Ramon’s recycled Ferrari

You can find just about anything road-side in Bondi. Ramon Ashourian, a Birrell Street resident, has spent the last two years gathering seemingly worthless items and turning them into an imitation FI Ferrari racing car

“I paid $320 for a Ferrari,” Ashourian says. “I had to buy the mag wheels from a garage sale.”

Everything else on the car is recycled, from an exercise machine handle doubling as a steering wheel, to a woman’s leather jacket for a seat. This 24-month, 1300-hour labour of love now has the Ferrari operational – with a hitch. It doesn’t have a motor.

But Ashourian has a plan: “I want to place electric motors behind each wheel, connected to a high-powered battery (recycled, of course) on the nose front, and then I’ll have a fully sustainable car. There’ll be no oil whatsoever, no petrol, and a car battery system that will recharge itself.”

For this, he needs money. He’s asking Waverly Council’s permission to exhibit his car on Bondi Junction mall to raise awareness of his project, but is thwarted by public liability. He has turned to the University of New South Wales for help.

“Then the car will go 320 kilometres an hour,” he said.

– By Matt Khoury