WORKING ON A WARRIOR

TOBY JOINS THE PRODUCTION LINE AT PREMCAR WHERE THE NISSAN N-TREK WARRIOR IS BUILT.

- TOBY HAGON

“Sometimes you have to put your balls on the line,” reveals Bernie Quinn, the head of automotive engineering and assembly company Premcar. The casual, almost matter-of-fact comment refers to the multi-million-dollar investment in facilities, staff and equipment in the still-fresh factory I’m entrenched in, ready to get my hands dirty.

Every few minutes Nissan’s latest tough truck, the Navara Warrior, flickers past in the background, moving around the sizeable 6300m² facility in the north of Melbourne. We’re in the boardroom with its large-screen TVs and slick furniture that is a far cry from the bustle of the assembly line only metres away. And both are a world away from the grunge and disorder some might envisage of an automotive workshop.

Created from the ashes of the Tickford business that once crafted hot Falcons, Premcar has turned its attention to the booming off-road segment now dominated by dual-cab utes.

The first major client is Nissan, keen to exploit the potential of the Navara. Rather than throw accessories at it to beef up the look, Premcar sliced and diced with suspension and chassis modifications and enhanced underbody protection as part of a comprehensive engineering program aimed at boosting off-road performance.

In one unused corner of the workshop are some dormant there’s not much happening. Pointing to some telltale tape on the ground, production manager Bill Birney says that’s where a wall will soon be built for the planned engineering facility, all of which helps paint the picture of what Premcar is about.