It’s a weird one, no matter how you look at it, this passing of the baton thing.
It feels like just the other day that Bobby Nitro was featuring a young father’s two-door rabbit and then his G5, now this gleaming Mk1 you see on these pages belongs to his son.
Just like that, the younger generation rises and brings their talent. Lucky that, as an iconic newspaper columnist, age does not affect Bobby in the slightest.
Dad Hoosain Kader is well-known on the local scene, now his son Rizwan is following in those footsteps and bringing this neat and tidy fire-engine red golfie to the party.
The 20-year-old hails from Zeekoevlei and says he became a petrolkop as a result of being exposed to the car scene from a young age. Come to think of it, young Rizwan didn’t stand a chance.
Rizwan says: “My dad’s passion for and intuition around cars and the car scene literally rubbed off on me. His obsession around cars is what rubbed off even more, especially when it comes to driving with agility and keeping the cabbie in good shape.”
The Mk1 Golf here is his first car, a 2003 model with an 1800cc engine, just like his dad, who started out with a Mk1 too. Named Lexi, his Mk1 is a pride and joy, “with a bright red colour that ensures she stands out in a crowd”.
The engine is pretty much standard, except for a 272 cam and some veneer gear and head work done. The exterior has had more of a treatment, with lekker rims and JOM redline coilovers. Not to forget the paint job.
The interior has been given CTi seats as well as an atmospheric light install under the seats. Like any healthy youngster, Rizwan spent a bit on the audio, with Pioneer 6x9s and a 10-inch sub installed by SM Audio.
Rizwan is cagey when asked what work he still intends to do on the car, but diplomatically says: “It’s a surprise.”
He is, however, remarkably more forthcoming when Bobby asked about any interesting experiences he has had in his Mk1, saying: “It definitely attracts females!” Annoyingly, this pursuit – Bobby was not sure whether he was referring to the ‘females’ or maintaining the car itself – according to Rizwan, also “costs money”.
The strong points of owning a Mk1 are definitely that it is a reliable marque but, says Rizwan, he does experience some timing issues. Of course, coming from a family that is certainly aspirational when it comes to cars, Rizwan has his eye on his dad’s Mk5 GTi, but is willing to wait until he turns 21 to get behind the wheel of that baby.