When it was shiny and new, this 1970 Malibu SS 454 would have been a highly desirable car. Sadly, time and the weather have taken their toll on the car, and it now represents a major restoration project. You will find this 1970 model listed for sale here on Craigslist. Located in Clarksville, Tennessee, it is being offered for sale with a clean title. The seller has set a price of $17,500 for this car.
When it was new, this Malibu was finished in Cranberry Red, and it must have been a fantastic looking car. It is now pretty badly toasted and rusted, and it is hard to locate any real glimpses of the color. The seller does have the build sheet for the car, and it seems to verify his claims about it. The first obstacle that the new owner will need to face is rust. Both rear quarter panels will need to be replaced, along with the floors. There is also rust around the rear window, and there is no mention of the state of the frame. The cowl induction hood is present, but anyone who was willing to take this on as a project will need to have pretty deep pockets or a really understanding bank manager.
The interior is destroyed and will require complete replacement. The car was originally specified with a bench seat, and while this is still present, I think that it is beyond saving. I don’t know how long the car has been without a windshield, but any long-term exposure to moisture will almost certainly have killed any switches, gauges and electrical connectors, so it would probably be best to look at replacing the entire electrical system.
The seller located this car in a junkyard in northern Alabama, and there is a YouTube video showing the car in that location. The car is pretty much as you see it. The original 454ci V8 is long gone. The original M22 manual transmission is still in place, as is the original 3.31 CRV rear axle. It appears that the car does roll, but you can be sure that the transmission and rear axle will need to be gone through to ensure that they are in good condition.
So, the million dollar question, or in this case, the $17,500 question: Is this car worth the effort? I know that these are a highly desirable car, but this one needs a huge amount of work. The car needs to undergo a rotisserie restoration if the new owner is going to be serious about it. I have my own opinion, and today I’m going to keep that one to myself. Do a bit of a search on the internet and see how many of these that you can find along with the price, then let me know what you think.
kinda breaks my heart to see such an iconic muscle car reduced to such a deteriorating shell o f rapidly thinning metal & corrosion.
kudos to whomever rescued it from what would have been its final resting place.
i guess this is part of why they are valuable….if they were garage kept & treasured & cared for there’d be twenty times as many around to choose from.
pretty sure somebody will tackle the restoration project but what an uphill slog it will be.
Ah,
Just let it set a while longer. It’ll be worth something, someday.
Lot of work for that kind of dough.
I found 4 with one search all restored all SS 454s the highest was 54000 the lowest 47500. No way this pile of rust worth over 2500 dollars. All these junkyard diggers pulling everything out trying to get a big pay day.
What sort of documentation came with those cars?
Steve R
Rear end: $1,500.00 to $2,000.00 easy. Rock crusher and shifter: $2,000.00 to $2,500.00 easy. Build sheet WITH THE CAR $5,000.00 to $10,000.00. Real 70 SS with documentation; regardless how rough; if restorable: $5,000.00 to $10,000.00 all day long. Total: $13,500 to $24,500.00. $17,500 seems in the ball park. $40,000.00 to $65,000.00 to restore. About the going rate for this car, even without the original engine. And yes you can probably get one with the original engine for he same price. Apples and oranges.
Gone- friend had one green with black stripes–never forget the sound of the rock crusher….Buy seems high…good luck to the new owner
Cheer
GPC
Kudos to the owner who resisted scrapping it in the 70’s or 80’s. His few hundred dollar (at most) investment back then has paid big dividends now. All it takes is one used up Chevelle, selling off the rare parts here and there to get by and a tarp to keep those at bay. To think one never had to lift a finger. Talk about hindsight. Bravo.
Those poor saps babying their car. Choosing to spend time with the car over family. Years of obsessing. Driving only when nice. Staying home with even the thought of rain. Storing in a climate controlled garage. Paying insurance premiums for years.
Who is the smartest person in the room?
Completely and absolutely ridiculous pricing. Get off the dope.
When you wish upon a star…
Fun fun fun just the sight of the grand puba send a rush of chemicals thru my brain conjuring up holeshots in high school with my 70 ss. I had Had 7 of these, with the burgandy and white stripe car and white gut being yhe sharpest. Someone will rebody this, i dont think dynacorn makes a chevelle yet. Is there enough of this to rotisserie? I say leave the firewall with vin trim and hidden vin intact and take a granny 70, cut out the good fitewall amd put this rusty original in its place. I love the 70, but the Gto alwaus looked better to me
You are probably correct about a rebody. The cheapest route would most likely be to find a rust free Malibu and do the change over. Dynacorn does make the Chevelle in both coupe and convertible form, for the low low price of $15,495 each.
There are more SS Chevelle’s out there than GM ever built and some even come with fake documentation.
No, uh-uh, negatory old son. Not at that price.
10K too high.
Ridiculous.
Scrap. Not even enough left to part.
It should be covered up to save the “Patina “😆
Put it in a crusher and smash it, it will make a whole bunch of razor blades! These were ugly cars, you would have to go back to the 60s to get a nice one! Too bad for this car tho! The asking price is rediculous! The flipper probably paid 500 at the most out of a junk yard! JMO
what a shame, with out the ORG, motor its just not worth the GO. very sad
$175.00? About right-
Before anybody loses their S, this is the late end of the “Muscle car” era. Just look at the ’30’s-’50’s cars…most are “Meh” these days. Neat to look at, but who would pay for them is a shrinking pool. It won’t be long before the ’60’s cars, sans a handful, will be regarded in the same manner. Especially with today’s performance and the “Nostalgia” shift that comes with the bain of mortality, aging.
This is a pile of crap not worth fixing
CRV ?……oh whale……..on another note….SS ‘s should always be SS’s and not Malibu’s….boo you…
Well as usual trash n bash doesnt let me down lol ive had more chevelles then i can remember and yet still have one ! The vin isnt worth removing the cowl just take the plate . As far as his price um ah No . The rear and trans are the only value. In the past ive junked better cars . This is a project car and with malibu attached isnt worth it but if you cant find one then its a start . Good luck to the new rich owner with deep pockets .
That is an expensive data plate.
yes sir I agree