We have seen a few two-door fourth-generation Chevy Malibus over the years here at Barn Finds and I can’t help thinking what a great sleeper this 1979 Chevrolet Malibu would be, just leaving it as it looks now but cranking up the power a bit. The seller has it posted here on eBay in Appleton, Wisconsin and they have a $6,999.99 buy-it-now price listed or you can make an offer.
There’s something about these square, sixteen-foot-long two-door Malibus from this era that gets to me. This is around the time that I would have been getting my driver’s license, give or take a year or two. The vehicles from that time in a person’s life always stick with them whether they were from the 1930s, 1960s, 2010s, whenever. We weren’t all born at the same time and I don’t know if there’s a bad era for vehicles for a person to remember and reminisce about. At least it’s a vehicle and not a smartphone or video game.
By 1978, Chevrolet had started using the name Malibu in place of Chevelle for their midsized cars and they were made until 1983 when Chevrolet came out with the Celebrity. They were rear-wheel-drive as the car-driving Gods intended up until that point, or at least the car-driving Gods who didn’t live in winter climates in cities with steep, snowy hills. Somehow, those of us who lived in that era came through it ok, didn’t we?
You can see some rust starting to appear on the lower portions of quarter panels and the seller mentions that the rear frame rails are starting to rust in the usual spots, which sounds a little scarier to me than quarter panel rust. The interior looks good from what I can see. This car has a Turbo-Hydramatic three-speed automatic with a column shifter so no floor-mounted 4-speed here, bummer. The seats both front and rear look great.
The engine is a 268 cubic-inch V8 according to the VIN and it would have had around 125 horsepower and 215 ft-lb of torque. It runs great and has had a recent tuneup. They also mention that it has new brakes and lines and they show a couple of partial underside photos and there is definitely some heavy surface rust underneath. Any thoughts on this Malibu?
You really had me scratching my head on that one Scotty. I grew up on small block Chevys, but never heard or the rare and elusive 268. I think that you meant to type 267, my buddy ordered one in his new at the time 1981 Monte Carlo.
Yes, 267. It wasn’t fast but it wasn’t horrible either because these were pretty light, only around 3,100 lbs or so. It was part of that genre of malaise gas crunch V-8s, which included the Pontiac 301, Oldsmobile 260, and Ford 255. Hastily created responses to EPA requirements. Most people would yank it out and put it in Is a much more powerful small block.
I owned a 78 Police Package Prototype with a similar body and with the same 350 they were putting in the Corvette at that time. It also had a 400 Turbo with Aramin tires. I said all that to say this: It was a blast to drive! Like going around corners on a brick. Almost no yaw at all. I bought it used from a Chevy dealer after GM was finished showing it to police departments to try to encourage them into buying smaller cars for police use. It didn’t work but I got a great car out of the deal. One of the most fun cars to drive I ever owned and I’d love to have it back. If you like the body style, it wouldn’t take much to make this car a hot rocket.
You’re probably right, Pat. 267.9 is what I found so being a man of few words (rarely…), I rounded up. I should have just said 4.4L. Wait until “ed” sees this one, oh boy. And he thought I knew nothing about Mercury Cougars because I went off of what Hemmings (what do they know about cars?!…) and period literature said about t-handle shifters! Today’s my birthday so it’ll take a powerful nasty comment for me to want to just shut it down today. I’m not a Chevrolet expert by any means and some (most) would say that I’m not an expert in anything but classic TV trivia. Maybe an offshoot website is in order… Thanks for always being polite and have a great afternoon!
Happy Birthday 🎂 Scotty. Enjoy your special day!!!
267…268…whatever it takes.
Most of these I have currently viewed are already highly modified. Small block or big block – always ready for action. No A/C is good, as it’s usually pulled in the name of weight.
It would be unique to see this lightly modded, with a nice set of wheels/tires, a detail, and fresh paint below the lower moldings..ah, were.
I’d like to see the RIGHT side frame rail behind the rear tire. Mother Nature can reclaim them pretty fast in the salty states, being that is the road shoulder side. Plus, exhaust pipe exiting there may have an effect – maybe deflection up into frame opening?
Still good looking. Clean lines.
Nice to see one again.
I think that nowadays (especially in the rust belt) when you see a rear wheel drive coupe, you are always on guard for a sleeper. It’s not like the old days when the majority of the cars on the road were rear wheel drive.
I had a 83 Wagon that started with the 305, when it gave up, I slipped a warmed up 350 in it and it was a changed ride. Had a lot of fun with it till some kid made a illegal left turn and took the front end off. Fun Car.
The 267 wasn’t a barn burner. But on the bright side, this doesn’t have the 200 V6. My family had a ‘78 wagon with that engine…acceleration was measured with a calendar and any modest grade required full throttle and a small prayer…
True that! We had a 78 Monte Carlo with either the 200 or the 231, I forget which, but it was glacially slow.
