No Reserve: 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS

When owners list their classic cars for sale with No Reserve, they are sure to turn a few heads. When the vehicle in question is a 1965 Chevelle Malibu SS, that interest runs sky-high. That is the story with our feature car because it is a winner-take-all proposition with a potent drivetrain and some of the most desirable factory options offered by Chevrolet in that model year. If you are tempted to pursue the SS further, you will find it located in DeKalb, Illinois, and listed for sale here on eBay. Bidding has reached $12,700, and with No Reserve to consider, someone will be taking home a pretty desirable classic once the hammer falls. I have to say a huge thank you to Barn Finder Larry D for referring this diamond in the rough to us.

The first thing to note about this Danube Blue SS is that it does appear to be complete. The second is that it won’t be a project that the buyer will return to active duty after a weekend of tinkering in a home workshop. Reviving this classic represents a significant undertaking because plenty of rust will command the buyer’s attention. The exterior photos aren’t the greatest, but it’s clear that the rear quarter panels require repair or replacement. I’ve noticed corrosion and rust creeping out from under the back window, which will have to come out to effect a high-quality repair. The owner says that the panel below the trunk lid is also rotten, and he suggests that replacement would be the best option. The rest of the lower body extremities look clean, but like an iceberg, the true magnitude of the rust lies hidden below the surface. The buyer will face installing new floors and a trunk pan because both are well beyond their best. It isn’t clear whether there are any issues with the frame rails, but with the seller’s candid approach to his listing, I think that we can be reasonably sure that these are structurally sound. Before I went out spending mega-bucks on exterior trim, I would polish what was already there. I suspect that most of it would respond positively, and this approach could save a few dollars on this restoration. The glass looks good, and the SS retains its original hubcaps.

The owner holds some significant documentation for the car, including the original Owner’s Manual, Protect-O-Plate, Owner’s Protection Plan, and the original Dealer Invoice. This last item makes interesting reading because it shows that the original owner ticked some desirable boxes on the Order Form. They reveal that this SS features the L74 version of the venerable 327ci V8. This would have punched out 300hp in its prime, while the Malibu is also equipped with a four-speed manual transmission and F40 suspension. If the first owner had pointed this beast at a ¼ mile, the journey would have been over in 14.9 seconds. This Chevelle is one of those good news/bad news stories. It is a numbers-matching vehicle that is mechanically complete. However, that beautiful little V8 is stuck. That raises the question of whether it has stuck due to inactivity or whether someone parked this classic due to a mechanical failure. It would be worth the effort to break out the Mystery Oil in a bid to free the engine. Another alternative that I’ve seen owners use with great success is to pull the plugs and fill the cylinders with diesel. It is lighter than oil, so it seeps into tight spots pretty effectively. I have seen locked motors released in a matter of days using this approach. If the engine turns freely again, it could be a prime candidate for a rebuild.

This Chevelle’s interior is complete, but once again, it requires total restoration. The upholstered surfaces look pretty shredded, while the carpet is gone and the headliner is beyond salvation. The painted surfaces also exhibit deterioration, so the buyer will undoubtedly strip everything to achieve a high-quality finish. Trim kits are easy to find, and one that would include everything required to return the interior to an as-new state would lighten the buyer’s wallet to the tune of $2,000. The original owner added a few desirable options, and all of these remain intact. They include bucket seats, a console with the shifter poking through, a factory tachometer, and a pushbutton radio.

Like so many classic cars, events of the past eighteen months have seen values of the 1965 Malibu SS ride a rollercoaster. However, things have improved markedly since the start of 2021, and the increases show no signs of easing. There is no question that the Chevelle Malibu SS is one of the most desirable cars in today’s market, and a car like this would have no trouble achieving a value beyond $50,000 if its next owner performed that restoration work to a high standard. The parts to accomplish this are readily available, but the process is unlikely to be cheap. However, if values keep climbing, this could be a restoration project that also represents a sound long-term investment. I can’t think of one downside to that scenario.