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Small-Block Project: 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu

The styling of the second-generation Chevelle’s (1968-72) helped them become “America’s Best-Selling Mid-Size.” Excluding the Monte Carlo, which was lumped in with Chevelle production, more than 443,000 were sold at the mid-way point, the 1970 model year. The 2-door Malibu Sport Coupe, like the seller’s car, would be the most popular of the bunch that year, good for 290,000 copies when equipped with V8 engines. This one looks to be in used but original condition and needs a makeover from head to toe. Located in Blue Ridge, Texas, the Chevy is available through a dealer and here on eBay for the Buy It Now price of $17,500.

This Chevelle looks like one of the cars we used during high school Driver’s Education. That one was Turquoise with a white/black interior like this one, but it was a two-tone with a painted white top instead of vinyl. The seller describes this Malibu as a project car, which is an apt description. With the basic 307 V8 and Powerglide automatic transmission, we’re told the Chevelle runs and drives, but no adjective like “good” or “well” is used to tell us its level of performance. There is no statement of mileage, so if it’s approaching 100,000, it will likely need a mechanical rebuild.

The paint could very well be original, but it’s all used up. The seller admits there is rust in the trunk, lower quarter panels and wheel housings, and from what we can tell, the floorboards are looking crusty from the inside, too. However, the car is said to be complete, so the body shop isn’t going have to go on a search to find missing pieces. The original purchaser chose to buy undercoating when the car was new and some of it looks to still be present.

Upon opening the doors, things look a little better inside, but the seats have a cut here and there, which suggests the material is getting old and brittle. Because SS versions of these cars have remained popular, replacement interior kits aren’t hard to come by. The dashboard looks good from what we can see, but we don’t know about the headliner. All-in-all this looks like a very restorable car.

If this was an SS model, we’d be looking at an automobile that would command big bucks, According to Hagerty, the resale value of the family-oriented Malibu is running from $8,400 for Fair to $20,000 for Concours. Which says that the seller is being optimistic on his asking price as you’d have $30-35,000 invested by the time you got done fixing the car up.  That’s getting awfully close to SS territory.

Comments

  1. Avatar DarrylB

    This will probably end up as another SS clone but I’d keep it looking as close to original as possible and do it up sleeper style. Maybe put a 383 stroker under the hood with a trans and rear gear swap.

    Like 10
  2. Avatar Steve R

    If the car was actually rust free, as in, no previous rust repair it would get close to the asking price. The trunk floor, which indicates a rear window leak of some sort, as well as the previous rust repair to the lower rear quarter panels will prevent all but the most naive from considering this car anywhere close to the sellers BIN.

    Steve R

    Like 9
  3. Avatar DaveK

    Almost guaranteed to be rust under that vinyl top.

    Like 11
    • Avatar JoeNYWF64

      & probably under that carpet too.
      Undercoating wont help at all when the water gets on the floors from the INSIDE.
      I sure hope they sold a lot more of these than the colonaids, which IMO looked much worse brand new than this does as is. lol
      I sure would like to know how modern cars don’t rust in lower front fenders – don’t leaves still get in there behind the fender from the vents on top, preventing water from draining, like on all these old cars?

      Like 0
  4. Avatar mainlymuscle

    There is a super clean survivor 71, with 20,000 miles for sale locally this morning,for 30 grand.I’d like to have seen it a couple of flippers prior,for about $10k.Ditto for this one but more like 5 or 6.

    Like 4
  5. Avatar FordGuy1972 Member

    The price seems pretty steep considering the rust and the mundane 307 and Powerglide. To me, this is a maybe $8,000 car. If you could get it for that price and could do some of the restoration yourself, then it could be a worthwhile project.

    Like 8
  6. Avatar Bob

    This particular doesn’t do much for me. It’s Plain -Jane 307 and rotting trunk doesn’t quite justify the asking price.

    Like 6
  7. Avatar Ken

    I like this plain Jane car but it’s 5-7k car. That even seems strange for me to admit because I remember back in the 80’s when I was in school, this would have been a $800 car.

    Like 2
  8. Avatar Roland

    I did a 70 SS tuxedo black white bench and 4 speed over. There wasn’t a nut and bolt that I did not take off and replace or repaint. My SS cost about 40k to complete back in 2012. Today might be 10k more. To do a non SS over you have to love what you are doing and not plan on selling the car, ever. It is a large investment if you are not doing at least 50% of the work yourself. Gotta be a Chevy lover.

    Like 2
  9. Avatar Erik

    Priced way too high. At the right price I would HOPE that it was kept stock in style and appearance as there are not many that stayed that way due to the trend to make “clones” and “wannabes” from the Malibus and basic Chevelles. Seeing a bunch of Chevelle SS’s at a car show or car cruise is like being a strip club and after a few minutes seeing “just another perfect set of t**s” or “yet another nice a**” that looks like all the others there as well, nice but “more of the same”. But when something like this shows up at a car show or car crusie and looks just like “everyday car the neighbor next door had at one time then it is like being at the strip club and suddenly the nice looking and vanilla “girl next door” is up on stage and you can’t help but look!

    Like 6
    • Avatar Superdessucke

      Agreed. Whenever I see a 1968-72 Chevelle SS at a show, I yawn and quickly move on. To me, it’s like hearing Don’t Fear the Reaper or Carry On Wayward Son on classic rock radio. Many people obviously love hearing them over and over and over and over and over, but I personally can’t change the station fast enough.

      Like 0
  10. Avatar Mike Morgan

    I wouldn’t pay $1750 for that pile, but I’m a cheap SOB. The last 70 I bought was a thousand times nicer and cost me $60.00! Ad in the Recycler said needs tuneup and has trans leak. I brought some ATF with me and drove it home with a pretty nasty misfire. Changed plugs in the 350, tightened trans pan, no more problem. I let my mother-in-law drive it for about a year and a half. Yanked the drivetrain for another project and sent it down the road for several times what I paid. This was late 80’s

    Like 2
  11. Avatar Peter Fee

    It’s a lot of money for a car in that condition but try to find one in concours condition for $20k, just not possible. The 68 on yesterdays site will top $20k by the end of the auction and there’s a clean plain-jane ’70 on Hemmings for $25k and that’s a bargain. No deals left on Camaros, Chevelles and Novas.

    Like 0
  12. Avatar charles farmer

    I bought that same car, color, motor new for $2200.00 in 1970. What people forget is that Chevy’s of that era were rust buckets.

    Like 0

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