For anyone who knows Marc Viau, of Viau Motorsports in Lake Elsinore, California, you know he likes his cars painted a mile-deep black finish. His former Dodge Magnum SRT-8 was black, his current Chrysler 300C is black, and his 1972 Dodge Demon sports Viau’s favorite color combination as well – that mile-deep PPG black.

The Demon as it was purchased, not a bad car, with a lot of potential.

Viau has been around Mopars for decades and has built some incredible cars over the years – with one ending up as far away as Europe. In addition to the modern LX platform cars and the 1962 to 1965 B-body cars, Viau Motorsports also builds some very nice A-body entries from Ma Mopar, too. One of those cars is his 1974 340 Duster, that he has been drag racing over the years, another is the beauty you see before you here.

But the journey for this Demon began years ago with its former, less sinister life as a daily driver for his son, Joe, who needed a car for school back in 1996. When they first got the Demon, however, it was a project car that hadn’t been completed, and was missing a few parts. The car was gold with a green interior, and the engine was missing a couple of cylinders that are typical of a Viau Motorsports build.

The slant-6 is not a bad engine, and you’d be surprised how many people build them up for more power instead of ditching them for a V-8.

The slant-6 and column shift automatic were part of a lien sale on the car, and they made for reliable transportation for the younger Viau. But after the car had served its purpose for a few years, it was back in the hands of the elder Viau, and the plans for the car became something much bigger and brighter. It was to be built with some of the best parts and upgrades that can be done to an A-body; and instead of being driven to and from school, the goal for the Demon was to make it an all-around performer with road racing intentions.

This meant that the anemic slant-6 and auto trans were yanked out, and the custom work was started once the car was back at the Viau shop. But then it sat for a couple of years with the project put on hold until Viau regrouped. When the time came to get back on the project, the drivetrain that was “sitting around” in the shop became the motivation for the build. Sitting around, was a built 340 putting out over 400 horsepower on the dyno at Westech Performance in Mira Loma, California.

On the top end, the swirl-port heads cradle and Edelbrock Air Gap intake, topped off with a Demon carburetor (what else?). To back up all those ponies, an A-833 four speed with a McLeod clutch gets the job done via a Hurst shifter that simply fits the overall appeal of the car. For an engine and trans that were just “sitting around”, the Demon was destined to make a great home for them.

Keeping with the race theme, a fuel cell, a six-point roll cage, four-wheel disc brakes, and an enormous assortment of name brand parts and accessories make this car stand out from its prior status. But just adding name-brand parts wasn’t going to be enough for Viau, this car spent some time getting much needed attention.

There at the shop, the transformation began when Viau Motorsports technician Aaron Bourdage began tearing the car down. From there, the plans were laid out and the build began, with the car being completely gutted and rotisseried. From there, Bourdage used his skills as a mechanical engineer for strengthening the chassis with gussets and braces at every corner.

The body received seam sealer throughout, and every inch of the car was either replaced, repaired, repainted or refinished, according to Viau. The grille and tail lights are NOS pieces, and the under dash area was treated as nicely as the exterior was. Working on the car and cleaning things up also included removing the remnants of the car’s former, rodent-like tenants after sitting for so long. Sub-frame connectors and torque boxes were added to the chassis before the car headed out for paint, and the PPG Black with House of Color White Sparkle Pearl Demon stripes were applied by Leo Martinez.

The suspension was going to get treated to some upgrades as well, with reinforcements being welded to the stock K-frame and lower control arms. The upper control arms are tubular, aftermarket pieces, with the steering being handled by a Firm Feel steering box and seemless tie rod sleeves on heavy duty tie rod ends. The rear suspension got some attention as well, with the Mopar Performance road race leaf springs being moved in about 3 inches, sitting on half-inch lowering blocks.

The car was was meticulously restified and reassembled, with everything touched and improved upon, and the ghosted pearl stripes added to the deep, black paint. To get the car slowed down properly after those spirited runs, the Viper front calipers clamp onto heavy duty 11-3/4-inch drilled and slotted rotors, with custom rear disc brakes sporting the Viper logo to match the front. The Coy’s C-5 alloy wheels are wrapped with Nitto NT555s, with 225/45 ZR17s up front and 285/35 ZR18s out back, sitting on the narrowed 8-3/4-inch Sure-Grip rearend.

Inside the car, the six-point cage keeps the occupants protected, while the Vintage Air air conditioning keeps things cool and comfy in the race-style seats and harnesses. The swing-out door bars make it easier to get in and out of the car, but after driving the car one day we had a difficult time getting out of it. The Demon has the intense sound of a true musclecar, with the TTI headers and custom exhaust giving it just the right throaty rumble, but the drive and the feel of the car is about as stable and comfortable as one of Viau’s more modern Mopars.

If you think you might have seen this car before, that’s very possible because it’s been to the strip a couple of times, and at the 2010 MATS it won Mopar Muscle Magazine True Street Challenge. The Demon is another awesome build from Viau Motorsports, but it also proves that the old saying is true: good guys wear black.