It’s a sad tale we hear frequently at Barn Finds, when an optimistic auto enthusiast purchases a vintage car to restore, but unexpected health issues force the project to grind to a halt. That’s what happened with this 1965 Chevelle Malibu, as the seller bought the Chevy about a year ago, then fate dealt him some back issues and the car has spent a lot of time just sitting. A wise decision has been made to get this one into the hands of someone who can drive it more, and maybe even take this cool Chevelle to a higher level.
The present owner says this was a barn find when he acquired it, although we don’t get very much information beyond that other than it’s believed the Chevy came from Washington state. The steel wheels and dry-rotted tires came off, and the seller installed some new B.F. Goodrich rubber on a set of Cragar S/S rollers.
Although many of the panels appear to be in fairly decent shape, at least a couple of areas will require attention, should the future owner decide to perform the bodywork and give this one a respray. There’s some rust forming around the back window, and the package tray looks like it’s been soaking up water for years. The area above the rear bumper is also showing corrosion, and while you’re working back there it might be a good time to make that trunk lid brake light disappear.
A 307 wasn’t one of the available engines here for ’65, but the seller was told that’s what’s under the hood now, and it’s claimed to be running fine while providing ample power. The clutch is also said to be operating properly, plus a column-shifted manual transmission is sort of a novelty these days, so that’ll probably be one of the first things your friends notice when they go for a ride.
The seat covers aren’t in the greatest of condition, but they should do until it’s time to refresh the entire interior. Perhaps a bigger concern is all of that surface rust on the dash, which the seller attributes to being stored inside a barn. If you’re seeing this one as an adequate driver or envisioning taking it on as a project, this 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu is presently located in Columbus, Ohio, and can be seen here on eBay. The current bid of $6,600 isn’t enough yet for a sale, as the reserve has not been reached. What are your thoughts on this one?
Never heard of a 307 providing ‘ample power’ but I suppose in a small enough car it could. Certainly didn’t in our 68 Impala…
A 250 6 cyl in a nova or camaro with optional 3:07 rear & aftmkt turbo muffler under back seat area & taller air filter & no heavy a/c has plenty of power/torque even with a powerglide – even going up fairly steep hills.
Some interesting features here, like the “Overdrive” switch at the drivers left side under the dash but no mention.
If this had the 230 ci I-6 my our ‘64 Chevelle 2 door wagon with, no amount of stirring the 3 spd on the column seemed to make a difference on an uphill run over Donner Pass..and ANY V8, even a 307 would be welcome (we later dropped a 283 in ours).These early/smaller Chevelles responded to minor hot rod improvements a lot more than the ‘66 and later but seem to be fewer at shows around here.
Depending on the overall rust issue this could be a good one to personalize/customize but yes leave the column shift in it!
It’s mentioned in the EBay add…..
I think this is great. But…. why does every old car like this on ebay look like it was used in a corrosion intrusion test?
This car has a lot more rust than the seller is letting on. The trunk has a rust line signifying how high the level of standing water got at some point, probably through the leaking rear window. The inside of the trunk drop offs have been repainted, has there also been rust repair? There has been a lot of moisture in the interior causing every unpainted surface to rust. The seller makes no mention and shows no pictures of the undercarriage. There are too many risks with this car to bid without a thorough inspection.
Steve R
What is that pipe in line with that heater hose?
Engine heater?
I haven’t dealt much with 307s before. I have had small block, 283, 327s and 350s, but always avoided the boat anchor 305s. Three on the tree would stay. This 65 Chevelle Malibu looks like a straightforward proposition with minimal rust to deal with tackling, depending on what its reserve price is.
A307 with 305 1.88″ intake heads and a good cam makes it a whole different animal
….”trunk lid brake light”… Are you sure that’s not a spoiler?
Good question, Zen. I’m sure the hoses connected to the pipe have to do with the heater. But I’ve never seen anything like it before. Inquiring minds want to know.
For God sakes Man!! Get that car off the grass before there’s nothing left of the botyom of it!!!!!
Zen, it almost looks like a sort of expansion tank, but it’s connected to heater hose, so that couldn’t be right. I’ve done heater hose bypasses before but it never looked like this.
I was thinking in line coolant heater but don’t see an electrical cord.
I am Thinking, Uh RUST BUCKET!