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Not Too Shabby: 1973 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu

Post-1972 Chevelles are polarizing vehicles; either you like them or you don’t. Many claim that 1972 was the last year for “real” Chevelles and that the redesign in 1973 was the end of the car. As a former Chevelle owner myself, I can attest to this being a divisive argument even within the Chevelle community. Though they are more “modern” by comparison to the 1972 and older Chevelles, the later cars have their own kind of charm and even a little bit of class. This 1973 Chevelle Malibu can be found here on eBay in Massachusetts. This car only has 15,406 miles and it shows! Bidding is at $7,200 as I write this with reserve not met. 

The engine is a Chevrolet 350 cubic inch V8, a mainstay of everything GM from 1955-2003. This engine puts out 145 horsepower, which is down from 1972’s 165 horsepower. This is likely due to new emissions regulations beginning in 1973. Because this is not intended to be a powerful car, the 350 will provide adequate power for cruising this Chevelle around town even loaded down with your friends. The seller states that this car runs and drives like a new car, and given the low mileage and lack of wear that is not a surprise. The only issue is a small exhaust leak.

Although the seller has not provided the most flattering pictures of the interior, it is clearly in very good condition. This is one of those times where I can’t help but wonder why the interior would not be vacuumed in this car. It is a little detail, but on an incredibly low mileage vehicle like this it would really help to sell if if it looked “new.” Dirt aside, there is no discernible wear on the seats or carpet and everything looks intact. This would be an easy car to clean up and do nothing but enjoy with maintenance. I need to learn to start buying cars like this!

The best part of the 1973 Chevelle is without a doubt the rear. While the front is very utilitarian, the rear is beautifully designed and harkens back to older Chevelles. From this angle, it is easy to see why some people really like this generation of Chevelle. The seller purchased this car from an estate several years ago and is now out of space to store it. Though not the most desirable, there is still a following for these cars and this car will likely fetch the seller a reasonable price.

Comments

  1. Avatar Rock On Member

    No worries about the exhaust leak as most people would install headers and a true dual exhaust system within the first week of purchase!

    Like 0
  2. Avatar Luke Fitzgerald

    These cars have merit – only if condition can overtake resistance to a car that’s not from “a great year”, to quote wine people

    Like 0
  3. Avatar Grumpydan

    Ugliest Chevy ever made…..sorry….

    Like 0
    • Avatar John Combs

      Actually bought one of them brand new. Totalled it in a roll over.

      Like 0
    • Avatar Tom Cotrel

      You are wrong. The 1963 Impala/Bel Air/Biscayne is.

      Like 0
    • Avatar Robert Spinello

      Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. it looks better than the 72.

      Like 0
  4. Avatar edh

    Not as pretty as the previous year, but every bit as good looking as the first generation Monte Carlos.

    Like 0
    • Avatar steve

      Thats not saying much

      Like 0
  5. Avatar jw454

    There is a blue one in my area that is still driven by it’s original owner. She appears to be in her nineties. She attends many shows around the area and her car is in impeccable condition. Hers has quite a few more power options than this one. She is often asked to sell it and so far the answer has been no.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Dale McRae

      Would that happen to be free n the U.P. , Kipling area ?

      Like 0
  6. Avatar 86 Vette Convertible

    I had a 74 Malibu Classic, 350ci 3 on the tree. I like the 74 front end better than the 73, rear ends are a toss up. Funny though they had the opera windows on the 74, but all they did was cover the glass with the frame and vinyl top.

    Mine was rather peppy after the warranty ran out and did a few mods to the 350, before that it sucked. If it was mine I’d drive it, but no telling what the reserve is on it.

    Like 0
  7. Avatar glenn

    i thought all these had turned to dust doesnt it seem that you never see a car from the early 70’s anymore

    Like 0
  8. Avatar Keith Johnson

    My dad bought a ’74 Malibu Classic with a 350. I learned to drive in it and made out in it a lot. I wish he’d bought the Laguna, and it was really slow for a 350 and got really awful mpg, but I have a soft spot for this era Malibus.

    Like 0
  9. Avatar jdjonesdr

    Were these all green? I had a friend who bought one new and lowered it an inch or so, put wide ass tires on it with Cragas along with headers and glass packs. I always thought it would have looked killer if it were black

    Like 0
    • Avatar Car nut from Wpg Member

      My aunt had one. 74 I think
      Also green/green!

      Like 0
  10. Avatar JamestownMike

    WOW! Not too shabby indeed! And that’s coming from a 67-72 Chevelle lover.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Andrew Tanner Member

      I’m a 67-72 lover myself, though ’67 and ’68 are my favorites!

