This Chevelle is claimed to have been found in a barn on a Virginia farm where it had been parked for the past 20 years or so. It’s a little rough around the edges, but after installing a new battery and radiator, it started right up! This could be a fun project and it might end up selling for a decent price. It’s listed here on eBay with no reserve and about a day left.
The seller mentions 350 in their title, but we aren’t sure if they are talking about the engine or the TH350 transmission that has replaced the original Powerglide. There’s a 307 tag on the fender so either way, that’s a small block in there. It’s good to know that it runs, but without a compression test, we have no way of knowing if it’s still going to need a rebuild. Budget for the worst, hope for the best!
The seat seams have pulled apart, the door panels have warped, and the carpet is long gone. That’s not the end of the world though as most real barn finds are going to need interior work. There are upholstery kits available and the installation job shouldn’t be too tricky. I’d be more worried about things like rust. Luckily, the floors appear to be solid and the seller claims that they are rust-free.
The trunk did not fare the moisture so well though. There are lots of scaly rust and at least a few holes. Again, not the worst classic car problem you can have. Sheet metal is readily available and the trunk shouldn’t be too hard to repair. There are a few spots on the fenders that will be a little trickier though.
The old staggered Cragar rims do give this Chevelle a mean look. Probably meaner than it actually is, but if that V8 is any good, it wouldn’t take much to squeeze a little more power out of it. Chevy small blocks are some of the cheapest and easiest engines to soup up. A full restoration would be nice here, but personally, I’d be tempted to just treat that rust and then focus my attention on sourcing a new interior and installing some go-fast parts! What would be your plan of attack?
Looks like it was plucked right out of a high school parking lot 35 years ago.
I can just hear the cassette player pump out Def Leppard now. My girlfriend walking across the parking lot with her 3ft. high hairdo. The good ol days. Fear the mullet😎
Something about that drivers door looks odd, the paint doesn’t seem to match the rest of the car. Maybe my eyes are worse than I thought but it’s what I see.
No it’s not your eyesight it is the door that’sdifferent color
The Seller’s wording “MALIBU 350 AUTOMATIC” as caught by the writer, is very misleading and is not clarified until the end of the listing. The only thing that is a 350 is the transmission, a Turbo 350. I would not invest the money in a factory 307 mill Chevelle unless I was going to all out restomod it.
https://www.hillcityhotrods.com has a total of (4) vehicles in inventory and nothing even close to a hotrod.
I can’t tell, but could it be that the 307, was replaced by a 350?
That’s what was so cool about these old Chevelle’s, throw on a set of racy looking wheels and you’d have an instant hot rod,, whether or not the car actually had any real zip. Troublemakers special, that would be my tribute. Haha.
Cool find.
Omg! When i was 16 i bought this very chevelle (im 90%) sure this is it, from a guy in ohio. It had been bought by his son to rebuild and passed away and sat out back for years with no motor or trans in it. Hood was open and a small tree had started growing thru the opening. The guy sold it to me for 200 and i drug that thing home with my 1972 p.o.s chevelle and a buddy of mine with a chain. Short story i pulled the 350 and trans out of the 72 and dropped it in this one, pulled the cragars off of the 72 and aslo put them on this one. I drove it for a few months and sold it like a dummy to a guy who was a few years older whos family was moving to virginia. Now im not 100 % but this vehicle looks exactly the same as when i had it. Even the spare in the trunk with the vinyl cover over it. No carpet because it was wet and i pulled it all out. Oh how i wish i had a few thousand extra to purchase. Thanks for the flash back.
I had a 71 Chevelle with a 307, same color combo. Sold it in 1981. Still regret selling it.
The drivers door appears to have been repainted and a couple of shades off. No big deal. It was probably “dinked” in the high school parking lot.
My guess is the rust in the truck is probably from a completely rotten lower rear window seal. Which means lots of metal work for someone down the line.
Don’t look to bad seen worse.
Goodwrench and Targetmaster replacement engines had black valve covers, can’t read the sticker but it’s probably a newer 350 in there.
This looks like a possible restoration project. Or possibly a restomod.
I still have my 1971 Chevelle since 1988 and it came with a 307 and 3 on the tree. I put a crate 350 in it and a 4-speed on the floor. It is white with blue interior. I like this blue with blue interior. This one can be fixed up seeing most all of it is there and the floors are in pretty good shape except the trunk.
Bought a new 70 2dr. HT. Chevelle with a 307 with an automatic. Drove four or five miles from the dealership and a rocket arm loosened and started clicking loudly. Turned around drove it back they tightened it and drove it problem free for several years.
OK, a bit crusty here and there, but this looks like a very good starting point for a restomod builder or a first time muscle car buyer.As it’s no SS or any other special version no one will hassle you for modding it! Can’t see anything with this car that cannot be found in a detailed parts catalog.Seems someone will be getting a classic Chevelle for a reasonable price , doesn’t happen too often now!
I bought a rust free green one many years ago for $800 It had a 400 small block in it with a 2 barrel -original motor gone- and literally the thing was a pooch it had a cowel induction hood minus the air cleaner and oldsmobile rims on it i think ..with gold stripes on the hood the thing looked kinda odd with those rims..shrug..sold it for $850..and I wish I had it back..
Sold (Allegedly) for $7,050 Watch to see if it re-appears. I was told by ebay some years back its offensive to mention
“Dead beat bidders” but it happens.
I think this looked like a nice project for someone, Checkbook builders not so much, but for a real viable build canidate this looked solid.
I do find it interesting that on a car that is now 48 yrs old people are still judging the viability of a project on being able to reuse the existing interior or other parts. Kind of wishful thinking. The “I can buff it out” type of builder. Sure,, if it had new parts installed recently I would be evaluating if they are still viable, but I have zero expectations of reusing many parts without major work. This is not a 5 yr old lease return.
Sure it started right up with 20 year old gas.
I smell horse pucks.