Those who grew up in the 80s and 90s know how legendary the Maruti 800 SS80 hatchback was. This tiny vehicle from Maruti was one of the most revolutionary models of its time. This iconic hatchback also became a goal of many people. Recently, a video showing one such man fulfilling his dream of owning one has been shared online. The video shows the complete restoration of this vehicle from getting stripped to bare metal up to being completely restored.
Maruti SS80 Restoration Project
The video of this amazing nut and bolt restoration of this Maruti 800 SS80 has come courtesy of Autostarke from YouTube. Autostarke is a professional body shop that works on new and old cars.
They do restoration projects and repairs on vintage and modern cars. They have locations in Thrissur, Kochi, and Kottayam in Kerala. In this particular video, they restore a Maruti SS80 and bring it to showroom-like condition.
The owner of the car starts the video by sharing how his love for the Maruti 800 SS80 came about. He states that when he was a kid, he started becoming addicted to cars. However, by the time he grew up and finished his schooling, his affinity towards vintage and classic cars became stronger.
He elaborated that he especially fell in love with the SS80 that was imported from Japan. He called that car the “Pocket Rocket”. After this, the owner starts talking about how he went on to find a perfect SS80. He stated that he became crazy for this hatchback.
Following this, he then states that after becoming a part of Autostarke, he left the concerns of finding the perfect SS80. The owner added that this time the age, condition, and color did not matter to him. He elaborated that the experienced staff at Autostarke could make him his perfect Maruti SS80.
Restoration Process
Moving on in the video, the owner talks about and shows a glimpse of the process of his car’s restoration. The car, after being brought to the shop, was stripped to bare metal. It can also be seen in the video. All of the body panels were stripped of all the paint and primer.
After this process, all of the dents and blemishes from the body were removed. Next up, the entire car was sprayed with dark gray primer, and finally, it was painted in a minty green color. After the restoration, the owner stated that it looked exactly like it came out of the factory back in 1985.
Maruti 800 and its Glorious Past
As mentioned, the Maruti 800 SS80 was launched back in 1983. It was then renamed the 800, which became extremely popular in the country. It became the second-longest production car in India. The first one is the Hindustan Ambassador.
Back on 14th December 1983, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi handed over the keys of the very first car to Mr. Harpal Singh. The ceremony took place in Delhi, and Harpal Singh who won the ownership rights through a lucky draw.
Just a few months ago, the video of the first Maruti 800 after its completed restoration was shared online. The car was sent to restoration by Maruti Suzuki after they bought it back from the children of Harpal Singh. The car was not being used by them and was rusting as it was kept outside.
Originally, the Maruti 800 was priced at Rs 48,000. Maruti used to offer the hatchback in three variants: Standard, AC, and Deluxe. It did not come with power windows, power steering, or even a music system in the lower variant.
The AC was also offered as a premium feature. The Maruti 800 was offered with a 796-cc, 3-cylinder petrol engine. This tiny engine generated 39.5 Ps and 59 Nm of peak torque.
The post 36 Year-Old Maruti 800 SS80 Resto-Modded To Look And Feel Brand New [Video] first appeared on Cartoq.
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