Invent. Innovate. Inspire.
These are the three words that the crew at Cape Kustoms live by. With an eclectic mix of petrolheads sharing the common goal of putting unique metal on the road, there is always something exciting in the shop.
The custom classic car scene has become more mainstream in recent times. Is Instagram to blame for this, with the likes of Magnus Walker burning the vision of modified air-cooled Porsches into our dreams forever? Or did the generation that grew up watching custom car shows on TV simply get to the point where they have the spending power to make it happen?
Either way, with each passing day, the world has fewer purists and more petrolheads willing to give restomods the respect they deserve.
We take nothing away from those who live for preservation. Restoring the very best examples of classic cars to original form for the sake of historical significance is a difficult and important calling. Equally though, we believe it would be foolish to suggest that a Singer creation isn’t a Porsche or that an Alfaholics GTA-R 290 isn’t an Alfa Romeo.
Our view is simple. Any efforts to retain the spirit of the original cars while opening the eyes of a new generation to the joy of classic cars can only be a good thing.
The most appealing “outlaws” or “restomods” or other variations on the modified classic spectrum are the intersection of art and science. This is what sets Cape Kustoms apart.
The team’s knowledge base includes everything from top-quality design skills and metal fabrication through to racecar setup, with founder Grant Cloete actively racing at Killarney in GTI Challenge.
The world was introduced to Cape Kustoms through their MGB build for the Cape Town Motor Show, which one incredibly lucky attendee won in a lucky draw. Although MG purists may beg to differ, we would wager that plenty of young petrolheads walked away from the show and started Googling ‘60s cars instead of just the latest German sports cars.
Grant has a track record of success. This isn’t his first business, so he knows how tough this game is and what it takes to be successful. Insight into Cape Kustoms’ future plans can be found on a lift in the corner of the workshop…
…where the fibreglass shell of a Puma stares ominously over proceedings.
The Puma has a fascinating history of production in Brazil and South Africa. The clever design borrows many of the Ferrari Dino’s styling cues from the 1970s. Most Pumas are essentially a VW Beetle underneath which doesn’t exactly do the styling much justice from a performance perspective.
Of course, the good folk at Cape Kustoms have other ideas.
We cannot wait to follow the progress of this exciting project. Best of all, the rest of the shop is a flurry of activity, with everything from a Shelby Daytona replica through to a Ford Prefect receiving love and attention.
If you’ve got a restomod project in mind, or if you are looking for a tweak to a more modern car, drop in for a coffee and a chat about your dreams. You won’t be disappointed.
