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It shouldn't happen to a Bentley - but it has

By BEN WATSON - North Shore Times | Tuesday, 23 January 2007

BEN WATSON/North Shore Times

Peter Vandenberg has just spent about $360,000 on a new Bentley - and turned it into a plumber's van.

The Stanley Pt man has been turning heads all around the Shore after he had his new pride and joy kitted out with signwriting, a roof rack and plumbing gear for his company Atlas Plumbing.

Mr Vandenberg has been in the plumbing business for six months, having previously made his living in property development in London and New Zealand.

He says buying a Bentley as a plumbing vehicle is a bit of a practical joke on the industry.

The response from the public has been excellent, he says.

"People have been coming out of bars and taking photographs of it. All the boys want to be taken for a drive."

While some might think it sacrilege to alter such a car, even other Bentley owners have seen the joke, he says.

He says his competition has been a little more subdued.

"There's just smiles and hmmm," he says.

He admits using a luxury car isn't all plain sailing - he has to clean it twice a day and the 12 cylinder, six-litre engine guzzles an average of $120 worth of fuel every two days.

"But if it gets the company noticed then it's a good thing," he says.

He says his wife was less than enthused about the expensive concept.

"I'd already bought it but I told her I was test driving it for a week and a half. She's come around now," he says.

Mr Vandenberg says he may even do the same to a Ferrari in the future.


水管工彼得范登博格刚刚花了三十六万块钱纽币买了一辆新宾利就把它改成了一部工具车。
这位住斯坦利角的哥们为他的新玩艺儿喷上了公司的阿特拉斯管道标志，并在车顶安了管道架，配齐了修水管的工具后，在北岸各地好好兜了一大圈。
范登博格先生以前在伦敦和新西兰盖过房子，现在做的水管工则已经有六个月了。
他说买部宾利作为工具车已经成了行业内的一个笑话。当然，大伙儿的反应非常棒。
人们从酒吧里走出来，为他的工具车拍照。小伙子们则梦想能开着兜一圈。
尽管有些人会觉得改装这么贵的一部车未免不恭，但其他开宾利的都把这件事当成一个笑话，泰然处之。 不过，修水管的竞争倒是没有那么激烈了。
有喝彩的，也有不以为然的。 他承认豪华车开起来代价不菲，比如，需要两天就洗一次车，此外，每两天在排量六升的十二缸引擎需要花费一百二十块油钱。
然而，扩大了公司的知名度，所以还是件好事。开始时，他老婆对花了这么多钱就不那么起劲了。
范登博格先生说，也许将来还会再搞一部法拉利改了玩玩。