Ran When Parked: 1969 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu

From its introduction in 1964, the mid-size Chevelle would quickly become one of Chevrolet’s best-selling nameplates. Especially the Malibu Sport Coupe, which accounted for 60% of production in 1969, the year the seller’s car was built. This is a one-owner machine that’s said to be numbers-matching and has not run in about a decade. With a bit of known rust on the lower extremities, this Chevy is in Manteca, California, and available here on craigslist for $7,500 (sale pending!). Thanks for the heads up on this Malibu, Tony Primo!

General Motors redesigned its intermediates in 1968, so the Chevelle would be minimally changed the next year, but enough to be noticeable. New for ‘69 in the Malibu was the 350 cubic inch V8 which had been offered for the first time the year before in the Camaro (it was the eventual replacement for the 327). This Chevelle has that motor, rated at 300 hp which means it has a 4-barrel carburetor. It’s paired with a TH-350 automatic transmission, which was slowly replacing the venerable 2-speed Powerglide. This auto is said to have been running fine when parked 10 years ago, so perhaps a flush of the fuel system will be needed to resuscitate it.

This Chevy is one of 286,000 Malibu Sport Coupes assembled in 1969 with a V8 (plus a few others with an inline-6). That number includes the SS 396 which became an option in ’69 rather than a series of its own. The seller’s car has logged 180,000 miles (the odometer has rolled over) and may be in good shape, all things considered.

The blue paint may have held up, though we see glimpses of rust peeking out from underneath. The car once had a black vinyl top, but it was peeled away and the top repainted the same color as the rest of the Chevy, with the chrome trim left in place. The seller says the car has a black interior using a bench seat, but no photos are provided of the insides of the auto. It’s said to be original and complete, perhaps making for a less invasive restoration project. The sale includes some spare parts.