SHAUN MARIMUTHU

Classic customised as a labour of love

FEW things are more beautiful than a classic car. These vehicles present us with a rare glimpse of our history that we can see, touch, hear and even smell.

The remnants of a bygone era are immortalised in steel, leather and chrome.

This week, it’s a treat to feature a sought-after performance classic, a 1972 Chrysler Charger.

I will refrain from calling it a twodoor Valiant VIP, which is how it has often been described.

This car in particular owes its current rarity in South Africa in part to its surprisingly short production run of about three years – despite its obvious stylistic and performance virtues.

Shaun Marimuthu owns the car. The 34-year-old Northdene resident spoke about why he bought it: “I lost my brother in a motor accident in 2000. My dad, who has an impressive knowledge of mechanics, suggested a project as therapy to help us deal with the loss.

“He planted the car seed and it just grew. The Charger has been a family project with a lot of love and manhours invested to bring it to its current state,” he said.

Marimuthu’s car has a customised dual performance exhaust system and refurbished suspension system with tweaks to make it handle like a 21st century model.

The Charger has an imported set of 32K Gold 100 spoke mag wheels mated to Dunlop rubbers.

As with most restorations, the exterior was repainted in a colour that can be classed as both contemporary and classic.

The car also has a modern acoustic set-up – a Pioneer head unit mated to a pair of Pioneer splits and a set of Alpine 6x9 speakers.

About R130 000 was spent on this rebuild. SERVICE PROVIDER: • Miami Auto Renovators.