      Like 0
  11. Avatar jtnc

    I agree that the rear 3/4 view of the 73 is distinctive and attractive. Far better than the ghastly, bloated ’73 Monte Carlo.. I don’t have a problem with the styling of this model, it was the lack of performance (of course all automakers were struggling to balance performance and emissions then) and the poor build quality that were the big issues for GM in that era.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Andy

      Come on, now! I love my 73 Monte Carlo! But maybe that’s because I have a 6.0 LQ4 stuffed into it with a 4.10 limited slip in back. Just love the long fender lines. Mechanically stupid design, though. You could carry a whole extra Prius in the empty space under the hood.

      Like 0
      • Avatar Michael Keil

        I love the 77 Monte Carlo and Malibu Classics with the stacked square headlights. lol

        Like 1
  12. Avatar Mark Hoffman

    The reason there are so many green cars from the late 1960s-early 70s are they sold a bunch of them new

    Believe it or not it was a popular color back in the day

    An ex girlfriends mom had a Chevelle identical to this one. Hers was a 75, I think

    I had a 1969 green Pontiac Bonneville in high school, 1976.

    Like 0
    • Avatar Steve in Charlotte

      I’ve always liked most green cars including this Chevelle. Strange, I know. Here’s my ’72. 27,200 Original miles. Almost identical to my first car which was a ’71. The trunk lid and rear bumper ARE from my ’71. :)

      Like 2
      • Avatar Andrew Tanner Member

        Steve, are you from Charlotte, NC? That is my hometown, and I can’t help but notice what looks like the local multi-colored Superbird clone in the background!

        Like 0
  13. Avatar Driverseat

    My old man had a maroon 74 or 5 with the velour swivel seats beautiful car. He didn’t keep it for very long, I will have to agree on the laguna one of the better cars from the 70s If only for style.

    Like 0
  14. Avatar glenn

    i can only imagine putting a modern camaro engine in one of these

    Like 0
  15. Avatar fish56

    PURCHASED OUT OF AN ESTATE SEVERAL YEARS AGO

    Item location:
    Gardner, Massachusetts, United States

    CAR HAS A CLEAR ILLINOIS TITLE….

    Why is the car still titled in Illinois, several years after purchase?

    Like 0
    • Avatar Alexander Member

      Many people keep a title open for the next person, especially if stored as this one has. Nothing shady about it. In fact, it probably saved someone a little on sales tax. Now if this car was driven in MA, I would question how and why.

      I’m a novice in terms of buying and selling vintage cars, but I’ve kept titles open while I decide whether I’m registering it it or selling it.

      Like 0
    • Avatar Captain Brougham

      Calvin Broadus would call that a “Flip Dizzle”

      Like 0
    • Avatar Noel Amick

      I bought the car. Love it. Now just hit 20.000 miles. Put dual exhaust and performance upgrade on motor. Chevy rally wheels.

      Like 1
  16. Avatar glen

    A person could build an excellent collection of vehicles through Barn Finds. All I need is the money and a big garage! This Chevelle is yet another example of the quality of cars that are available. Love it.

    Like 0
  17. Avatar Barzini Member

    This car reminds me of how quickly and radically model changes occurred back then. Compare that to now where a body style (e.g., Accord, Tacoma, etc.) can stay nearly the same for 5-7 years.

    Like 0
  18. Avatar Andy

    Beautiful Car, just add exhaust and a nice stereo!

    Like 0
    • Avatar Sal Monelli

      One of the most Frumpy and ugly cars ever produced !!!

      Like 0
  19. Avatar Troy S

    I have always liked Chevelle’s, but only from ’72 and backwards. This car just doesn’t have any eye catching looks, more of a stamped out assembly line appearance “who cares” look to it. Chevy was dwindling performance wise by then anyways and this car fits right in.

    Like 0
  20. Avatar Maestro1

    Thank you Andrew, the seller doesn’t give enough information about the car but it certainly is an attractive driver. Don’t expect much upside; these cars were mass produced and frequently unloved.

    Like 0
  21. Avatar Maestro1

    I wanted to say something else about EBay which I don’t use; I don’t have enough time to sit around while the bidding process goes on. When purchasing I
    simply want to know what the Seller wants and negotiate from there. Never mind bidding and reserve nonsense.

    Like 0
  22. Avatar Paul Duca

    What about the front end of the Laguna?

    Like 0
  23. Avatar Superdessucke

    The “collonnade” style looked great on certain models but never thought this was one of them. Still good to see one in this condition.

    Like 0
  24. Avatar W9BAG

    Beautiful car, and I really like the color combo. Being a bit anal, however, I would find a factory clock, and install it. That little space with the lines on it drives me nuts.

    Like 0
  25. Avatar Bill Pressler

    I have liked 1973 Chevelles from the start. I hate how in ’74 and later they covered that glassy roofline with an opera window–on a fastback roof!

    I like the Malibu better than the Laguna as the Laguna had a body-colored rear bumper as well which I don’t care for.

