Polar Bear - Chevrolet 1971 Impala Convertible Donk
Donk - a strange term.
Used in Australia as a slang term for a car engine, Donk is a whole sub-culture of vehicle modification in the US focusing on overly large wheels.
The term 'Donk' refers directly back to the original donor vehicle, popularly, the Chevrolet Impala. It has been said that the leaping Impala logo looks somewhat like a donkey!
The cars are also known by the more generic term of 'Hi-riser' - somewhat more descriptive, but less colourful name.
Hi-Risers are a type of highly customized automobile, typically a traditional, full-size, body on frame, V8 powered, rear wheel drive American-built sedan modified by significantly increasing the ground clearance and adding large-diameter wheels with low-profile tires. Depending on the model and style of body, autos customized in this manner can be labeled "donk," "box," or "bubble."
Hi-risers originally grew out of the Dirty South subculture, but the trend has spread across the United States. Vehicles customized in the hi-riser style are distinguished by their oversized (even disproportionate) wheels, ranging from 20 inches to 30 inches or more in diameter (largest being 50 inch), as well as fanciful custom paint-jobs and expensive audio equipment. Suspension modifications similar to those employed on lifted pickup trucks are made to give adequate clearance for the large wheels. Often the suspension is modified so the front end sits slightly higher than the rear end, giving the car a swaggering appearance. Because of the exaggerated look gained from installing a lifted suspension and enormous wheels, donks are also known as "hi-risers" or "sky-scrapers."
The most popular vehicles for these types of modifications are late 20th century, full-size, rear wheel drive sedans and coupes manufactured by General Motors (Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Buick, and Cadillac), namely the Impala, Caprice, Buick Roadmaster, Oldsmobile 98, and Cadillac Fleetwood/Fleetwood Brougham, as well as mid-sized models such as the Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. However, similar full-size Ford models (Crown Victoria, Lincoln Town Car, Mercury Grand Marquis) are also popular, largely due to the ability to cheaply buy former police service Crown Victorias. There are three main sub-types of hi-riser, although the distinctions are blurred and open to debate. Most hi-riser enthusiasts agree that a "donk" traditionally is a 1971 to 1976 Impala. They were given this name because the "Impala" symbol was referred to as a "donkey" by owners or "donk" for short.[citation needed] To complement the sloping rear, the suspension of donks are frequently higher in the front end than the rear, resulting in a nose-up stance. Other hi-risers are usually raised evenly, resulting in a more or less level stance. A box is another sub-type of hi-riser, usually a 1977-1990-era Impala or Caprice with a boxy or squared-off front and rear end. Other models that are frequently made into hi-risers include the G-body Buick Regal, Oldsmobile Cutlass, Chevrolet El Camino, Pontiac Grand Prix, and Pontiac Bonneville.
Other vehicles gaining in popularity as hi-risers are the Cadillac DeVille and Seville, as well as the Buick Roadmaster. Also gaining in popularity are the Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car sedans. These three are the last full sized, body-on-frame, RWD sedans of which the Lincoln Town Car is the only one still being sold for 2011. In fact, the Grand Marquis in particular is enjoying a slight sales surge due to the increasing popularity of buying them new and turning them into hi-risers. Several rappers have alluded to the Grand Marquis in their music, such as Dorrough's "Ice Cream Paint Job": "Grand Marquis, paint job grape jelly
[Text from Wikipedia]
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hi-Riser_(automobile)
A key enabler for many of these vehicles is the use of the longitudinal powertrain, driving the rear wheels, and also the use of separate chassis (body-on-frame), decoupling the chassis forces from suspension from the body structure. The BOF layout also allows simpler modification of the vehicle, adopting parts and design solutions from the similarly configured Light Truck, e.g. Ford F150 or similar.
The 1971 Chevrolet Impala Convertible used here as the base vehicle offers these features and more. Notably engines not restricted by vehicle emissions standards, which had such a detrimental effect on engine output, staring from 1972. The 1971 Impala (the first year of this 5th generation Impala platform), was fitted with engines up to 454 CID (7.4 litres) rated at 365 hp. In 1976, the last year of this 5th generation vehicle, the 454 CID output had fallen to only 225 HP.
For interest, this 1971 Impala Donk is named 'Polar Bear'. Enormous, powerful, and super-cool (especially roof-down in winter), and for the icing blue exterior colour.
This Lego miniland-scale Chevrolet 1971 Impala Convertible Donk (1971), has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 90th Build Challenge, - "Fools Rush In!", -
to the subtheme - "BaDONKadonk!". The 90th build challenge presenting 13 different subthemes to choose to build to.
Polar Bear - Chevrolet 1971 Impala Convertible Donk
Donk - a strange term.
