It’s 1987. KDAY is spinning N.W.A’s latest single “Boyz n the Hood.” Lowrider mini-trucks and car dancers are all the rage and Ron Eggers, still in high school in a small town outside of San Diego, California, found himself surrounded and influenced by mini-truck clubs such as Sweet & Low and Cali Vice. “It was the crazy dump beds that caught my attention,” says Ron. So with a recently purchased 1963 Chevy Impala and a little bit of luck, he was off to make his mark into lowrider infamy.
Although the Impala was primarily built as a daily cruiser, Ron knew it would hold its own against any of the local dancers. One day while at a Chicano Park event, he was approached to compete as the promoters were looking for a few more contestants. That day he bested the competition and knew if he wanted to continue winning he had to get serious. Little by little, he began creating a name for himself. With the thriving R&J Hydraulics shop recently opened with his father, he was able to start traveling all up and down the California coast hitting every show and taking on any competition. “The 1994 Super Show put us on the map,” says Ron, who, with a Reds Hydraulics-sponsored 1984 Purple Regal named “Grape Ape,” destroyed the opposition.
Childhood friend and founder of the Royals Car Club, Dave Ayotee (R.I.P), strongly urged Ron to expand his growing Insane Motorsports brand and relocate to Las Vegas. After parting ways with R&J Hydraulics, Ron was ready to branch out on his own. He would go on to create the now famous Black Magic Hydraulics and eventually become a staple in the Las Vegas lowrider community. “I’ve always been on the competition end of it,” says Ron, reflecting on how his passion for hydraulics and lowriding has taken him all over the country…even as far as Miami, Florida, where he competed at the Nopi Nationals. It was this constant traveling that would lead Ron to make a tough decision that would eventually motivate him to join the well-known World Wide Majestics. Everywhere he went he kept seeing the Blue and Gold, so it was only a matter of time before he joined the Majestics Car Club.
- Q&A with Ron Eggers
Did you ever think you would end up in the lowrider industry?
I originally wanted to be an architect, but I would eventually graduate college with an engineering degree. Maybe it was luck, but the two definitely go hand in hand.
What are some differences you see from your early days to now?
Back then everyone would help each other out. If you broke down and a car club happened to pass by you, all of them would get out and make sure you were Ok. Seemed like back then we were all on the same team.
What is the biggest change you have seen over the years?
Social media has changed the game and not for the better. People have gotten famous for posting other people’s cars.
What do you see for the future of our sport?
We need to rally and get together like we use to. Seems like the younger guys don’t want to do it anymore, without the next generation involved it’s just a matter of time before it goes away. We’ve made some changes, but still have a lot more to go.
