Today we commemorate and honour the lives of two avid petrolkoppe, united by their passion for the Toyota SR5.
Trevor Abrahams passed at 43 years old and Daryl Cootee aka “Bal” at 47, and both are mourned by their families and the car crew they ran with: SR Brotherhood.
Bobby Nitro spoke to Daryl’s brother Brandon Cootee about his love for cars. Brandon says: “Daryl started out at age 16, buying wrecks, doing them up and selling them. Whatever he had in life he worked hard for.”
He remembers an old Mk1 Escort, then a Beetle with holes in the floor, all getting a makeover with his brother sourcing parts here and there and applying himself to restoring and selling these old cars.
Daryl actually owned two SR5s, the most recent sale being to a guy who owns a Toyota museum in Klerksdorp.
With its two-door sleek looks, a sedan with a 1.6 litre Toyota 2T powerplant, what’s not to love about the classic SR5? Collectors and fans of Toyota world over set their sights on such a cabbie.
Brandon adds: “His life was for his two angels (daughters Zoë and Keira) and his cars. My brother was also the guy who would walk into a room and make people laugh, he would be the life of the party, a larger-than-life personality who loved his gold chains and rings.”
Daryl was a big fan of the show n shine and park-off scene, and the latest ride he would like to roll in with was his Pontiac. Low and slow.
Undoubtedly Daryl knew Trevor, as they would roll with the same car crew now and again, the SR Brotherhood, not really a club according to Brandon, but more a group of friends with a shared passion.
Aliston Caputo of the SR5 Brotherhood tells us about his friend Trevor Abrahams, saying: “He was one of the most active members of the club, having one of the prettiest cars, him and Daryl. He loved that orange paint job, and the fact that the SR5 is a two-door.”
Trevor traded out the original 2T motor for a Beams powerplant but, after finding it to be too much, reinstalled the original and went for a twincam conversion instead. The engine bay received a full makeover as nothing was left untouched. The neat wire-tuck and chrome braided hoses gave that extra wow-factor, at first glance.
Event organiser Shahiem Bell says: “I knew both gentlemen from them attending events and our charity initiatives over the years. Both Daryl and Trevor were guys who loved their precious metal.
“Daryl would collect and restore passionately, while Trevor loved to be playful with his builds.
“It’s clear to me that both these gentlemen were very well liked by their peers as I was inundated with calls and messages about their passing, and during these times and restrictions, it was only fitting to want to remember them like everyone did.”
Both men are remembered by their loved ones and will be missed in the Cape car community.