Modified ute is so good it's banned

In the past four years, a Wanganui-built customised ute has won so many trophies that competition organisers have told its owner he can't enter it any more.

Paul Gibson built The Joker from a 2005 Ford Courier and it has gone on to clean up award after award at shows around the country.

Its latest win came at the Powercruise Taupo show, where it was named best in the show.

Last year, Mr Gibson's creation collected 39 awards in shows run by 4&Rotary; Promotions and continued that success this year with another shed full of trophies.

The ute took four years to build and features air-bagged suspension, which can raise or lower the vehicle, a custom sound system and performance Mazda rotary engine.

For the 2010-11 show season, Mr Gibson and his crew included new black wheels, a new Ford XR8 bonnet that opens sideways, new airbrushing on the bonnet with a meaner-looking joker's face, and a revamped interior.

How much has he spent on it?

"Far too much," is all he will divulge.

But there's a new vehicle coming very soon, because The Joker has won so many titles show organisers won't let it back for any more.

"I'm looking at selling it and building a brand new car, but it'll have to be something really extreme, because we've set the bar so high with this one," he said.

At the latest show, in Taupo on November 18-20, the judges included some from Australia and Mr Gibson said they said they had never seen anything like his extensively reworked ute.

Because of its radical engine, The Joker is trailered to each show.