KOTA KINABALU – There is a special kind of people who would scour scrap metal yards and second-hand automobile chopped parts warehouses all over Sabah, looking for old but still working car parts.
Some parts are so rare that these individuals will go hunting for the missing pieces or parts in the digital sphere to complete their quests of bringing the dead (cars) back to life.
However, there is an inherent risk for these classic car lovers – their passion projects can take years before it sees any completion and at times, not at all.
But it is the risk that Mohd Syahrin Salleh, a 36-year-old civil servant from Kota Kinabalu, is willing to take.
“Rather than throwing them to scraps, for us we see abandoned old cars like they are gold. When we see such cars on the roadside, we will buy and refurbish them.
“Any broken or missing parts, we will look for them, ask around for the parts. These days, when some parts are impossible to find, we have friends who can do car modifications (mod) for us.
“It is now possible for us now to bring life to almost all types of old cars – of course depending on whether you are willing to pay the price,” said Syahrin, who is known as “Bob” among the old school car lovers in Sabah.
From classic Japanese and European models, Syahrin said the number of classic cars, whether abandoned or still working in Sabah, is still the largest when compared to Peninsular Malaysia and thus, many from there are willing to buy off the refurbished automobiles from them.
He shared that there are many hidden gems in the homes of everyday Sabahans that are left abandoned and unused because many of the owners have no idea where to repair and refurbish their vehicles.
In his eyes, Tuaran is a scrap haven.
Syahrin himself has five resurrected classics under his belt, which are the Toyota KE70, Corolla KE35 Hardtop, Corolla KE35, Datsun B310 and the Mazda RX3.
He joked that within the classic car owners’ circle in Sabah, the old proverb “another man’s junk is another man’s treasure” is taken literally.
For instance, a rare fender side mirror of a classic car could fetch tenfold the price from buying it at only RM8 from a scrap metal collector.
He said some parts are a goldmine if seen by trained and experienced eyes and that one could buy off a scrap metal car for RM500 and make over RM2,000 by just selling the parts.
Marketing executive Arif Zakaria, 33, said he does not have an automotive background, but cars are his passion.
He said these days many old school car lovers would like to get their hands on a Toyota Celica TA27 and Celica TA28, which many are willing to pay a high price for a refurbished old car.
This is because these two models resemble the classic Ford Mustang.
“For us, when it comes to a classic car there’s a lot one can do with it. Install any car mods and the car will look great.
“But compared to all the new cars, no matter how they are modified, they still look pretty much the same.
“The thing about old or classic cars is that they are a sure head-turner. When I stop at traffic lights, I see those next to me admiring my car, giving me a thumbs up.
“Sometimes I get so embarrassed because people would always come near and admire the car, taking pictures and all that,” he said.
Mechanic, Kadri Kadir, who specialises in mods for classic cars said old or classic cars are not for everyone, only those who are truly passionate will go the distance to keep and maintain them.
He shared that not all classic car parts are difficult to find but the main issue is buying its body parts.
For instance, the professional explained that engines can be modified and fit into the model, seeing that some engines can be used across different vehicle designs.
When it comes to hard-to-find components, he said runners will be dispatched to look for it.
Kadri said it is not impossible for anyone in Sabah to keep at least one classic car as many of the car parts are still widely available.
But keeping an old car requires experts who can help owners maintain them.
Furthermore, there are specialist mechanics like Kadri running a business maintaining these old treasures for a price.
“There are customers who will find the spare parts themselves and pass it to me to install them.
“But I also help to look for the parts for an extra charge,” said Kadri, adding that he had been working on cars since he was 16 years old.
At the age of 15, he quit schooling and decided to work at a workshop owned by his neighbour.
Since then, he had worked on thousands of old school cars and explained that the reason why many workshops decline working on old cars are due to the difficulty in finding the spare parts.
Kadri said this was the reason he opened a workshop refurbishing classic cars.
However, he added that customers must know that getting a classic car to run requires patience.
“Not only can the cost be very high, they also have to be patient and wait until their cars are fully completed,” he said. – The Vibes, January 16, 2022
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