Used in Australia as a slang term for a car engine, Donk is a whole sub-culture of vehicle modification in the US focusing on overly large wheels.
The term 'Donk' refers directly back to the original donor vehicle, popularly, the Chevrolet Impala. It has been said that the leaping Impala logo looks somewhat like a donkey!
The cars are also known by the more generic term of 'Hi-riser' - somewhat more descriptive, but less colourful name.
Hi-Risers are a type of highly customized automobile, typically a traditional, full-size, body on frame, V8 powered, rear wheel drive American-built sedan modified by significantly increasing the ground clearance and adding large-diameter wheels with low-profile tires. Depending on the model and style of body, autos customized in this manner can be labeled "donk," "box," or "bubble."
Hi-risers originally grew out of the Dirty South subculture, but the trend has spread across the United States. Vehicles customized in the hi-riser style are distinguished by their oversized (even disproportionate) wheels, ranging from 20 inches to 30 inches or more in diameter (largest being 50 inch), as well as fanciful custom paint-jobs and expensive audio equipment. Suspension modifications similar to those employed on lifted pickup trucks are made to give adequate clearance for the large wheels. Often the suspension is modified so the front end sits slightly higher than the rear end, giving the car a swaggering appearance. Because of the exaggerated look gained from installing a lifted suspension and enormous wheels, donks are also known as "hi-risers" or "sky-scrapers."
The most popular vehicles for these types of modifications are late 20th century, full-size, rear wheel drive sedans and coupes manufactured by General Motors (Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Buick, and Cadillac), namely the Impala, Caprice, Buick Roadmaster, Oldsmobile 98, and Cadillac Fleetwood/Fleetwood Brougham, as well as mid-sized models such as the Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme. However, similar full-size Ford models (Crown Victoria, Lincoln Town Car, Mercury Grand Marquis) are also popular, largely due to the ability to cheaply buy former police service Crown Victorias. There are three main sub-types of hi-riser, although the distinctions are blurred and open to debate. Most hi-riser enthusiasts agree that a "donk" traditionally is a 1971 to 1976 Impala. They were given this name because the "Impala" symbol was referred to as a "donkey" by owners or "donk" for short.[citation needed] To complement the sloping rear, the suspension of donks are frequently higher in the front end than the rear, resulting in a nose-up stance. Other hi-risers are usually raised evenly, resulting in a more or less level stance. A box is another sub-type of hi-riser, usually a 1977-1990-era Impala or Caprice with a boxy or squared-off front and rear end. Other models that are frequently made into hi-risers include the G-body Buick Regal, Oldsmobile Cutlass, Chevrolet El Camino, Pontiac Grand Prix, and Pontiac Bonneville.
Other vehicles gaining in popularity as hi-risers are the Cadillac DeVille and Seville, as well as the Buick Roadmaster. Also gaining in popularity are the Ford Crown Victoria, Mercury Grand Marquis, and Lincoln Town Car sedans. These three are the last full sized, body-on-frame, RWD sedans of which the Lincoln Town Car is the only one still being sold for 2011. In fact, the Grand Marquis in particular is enjoying a slight sales surge due to the increasing popularity of buying them new and turning them into hi-risers. Several rappers have alluded to the Grand Marquis in their music, such as Dorrough's "Ice Cream Paint Job": "Grand Marquis, paint job grape jelly
[Text from Wikipedia]
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hi-Riser_(automobile)
A key enabler for many of these vehicles is the use of the longitudinal powertrain, driving the rear wheels, and also the use of separate chassis (body-on-frame), decoupling the chassis forces from suspension from the body structure. The BOF layout also allows simpler modification of the vehicle, adopting parts and design solutions from the similarly configured Light Truck, e.g. Ford F150 or similar.
The 1971 Chevrolet Impala Convertible used here as the base vehicle offers these features and more. Notably engines not restricted by vehicle emissions standards, which had such a detrimental effect on engine output, staring from 1972. The 1971 Impala (the first year of this 5th generation Impala platform), was fitted with engines up to 454 CID (7.4 litres) rated at 365 hp. In 1976, the last year of this 5th generation vehicle, the 454 CID output had fallen to only 225 HP.
For interest, this 1971 Impala Donk is named 'Polar Bear'. Enormous, powerful, and super-cool (especially roof-down in winter), and for the icing blue exterior colour.
This Lego miniland-scale Chevrolet 1971 Impala Convertible Donk (1971), has been created for Flickr LUGNuts' 90th Build Challenge, - "Fools Rush In!", -
to the subtheme - "BaDONKadonk!". The 90th build challenge presenting 13 different subthemes to choose to build to.