BY ALLISON ROGERS
For Indy Gopaul, each car build is a bit like a marathon.
He may run into challenges along the way—whether he’s running a race or completing a complex build for a customer—but, no matter what, Indy never stops running. “I started track and marathons when I was 16. And, when you run track, your mentality is different. You’re extremely disciplined. You train hard. Everything you do is to win.”
Today, Indy is the owner of his own collision repair and customs business, ProColor Scarborough West—a.k.a. Indy’s 101 Customs. Born and raised in Trinidad, Indy has long had a love for cars, but his first taste of the business came at the age of 14, when he began working at his uncle’s shop in Trinidad. “Mostly weekends and summer holidays, to keep me out of trouble,” Indy told Bodyworx Professional. “And I loved it—learning all the different aspects of car repair, from primer and paint through to transmission.” It didn’t take Indy long to find his favourite part of the job.
“Painting was always my favourite. I was always interested in colour. Even as a small kid, I was fascinated by the colour wheel. How you could add a little of one colour to another and make something entirely new. And then, when I came to Canada, seeing all the different sparkles and add-ins…it was just incredible.”
He’s taken his craft seriously since day one. When Indy first decided he wanted to dive head-first into the world of car painting, he took a second job at a quieter shop. “I used to work from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., then again from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. The other shop did rental cars and wasn’t as busy. They allowed me to do body prep and paint, so I got to practice everything. I’d work six, maybe seven days a week and had my full-time job.” Later, a neighbour started importing body kits, so Indy hopped at the opportunity to work on tuner cars. By the time he came to Canada at 21 years old, Indy had a solid set of skills behind him. He’d sprayed all kinds of paint—lacquers, single-stage, enamels, urethane base, clear solvent base and, of course, waterborne. He started his career in Canada by working in a bodyshop in Markham, Ontario, and stayed there for about seven years before moving on to a dealership.
Eventually, he took a try at his own operation. “I opened a small shop, but it didn’t pan out. The next time I tried, I partnered with someone else, and then that didn’t work out, so I went back to work for my boss.
“Finally, I tried again for the third time—and something just clicked. I was always serious about my own business, but the timing was just right that third time, and I had the experience and the practical skills and it all came together. Indy’s business began as an at-home operation, where part of the operations were worked out of his garage. “That’s where the 101 comes from, in Indy’s 101 Customs,” he explained. “It was my address.” He kept his full-time job for two years, but his personal operation was booming. What started from his home address soon grew to a 1,000 sq.-ft. shop, then to a 2,500 sq.-ft. facility, then to a 10,000 sq.-ft. bodyshop.
“I was just looking to satisfy customers—that’s all. People wanted things done and I knew I could make them happy. “Some owners are in this business to make money—and that’s fine. That’s their thing. But I’m here because I truly love cars—I still act like a little kid around them. My style is more like, I hire people to keep me in line.” It’s Indy’s clear passion, authenticity and care for the customer—as well as his enormous talent—that keeps his docket filled to the brim, spraying colour on far more than just cars.
“The first person that really put my name out to the big, big clients—he was from a design company that’s really big in the entertainment and tech industries. He knew someone that was looking for a painter for a project. They’d asked a bunch of people from different countries, and nobody gave them the expertise they wanted to know. So, I broke down how the process could work for them using fibreglass, wood, plastics, metal…anything, really.”
Despite working for some larger-than-life clients, Indy keeps a clear head and gives every one of his jobs the same keen attention he believes they equally deserve.
“Every time I paint, I have an attachment to that car. Everyone else in the world will be at home sleeping—meanwhile, my hands are on the car. I see every inch of that vehicle. I just fall in love with it.
“I believe the work I do is a representation of my pride, joy, character, effort, energy—it’s everything to me. Each of my jobs shows what I am on the inside.” Despite feeling a connection with each everything he paints, Indy never lets himself get hung up on a job. He still takes every single opportunity as a chance to grow as a painter, even after 30 years of experience.
“Halfway through a job, I’m already thinking about the next one. Thinking about what I’ve learned and how I can make things better the next time around. I take the experience I gained from the last job and apply it to the next—I’m continuously chasing…something, whatever is it I’m chasing!” And you can bet Indy won’t stop running.
“I get calls from old friends and they’ll ask, ‘Indy, are you still painting?!’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, man! Every day!’ I’d rather live in a cardboard box than get rid of my shop.”
