The Maruti 800 can be referred to as a vehicle that popularized cars among middle-class families in India. Launched in 1983, the Maruti 800 became the most popular hatchback in the country. It was so popular that it had a long waiting period. It was an iconic car, and Maruti even bought back the first SS80 that was sold to a customer in India and completely restored it. The car is currently displayed at Maruti Suzuki’s headquarters. Even today, there are many well-kept examples of the Maruti 800 in India. Here, we have a video of a 1986 model Maruti 800 that has been neatly restored to its original condition.
The video has been uploaded by On Road Bodyshop, a Kerala-based workshop that specializes in restoration, customization, and repair work. The video starts by showing the condition of the car before work was done. It’s a 1986 model Maruti 800, and it looks pretty good for a car that is 37 years old. The original brown body paint of the car is still intact; however, several panels have started showing rust. In such old cars, this is one of the major issues that most workshops face while restoring, as these models are no longer in production, making it difficult to source the parts.
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In this case, it’s not clear how they addressed the issue. In some cases, they replace the panel from another car or even perform patchwork on the existing panel to achieve a clean look. The front and rear bumpers were not body-colored in the 800. They had started to show their age and were also damaged. The workshop replaced both bumpers with new units. The turn indicators and fog lamps were also replaced.
The main attraction of this car now is the paint job. The old brown color on the car was replaced with a bright red shade. It looks great, and the car appears brand new. The steel rims have been retained and repainted as well. The tires on this car are new. The owner wanted to restore the car in a way that would allow daily use.
As you already know, older versions of the Maruti 800 did not come with AC, power steering, or any of the other features. The workshop decided to fulfill the customer’s wish by installing power steering, and it now also comes with a working AC. The dashboard has been replaced, probably from a later generation of the Maruti 800. A new music system has also been installed. The floors have been redone, and the underbody of the car also received an anti-rust coating. The original seats on this car were probably torn or in bad condition. These have been replaced with brand new covers. Central locking has also been installed in this car. In short, this car has been completely restored and made more suitable for daily use. The owner of this car was actually living abroad and had communicated all his demands and instructions via phone. The customer was extremely happy with the final product, and in the video, we can also see the family offering gifts to the people who worked on this particular car.
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