‘Girly’ hot rod making debut at Beach Hop
Diamonds are forever, so they say, and Lisa Sawyer has found her ”forever car” in a diamond-encrusted Ford Model A coupe.
Lisa, from Tauranga, has been getting lots of attention in her 1930 coupe with a glamour theme of “diamonds are a girl’s best friend” (made famous by Marilyn Monroe’s Gentlemen Prefer Blondes character Lorelei Lee).
Lisa has had the car since June after more than a two-year build and is “beyond rapt” with it. She can’t wait to show it off at the Beach Hop.
“I am over the moon with it and I’m blown away with all the positive comments and all the wonderful feedback.”
It has a 350cu in Chevrolet motor and was built by a childhood friend.
Lisa had always loved the smaller Model A shape and is a big Chevy fan.
Every feature is geared towards the “diamonds are a girl’s best friend” theme. Lisa wanted it white — different from the usual brightly coloured hot rod. The paintwork sparkles and the interior is encrusted with diamond-look tufting.
Lisa selected personalised number plate “A Girls”. She put the wording “Diamonds are” and “best friend” around it. The car is decorated with Model A badges and has a retro chilly bin in the back containing the battery.
The car has already won the top hot rod accolade at the recent New Zealand Hot Rod Association event.
“It was mindblowing, I was up against some really expensive cars.
“I didn’t think a girly car would get so much attention, women just love it because of the Marilyn theme but the guys still have really positive feedback. It surprises me that guys really appreciate it as well.”
Lisa and Keith attend Repco Beach Hop every year. It coincides with their wedding anniversary so it’s a special time for them.
Keith will be bringing his bright blue 1947 Chevrolet coupe too. He bought the car four years ago by chance from a man who had been working on it for 20 years.
“I was fixing the guy’s dishwasher and his wife says ‘you don’t know anyone who wants a project, do you?”’ Keith says. He ended up buying the hot rod and finished it himself.
“What I like about is, it’s different from others. I have never seen another one the same at a show.”
The Model A will make its first appearance at Repco Beach Hop 20 - the third time for the Chevy.
They’ve spent $75,000 on Lisa’s sparkly Model A, but she has no regrets. “I think it’s going to be my forever car.”