‘Resto-mod’ Puma No 42 jumps to No 1
THE VW Puma was introduced to the South African motoring public in 1973 and destined to be assembled by Bromer Motor Assemblies for two years.
They managed to finish 357 cars before they closed due to financial difficulties. This week’s car is numbered 42 of the 357 produced, which makes it special by any measure.
Cassidy Naidoo, 28, is an IT systems engineer who lives in umkomaas, south of Durban. Naidoo can account for spending more than 1 250 hours building this beauty.
“I like to keep things true to the car’s original spirit. I try to imagine what the manufacturer might have done if they had the technology and no budget restrictions or regulations to follow.
“I try to make subtle changes that enhance the car’s value, while keeping the maker’s concept in mind. This is what we call ‘resto-modding’ in the modern car scene,” he said.
A 2.0 Porsche-style 914 boxer motor replaced the car’s 1.6 air-cooled unit. Also added were Twin Solex 34 carbs, an electronic distributor with a TP900 ignition module and a full performance exhaust system.
The chassis upgrade manifests itself with a four-way disc brake conversion, a dual circuit brake master, spindles lowered about 70mm below standard in the front, and an adjusted torsion bar in the rear for a 50mm drop.
A pair of A-line 17inch Jedi-style 9J rear mag wheels mated to 225/45/17 Continental Sport Contact rubbers keep the car’s rear end glued to the tarmac, while a pair of A-line 15-inch 7.5J wheels wrapped in 195/50/15 Dunlop SP 7000 sport rubber takes care of the front end.
The body boasts full aluminium floor pan inserts, a custom red paint job, rear LED light panel and 6-inch halogen sealed beam headlights with half-ring CCFL angel eyes.
The interior features Peugeot sport bucket seats, a brushed aluminium fascia plate on the dashboard, a new vinyl hood lining and sounddampening carpets.
The audio system features a Pioneer head unit (1850UB), a Pioneer 10-inch (TSW252F-IMMP) classic subwoofer and Starsound 2000W Chrome series amplifier.
No stranger to shows, Naidoo’s car won first place in the retro classic category of the 2015 Khanya Charity Hospice Car Show. It placed first in the lowest static car category of the 2016 September H20 Festival and third for the best 70’s classic at the Harbour Crossing Motor Show.
More than R50 000 was spent on this build, but Naidoo saved a fortune by doing all the work himself. SERVICE PROVIDERS:
Street Customs.