For over 20 years, Down To Earth (or DTE) has been hitting the scene strong sporting some of the lowest, sickest vehicles in the So Cal scene and beyond.
Down To Earth isn't just the name of a club; for them its a way of life. Not only do they have some of the most down to Earth attitudes around, but they are also known for building their trucks as close to Earth as possible. If you're not willing to drag off a couple of reflectors in front of this club then they're probably not the club for you. So kick back and check out what makes this club so unique. For more information, contact Chris at dte2108@yahoo.com or check out their new show at downtoearthday.com.
History of Club:
Down To Earth has a long history of being the "lowest club on Earth". They've always been one step ahead and set the new standard of low in the scene every chance they get. With the help of IF Customs, Louis Marton built the first stock-floored body-dropped fullsize Chevy truck, and then true to the DTE motto they had to go lower by chopping and sectioning this fullsize so low that it soon became mistaken for a minitruck. With rides like Chris Couto's old-school Chevy that was one of the first all-metal trucks sportin' the show-stopping work of Bob Grant, and Josh's Rail It Customs Toyota who graced our cover with his chopped and doored Toyota, these guys really know how to set trends. From cover trucks to minitruck-inspired cars, their club has grown with members that bring some of the lowest vehicles on Earth to the scene time and time again.
How it all started:
Down To Earth began in 1988 and like most clubs they started as a few guys that weren't happy with the clubs they found themselves in so they left and started their own club. DTE started as a small tight-knit group of people with a few trucks meeting at Round Table Pizza in Burbank, California. Their common goal was to be the lowest club around and they have held true to that motto more than twenty years later. By 1996 they had moved to Canyon Country and also had chapters in Burbank, Reseda, and Bakersfield. The club grew and shrank over the years and like most clubs going through the '90s they also went through the import car scene and DTE embraced some of those minitruck-inspired cars that were lower than the rest. DTE stepped up with John Salmon's Civic, which was one of the first cars to be featured in Mini Truckin' magazine. And today they're still doing the same thing as the original members in 1988: building super-low vehicles, hanging out, talking crap to each other, and having a good time doing just that.
What does the future hold?
The future of DTE is looking bright as they are planning to host their first event on April 24th, 2010, which promises to become a definite must-attend event on the West Coast. They want to continue to build this scene so that future generations can enjoy it just as we are now.
Lowdown
Date Founded: 1988
Number of Chapters: 2
Total Number of Members: 40
Website: Downtoearthday.com
Main Contact: Chris Couto, dte2108@yahoo.com
Major Accomplishments:
Being around for 21 years as a family-oriented club, many magazine features, and covers including Mini Truckin' and others. Chris Couto's 1963 Chevy was even featured on the TV show My Classic Car on the Speed channel.
Major Contributions:
Down To Earth has contributed years of pushing the scene forward with their lowest club on earth approach. Their rides have pushed this motto to the limit and then continue to push past that point. In their community they support their local shelters collecting canned goods and help keep their roads super smooth by dragging them flat.
Good Times:
Anytime DTE shows up somewhere they are always having a good time. They have been to many truck runs and shows together, broken down together, and yes crashed into each other, but they have always made the best of any situation and had fun with it. Their 20-year anniversary party was a great time with current members and anyone else who has ever been a part of the club, and even had some special guest appearances from members and friends who have helped their club and our sport.
Bad Times:
In 1998 a petitioning member, Mike Langham, passed away in a motorcycle accident on the night of his vote-in meeting. It was a sad time but his dad stepped up and finished his truck and rolled with Down To Earth in his memory.
Club's Most Important Characteristic:
That's easy: to be the lowest club on Earth.
What It Takes
Even though the requirements or standards change over the years, they mostly stick to the original rules. It used to be no primer, but now patina or flats can be acceptable if done correctly. It always was and always will be a rule that wheels must tuck and obviously they want to be the lowest, and you must have adjustable suspension. At point of vote-in DTE requires the owner to drag the crap out of their ride just to make sure that they're "Down To Earth."