From mechanic to adventurer: Tony Govender's journey after 48 years at motor dealership
TONY Govender has spent all of his adult life working as a mechanic at Ford, and now that he has retired after 48 years of service, he will spend his days travelling South Africa with his wife Vanessa in his off-track vehicle.
The 65-year-old grandfather of three, from Otta in Verulam, said his dad, Harry Govender, was also a mechanic at Ford, and he had simply followed in his footsteps.
As tradition would have it, his daughters, Kailene and Celeste, share an equal love for vehicles as does his three-year-old grandson, Kyan.
“Kyan adores cars. He knows cars by their names and the sounds they make when the engines are switched on. I will soon teach him everything I know about cars, just as I was taught,” said Govender, whose students in the trade have gone on to open their own mechanic businesses.
He said his journey as a mechanic started at age 10 when he used to help his uncle fix cars at their home in Overport. By age 17, he secured his first and only job at Ford Kempster Auto on Umgeni Road.
“My uncle and dad taught me everything I know because I helped them for many years. I did not want to continue with high school anymore and instead, wanted to work. My mother told my father, who was strict, and he said ‘well put on your overalls and come to work with me’.
“I walked from our home in Overport to the Ford dealership on Umgeni Road with my father. While at the gate to the premises, I told the supervisor that I wanted to work. He laughed and said I was quite young but they still gave me a chance and from that day forward, Ford has been my family.”
He worked alongside his dad for five years before he retired. Soon thereafter, his younger siblings, Rajen and Selvan, also became mechanics at different Ford dealerships.
“I taught my brothers all they know about mechanics and they followed in my footsteps. We are a family of mechanics, which means our cars are always tip-top.”
Long service such as Govender’s, is hard to acquire due to the new generation technology of vehicles but he managed to adapt and evolve in the car market.
“Technology has changed cars from how we used to work on cars in those days to now. In the past, someone could tell me over the phone what was wrong with his car but now cars have to go for diagnostics to figure out what’s wrong. But you have to adapt or you will be left behind. I was lucky that I have always loved cars, so learning the new trades of cars was not difficult.”
Govender said it was the end of an era at Ford and when he retired last Friday, it had been bittersweet.
“I remained at one company. I was loyal to my job and we were a family. I looked forward to going to work every day because I loved working with engines. We made sure we were proficient in everything, not just one specialty. I will definitely miss putting on my overalls and working on cars I loved.”
The car enthusiast has owned many popular Ford Escorts and Cortinas and he always took his love for cars home. Most of his spare time was spent on modifying his vehicles.
“I love modifying cars to be faster. My first modification was a Ford RS 2000. I worked on that car during my spare time and loved it. When my children got older, my wife said we needed a bigger car and we sold it.”
In a recent project, he removed the original BMW 320i engine, gearbox and management system and replaced it with a Lexus 43-litre V8 power plant, matching Lexus automatic gearbox and original Lexus engine management system.
“We used the original Lexus management, which everyone said wouldn’t work out, but it has been done. The car has a custom-built stainless steel performance branch and exhaust system with four tailpipes. The suspension system was kept standard, while the original BMW alloys were upgraded to larger Connoisseur VS Works 19-inch mag wheels mated to 245/35/19 Continental rubbers.”
Govender said to be in this business, you had to be hardworking.
“You cannot be lazy in this field. The work is hard but rewarding. Some days you will be quiet but some days you will be busy trying to get everything done. It is tiring but it all depends on your dedication.”
He said he looked forward to travelling with Vanessa in his off-track vehicle, a Ford Ranger Wildtrak.
“My cars are all tip-top, so I know we will have a carefree drive around South Africa.”