Have a shot of vitamin A!

Intrigued? You should be. Nico Moosa of Barberton is a doer of things. He does as much and more for others as he does for himself. If you want to organise something or get it done, Mr Vitamin C is your goto man. If you need vehicle parts, Mr Wheeler-Dealer knows where to source it at the best prices. He buys and delivers countrywide. “I love driving. So getting into a car to drive to Gauteng or wherever to find a solution for someone’s car problem – I love it! ”

Growing up was not easy, so I was always washing cars, mowing lawns and Have a shot of vitamin A! Matthys Ferreira Nico Moosa – and yes, he does have one of “those” chairs. He sits on it, looks at his cars, moves around them, and makes notes of what needs to be done… doing odd jobs for people. Sometimes I received money and sometimes I did not, but it did not matter. The satisfaction of helping someone or just being productive – the sense of achievement by making a difference, is good for the soul.

“My dad and uncles were all into cars and mechanics, and this fascinated me since I was little. I often left school earlier (pretending that I did not feel well) just to rush to the workshop, drop a diff or gearbox, do the required repairs, test it and to everyone’s astonishment, have the car ready by the end of business.”

Nico eventually completed an apprenticeship with Mercedes-Benz followed by five years of working with German perfectionist. “But hey, this man taught me a lot and I will always honour that. He taught me about BMW and how to properly care for these German cars. I fell in love with BMWs. They are not problem cars – they don’t talk back to you. If you maintain a BMW (old or new), it will present you with infinite joy.

“In my business, consistency and trust is critical and I also expect this from my cars. Yes, I do own a Skyline and a GT-R also, but Beamers are my first love. I must add though that the GT-R is in a class of its own – it took me a while to find one that I liked, but I did and I will not sell it either.

“I have some 22 cars in my collection and three bikes. And yes, it is worth a good R2,50 or so! I don’t buy Beamers with the intention to sell them again. I don’t believe in tinkering with the engines because it is so easy to burn your fingers and end up spending a lot of money which you will never recover. No, visually the cars must be perfect and I do spend time and money on this. Engines are mostly standard unless it was already slightly modified when I bought the car.”

Nico talks straight – says it like it is. He is an infinitely passionate lover of all cars. In his garage you will find, among others, M-derivatives, a Schnitzer (his is number 31 of only 39 in the country), E30s and E36s – all in mint condition and clean as a whistle. “I will not get into or drive a dirty or crappy-looking car – no sir, not a chance. Even if my friends visit and their cars are dirty, my staff will wash their cars while we chat or braai. A clean car is in itself a smart car,” he chirps.

He has many car stories to tell – his sense of humor is as sharp as tack. “I work hard and also play hard when I do.” His passion for cars is infectious. His pet hate – E30s with their high-rev cams, free-flow exhausts, dropped suspensions, but no go!

What is on his bucket list other than more Beamers? “A boat and photography as a hobby,” he says.

Well, there you have it – workaholic Dr Moosa Mr Vitamin C, exposed…