Tyler Lloyd's Custom 2000 Nissan Micra K11 Facelift: A Unique Masterpiece

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Tyler Lloyd's Custom

2000 Nissan Micra K11 Facelift

Instagram: @Funkydipz.tt

Photographer Skye Hockey

Instagram: @trans_fu3ion

Photographer: Jack Smith

Instagram: @no1carspotter

Hi, I'm Tyler, I own a custom paint and hydrographic business called Funky Dipz. I got into car repairs and paintwork around 10 years ago in my dad's body shop, Auto Carmeleon. I soon learned the skills and, with newfound confidence, wanted to carry on in the trade but do something a bit more creative. So I spent many late nights teaching myself custom paint and many long days training to do hydrographics. Shortly after, I launched my own company, Funky Dipz. I have been established for around seven years and love how creative my customers let me be. The skills I learned over the years, combined with my passion for cars since childhood, have resulted in me creating some unique and crazy-looking cars.

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Inspiration and Passion

I grew up in the Max Power days. You could say it all started when I was pretty young, watching and helping my neighbour on the estate with his modified Vauxhall Cavalier. I thought it was the coolest car with its loud exhaust and massive chrome rims! He took me to Santa Pod, which really opened my eyes to the car scene. I soon found myself going to the shops, looking out for the next Max Power magazine, eager to see what cars were in there and what insane transformations had been done.

I've always been really creative, and I love making things, so seeing the crazy mods and awesome cars people were creating back in those Max Power days, combined with my creativity and a newfound love for modified cars, just all fell into place.

The Build

When COVID hit and the price of fuel rocketed, I sold my slammed BMW 5 Series and needed a cheap run-around. Scrolling through the marketplace, I saw a cheeky Nissan Micra K11 1.3. Always loved a Micra (even though back in the day I only saw grannies driving them lol), but I thought, "Why not?" A few months went by, and I grew to love the Micra. No electrics beeping at me, no flashing warning lights! The nostalgic feeling of being 17 again, in a basic little car with roll-down windows and a horrible grey plastic dash, honestly put more of a smile on my face than the 5 Series.

I had just moved my work to a new workshop, and while the builder was in, I couldn't really do any work, but I kept looking at the Micra thinking I wanted to turn her into something that would stand out. Something I would have loved to create all those years ago when I was 17, but with no money or skills to execute it.

Custom Paint and Modifications

The Unique Paint Job

I wanted a paint job that would stand out! It took weeks of spray-outs and coming up with different ideas for paint until I saw something similar from a guy in Europe, who did this to a Gold MK4. It was matte and had a lot more detail—bit too much for me, but I knew that was it!

I fully stripped, repaired, and painted the Micra in the blue colour I selected, then mixed it with a bit of black to airbrush some shading. I then painted some white for highlights and finished off with a marker adding details. Finally, I applied a nice shiny lacquer. I cut open the bonnet and welded in a section to create a dipped vent, doing exactly the same with the wings.

Bodywork and Custom Parts

I purchased a universal saloon boot spoiler from eBay, cut and fiberglassed it, then extended the mounting points to fit my boot as a mid-wing. There wasn't much in terms of bumpers for the Micra, and I wanted to do something a bit different. So, I got a Golf R32 bumper, cut it in half, and took around 4 inches out to make it the correct width. Then, I cut it horizontally and took around 2 inches to ensure the right height from the ground, grafting it all back together seamlessly. With a bit more cutting and fabrication, I got it to fit nicely on the Micra.

I then thought, "It doesn't look aggressive enough." So, I cut the front of the bonnet off so it no longer had the double grills. With the grill part cut open, creating a single long grill separate from the bonnet, I welded in some plates to create bad-boy eyelids. Something was still missing: the headlights! I loved the angel eye look on BMWs, so I purchased some universal angel eyes typically used on MX-5s and Land Rovers. I took the original headlights apart, used the glass front to create a mould out of fibreglass, cut a hole in the mould to mount the angel light, and with more fibreglass and filler, created a slick shape with added depth. I then mounted that back inside the original and put the glass back on!

I also loved the look of the V brace behind the grills on BMWs, so I created and painted some out of copper piping, which also helps support the front bumper. I made some side skirts out of guttering I picked up from B&Q. I slammed her on some Gizfab Pro coilovers, imported some deep-dish Work Equips from Japan, and began cutting and welding the original arches higher to fit these big 8.5J wheels, slapping on some wide arches. I soon found a rare top spoiler from Japan, painted it, and fitted it to finish off the look. Considering I did all the bodywork, paint, bonnet, and wings in around 10 days, I think that's not bad going!

The Driving Experience

My car is truly one of a kind; you can't buy the bonnet, wings, spoiler, front bumper, or headlights anywhere. It is all handcrafted by me. The crazy paint job, which people mistake for a wrap because of the detail, is something I'm particularly proud of. While there are now a few cars with a cartoon theme, mine stands out with its glossy finish and unique design.

Driving this car is awesome! The feedback and the looks you get from people are amazing; everyone smiles! All ages and different types of people can't help but smile. We can't go anywhere without people taking pictures or having a chat about it. Knowing you have built something that looks crazy and gets such amazing feedback is a feeling in itself. The nostalgic feeling of driving an old-school small car just puts a smile on my face! I love it!

Technical Specs

• Wheels: Work Equip wheels, 4x100 8.5J, wrapped in 195/45/15 Nankang tyres.

• Suspension: Gizfab coilovers, as low as possible without rubbing, and a Gizfab panhard rod.

• Custom Parts: Custom-made bonnet, wings, spoiler, angel headlights, Golf R32 front bumper, shotgun exhaust, RX8 front leather seats, and Gizfab front strut brace.

Who Did the Work?

I did everything on this car, from the bodywork and paint to making the body panels from OEM parts and parts from other cars. I've fiberglassed, welded, and yes, even cried during this build. I got stuck in with every part, fitting the coilovers and installing seats. I had a bit of help with some wiring on the headlights, but she's 99% made and done by me.

Future Plans

I'm going to tackle the interior next. I've purchased a second Micra dashboard that I'm going to cut and fabricate into something special, finishing it in the same cartoon theme as the car. I'll smooth out the boot, make some custom rear lights, and create another slightly different bonnet. A turbo kit from Gizfab is definitely on the cards after I pull the engine and paint the engine bay white. I'll dip all the plastics and the engine cover with a hydrographic film. I have also been thinking about making a replica trailer from another Micra cut in half to tow along. I may even convince my wife to get her and the kids' stuff out of the boot and make a boot build. But I'm pretty happy with what I have achieved by myself in just two years!

Shout Outs

Shout out to my dad who owns Auto Carmeleon, a body shop, for teaching me the skills I have today. Honoring Max Power for the inspiration over the years, and obviously, my company Funky Dipz. A big thanks to Jack for hooking me up with sick pictures, even if I do have to wait six months to see them!

Dream Car

For a long time, it was a toss-up between an E30 BMW and an old-school 1969 Nissan Skyline GTR. But recently, it's weirdly enough a 1955 Ford Thunderbird.

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