A suicide bonnet, nitrous oxide, 17-inch mags, DVD player and a Playstation. These are a few of the features that helped a Opel Corsa win the overall customised car title at the Custom Motor Show in Cape Town at the weekend.
A suicide bonnet, nitrous oxide, 17-inch mags, DVD player and a Playstation. These are a few of the features that helped a Opel Corsa win the overall customised car title at the Custom Motor Show in Cape Town at the weekend.
The show was organised by Cape Town company CruzThis Customs and they plan to make it a national event. It consists of a contest between the best custom-made vehicles and the companies that advertise their products linked to custom cars.
With movies such as promoting customised cars, CruzThis said they had noted the growing interest in customising cars in the country. “We went to custom-car shows in Los Angeles and Las Vegas and figured this is something we wanted to do too,” said CruzThis partner Riyaad Majiet, who runs the company with his brother Nasmie and partner Mark Foster.
“Our goal was to set up a custom car show that would give everyone a chance to see what our local talents have to offer. Anyone who thinks that they can create art on wheels can display at the show,” he said.
It is the first big show the company has organised after hosting two smaller shows last year. “We had 65 contestants and 30 companies took stalls this year. Some of the contestants even rebuilt their cars especially for the show,” Majiet said.
“We are hosting it again next year and want the show to go national. We have had a lot of interest from people in Johannesburg and Durban and will be doing research next year into the possibility of taking the show to other cities. We want to run shows with contests in Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town. The plan is then to bring all the finalists back to Cape Town for a final competition to select national winners,” said Majiet.
The competition was divided into different categories, with show visitors voting for the best vehicles. The yellow 1,6-litre Corsa, built by Supercar, was named the overall winner. “It was built to perfection and fully customised. It was also done with parts that you can’t just buy off the shelf,” said Majiet.
Majiet said the one-day show at the Good Hope Centre attracted almost 15 000 people. Car clubs such as HondaXtreme, TRDclub, extreme Vdubs etc supported the event. Their customised cars parked outside the centre attracted even more visitors. One of the cars on show was a white Police Toyota Venture with a set on 19-inch mags and decals to make every child want to aspire to become a police officer.
The main arena showcased most of the custom cars with the outlying areas having a variety of stalls. The DB Drag Sound off was a highlight with the thundering bass echoing through the basement and attracting the crowds.
Winners in the categories were: American: Robert Heydenrych with a 1934 Ford, Euro: Supercar’s Opel Corsa, Old School: Ashley Adrians with a 1975 Datsun 160Z, Beetles: Andre Stevens and a Karmann Ghia, Mini trucking (bakkies): Alwie Doutie with a 1987 Nissan 720, Motorbikes: Noel Beyers (no details were available on his customised bike).
The Corsa is co-owned by Fayzool Bham, owner of Supercar, a body styling and customised car business. “It took me less than two months to customise the car and cost more than R150 000,” said Bham. “I have a passion for this, it is both my hobby and my job. I started working in a backyard with my father who was in this business for 30 years,” Bham said.
And just for a quick rundown on some of the car’s features: wide-arch kit which Bham designed himself, lowered side skirts, two-pot headlamps with studded surrounds, veil side front bumpers, suicide bonnet and rev counter on bonnet, and more. Inside, there are M3 Recaro seats, Maranello steering wheel and gear knob, the dashboard has been changed completely, buttercup leather seats, dashboard and leather panels, Rockford head unit and plasma screen, DVD player, playstation and two Rockford 12-inch subs in the boot. The list goes on.
What do you think? Are you interested in customised cars?
