This month’s Mod of the Month features Elly Brake, a second-year MTA apprentice training to become a spray-painter at Eblen Crash Repairs, whose 1990 Nissan Exa has been getting plenty of attention both in the garage and in her plans for the future. She has been pouring her skills, energy and personality into both her apprenticeship and her project car.
Getting the Exa back in shape
Elly hasn’t wasted time bringing her Exa back to life. “I ripped out the old crusty radiator and put in a fresh one, figured out where the oil leaks were coming from (rocker cover gasket) and replaced them, swapped out the CV joints, and even cleaned out the throttle body to fix a high-rev idling issue,” she said.
She also restored the suspension, removing chopped coils and refitting stock springs, before fitting a new set of wheels that tie the whole look together. On top of that, Elly takes pride in doing her own oil and coolant changes to keep everything running smoothly.
Plans on the horizon
The Exa’s biggest change is coming soon: “In the December break I’m doing a full respray, changing the colour to a candy red – I’m so excited!” Elly shared.
She’s also eyeing an upgraded exhaust, new bulbs (likely LEDs to help with night driving), and eventually, a potential K24 engine swap for more power. Further down the line, she hopes to take advantage of her 4th-year custom paint and panel unit to create something special on her roof panels.
Growing as a spray painter
Outside of her project car, Elly’s skills in the booth have been taking off. “My love for spray painting has grown so much since I started. I feel like I’m really honing in on my skills as a painter… not to brag, but I’ve been putting out some really great jobs,” she said.
Her confidence and speed have improved, and she’s proud of the progress. “I’ve gained so much knowledge, and you never stop learning in this industry. I’ve been working hard, and I’ll keep working hard until I’m the absolute best.”
Elly’s favourite part of the trade will always be the transformation. “Taking something beaten and battered and giving it a shiny makeover will never cease to amaze me. The process is so cool too, because you see how every little thing adds up to make the end result better.”
Watch the short video of Elly and her 1990 Nissan Exa here: https://www.instagram.com/p/DPiV0wbkQKB/