My aunt had a same year, same two-tone, same drivetrain Malibu Classic, except it was a 4-door. Slow and comfy, with fixed rear windows even on the sedan!
Definitely like the two doors the best of all of this series of Malibus, and if the rust hasn’t gotten to the frame rails too much this could be a really fun project. Those cars handle pretty well and a crate 350 in there would make it a fun little sleeper.
This is one of the few mainstream domestic cars where the premium for a 2-door is “worth it”. It’s such an elegant design, just the right amount of late-70s Brougham influence, classier than both the drab Oldsmobuicks and the overdone Monte Carlo. And it’s not like you get four opening windows with the four doors!
A much better alternative to 2 door GM ’70s Colonaide styling.
Sporty frameless door glass + safer roof post support column.
With a lower roof & some rear side sail panel finagling, the side rear windows could have been made to go down – at least partially.
If the lighter in wt 250 strait 6 was still avail in ’79, with its peak torque at very low rpm, it might not be much if any slower than this 267 v8. & probably would get better mpg – still, a delight to work on under the hood as is!
It seemed back in the day that ALL of these Malibus had those too thick wheel well chrome moldings – were they std equipment?! A lot of these had 2 tone paint too.
I don’t know how in the world could that very light in color interior still look so good!
I love these! That said, am I the only one who thinks 7k is a “bit” overpriced for a well worn example?
I too, think it is considerably over-priced. Missing molding on passenger door, missing wheel covers, rust already started. $3500 would be a high price on this.
That’s what I was thinking too 3-3500
Must be my existence in a time warp. My opinion is that the first digit in the asking price needs to be ‘1’.
I bought a used 1980 Malibu sedan that had the small V8 from an autobody mechanic who had repainted it, and installed Camaro wheels that were painted to match. Even though I try to stay impartial when checking out a used car, I knew I was going to buy the car as soon as I saw it! We enjoyed the car for a couple of years, then sold it and bought an 81 Malibu Estate wagon with the 305 in it – that was a huge upgrade power-wise! Hated to part with that wagon, but a minivan sucked me in, and I haven’t owned a V8 since. Sigh…
A local has on these with a swaped LS something or other, repainted in Mercedes Silver with a killer road racer stance. It looks like it would be at home going down the corkscrew at Laguna Seca. Oh and it sounds awesome!
Car and Driver once called these the best American car of the late ’70’s. Sad that mediocre was the best we could do.
Back in 1979, I purchased a two-door Malibu Classic with the 305 four-barrel and 4-speed manual. It was white with factory gold pinstripe, black vinyl bucket seat interior, F41 sport suspension, AM/FM radio, bumper guards but not the full-width bumper rub strips, wire wheel covers and white-letter Uniroyal tires. It had the single chrome driver’s side mirror but I don’t remember if it was the remote control version. I still have the original window sticker somewhere around here. Wish I still had that car today.
Midwest G bodied cars and El Caminos, the frames rot before the bodies , I had several in the late eighties including grand nationals, the weak point is at the back end where the chassis kicks up over the rear axle.
East coast ones too. They all rotted so bad our local racetrack changed the rules in the street stock class , allowing you to build square tube rear frame rail, and that was way back in the 1990s
Fun idea to take cars from this era and emulate their NASCAR brethren. Now that would be a great “sleeper.”
John S Dressler, i would think the cat converter was removed from your ’78 Police Package prototype, or a smaller cat was fitted.
The big wide GM flat pellet type cat converter used back then would not allow the turbo 400 to fit alongside that cat on ’75 & newer camaros & firebirds, so a smaller turbo 350 trans was used.
I doubt the cat & a turbo 400 would fit on the small ’77-’87 malibu, but would on the bigger prev gen ’75-76 Malibu & Grand Prix.
Dear joenywf64, you could be right about the transmission. I am relying on what the salesman told me when I bought the car and never took the time to verify his statement. Never had to do a thing to it mechanically in the time I owned it except change the oil, brakes and plugs. Regardless of what it actually had as a transmission, it was still one of the most favorite cars to drive that I ever owned and would still like to have it back. I made the guy I sold it to promise to sell it back to me if he ever wanted to part with it. Haven’t heard from him so I can only assume that he still owns it.
I have a childhood friend that loves these. He had one 25 years ago that had a broken frame, but he had it painted anyhow (I tried to talk him out of it). It was puke green with matching interior. He had it painted gloss black & then he spray painted the cloth seats black. It got run over by a dump truck. Now he has another. Entire car is spray bombed primer black. Has mismatched body panels. It is rougher than corn cob toiletpaper. But it has a solid frame (possibly tweaked, but solid).
He has owned this one for over 20 years. He won’t put it out of its misery. After seeing his two wonderful examples, I have no use for these cars.