The 1969-72 Chevy Chevelle is one of the most often closed muscle cars from that era. That’s because the vehicle was a Malibu with the Super Sport option, one without a separate VIN to identify it. This 1971 example was and is still a Malibu with no such efforts to camouflage it even though the powerplant has received a substantial upgrade. With a fresh 406 cubic inch “Stoker” V8 and a partially new interior, this Chevelle is on the comeback trail. It needs some bodywork and paint, but some of the heavy lifting has already been done. Located in Pender, Nebraska, this Malibu is available here on eBay where the bidding has reached $7,300, the reserve is admitted to being $15,000, yet the Buy It Now price is $21,000.

Malibu Sport Coupes were still the most popular of Chevy’s mid-size cars at nearly 190,000 copies in 1971 with a V8 engine. The autos had been restyled somewhat that year, with the most noticeable change being a shift from quad to dual headlights. We’re told this Chevelle had a 350 V8 in it before the seller’s handiwork which included going with a 400 cubic inch motor which was bored out to be a 406.

It’s a strong-running car with a 4-speed manual transmission that was recently added (was this a manual shift car to begin with or an automatic conversion?). The seller says it should be fine for local jaunts, but it’s not ready to be a daily driver just yet. No mention is made of any further mechanical work that’s needed, so the rest is probably cosmetic.

The interior is new, including SS-like buckets seats, but at least the door panels still need to be installed. We’re told the body is in worse shape than it looks beginning with the roof where a vinyl top may have once lived. The seller would put on a new roof skin if he/she was going to keep it, and he/she’s not optimistic about the quarter panels, either. The seller has too many ongoing projects, so it’s time to thin the herd. I like his/her attitude – “Thanks for checking out your future car!”