CRUISE MODE
AGE: 29 // LOCATION: AUCKLAND // OCCUPATION: PERSONAL TRAINER
NZPC: Hey, Mehul. Thanks for meeting with us. Tell us your background with cars and how you got into modifying them.
Mehul: Hey, guys. I have loved cars since I was a kid, since my first-ever car game Midtown Madness 2, which I got in a cereal box; then the Fast and Furious movies with Paul Walker, and Need for Speed Underground.
The Silvia is definitely unique! What’s the story behind it?
It was originally built in Japan by Keita Kikuchi of 326power and then imported to New Zealand by Cany Customs.
What upgrades have been done to the Silvia that make it so unique?
Honestly, so many things; countless hours spent on paint, bodywork, and the extreme suspension set-up. The styling of the car is super unique; the white paint has a red pearl through it, with rose gold accents; the roof is done in brushed metallic green — true Japanese style.
As it sits, is it road legal; if not, will it ever be?
As it sits now, no. The car is currently green stickered. New Zealand laws are a bit strict about this amount of camber. It could be legal, but it would need new, different-branded suspension, lock kit removed, smaller wheels to accommodate the new suspension. Then it could go through cert and compliance.
What are your future plans with the car?
To be honest, with the current market, I’m thinking about selling so I can buy a house.
What’s your favourite part of the car?
The aggressive stance, the interior, the roof, the paint — honestly, there’s a few things!
If you could build this car from scratch, how would you go about it?
Hard to say; maybe keep the original colour with a different colourway but keep the emerald marble roof.
Is there anybody you would like to thank?
I’d like to thank God, my family, Jared Croft, Keita Kikuchi, 326Power Japan, Glen McNamara, René, and everyone and anyone who’s helped me along the way.
Thanks for hanging with us, Mehul; enjoy your cat’s-eye scraper!