If you own a vehicle and are looking for a one-stop solution for all your automotive needs, Pitstop Incorporated, a recently opened boutique workshop based in Kathmandu can be your go-to place. Obviously, you don’t want to put your trust on a random place for the biggest investments of your life, and this is where Pitstop, a subsidiary of VOITH comes in. With decades of experience in state-of-the-art auto body shop, they provide Nepali people with a dream mobility solution from modifications, wraps and detailing to body work.
What is Pitstop incorporated all about?
Pitstop Incorporated is all about value. It's how we wish to expand the scope and horizon of mobility within our county. It’s a one stop shop for anyone who owns a vehicle to build the perfect mobility solution that suits them to their complete satisfaction. Here in Nepal, a vehicle generally is the second largest investment in a person’s life, so we would like to grant the drivers of Nepal an outlet to bring their personality to their car, scooter, bike, truck or any form of mobility.
In what ways have your vision for Pitstop Incorporated evolved since your initial ideas?
Pitstop actually began as a pet project when our director decided to modify his vehicle to the specs that he personally wanted. He found that his car reflects his personality and that brought him so much joy that he thought why not take this opportunity to pave the way for others as well. Since then the vision of Pitstop has developed significantly, from a mod shop, to a detailing center, to a wrap shop, to a boutique workshop and now the vision is much larger (all under wraps at the moment) which we will show the world soon.
Undoubtedly, the opportunities are huge in auto detailing. Tell us about the challenges you faced when recruiting people for Pitstop Incorporated or when providing training for auto detailing.
This is actually funny. We're asked this question a lot by clients, friends and family; about the difference between getting a car cleaned at home against getting it done here at Pitstop. We always tell them about how it's always good to keep your own skincare routine to ensure the best quality skin but it's important to go to the dermatologist to get a deep clean, rejuvenation, hydration as they have tools that we do not have access to. Additionally, they have been trained by professionals in the field that ensures perfection.
What are some of the qualities Pitstop boasts of that separates you from others in Nepal?
I think the thing that sets us apart from the rest at the moment is prioritizing the priorities of our clients. We are working with the clients to cater to every need that they have. Additionally we think something that we do that others do not, is offer these different services all under one roof in the way that we have.
How do you ensure a smooth modification for a vehicle?
The way we do this is to try and understand the customers' daily journeys, their long road trips and basically just trying to understand the person first. Once we have a clearer understanding, we ask the customer what they want in order to improve their ride. Once we get a clear picture we connect the experiences with the desires and make recommendations to the client based on what we have learned in our discovery period. Next, we write a full report for the client on the methods, parts and payment terms. We are extremely lucky to have formed immense partnerships with our suppliers and technical experts to assist us along the way, both in the ordering phase and the fitment.
What is the tentative time taken to facelift a vehicle?
This depends on the actual work that we put into the vehicle. We aim to provide a bespoke experience to fulfill our customers’ dreams, so it does take some extra time. A complete overhaul that we did with our first project took about 8 months from concept to reality, but the coming projects will be completed significantly quicker as we have been paving a way for efficiency.
What are some of the trends and patterns you have discovered amongst the Nepali people regarding car modifications and detailing?
The modifications market is a virgin market that hasn't been explored enough yet. We are establishing ourselves while trying to establish the market at the same time. We are trying to create norms of professionalism. The detailing market is getting competitive with companies from India, and from other parts of Asia, besides a handful from around the world entering the fray. I think the company that we have partnered with are absolutely phenomenal, not just the products but the people we work with as well. The proprietor of Gliptone has shown his absolute unwavering support and the desire to always improve and we are trying to reflect the same here.
Can you take us through the departments inside Pitstop?
There are a few things that we do here:
Detailing: Best treatments to rejuvenate your car from inside out. Basic cleans to the most in depth detailing services offered in the market to ensure maximum sanitation.
Body Work: Breathing new life into any vehicle with the best dent & paint equipment, mechanics and materials. Collision repair and the finest paints are just a plus here at Pitstop.
Wraps: Protect your paint job from all the elements and the environment with the most durable PPF or even clad your vehicle in any vinyl wrap to match your imagination.
Modifications: Bolster the performance of your vehicle to better match your needs. Add power, raise the ride, increase your comfort, maximize your utility and enhance your technology.
Restorations: We are also restoring to breathe new life into the old, vintage and classic vehicles that we have here in Nepal. We see such beautiful vehicles that don't get a second chance, so we are now working on bringing them back from the scrapyard.
Past Projects
Project no.1 | Yuki Hyo
A personal endeavor that began as a passion is now the face of Pitstop. Starting with a stock 2021 Hilux with a 2.8L engine, the project has evolved into a source of inspiration for all car enthusiasts. To get to this stage of change, it took three steps. We added a lift kit, replaced the original tires with MT tires, added platforms, light bars, snorkels, bullbars, an automated step, a remote-controlled UTE cover, and a piggyback tuner. We intend to add an engine cooler and a 3-inch exhaust system, in addition to setting up a portable solar generator so that we may go to any part of the nation and have power for any devices, appliances, etc. Yuki Hyo will continue to evolve.
Project no.2 | Iron Yak
The Iron Yak was designed with utility, hard work, and rugged terrain in mind. Installing a lift kit—an automatic footstep—was our first step. Installed a Light Bar, a Snorkel, and M/T tires and rims in place of the old tires. The modifications were very carefully chosen to improve performance while keeping the car light and maneuverable for the job at hand.
