Deadend Magazine spreads California car culture across the world.

At the tender age of 4, Jesus Espinoza recalls being captivated by the lowered ’60s Chevy Impalas and pickups with flame paint jobs parked in his East Salinas neighborhood.

Two and a half decades later, he’s still into them, and has turned that obsession into a business. On a gray Tuesday afternoon, he sorts through boxes of plastic-wrapped T-shirts in the retail store/headquarters for Deadend Magazine, which opened last May in Oldtown Salinas. He and his brother Juan – who also has a frizzy black patch of hair on his chin, favors black T-shirts and baseball caps and has the logo for Deadend Magazine tattooed on his forearm – partner on the shop and the Salinas-based car publication.

The store’s walls are adorned with crisp photos of cars with hydraulics hopping high and models leaning against lowriders shiny with wax. The bold art on the walls complements the simple Deadend merchandise designed by Juan, like T-shirts with outlines of classic cars.

A large framed photograph of the brothers’ father hangs in a corner. “Dad used to be into cars, but by the time he had the family he was over it,” Jesus says. “He told us liking cars would be a phase.” Maybe for their dad, who gifted 15-year-old Juan a 1960 Lincoln Continental. Not so much for his boys: Twenty years later he still owns the Lincoln, now lowered and wearing white-wall tires.

The brothers’ car fixation became dedication after their father fell ill and passed away in 2004. In his passing they found both inspiration to seize their dream – and their own destiny – while honoring his longtime hobby. Around then Juan was doing a photo shoot on Salinas Boy Customs, a celebrated garage on Abbott Street, for Bonita, a magazine with which he interned. When the magazine folded before the photos ran, the brothers, who had been studying photography and graphic design, figured they could create their own. They founded Deadend Magazine as an online publication in 2004.

By now their blog draws 10,000 views monthly, their Instagram 83,000 followers and their Facebook page 27,000. That’s partly because most major car magazines cover one niche; Deadend presents lowriders, curvy-bodied cars called “bombs,” hot rods with huge exposed engines, chopper-style motorcycles and even lowrider bicycles like the kind the brothers customized as kids.

The Espinozas hit up as many car shows as they can (by Juan’s count, they’ve visited 70 in the last year alone), cruising from San Jose to Las Vegas over weekends and holidays, photographing their favorite vehicles for photo essays.

“We built connections because we went to shows to hang out,” Juan explains. “It was never just about getting a photo shoot. We’ve been into the lifestyle, we just have cameras now.”

As early as 2005, the brothers started receiving fan emails from car lovers in countries like Australia and the Netherlands. To their surprise, the most passionate fans emerged from Japan. That’s led to visits for a series of photo shoots. Jesus just visited Japan for the fourth time for the 25th Annual Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show.

“They have a huge appreciation for the culture,” he says.

Juan notes some Japanese youth’s interpretation of California Chicano culture goes beyond lowriders. “I couldn’t believe it at first, but some of those kids faithfully dress like ’90scholos,” he says, laughing. “They wear Nike Cortez or creased Levis. When we walk around there in our everyday clothes, it’s like some people are taking notes.”

They felt so comfortable with the Japanese car scene that Deadend Magazine now has a crew of photographers in Japan to help with their visits.

“It’s cool how they can respect something that’s rooted here,” Jesus says. “When I was a kid, I saw a car hopping on Alisal, sparks coming off the rear bumper, and I was mesmerized. Maybe they saw something like that in a movie or YouTube, but they were able to feel the same thing.”

While making connections overseas, the brothers have been busy preserving the culture here. In October, they hosted the sixth annual Burrito Bike Ride. Over 250 bicyclists on customized rides cruised Salinas for an hour, rewarded with 290 burritos made by Jesus and Juan’s mother. But it’s the Custom Capitol, a car show they organize in Prunedale’s Manzanita Park, that solidifies their status in California’s car culture. Last year’s third annual brought 300 classic cars, live Mexican bands and DJs, tons of tacos, and a swarm of car lovers.

“My favorite part of creating Deadend is forming so many friendships,” Jesus says. “No matter how much success you see in life, you can’t enjoy it without the right family and friends.”

DEADEND MAGAZINE 16 Midtown Lane, Salinas. Noon-8pm Tue-Fri, 10am-5pm Sat. 512-8012, www.deadendmagazine.com.