I don’t have to mention how hot station wagons are right now. When those hot wagons are hotted up a bit, they’re even hotter. Picture if you will (in my best Rod Serling voice), a 1982 Chevrolet Malibu Classic Wagon, serene, family-friendly, filled with National Park stickers on the rear windows. Then there’s this ’82 Malibu wagon listed here on eBay in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The seller has an opening bid listed of $6,000 that nobody has clicked on yet; maybe everyone watching this is a lurker or last-minute bid-sniper.
This would be one fun car to own. I like the wheels, but I wouldn’t be heartbroken if it had regular steel rims or something stealthier than these classic rally wheels and white letter tires. Sleeper mode is cooler to me than almost anything, but this is nicely done; crisp, and not overwrought. Just right.
The seller bought it this way it sounds like, and they were going to put a 2013 Camaro LS and automatic drivetrain in it, but time got away from them. The bumpers are right out of the Flintstones Art & Design Department; could they be any less “designed” than they are? Still, I love the look, it appears tough and somewhat menacing, which for a Malibu wagon isn’t all that easy to do. The two-tone paint looks nice overall with a few scratches here and there.
The fourth-generation Malibu was made from 1978 through 1983, and this one wasn’t in the catalog. You can see the unique diamond pattern upholstery, the gauges in the faux wood dash face, the sporty steering wheel, THE THIRD PEDAL (sorry for yelling), and the shifter for the three-speed manual! $6,000 and no bids? The seats look perfect front and rear because they are, and the rear cargo area also looks great. One thing I noticed, though: there appears to be some rust in the spare tire well under the rear cargo floor. Is that what’s holding bidders back?
A 350 V8 was available in the ’82 Malibu if a buyer wanted the infamous diesel; otherwise, gas-powered V8 fans got a 145 horsepower 305 or a 115 horsepower 268. We don’t know the power ratings on this transplanted 350 V8, and neither does the seller, as they say it was done by the previous owner. The three-speed manual with floor shifter may be original, but I don’t believe it was available with a V8, and maybe not at all in the wagon. Does anyone know? In any case, this one, unfortunately, has lost its power steering and power brakes, so that may be another reason nobody has bid yet. I really like this wagon, does anyone else?
I like this wagon!!! I agree with Scotty, I don’t think you could get a manual trans with either of the V8 options, but I could be wrong. And a 3 speed??? Listen, thats all you need in life folks…. Slow….. Medium… And Fast….. Very simple, who needs a 5 or 6 speed way too complicated. I’d leave it alone, as is and enjoy it. Thanks Scotty, I enjoyed this!!!
Nice wagon Scotty, I enjoyed it!!!.
Slow-Medium-Fast, LOL! That’s awesome Driveinstile. Also love the LEGO bumpers Scotty.
Thanks Jnard. I’ve been saying it for years…. But nobody listnes to me.lol.
This is one cool wagon, and the interior is nicely done. No power steering or brakes is definitely an oddity for an otherwise awesome car. May definitely be holding back the bids.
Wow 3 by the knee 350 Wagon 🏁 😎 👍
No air cleaner? Why? Won’t one fit under the hood? A few oddities here may be scaring some folks away.
Calm down and quit thinking like Howard, just because no air cleaner in pic doesn’t mean that’s how they drive it,I prefer you can see what type carb it has….
Original automatic car (pictures on Ebay show column shifter). PS, A/C, and PB removed so it has been slightly butchered.
$6K, not from me
We have some seriously eagle eyed people here on Barnfinds. I didn’t catch the column shifter ( with the lever removed) or the dash board shift indicator It looks like they did a nice neat job converting this over.
Auto shift indicator in the Speedo cluster
Unless things changed from ‘71 to ‘78 the three speed on the floor should have been available with the V8.
I had a ‘71 Nova with the 307 V8 and a three speed Muncie floor shift transmission. Ordered from the factory.
@ Paul R……GM small-block motors w/3-speed manual transmissions came from the factory equipped w/a Saginaw 3-speed.
Utesman , it was a Muncie M11.
For a 1971 Chevy Nova with a 307 V8, the 3-speed manual transmission option was a Muncie M11.
Hooked up to that 307 with positraction it could lay rubber pretty good and get close to 60mph in second.
Pretty lame compared with 4 barrel big blocks though.
We actually had a 454 Nova prowling the streets of Montreal back then.
cool but shame the dash has been hacked up for those ghetto gauges
Great comments, folks! My apologies for missing the column automatic remnants – bonehead mistake.
At least you think they could spring for some new seal beams
My parents bought a blue ’78 Malibu Classic sedan new in late ’77 with the V6 and 3-speed. The dealership salesman told them it would be column-shifted, but it arrived with the floor shifter (no way of knowing now whether the salesman lied or made an honest mistake).
Our neighbors also had a blue ’78 Malibu, albeit a wagon. Theirs had an automatic transmission, air conditioning, and an AM/FM radio, unlike our poverty-spec sedan.
As the smallest child, I had to sit in the middle of the split bench seat and splay my legs around the floor shifter on family trips with a full car. It was the first manual transmission car I ever legally drove, though I’d had secret unsanctioned lessons on an old Beetle courtesy of my cousin.
I recall the clutch pedal and shifter throws being very long, though that could be partially due by only other reference point being the VW. It was kind of a terrible car, but I also liked it and miss it.
Seeing the photos of the Malibu and reading the comments. I am going to dive in. To me the 350 if it’s a true 350 looks like a 1970. The paint color and carburetor. I glad they left off the air cleaner. The HELL flex fan gotta go!! Definitely going to lose a finger!! Electric fan would be better and safe. And that poor dash. I would of taken the old guages out and kept the speedo and the rest out and replaced them with custom guages. The clock would be a tach! And put in a aftermarket AC kit. Then enjoy driving it around. Good luck to the next owner. 🐻🇺🇸
A/C was removed along with the p/s & p/b and the car originally had an automatic. Odd build, I suspect it was built for a future in drag racing.
im in
I owned one of these in the late 80’s. It was very handy and had a very nice ride. Not as bulky as say a Buick Estate wagon. It was a salesman’s car and came from the factory with a cloth front seat and vinyl rear seat.
As the second owner of an original 1978 Malibu 4-speed station wagon and an ex-GM parts man, I will state that stick-shift Malibus were available from 1978 thru 1980; 200 & 229 CID V6 cars were 3-speed, 267 & 305 CID V8 cars were 4-speed. All had floor shifters. The 350 V8 was not available.
I have a dark blue one out back I built for my wife when I was moving 800 miles away. I put a recently rebuilt 350 (came in a wrecked truck or something but smoked) so I had heads rebuilt and dropped on but shop did a terrible job surfacing the heads but I was under pressure to move so used them anyway. She got about 6 months out of it and developed a coolant leak. That car got 21 miles per gallon with a quadrajet 4 barrel and an automatic. I left the tranny and stock exhaust in it from the 231? or 233? six cylinder engine. It bolted right in! Can’t decide to sell it or drop in a 400 small block. I have 4 parts cars for it now.
Sold on 4/8/2025 for a high bid of $6,300.
Steve R