The young ones may well have no idea what I am talking about, but the older readers should know.

Well, for one man, whether it be a sweet or a cartoon, saying “Love is a Nissan bakkie” will make perfect sense.

Justice Bam is tall in stature. He was a bit of a wild one when he was younger and this makes for both interesting and scary stories.

There was this one morning. He woke up, thinking about all that stuff – alcohol, money down the drain, his family. “I made a firm decision – I had had enough. This stops now.”

Among other things, he decided to explore a dream he had always had since he was little. In 2008 they moved to the Lowveld and have been living in Barberton for the past five years.

He worked in the motoring environment, but then branched out into forestry, working as a logistics manager with a focus on export and import.

“My interest in cars started when I was little. And although I participated in oval track and karting racing in the Free State (without permission), the family did not support my interest. “The Audi 500 has been a favourite of mine since I was a kannetjie. This also cultivated a love of Volkswagen products.”

The road to recovery also motivated a firm decision to save money for a car – not any car, a car that can be pampered and fine-tuned.

The search for a Nissan bakkie or a Datsun started and eventually he found the bakkie in Vereeniging in 2016. “Boetie het sy bakkie gekry,” he chirped.

“Although the bakkie’s engine had already been fitted with a turbo, when I bought it, we have now, among other things and with the technical support from a tuning specialist in Mbombela, changed conrods, diffs (there is an Alfa diff in the rear), fuel management and all the hoses were replaced with braided hoses.

The interior has been reupholstered and I installed a complete set of new gauges. Once a year – this has been standard practice since I bought the bakkie – she is treated to a complete professional polish and valet service.

We have won two Show and Shine competitions, which is truly rewarding considering the work and money that has gone into the project.

She is a showpiece, yes, but one that is 100% road legal and one that is driven and enjoyed.

Now, the standard output of the 1400 straight off the manufacturer floor is 42kW. This bakkie now pushes 111kW and does the quarter mile in 14,68 seconds, reaching 163km/h.

“Driving this bakkie and referencing the experience to and with my wild past life, there is no need for speed now – or at least not to the same degree as back then – but the emotion and gratitude of being here and now, the achievement, is a humbling experience. For me, this bakkie is the reward of a firm decision that changed my life.”

And of course, selling it… never! “The lesson from my experience is this: a firm decision, with consistent intentional follow-through, will always, irrespective of the challenges, manifest your goal.”

Praat jy wat tanne het…