Not everything that comes through the shop is a Land Cruiser, and not every build is about lockers and low range. Cili Padi is a supercharged classic Mini we built from the ground up for Paul Miller, and it is easily one of the most personal projects we have taken on.
Why this one matters
Paul has backed USJ 4x4 since the very beginning. He was, quite literally, the first person we ever issued an invoice to. So when he asked us to build this Mini, it was never going to be treated as just another job.
This Mini was built in memory of Paul's mother. A build carries a lot of hours and a lot of decisions, and it means more when there is a reason like that behind every one of them.
In memory of Helen Miller · 27 January 1943 to 18 January 2020The build
A ground-up supercharged classic Mini. Everything reworked from where it started, and it started a long way from where it is now. A supercharged Mini is a small car that asks for careful work: the power is there, so the rest of the car has to be built to deserve it.
The interior
The interior is where Cili Padi shows its personality. A barracuda orange square pattern with orange piping, the kind of choice that would look wrong on paper and looks exactly right in the car. We partner with DK Schewier for interiors, but the assembly and fitment is done in-house at USJ 4x4, so the detail sits the way we want it to.
The details
We kept the badge black to keep the outside honest and simple. It lets the car do the talking without shouting. As with any custom one-off, there is always a list of things we are still not fully happy with. That is the nature of one-off work, and it is nothing we cannot sort out. It is part of doing it properly rather than calling it done too early.
The photos
Built by USJ 4x4 Garage, Subang Jaya, Selangor, for Paul Miller, in memory of Helen Miller. Interior in partnership with DK Schewier, fitted in-house. Shared with Paul's blessing.