Junk vehicle becomes a road jewel
Restorer has transformed his Opel into ‘piece of art’
JOHANNESBURG car restorer Rishen Naidoo breathes life back into cars that have lost their lustre.
He found a “diamond in the rough” in a junkyard a few years ago, worked his magic and turned it into a masterpiece.
Naidoo’s 2003 Opel Astra Turbo is one of a kind on the roads and usually hogs the limelight at car shows.
The 20-year-old said his love for cars and his job made it easy for him to take a car from a scrapyard and turn it into a “piece of art” fit for a showroom.
“I work with my uncle, Raymond Debipersad, and we specialise in restoring old classic cars and building one-of-a-kind custom rides. Working with cars is a dream come true for me. As a little boy, I knew this was what I wanted to do when I grew up,” said Naidoo.
He said he preferred Opels because they have always been a trusted brand in his family and earned a reputation for being reliable and attractive.
“I bought this car from Rand Scrap Iron in Germiston two years ago as a non-runner. It has a twolitre, 16-valve turbo engine.
“It was originally maroon — I had it resprayed red and fitted a full OPC [Opel Performance Centre] side skirts kit and rear spoiler.
“The car has bigger metal flared wheel arches to fit the 19-inch tyres, and I fitted a sport suspension.
“I debadged the grill to give the car a more aggressive look and complemented it with a powerful Clarion sound installation and an in-dash DVD system.
“My uncle helped me with the custom stripe [sticker kit] to the body,” said Naidoo.
He also made a few changes to the engine, including a software upgrade and bigger turboboost pipes, and installed a BMC air-filter induction.
He made changes to the turbo wheel and fitted a Momo steering wheel, and also replaced the seats with Recaro heated seats.
Naidoo previously owned a 1999 Opel Astra 200IE and a 1987 VW Golf 2 GTI 16-valve.
“Wherever I go, people stop and ask me about the coupé — it’s unique.
“Nobody believes me when I tell them I picked her up at a scrapyard. To think that she was once lying covered in dust and rusting is unbelievable,” said Naidoo.