We are delighted to present Thomas as our Mod of the Month, a first-year apprentice currently pursuing a AUR32420 Certificate III in Light Vehicle Mechanical Technology. Thomas has been working on his own project car for over a year. His love for cars dates back to his childhood, where he developed an interest in cars by playing Gran Turismo and F1 on his Xbox. When Thomas got his first car (a blue Mitsubishi Lancer), he was determined to make it stand out by customising it to his liking.

Since then, Thomas has been adding his own personal touches to his car, including modifying the air intake, adding a valve cover breather, and installing a new shifter assembly. He's also painted various parts of the interior, including the rocker cover, trim pieces and engine bay. Thomas even made his own custom door cards, replaced the speakers in the back with aftermarket ones and added a subwoofer under his racer seat. “I’m always working on something. A recent project of mine has involved adding a Varis widebody kit to my car.”

Thomas does all this work in his garage. “One of my mates who works at Volkswagen has helped a lot with my project car. If I have any questions, he’s always willing to help.” Thomas was also pleasantly surprised to learn that one of the mechanics at his host employer, Mazda Edwardstown, lives across the street from him. “I didn’t know he worked at Mazda Edwardstown until I started there too! I also knock on his door if I need a hand with anything.”

Thomas is determined to make his car truly unique and has no intention of ever selling it. He has already installed 25% of the modifications he has planned and is eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Varis front fenders so that he can paint the front bar and add them to the vehicle. Although the Varis wide body kit is not designed for his car model, he plans to custom fabricate it onto his car and get fiberglass moulded onto it.

“It feels like Christmas when something new arrives in the mail for my car.” Thomas has a long list of modifications planned for his Mitsubishi Lancer, including Varis front fenders, a full Varis wide body kit, LED side indicators, and fibre side mirrors. Even though his car already came equipped with features like roof racks and an exhaust, he plans to replace the exhaust and make other changes to further personalise his car.

Thomas finds the learning process to be the most rewarding aspect of his training at the MTA. He is passionate about acquiring knowledge related to his interests, which he can apply not only to his job and personal car projects but also to everyday life, including working on his parents' cars. In his opinion, learning a trade offers benefits beyond just a career path.

We're amazed at Thomas’s dedication and passion for his car. It's clear that he loves what he does and enjoys learning new things about cars. His enthusiasm for his project car is infectious, and we can't wait to see what he does next.

Congratulations, Thomas, on being our Mod of the Month. Keep up the great work!