Month: September 2025

When Greg heard that Ford were going to manufacture a right-hand drive Mustang for the first time and that they were to be imported into South Africa, he placed his order immediately with Umgeni Ford in Durban. It was the perfect opportunity for him to own one of these cars with minimum fuss and without having to go through the hassle of converting it to right-hand drive as would have been the procedure in the past. The car also came with an independent rear suspension for the first time which was a major improvement.

In the past the vehicles had a solid rear axle and handling was terrible, especially on customized cars with more power. He initially wanted to turn the car into a fast street car with minimal customization but eventually, he went full wide body with her and turned the car into a monster that will always be a head-turner.

Every so often, a build comes along that’s too cool not to revisit. This 1951 Ford COE by UK custom builder Steve Taylor is one of those rigs — a proper blast from the past that deserves the spotlight all over again.

Steve’s been in the custom game for years, turning out head-turning rides before opening his own shop as a premier builder. But one dream always sat in the back of his mind: a tow rig like no other. When he stumbled across this COE, the vision hit hard — slam it to the ground, give it character, and make it unforgettable.

A Legend Beyond the Jeep Name 

When you say Willys in South Africa, most people think Jeep. But the Willys name is rooted in far more than military history. Founded in 1908, Willys-Overland built cars that only started turning heads in the late 1930s. 

By 1941, the Willys Americar was born – and with it, one of the most iconic drag racing platforms in American history. 

For years, the Jaguar XJ6 rear suspension has been the go-to choice for South African hot rods and street rods. Builders loved the idea of grabbing an independent rear suspension out of a Jag and bolting it into their projects. At the time, it was one of the few readily available “performance” suspension options locally.

But let’s be real—what worked in the 80s and 90s doesn’t necessarily make sense today. The XJ6 suspension is old technology, bulky, expensive to refurbish, and in most cases, a poor fit for the vehicles it’s being thrown under.

Some trucks wear their history on their sheet metal, and this ’63 Ford F-250 is one of them. At first glance it looks like just another American import with its steering wheel on the “wrong” side for South Africa. But for Ford enthusiasts, the bigger quirk is at the back — the bed doesn’t line up. That’s because this is one of the legendary “wrong bed” trucks.