The Inspirational eBay Motors 'Parts of America' Tour Has Grand Finale in LA
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Two outstanding custom Cali cars highlight the grand finale of eBay Motors' cross-country 12-stop, two-month rolling car show. On November 17, the "Parts of America" hauler rolls into LA with two stellar additions—a famous hip-hop lowrider and a powder pink Mazda Miata - opens in new window or tab..
Four cars that previously joined the tour—a 1969 Ford F100, '10 Dodge Challenger R/T, '12 Audi R8, and '20 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4—went up for auction.
Impala Lowrider of Tupac Fame
When Lloyd Koehler (also known as Longbeach Lloyd), a long-time Chevrolet Impala - opens in new window or tab. enthusiast, saw the legendary yellow 1961 Impala convertible from Tupac’s To Live and Die in LA video for sale on eBay, he had to own it.
Koehler drove six hours to check out the Impala. He made the deal, and the seller hauled the car to Long Beach. Unfortunately, it wasn’t in great shape. A mile into the first drive, the transmission’s planetary gears - opens in new window or tab. exploded. The rebuilding process began.
Koehler is at the center of Southern California's lowrider resurgence. He has bought and sold scores of classic Impalas - opens in new window or tab.. Koehler rescues them from barns, garages, and warehouses across the USA, but the yellow '61 is a keeper.
Koehler said:
rebuilt it back all original because everybody was in my ear saying, Keep it nostalgic. Keep it true to Tupac.’ So I did. And then I drove it around for about a month just like tha
The interior and exterior paintwork was untouched, honoring the legend. eBay Motors provided a few hard-to-find replacement trim pieces. With a new engine, transmission, and suspension, the car rode like new. But it only rode low. It didn’t hop. Koehler remedied that with hardcore hydraulics for the front, back, and corners.
Koehler said:
I have eight batteries in the back and two pumps. There's a piston pump to the front and a regular gate to the rear. But a regular gate means it's the original hydraulic motor. You put whatever gear in there, and it always stays the same. With the piston pump, you can add air, which creates more pressure. That gives you more snap off the top.
The car now hops and turns on three wheels, bringing huge smiles to everyone who sees it. However, the hilarity takes its toll on the mechanicals. The celebrity lowrider still gets called for appearances in music videos. So Longbeach Lloyd gets under the Impala every week to inspect the suspension. He replaces bushings - opens in new window or tab. and hand-tightens bolts so the classic car bounces with flair and precision.
Pink Mazda Miata as Motorsports Style
Yunni Zhai, the Shanghai-born LA fashionista, is passionate about her adorable 1997 powder pink MX5. It’s perhaps the purest expression of her quest for automotive style—a journey that began in 2018 when she autocrossed her previous car, a Porsche Cayman with PDKc. Two years later, Zhai jumped into a manual Miata - opens in new window or tab., and track days quickly became a regular habit. She's currently building a dream race car and preparing to enter wheel-to-wheel racing.
Zhai oversaw modifications to the little roadster to prep it for daily duty and weekend track days:
- Öhlins coilovers - opens in new window or tab. and Work Equip 03 wheels wrapped by grippy 200TW Federal RSRR tires - opens in new window or tab. ensure adept handling.
- Hawk brake pads and rotors - opens in new window or tab. haul it down.
Zhai is hands-on with most of the Mazda's mechanical work these days. You can watch the work get done via her witty, step-by-step TikTok - opens in new window or tab. and Instagram - opens in new window or tab. feeds.
Zhai said:
I realized you could take it to a shop for a lot of things, but no one is going to care about your car more than you do.
The interior mods are all about function, accommodating Zhai's five-foot-three frame. Her Bride bucket seat - opens in new window or tab. has a five-point Braum racing harness - opens in new window or tab. and rides on the stock slider mounts. The aftermarket steering wheel - opens in new window or tab. includes a spacer. A clutch spacer and short shifter - opens in new window or tab. ensure precise gear changes. The Miata's roll bar - opens in new window or tab. isn't for looks.
Zhai said:
With performance driving, it's essential to feel what the car is doing. If you're sloshing around, it never works. Now that I'm strapped down to the seat, I can understand, hey, the rear is coming out, the front is not gripping, the rear is now gripping. It made a huge difference in understanding what the car was doing.
Her social channels also capture her during high-speed track antics—sometimes while dressed in formal party attire.
Now Get Under the Hood and Get Busy
The diversity of vehicles included on the eBay Motors “Parts of America” tour represents the wide-ranging beauty of American car culture—from legendary lowriders and adorable track cars to rock-climbing Jeeps and lifesize high-performance racing karts.
The tour has been a tribute to the dedication of owners who are not afraid to climb under the hood and get greasy.
We salute the builders behind the “Parts of America” cars. They embody the DIY spirit in which building is better than buying. They wowed us these past two months in our cross-country rolling car show—and will continue to inspire us as we motor into the future.
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This article is meant to provide general guidance only. Automotive maintenance, repair, upgrade, and installation may depend on vehicle-specifics such as make and model. Always consult your owner's manual, repair guide for specific information for your particular vehicle and consider a licensed auto-care professional's help as well, particularly for advance repairs.