    Midway through the ’73 model year, the front bumper filler was painted the color of the car instead of silver on all colors. I like the body color filler better but can’t tell on this car which it has.

    I haven’t seen one in this excellent condition in probably 30 or more years. I like it!

    Like 0
  26. Avatar Bill Pressler

    Does anybody reproduce those plastic-chrome moldings for around the quarter windows? I see they’re wavy on this car as is typical.

    Like 0
  27. Avatar Dovi65

    NICE. Hopefully, the next owner will continue to take such good care of it. No to an LS swap, no to headers, no to driving it like you stole it, no to destroying it’s originality in any way. This car deserves to be well cared for

    Like 0
  28. Avatar Creekrat

    My sister bought a new 1974 blue on blue Malibu and we drove it from Detroit to Los Angeles in 1976 to visit her friend Molly. Was supposed to be a 3 week trip turned out to staying in So Ca. Was in the family for many years. This is the closest I’ve seen to that car in a long time – was a great car.

    Like 0
  29. Avatar 68 custom

    make a great fun car, underhood swap those weasy heads for a set of 5.7 vortec heads with aluminum intake and 600 holley, forget the hedders just run big pipes and flowmasters on the stock manifolds, and dont forget to-recurve the distro. then it would need a set of wheel like the ones originally on the 70 Z-28 then maybe the stripe kit but no tags and make em wonder if it is a SS. may as well do a screech-bang rebuild on the th350 while you are at it. ,some say blaspemy i say lets go for a ride!

    Like 0
  30. Avatar Alexander Member

    My dad had one of these on loan while his new 73 Camaro was in the shop (frequent occurance, lots of warranty work). Butt ugly white car with I believe a dark green vinyl roof accentuating the roof line and ugly all around. Bench seat was unsupportive. I believe the Laguna front treatment fixed a lot of the starkness of the stock front, and the later opera window applique fixed the quarter glass. The wavy chrome surround is typical of automakers in 1973. Dad’s 71 and 76 Firebird had a roof gutter made of plastic chrome but the Camaros had metal. Plastic chrome in the worst place for something so fragile…..

    Like 0
  31. Avatar Scott

    Unsold at $8000.

    Like 0
  32. Avatar Art

    I had a 70 SS that my brother borrowed and totaled while parked on a country road with a girl friend ( drunk driver hit him). Took the 396 out of it and put it in a 73 SS that was burgundy red with Keystone Classic wheels. Still had the 350 emblems on the fenders. Had quite a bit of fun with the locals in the little town I lived in until they realized it had a big block.

    Like 0
  33. Avatar Bob C.

    I think this is the best looking year between 1973 and 1977. The collinaid cars were one of the best of 70s.

    Like 0
  34. Avatar Willte

    I had a ’73 in dark hunter green, Keystone Digger wheels, L-60 rear tires and replaced the anemic 307 with a ’66 327 out of a Chevelle. Loved that car. Honestly I always thought the ’73 was way nicer looking than the ’71-’72 model.
    If I had the cash, this one would be mine.

    Like 0
  35. Avatar JohnD

    Grandpa had a ‘73 in white w/ a black vinyl roof. Dependable car and reasonably comfortable. He later had it painted a fetching gold. Hey, it was the 1970s and it matched his leisure suit.

    Like 0
  36. Avatar RT Elkin

    I rode in the passenger [bucket] seat of one of these ’73s [in pale yellow] for two years of my boyhood, with my lead-footed mother behind the wheel. Loved it!

    Like 0
  37. Avatar Robert Fogle

    Father Murphy be all excited about this car!

    Like 0
  38. Avatar Robert Spinello

    Nobody gives as damn about engineering It’s always styling…Why. These 73-77 Mid size GM cars were the best handling GM cars to date other than the Corvette and Camaro. They are are much better engineered than the previous 68-72 mid-size. Don’t believe me. Drive both. The suspensions systems on these cars were well-designed. John DeLorean was in charge of Chevy at the time. He is largely responsible for the improvements in these car compared to the previous generation. These actually handed well for their size and weight. And these look pretty good to me as well considering the large bumpers fitted to all cars in 1973. Fords that year were downright ugly. GM stylists were obviously more talented in incorporating the massive bumpers to their cars. Not to mention the much safer roof structure than the previous hardtop design . Safety was a consideration for once.

    Like 1
  39. Avatar Robert Spinello

    The 1973-’77 GM mid-size cars handled well for their size and weight. And they look pretty good to me as well, considering the large 5 mph bumpers required by federal law in 1973. (The bumper standard was reduced within a few years). As usual, GM engineers and stylists rose to the task and produced a winner. This car and the Olds Cutlass Supreme were two of the best selling cars in the U.S. truth be told. Only the die hard 68-72 Chevelle freaks didn’t like this car.

    Like 0

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