Township duo pimp R1.5m Maserati

Galactica

Galactica

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Johannesburg - David Gumede and Lesego Legoale were undaunted by the huge task at hand. But the brand name and the price tag that came with their latest experiment made their hearts skip a few beats.

The duo from Mohlakeng, west of Johannesburg, who audaciously turned old wrecks into “dream cars” by adding custom butterfly doors, were staring at a R1.5 million Maserati.

They had long idolised supercars like this, so much so that they had used their old family cars as test cases, giving them “cosmetic surgery” to make them resemble the models so beloved of the rich and famous.

To their friends it all seemed a fantasy until they launched a car-customising company - White Wall Boys.

Their workshop in Nandi Street, Mohlakeng, is hardly recognisable as one because there are no signboards, but now their reputation is enough for car owners to drop in.

For years the self-taught duo stripped and chopped old cars, transforming them with outrageous “pimping” that earned adulation for the pair in the township and made enthusiasts gasp.
IOL mot pic may11 White Wall Boys 2 The doors of the Maserati were heavier than they expected. Picture: Paballo Thekiso INLSA

But nothing could have prepared them for the project they were given last month.

*Omar Patel, top executive at a multinational computer company, drove through the winding streets of Kagiso to the pair’s secondary workshop space, getting hopelessly lost in his Maserati, to find the duo he wanted to customise his doors so they would open straight up in the air.

GUT FEELING

The lanky Gumede said: “When [Patel] called asking for a quote and he said his car was a Maserati, my heart skipped for a moment.

“I tried to phone around to find built-in kits for such a car, but there weren’t any locally. Finally I called a company in Hong Kong and they said they had a universal hinge for all supercars.

“I went with my gut feeling, which simply said I could do it - it’s just another car. I got over the fact that this was a car worth more than R1 million.”
IOL mot pic may11 White Wall Boys 3 When the Maserati stopped near a high school and its doors flipped up, youngsters wrestled wildly with one another to take pictures of it. Picture: Paballo Thekiso

Although it was a gamble for Patel, he was confident about the results - although he told his wife he had taken the car to a workshop in the northern suburbs.

He said he had received three quotations, but couldn’t be sure that the workshops in Sandton would stick to his specifications or timelines.

“I found these guys through a Saturday Star article from a couple of years ago on the internet. I managed to track down a cellphone number of one of the guys. I looked for them for about two days.

“I managed to find David, we had a chat and he gave me a quote.

“My main concern was taking the risk, but if you believe you have found trustworthy people to do what you want, then you just simply do it.”
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Link.
 
FiestaST

FiestaST

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Rickster said:
Nissan GTR/GTR NISMO, Mercedes SLS AMG, Aston Martin Vantage.

Throw in a bit more for a BMW i8.
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I've seen i8's being advertised for over R2mill; list price is about R1.7mil
For R1.5mill you are forgetting the all important R8 man.
 
Rickster

Rickster

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FiestaST said:
I've seen i8's being advertised for over R2mill; list price is about R1.7mil
For R1.5mill you are forgetting the all important R8 man.
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He said what car would "I" buy, Ill never buy a VAG product, even if its the best thing since sliced bread.
 
Fulcrum29

Fulcrum29

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Rickster said:
Nissan GTR/GTR NISMO, Mercedes SLS AMG, Aston Martin Vantage.

Throw in a bit more for a BMW i8.
Click to expand...

The baby Vantage is more than 1,5mil and the SLS AMG is nearly 3mil. The standard GTR editions are around 1.5mil, but the GTR NISMO is around 2-2,5mil. The BMW i8 is probably priced in the same range as the GTR and GranTurismo. That SLS is double the price.
 
Rickster

Rickster

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Fulcrum29 said:
The baby Vantage is more than 1,5mil and the SLS AMG is nearly 3mil. The standard GTR editions are around 1.5mil, but the GTR NISMO is around 2-2,5mil. The BMW i8 is probably priced in the same range as the GTR and GranTurismo. That SLS is double the price.
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I just checked on Mercs website, the SLS isnt sold anymore, the AMG GT replaces it and that goes for R1,65 Mil
 
GhostSixFour

GhostSixFour

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Rickster said:
Im saying if you are going to drop 1.5 Bar on a car, dont make it a Maserati.
Click to expand...

Rickster said:
Nissan GTR/GTR NISMO, Mercedes SLS AMG, Aston Martin Vantage.

Throw in a bit more for a BMW i8.
Click to expand...

Or get something that everyone with that money doesn't have and buy a maserati. It's not like you can drive any of those flat out on our roads anyway, and standing still the maserati beats them all, except maybe the Vantage.

Plus, the noise the maserati makes will get panties thrown at you.
 
ToxicBunny

ToxicBunny

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F-Type biatches.....

R1.5 gets you the V8 Supercharged model.
 
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