Model Plan to Help Steer Area Youths From Gangs

A model car--a lime-green 1964 Chevy Impala convertible complete with swivel seats, sunglasses on the dash and a compact disc player--was one of several on display, not just for show but to promote a cause.

Organizers of the exhibit were hoping that the array of gleaming models would inspire youngsters to join a new hobby club rather than a gang.

A dozen boys and girls turned out for Saturday’s first meeting of the Low Rider Model Club, sponsored by the Santa Ana Boys and Girls Club and Roberta Dieter, a Century High School English teacher on leave to write a thesis on Chicano literature.

While leafing through “Lowrider” magazine to find examples of Chicano slang, Dieter discovered that there is a subculture dedicated to building plastic models of lowrider cars.

She made inquiries and learned that no such club existed in Santa Ana, where local children at risk of joining gangs might be persuaded to build models of the popular cars, which are customized so that they cruise only inches above the pavement. So she decided to start one.

“This will help kids accomplish their little dream before they get their big dream,” said Dieter, 50, an Irvine resident. “You don’t have time to smoke a joint or shoot up if you’re doing this.”

Dieter arranged two-hour workshops on Saturdays at the Boys and Girls Club. The first session drew not only potential members but also spectators who stopped by to see a display of the precisely detailed cars, which can fetch as much as $1,000 each.

The cars were on loan from three model builders in Los Angeles. Model kits of 1964 Chevy Impalas for the youngsters to use were donated by a patron.