With so many OEMs manufacturing cars in the Eastern Cape, Durban and outside Gauteng, we tend to forget about the niche manufacturers. One of them is based right here in Cape Town. We pay CAV a visit.
Words: Wilhelm Lutjeharms
Pictures: Supplied and Wilhelm Lutjeharms
CAV, an abbreviation for Cape Advanced Vehicles, is based just outside Cape Town in Muizenberg. When I walk in and see the row of chassis’ (and at the end a near complete car), I quickly realise this place is run with a clear and purposeful production line that is visible for all to see.
From the start of the line to the end you can see how these high-performance cars are manufactured and follow each step of the process. To the right are the rolls of glass-fibre materials while there are also two enclosed bays where the body panels are expertly handmade while the chassis is welded in the back of the building.
The end result is a truly beautiful "restomod" GT40, based on the Ford GT40 from the 60s. However, there are several options to choose from and to learn more of the process, I sat down with Jordi Reddy, CAV’s director and product architect, who is the company owner. It might come as a surprise that Jordi is a robotics engineer who has specialised in bio-medical engineering, but there has also always been a passion for cars.
Some background
“In 2013 I bought CAV from the previous owners. I love design and have a true passion for cars. In my previous profession I would spend 5% of my time on design and the rest on red tape – which is of course necessary when working with life and death scenarios. Before 2013 I phoned one of the previous owners as I was considering buying a GT40 at the time. However, I decided to purchase my first house instead. Later on, the previous owners were willing to sell, so I got some business partners involved and bought the company.”
In the recent past Jordi became the sole owner of the company, which shows a clear intent in making the company even more successful.
“This industry is very difficult. I happen to have landed myself on a very complicated product. First we have to package this car correctly as a historic racecar. Then we need to adapt it for a whole different type of client base. It has to be comfortable, with some added head room for the taller buyers; and I wanted more safety features to give drivers confidence with the extra performance. We have addressed all these needs over the years. The package still needs to stay the same though, as the GT40 shape stays the same.”
The options
“We build Mark I GT40s in the classic style and also the modern style of our GT+ (“GT Plus”) model. They all make use of the same bespoke platform that we build in-house. Standard equipment includes air-conditioning and a larger radiator to ensure constant and enough cooling for the engine. Also, performance brakes and billet machined fuel filler caps are standard, just to name a few.”
It gets even more enticing as Jordi explains they can build a turn-key car, or just a rolling chassis.
“If we do a turn-key car we start with either a 302 (4.9-litres) or a 347 ci (5.7-litres), V8 engine. We then have a six-speed manual transmission that can take up to 335 kW. This is kind of our entry-level car. If a more powerful engine is selected, which a lot of buyers are choosing, a stronger gearbox is configured. There are engines that offer 447 to 520 kW, in car that weighs 1 100 kg… with no traction control or ABS!
“We either get Ford crate engines which are 100% build by Ford Performance, or we will get a custom-built engine using Ford components. Another option will be a completely tailored engine, hand picking items from various manufacturers. Beyond that, when we start looking at the intake system, that is when we deviate from Ford. We will start with a Holley four-barrel carburettor, but now you can add fuel injection to this engine – which our younger clients want. Or, clients can upgrade to the Weber-style eight-stack. We can also offer a 351 ci (5.8-litre) Windsor V8 (also from Ford). This engine can then be bored and stroked to 427 ci (7.0-litre).”
The result is that the full package will be the 427 ci engine with the Weber-style eight-stack and fuel injection. It churns out a reliable 410 kW, or slightly more.
One of the gearboxes is a Porsche/Audi unit that is sourced in Europe, refurbished in the USA and then sent to Cape Town. This gearbox is for options up to 335 kW, but above that CAV installs either a five-speed, dog-leg ZF transmission (which is ideal for buyers who want the car to be historically correct) or a Quaife gearbox for example.
“Building these restomods is a lot like tailoring a suit for each client. We have the baseline model, but our clients almost always request something special; for example: ‘as beautiful as your stainless-steel chassis is, can you make mine black’. Almost anything can be tweaked.”
Starting prices for an entry-level model is around R2.1 million, from which you can add all the available options.
As I’m guided through the assembly process, I can’t help but be drawn into the process and dream of the specification I would select for my own car – even more so when Jordi illustrates various colours and wheel options against the wall as well as on his computer.
The future
Before my tour comes to an end, Jordi explains that they are also branching out into a number of other avenues. There is an Audi R8 that has received a custom exhaust system, scissor doors with a rear bumper-delete. It looks mean to say the least. Parked outside is his own personal first-generation, facelifted Porsche Cayenne. It is an aggressive overland conversion, that he says he uses daily, also featuring a custom exhaust system, spacers on the wheels, different wheels and tyres and a custom roof rack. The Cayenne also received a lot of carbon-fibre work in-house; a hint at things to come in CAV’s future.
Porsche Cayennes and Audi R8s will be two of the cars that CAV will focus on in terms of customisation going forward. Apart from that, being a company that manufactures parts and is entrenched in the motor industry, there is definitely more to come from this company in the future.
To visit the company, head over to their website.