DAILY DRIVEN

NAME: ALEISHA FAWCETT AGE: 23 LOCATION: ASHBURTON OCCUPATION: HAIRDRESSER

NZ Performance Car: Hey, Aleisha. Tell us how you got into modified cars and what your first was.

Aleisha: Hey, guys! I grew up with my dad building and restoring cars, mostly old V8s — it interested me heaps. I guess because he never had a son, I was the next best thing. He taught me how to work on cars, and I spent hours helping him in the garage. When I got a bit older, some of my friends were getting into Japanese cars and buying/modifying various things to drive around in, so I got a ’89 VW Jetta MK2 and lowered it with Ohlin coilovers on widened wheels, etc.

Thanks, dad! How long have you had the MX-5 and what made you want to buy it?

I’ve had it for coming up two years now. I wanted something small and I love pop-up headlights, so I looked at a couple across Canterbury and got mucked around heaps, but ended up finding this one local to me in Ashburton!

What kind of state was it in when you bought it and what have you done to it since?

It was stock standard in silver with severe paint fade all over, and dents and damage on almost every panel. It’s been fully panel-beaten to fix up all the yuck bits, and I replaced the soft-top with a hardtop as I think they look better. It’s also got a few extras like the front and rear lips, side skirts, and ducktail wing. The motor has been rebuilt, too. Oh, and of course the Longchamps, which used to be on an MX-5 up in Auckland.

Come a long way then. Do you have any plans for it in the future?

Nothing too extreme, but I do plan on rotary converting it some time in the next couple of years and have a go at doing some track days — it’s a work in progress [laughs].

And we have to ask, do you get much banter from your friends about being an actual hairdresser who drives an MX-5?

[laughs] Well, yeah, my friends think it’s quite funny. But I love it!

We don’t blame you for loving it. Thanks for the chat, Aleisha.

ENGINE: Mazda B6ZE(RS), 1600cc, four-cylinder; rebuilt bottom end, mild head port DRIVELINE: Mazda five-speed, LSD INTERIOR: Factory EXTERIOR: OEM hardtop, aftermarket side skirts, front and rear lips, and roof spoiler, resprayed purple WHEELS/TYRES: (F) 14x8.5-inch (+4) SSR Longchamp XR-4, 185/55R14 Toyo, (R) 14x9-inch (+11) SSR Longchamp XR-4, 185/55R14 Toyo SUSPENSION: TruHart coilovers POWER: Unknown FUEL TYPE: 98 octane