The North Modesto Kiwanis Club has announced the grand marshal for the 2024 American Graffiti parade – Pete “Kiki” Rodriguez, one of the four founders of the Impala Car Club, now an international organization of more than 1,000 members. When he moved from San Jose to Modesto in 1997, Kiki and a friend started the local chapter, whose members are regulars in the Graffiti show. The Impalas and the Low Rider community are an inspiration to the future of Modesto’s Graffiti and Car Culture.
Kiki grew up around cars, working with his dad when he was 10 years old. His house had a hoist in the back yard to lift engines so he had a lot of experience. His brothers and cousins moved to Modesto back in 74 and Kiki got his first Impala in 1983 that was his daily driver. He worked at McDonalds during the week so he could get all the right parts on the weekend cruising the junkyards.
He got a job at Pepsi and became skilled at keeping all of the equipment running across the state of California. Those early days wrenching in the back yard with his dad perfected those skills. He and his friends, Sonny & Robbie Quisol and Bubba founded the Impalas Car Club. At first they just had official stickers and built the club structure. In 1990, the new Impalas plaques you see in the car windows today were created.
In 1997, Kiki moved to Modesto and founded the Modesto Impalas and the Impalas now have chapters across the USA. Kiki says that this is more than about cars, it is a lifestyle.
The Modesto Impala Club was recently recognized by Police Chief Brandon Gillespie for its “efforts and invaluable contribution to revitalizing the tradition of cruising in Modesto, deeply enriching our city’s cultural heritage and community spirit.”
In 2023, Kiki was honored at a dinner in Las Vegas as a legend in lowrider culture. The plaque said he was honored for his “loyalty dedication and authentic character… a positive influence in motivating and encouraging those around you. Your commitment to be true to others and serving as a mentor has helped to build strong bonds and foster growth.”
Kiki said that while the members share an affinity for Impalas and spend a lot of time talking about their cars, what really brings them together is family and a sense of community. The Impala Club holds toy drives, turkey drives, car washes and other activities to help people in need. Many of the members are Latino but not all. Membership includes many nationalities, Kiki said.
Kiki has worked for Pepsi for 38 years, He and his wife, Monette, have four grown children, all of them involved in the cars. While he currently drives a 1966 Impala, in the parade he will be riding in a 1958 Impala convertible because that was its first year in production by Chevrolet.
