's in the 70s and 80s?

[@jurassicchrist]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpqomZ-barGcnNU

[@roadcalm3303]

When you customized your pimpmobile, you forgot the ubiquitous “diamond-in-the-back”! That was the most common feature. That’s when they would extend the vinyl roof to form a diamond shape in the back window.

[@jasperminix5348]

This video needs to be redone with an OG pimps input

[@Spintechfilms]

5:08 Damn..... that dude had a Pong Console and a tv in his van?.... lucky bastard

[@NLBassist]

Ik ken dit kanaal pas een paar dagen en ik heb al te veel gekeken haha! Goeie zaak! Props! Mooie Amerikaanse auto's en een lekker Nederlands accent maken het erg fijn!

[@nicevmax]

Great video, in my teens and twenties in the 70s grew up around these cars, and have owned a few. Love personal luxury cars from the very beginning, owned a 1970 Buick Riviera GS in 1976. It's arguable but I would say that the personal luxury car started with the 1958 Thunderbird rather than the two-seater. I had forgotten all about the Chevrolet Monte Carlo being the last personal luxury car, I thought it was the 2002 Cadillac eldorado. Right now I own a 1989 Lincoln Mark 7 LSC, still love those personal luxury cars. Keep up the great vids.

[@seymourmaupin6395]

Chief from South Park had some kool wheels back in the day.

[@alfredo-ferreira]

haha your humour there was nice. And it's a sophisticated history you wrote to boot. Well written, in short!

[@profoundgenius9726]

It’s crazy how the pimp mobile went from American cars with outlandish modifications to Range Rover sports with Chrome rims

[@dafalzonAUS]

Do you mean the hummer

[@spukersonmerlosk1661]

@@dafalzonAUS Range Rover also.

[@CogentConsult]

Ed, I Like YOUR HUMOR! So well written! And your voice is entertaining. Great work!

[@davidtosh7200]

I like the fender skirts on the 1971 to 1974 Cadillac El Dorado.

[@rodferguson3515]

Just when you thought you couldn't pimp out a chevette...Puke... Someone proved you wrong 😠😂

[@Carlito-Fxwg]

James Bond "Live and Let Die" had a Corvorado in it...Also the Ron O'Neal (R.I.P.) "Superfly" movie was film in my old neighborhood in NYC..I was a kid but I Loved those cars. and still do...If I win the Lottery Imma go buy Danny Koker's Dunham Coach Cadillac Eldorado Convertible, It's Badass..

[@christiansantos7164]

Brother, you deserve millions of subscribers. Thank you for spending your time educating and entertaining us.

[@joekurtz8303]

Delivetd to Ultra Limo 80ish when stretches were the rage. Interesting process, tin knocking talent, the gaudier the better..

[@joekurtz8303]

From a luxury standard, pimpmobiles Devo'-d to .... a dressed up Station Wagon

[@sterlinsilver]

I really like the way many of these cars look, its just so... Quirky

[@rarebreed9208]

Back in the mid 70s, I used to see a Buick Electra 225 with a big light up swan hood ornament, curb feelers, a 55gal drum cut at an angle welded onto the trunk with a moon hubcap tacked onto it, a flying V trunk antenna, and an actual blanket attached as a padded landau roof. It looked great going down the road, especially when the blanket would catch air, flair out, and start flapping. 👍👍👍

[@pcno2832]

People used to snicker at curb feelers, but they were useful back then. My father bough a 1975 Malibu and within a few months it had lost 2 Firestone 500 tires to curb damage. The tires, which tended to fall apart on the highway, were soon replaced under the recall, but I don't think the curb damage was covered.

[@rarebreed9208]

@@pcno2832 Yep. Firestones were definitely garbage. I put a set of raised white letters on a '79 Mercury Zephyr I had back then and they looked great, but it rode like a covered wagon and I replaced them after three days. A buddy of mine put some on his Nova, and a coupla days later, one of the front ones came apart at highway speed, beat the hell outta the fender, and almost killed him. No more Firerocks for us. Curb feelers did look good on some model cars.

[@oldbuzzard76]

You nailed it !!!

[@colemanworldgirl]

I NEED to know where that black and gold van interior came from, damn that's fly! The one at the 5:04 mark.

[@nicholaschriss1706]

Good message right at the end there.

[@albshore8]

My first car was a 72 used El Dorado big 500cui motor I was going to trick it out not as good as these, but the front end went. I miss that car.

[@raymxslappedyall3660]

sorry but that van ininterior is fucken awesome and I'd roll with it today in a second !

[@psychologicalsigma9917]

Basically, put a big 'arrest me' sticker on it

[@PeteDarrell1972]

When I saw the title and thumbnail and knowing you are dutch, I thought about Amsterdam & Rotterdam pimp mobiles... lol. All this big American Muscles roaming this tiny streets there... But anyway, I'm just a few seconds in this video. Let's see what you bring about it... Just found your channel two days ago. Great one! Still have to watch a lot more to get through, but I'm here to stay. Keep it coming! Cheers...

[@PeteDarrell1972]

Ok now I watched it and you brought up a bit about it. All over Europe I know if somebody sees an American whatnot from the 70s with dutch plates (not the Station Wagons thou) it's called a pimp mobile, plus once the drivers step out of it you know you were right... lol Haven't been in Amsterdam for a while now, nor enywhere else on the european continent, so maybe it changed by today...

[@foodhomedotcom2716]

Best pimpmobile was in the movie Escape from New York. Dude had chandeliers on his hood!

[@robertpryor7225]

Pimp mobiles were very popular in the 70s in Detroit. Basic is landau bars and curb feelers, next level would include Rolls-Royce grill (spoke wheels?) I think a lot of them were just aspiring pimps/dealers, or they just liked the style. They were usually double parked.

[@robertpryor7225]

I forgot about TV antennas, presumably for show

[@albertofernandez2490]

@@robertpryor7225 what does "double parked" mean?

[@JR9979]

@@albertofernandez2490 depends on what area you are from. In some area's it means taking up 2 parking spots by parking on the line thus taking half of each spot. Other places with street parking for 2 cars deep they would take the outside spot thus blocking out the inside spot from being used.

[@davegoldspink5354]

Love your videos but may I suggest pimpmobiles were more bastardised than customised 😂🤣😂 Thankfully we never saw these eyesores here in Australia. The biggest custom job you could get here was the panel wagon or shaggin’ wagon if you like.

[@MoultrieGeek]

This is brilliant. Subscribed.

[@kennethoats2322]

Great vid..💯😆

[@jamesrankin9833]

Good stuff!

[@joecummings1260]

My favorite was the Duc. Car from escape from New York. I loved the chandeliers on the fenders

[@hughjass1044]

That pimped out Chevette was awesome!

[@milesnessan9286]

I love your stuff

[@brutallyremastered4255]

I grew up in NYC late Sixties and early Seventies. Seeing real Pimp Mobiles was always a gas.

[@jvolstad]

I was going to buy a Prius, but I think I'll get one of these instead. 🤪

[@maxpayne2574]

Pimp a Prius ohyah

[@Rog5446]

The chandelier inclusion cracked me up, but why no mention of the obligatory bullet proof glass?