Athlone man turns Kombi into a business
AN ATHLONE resident who has a huge passion for restoring classic Volkswagen Kombis has turned this love into a successful business.
Rafiq Fisher, 35, said that as long as he can remember he has been surrounded by Kombis. At the age of 17, his father gave him a Volkswagen Bay Window Kombi, which has been in the family for 42 years.
“My dad, Brian, had Kombis all his life and he repaired and restored it. As kids we used to go camping in it.
“So when I turned 17 and my father gave it to me, I too restored it, and put a V8 motor engine into it – a racing motor. I raced with that Kombi on Killarney race track. Later I refurbished it to compete at car shows.
“Over the years I fully customised it with a 55” plasma television, an Xbox, a PlayStation and a big sound system. Today it has 18” chrome rims and a built-in photo boot,” he said.
After many requests, Fisher decided four years ago to hire out his customised Kombi for matric balls and weddings. He started Apollo Kombi Hire. It has become so popular that his Kombi is now one in a fleet of four, booked out throughout the year.
“It’s especially liked by young people for matric balls and parties. There’s a lot of entertainment inside it, especially the big sound system. But people also like the Kombis for weddings because one has eight seats inside, so it accommodates bridal parties too.”
Fisher said he was now planning to collect more Volkswagen Kombis.
“My dream is to buy a Maisto Kombi to add to my collection,” he said.