Riding the red frog, a look at the 1975 VW Beetle

When he speaks about his 1975 VW Beetle 1600, this Ballito car enthusiast’s facial expression tells you just how deep his relationship with his candy apple red ‘frog’ really is.

Frog is one of the many nicknames commonly given to the beloved Beetle.

Malcom Vadivalu bought the car two years ago from a Durban resident and spent almost a year revamping it.

“The car was parked for many years and full of rust, so as a panel beater I took it on as a challenge to make it a head-turner. I am confident that I succeeded in doing that because people hoot as I drive past and strangers approach me to ask how I manage to keep it in such good condition. That is when I tell them about my panel beating business. It has turned into a good marketing strategy for me and I get to ride my old favourite.”

Vadivalu said he chose the Beetle because it was his childhood dream car.

He said to get the best result, he had to look for a place that could sell him original parts and fortunately, he was able to find one in Durban.

“I added 17-inch rims because I feel it suits the car, put a new standard 1600 engine with full chrome kit, to make it look nice. I then changed the interior to red and cream stitches to complement the colour of the car.”

For him a car would not be complete without a proper sound system so, you can hear his Beetle coming.

“I have been driving the car for at least a year now and I must say that the memories I have created with it will forever stay with me. Especially the Sunday drives to the North Coast beaches with my family.”

Vadivalu now plans to show his beautiful Bug at car shows with the hope of attracting new customers and meeting people who share his passion.

Download The North Coast Courier mobile app, now available free from the Apple iStore and on Google Play, for IOS and Android phones.