Qualified mechanic, drifter, and mum of two, Kahli Bell has packed a heap of living into her 34 years. At 17, Kahli took on a paint and panel apprenticeship. A year later, she kicked off her Custom Importz business, which is still going strong. Here’s her story so far.

How did you become interested in cars?

None of my family are into cars. When I was 17, I began teaching myself how to work on my R32 Skyline. Soon after that, I started my paint and panel apprenticeship with SA Chassis – part-time, as I was still in school. A year later I became pregnant, so I dropped the apprenticeship and began my Custom Importz business, selling car parts and wheels online. My hubby Tom and I then started the mechanical side of the business – from a $100 toolbox. By 2014, I had become a qualified mechanic, and now Custom Importz has six employees. We’re a one-stop shop, predominantly for drift and JDM cars.

Tell us about KUSHI, your Nissan Skyline.

I made up the name when I was young, and later realised it means ‘meat stick’ in Japanese! I just call her my meat stick now. She’s a 1989 R32 GTS-T Skyline, which I bought with front-end damage and fixed myself with help from SA Chassis. I wanted a RWD RB26 with all-GT-R running gear, but those on the forums told me, “You can’t do that.” So, I was one of the first to run an RB26 sump and ’box – and now a lot are doing it my way. Being told ‘no’ doesn’t sit well with me. I also added the Bee-R Racing bodykit from Japan – I liked their kits and realised no one had them in Australia. The paint is 1960s Porsche mint green, which glows in the dark. She served as my daily when my first daughter was a baby, and over the years I’ve driven KUSHI around Australia twice and drifted her. The current running gear includes a forged RB26 engine and a Turbosmart 6466 turbo. These days, KUSHI is a Custom Importz promo car.

You’ve had some awesome drifting opportunities, too.

I was one of 10 women from around the world in the Yeah The Girls drift demos at World Time Attack in 2025. I had a month’s notice, so we quickly built a new drift car – a 1994 Nissan Silvia S14 with an RB25 Skyline engine and Turbosmart 5862 turbo.

Anything else cool coming up?

I prefer drift demos over competitions, as I enjoy teaching others and giving rides. That’s why I recently started instructing for the Glitter Gang Drift Club, which promotes drifting for women. I’ve been taking my eldest daughter drifting for the past three years – since she was 12 – to build confidence behind the wheel and learn manual driving. Also, I’ve done precision and stunt driving for Toyota, Honda, Mobil and Lexus commercials, and for live shows such as the drift utes at the Queensland Show. It’s a lot of fun!

Girls — wanna be famous? Become an Iron Maiden! Email car details, pics (2MB+) and contact deets to [email protected]. You and your ride could appear in the mag!