Vijay Pattni catches up with the outspoken stars of Chop Shop: Bernie Fineman and Leepu Awlia…

A modified car made of two Porsche 928s is ticking itself cool on the deserted runway tarmac as Bernie Fineman and Leepu Awlia – stars of Discovery Channel’s Chop Shop – eat their lunch.

But a glib mention of Top Gear sends the pair into overdrive…

“Clarkson might be 6ft tall but I could knock him out with one punch”, burly cockney Bernie exclaims.

“I don’t think that guy wipes his own backside. I’d like to see him come down and spend ONE DAY with Leepu and I working on a car – he’s got great chat and a great show.

“But as far as work goes, he’s a lazy sod!”

Chop Shop

The new series of Discovery Channel’s Chop Shop sees the two hard-working mechanics craft one-off masterpieces for a host of stars, including rugby star Lawrence Dallaglio and former Eastenders and Spandau Ballet star Martin Kemp.

The team is also building a supercar-slaying masterpiece for French footballer David Ginola – using two Porsche 928s.

And talk of the Porsche sends Leepu into hysteria…

When you were young

“When I was young I wanted to design my own cars and build them”, explains Leepu, “but working on Chop Shop is my dream.

“The opportunity to build cars – one after the other – is amazing. If I had to go and work in a big company, it wouldn’t be the same. I’d probably build one or two cars a year.

“Here, we’re doing one a MONTH.”

And Leepu’s experience is making him quicker.

“I’m always learning and getting faster – when I built my first car it took me over a year.”

Leepu – mild-mannered to begin with – starts jumping up and down pointing at the modified monster for he’s building for David Ginola.

“But now this car took me ONE WEEK!”

DIY supercar

Leepu’s first car however, was a completely different proposition…

“When I was teenager – about 15 – I went to a motorshow, and seeing all those fabulous cars, like Lamborghinis and Ferraris, really got me”, Leepu reminisces, settling down.

And like all star-struck teenage boys, the young Leepu lusted after his own Lamborghini – but set about getting one in a different way…

“I wanted to have a Lamborghini, and the only thing I could think of back then was to build one… myself.

“I studied from books and learned everything by myself, and three years later I made my own Lamborghini!”

Back to the Future

And it is Leepu’s enthusiasm and crazy thinking which attracted Bernie – who first met Leepu in a backstreet garage in Bangladesh.

“The BBC wanted a mechanic with attitude”, Bernie says. “I’d done some technical work before for Endemol television, and somehow they found me.

“They asked me how I’d feel about going out to Bangladesh – which I said was fine. But I did tell them they’d had to convince my missus!”

But Bernie was in for a shock…

“I got to Bangladesh and met Leepu in his garage – I took a look around and thought – what the hell have I let myself in for?

Leepu’s off-the-wall creative style and madcap nature of his garage was quite a shock for the outspoken Londoner.

“It was like going back in time!”

Trouble and strife

But through the madness Bernie found a kindred spirit – and set about building the world’s wildest machines.

“What really fired me up was when I first met Leepu in Bangladesh, and saw there was a different side to the motor trade – a more creative side, so I could use more of my brain”, Bernie explains.

“And I also found someone I really liked working with – and like an old married couple we’ve been together ever since!

“Coming back from Bangladesh changed my life completely.”

Chopped up

But although Bernie fronts Chop Shop, it could have very nearly been the ‘chop’ for him when he first passed his driving test…

“I passed my test and got back home at 4pm – my Dad had just got back from his night shift”, Bernie says. “At the time we had a four-year-old Austin Cambridge, and I begged my dad to let me drive it having passed my test.

“Living in the east end of London we had two very small iron gates which you had to open before you could get the car out.

“I opened the gates, took the car out, drove all over east London and got home – but when I got back I totally forgot about the gates…

“I drove straight through the gates and smashed the car! My dad chased me up the road with a meat cleaver!

“It took me six months to pay back the damage!”

Chop Shop airs on the Discovery Channel on Monday nights at 9pm.

For more information log onto www.discoverychannel.co.uk.

Watch footage from the new series: