WHILE small in stature, Catherine Lightbody’s bright lime 1997 Hyundai Excel has left some car enthusiasts green with envy.
Ms Lightbody first purchased the vehicle in 2014 for her daughter to participate in motorkhana and khanacross eventswith the South East Automobile Club.
“I thought it would be a good first car to learn how to do general maintenance, and work out whether I enjoyed it,” she said.
“From there it just snowballed…it went to repainting it and decking it completely out.
“I like the result of the vehicle now, but it is still not finished yet.”
Ms Lightbody’s daughter has since grown out of motorsport and is now waiting to see whether her younger children would use the car.
“There is still more I would like to do, but I am working on it in stages,” she said.
“I am looking at putting a turbo motor in it and I also would like to do more with the stereo system.”
With a custom-coloured paint job, Ms Lightbody said the vehicle was nicknamed ‘Kermie’.
“It was green already, so if we thought if we kept it green we would be safe and not have to change paperwork,” she said.
“I actually hate green…originally it was going to be bright green with a deep purple stripe but we changed to black.
“We knew green and purple look good together.”
Purchased for around $100, Ms Lightbody said there were a few minor components which had to be fixed.
“We have fitted a new alternator, drive shaft, four subwoofers in the boot, changed to front seats to racing seats, painted the inside dash and added a dual battery system to run the system.” she said.
“I often refer to the car as my alter-ego because I am quite reserved.
“It was not for me to stand out from the crowd, I am quite the opposite.”
Ms Lightbody said the vehicle also featured power steering, cruise control, central locking.
“It is just great to get in, crank the music and just cruise in it,” she said.
“It is a relatively not old car, but it is good to have some fun with it.
“You hear the car first and then you see it generally.”
Ms Lightbody said she hoped by next winter she would have a 1.8L Lantra turbo motor installed.
