Here are some more retro rides that are pure wow!
Maruti SS80
The SS80 was the first hatchback that India saw. When it was launched, people were only used to large cars that were not too reliable. The SS80 showed them that a family car didn’t need to be big. This SS80 has been given a complete make over. The front end now gets a larger grill and the bumper is now absent.
There is now a front lip which houses the number plate. The similar design theme can be seen on the back as well. On the inside, there is a roll cage to stiffen the chassis. The car has been lowered and fitted with wide tyres that give it great stanced look. The vehicle is a 2 door version and is really cool.
Mahindra Jeep
The Mahindra Jeep has always been a iconic vehicle. This one has been prepared for the 2016 RFC by Sarbloh Motors. So what’s new? Let’s start off with the bright yellow shade that is prominently visible. To compete in the RFC, the whole suspension setup has been changed.
It now features an upgraded setup which allows for crazy amounts of wheel articulation to go through rough patches. The images above are proof of that. There is an off-road bumper with a power winch as well. A snorkel is present as well make the water crossings easy to pass. The vehicle is now using a Bolero DI engine and is also equipped with power steering.
HM Contessa
The Contessa was the closest thing to a muscle car that the Indian market got. Though it isn’t actually a muscle car, it certainly had that image. There are quite a few modified examples of the Contessa around the country. This one has been done up for more visual appeal though. The vehicle has been given a brushed titanium wrap to make it stand out.
All the chrome elements on the car have been blacked out and the bonnet gets a large scoop. At the back, there is a large spoiler and blackened out tail lamp cluster.
Premier 118 NE
The Premier 118 NE was based on the Fiat 124 from the 1960’s. The NE was a mid size luxury sedan that was on sale in the country. It had a Nissan 1.2 liter petrol engine making 52 Bhp. There was also a diesel engine on offer. This particular vehicle has been spruced up to look kick-ass even after so many years of existence. It features a custom exhaust and air intake to improve the performance. To make the NE more visually appealing, there is a custom paint job, new projector head lamps, LED tail lamps and 15″ rims. Since at that time there was no power steering, there is an after market power steering system fitted to this car to make it easier to drive.
Fiat 1100
This Fiat 1100 has undergone a complete restoration program. It was first disassembled and everything was removed to that the rust proofing and re-painting and everything could be sorted out. The car now gets a red paint job which looks fabulous.
The interiors have been spruced up to make the car feel comfortable on the inside. The owner has also managed to install an armrest in the front as well to make driving more comfortable. The vehicle now runs a higher spec S1 engine, gearbox, brakes as well as a rear differential.
Such projects are very time consuming and require a lot of effort. Great job done by all the owners to keep their old cars running and looking like new.
Maruti SS80
The SS80 was the first real hatchback India got and it later om became the 800. The car demanded a massive premium and had a long waiting period. This particular one is a 1982 model which has been completely restored to look smashing.
The engine has been restored and the car now features a new red paint shade which gives it a bright look. There is a new bumper and a new grill and a wide body kit. The vehicle has been converted to a 2-door from a 4-door one. Under the hood, there is a new custom exhaust and a new muffler. The car sits on 13″ rims. On the inside, there is a roll cage to improve structural rigidity and new racing seats to improve comfort.
Mitsubishi Pajero
The Pajero is a legendary off-roader and is very famous as well. The car has off-road pedigree and hence is very popular in the Indian market. Since the car has been in the market for a long time without any major update, the car has a very retro feel to it and there are a lot of mods that are there for the vehicle.
This one features a new off-road bumper with auxiliary lamps and LED light bars all over. The suspension has been replaced by an off-road spec one and the car has been lifted to make it more capable off-road. There is a new roof rack with additional lights if the visibility drops too much. It also sits of steel rims and off-road tyres.
Maruti Baleno
The Baleno is not a very popular car however it is very capable though. Since the car has so much potential, there are a lot of examples of modified Balenos in the country. Here is another tastefully done up one.
On the looks front, the car has a new body kit with redesigned fenders giving it a wide body look. There are new 17″ deep dish rims as well which give the car a smart look. Under the hood there is an updated K&N air filter and a custom exhaust by Raj Hingorani. The vehicle has been lowered with the help of custom lowering springs. On the inside, this one too has a custom roll cage for improved rigidity.
Fiat SB1100
This one started life as a Padmini, but then spent 9 months in a workshop in Thane to complete this tranformation. It has been transformed from a 4-door sedan to a 2-door coupe and the work has been done very well. There is an all-new rally spec engine that has been added to this which churns out between 60 and 85 Bhp. This one is mated to the older transmission and rear differential though. While the roof has been cut, the structure has been strengthened. One tasteful mod this is.
Maruti Zen
The Zen has been an enthusiast car ever since it was introduced. Plonking a 1.0 liter engine in such a small car that weighs so less makes it a very fun and quick car. Maruti even came up with a limited production run of a 2-Door Zen, available either in silver or black known as carbon and steel. This one featured here is a nicely done up steel version.
It has undergone an engine swap and now features a 1.3 liter engine which will certainly make this a hoot to drive. It has a custom exhaust and intake system to make sure the engine performs better. The car sits on 15″ rims and has been lowered as well. On the inside, the car has custom Bride racing seats as well.
Image source: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and STI
Daewoo Cielo
The Daewoo Cielo was the luxury sedan of the Indian market. The car was made in India since 1994 and was exported to the international markets. The company was declared bankrupt in 1997 but the production of the car was on till 2001. The Cielo also became very famous in India because of space it offered during that time. The
The Cielo is one rare car to find nowadays but what we can see here is a very well kept Cielo. The job was done by Kit Up and the car gets a new body kit and custom paint job. There are also new alloy wheels that have been highlighted with the body color of the car.
Maruti Suzuki SS80
The car itself carries a long heritage with itself. It is the first car from Maruti brand and it went on to live for three decades. The car became the first vehicle of many Indian families and can still be seen on roads.
The SS80 seen here has a fully restored engine with free flow exhaust. The car also gets 13-inch alloy wheels and new suspensions that make it higher than the stock car.
Fiat 118 NE
The Fiat 118 NE can be termed as the first mid-size luxury car of India. The car was built in India at Kalyan and had a stature of high-class in the Indian society. The Fiat 118NE was powered by a 1,171cc engine from Nissan and produced around 40 Bhp.
The 118 NE has been restored beautifully. The car gets a custom paint job with race stripes on the bonnet. The engine has also been restored and a custom exhaust system has been added to improve the performance.
Maruti Esteem
This is the first sedan from Maruti and was launched in 1990. The car soon became a status symbol and gained immensely from that. The demand of the Esteem was so much that Maruti had a lottery system in place to draw the names of the buyers.
The restored Esteem looks as elegant as the car can become. It has been lowered with a custom strut brace. The engine has been given an overhaul and a custom exhaust with HKS endcan has been installed. It also gets 15-inch deep dish chrome rims and a wide body kit that take the visual appeal to the next level.
Maruti Zen
The Maruti Zen is one fun car to drive. The car originally came in 5-door configuration but with the popularity of the car among enthusiasts, Maruti launched limited edition 3-door versions named as Carbon and Steel.
The car seen here is one of the limited units of Carbon Zen and it has a lot of huge upgrades. The restorers have replaced the engine with 1.6-litre engine from Baleno with breaths out from Raj Hingorani Exhaust system. The car has also been lowered with custom springs. With 15-inch golden alloy wheels and body kit, the Zen carbon looks quite classy.
Image Source: 11, 12, 13, 14, 15
