Lovingly nurturing cars back to health
Following in dad’s footsteps and doing the work himself
EVERY time Lenasia businessman Subash Lall turns the key to start the engine of his 1960 Chevrolet Biscayne, he feels like a little boy with a new toy.
Lall, 40, is married to Rivana and they have two children, Shriana, 12, and Saurav, 9.
“My daughter is embarrassed to be seen in my car and whenever we go out for a drive she hides in the back seat, hoping no one she knows will spot her.
“I am certain she will change her mind as she gets older and will learn to appreciate an old classic.
“My interest in classic cars started when I was a boy,” said Lall. “My father had many vintage cars and I fell in love with their unique designs and the way the car felt when you took it out for a drive.
“With all my cars, I have put tender loving care into nurturing them back to life.
“I did all the mechanical work and respraying of my cars myself, a trait my father passed on to me.
“To me it’s not just about owning a vintage car, but putting your personal touch to it. This is what makes it unique and gives me all the more pleasure when I drive it,” said Lall.
It was the Biscayne’s curvaceous body and tail wings that caught Lall’s attention six years ago when he bought it from a friend.
With time, patience and dedication he restored the car to the beauty it is today.
“I installed a Pioneer sound system and 20-inch mag rims. It has black carpets and custom-fitted seats in cream and maroon to match the door pads. All the instrument gauges and lights are original and in perfect working order.”
The car has a straight-six “Blue Flame” engine with a three-speed manual gearbox and a column shift.
“It gets a lot of attention and people often stop me to talk about the car and take pictures — this for me is an affirmation of a job well done,” said Lall.
His first car was a 1984 Mitsubishi Colt and since then he has owned a variety of vehicles, including a few BMWs, Chevrolets, a VW Amarok and a 2013 BMW X5 — but nothing comes close to his Biscayne.
Lall is loyal to the Chevrolet brand because the iconic cars have been on the road since the early 20th century, are reliable, and spare parts are easy to get.
He is refurbishing a 1959 Chevrolet Biscayne, which, he said, was brought into South Africa from the old Rhodesia 40 years ago.
He saw an advert for the car in a newspaper four years ago, made an offer for it — and hopes to have completed the revamp within the next two years.
Lall said he was almost done with refurbishing a 1957 Chevrolet 210, which was built from a bare shell.