35 years is a long time for a project to be sitting around in limbo, and that’s how long the seller of this 1965 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu has owned this one, with a decline in health making him realize it’s finally time to try and find this needy Chevy a new home. Unfortunately, the car’s health isn’t great either, and it’ll be a lofty goal to get this one roadworthy again. However, it’s a desirable year and body style, so hopefully somebody will see fit to bring this neglected roller back to life. This one’s in Hamilton, Ohio, and can be found here on eBay, where it can be yours today for $5,500. There’s also a make offer button present, and I have a hunch that might be the way to go here.
Mitchell G., thanks for your tip here! Back in the mid-sixties, this Malibu is stated to have started off with a 327 engine connected to a 4-speed manual transmission, so it began life with a desirable combo. They’re both long gone, with no mention of when the pair was removed or for what reason. No photos from the engine compartment are included either, so it’s a mystery of what sort of surprises may be hiding under the hood. Once things get sorted out in the bay, the next owner will have to decide whether to install another small block or maybe source a 396 and go with that instead. Among the parts that can be seen in the trunk is a radiator, so hopefully, this component can be the start of making things happen here.
The seller states that the Chevelle has been disassembled for restoration, with the bumpers removed and all the trim and moldings carefully boxed and preserved for the future owner. He also believes there is strong potential here, saying that the body is solid overall, and mentions only the floors and trunk pan specifically as needing rust repair. I’m thinking there are going to be some other corrosion issues to deal with as well, and no photos are provided from the undercarriage, so the rails may also require attention.
Not as many images are included from the inside, but from what we can view, the interior will also need some refreshing. It’s nice to see that this one’s equipped with bucket seats up front, but fresh fabric will be a necessity, and I’m not sure what’s going on with that steering assembly. There’s no doubt that the ’65 Chevelle falls into the classic category, and while I’d certainly like to see this one saved, it’s beyond my capabilities. Are you seeing hope here for a worthwhile project?
Another one wasted….sad
I was about to say yes absolutely fix it until I got to the picture of the rear quarter that tells me there is lots more rust than what the pictures show so I think it’s just a crusher saving what small hard to find parts that you can.
It’s rare, if it’s a real 4spd car it’s the only column shift 4spd Chevelle Chevrolet ever made. There is too much, who know how bad it actually is under the previous repairs. This would be a hard pass, someone with patience and persistence will be able to do better.
Steve R
yard art at this point
Did he really say that the body is solid overall??
Among other things, all of which are dubious, such as it was a factory 4spd, it will be worth $50,000-$70,000 wen finished, all trim and molding have been carefully preserved.
Steve R
So he just realized he’s not going to fix it??
I stopped by many yard cars…same story and even tried over the years on a rare bird BB until the tree grew thru it…
Divide by 10 an add 20 dollars..
I actually believe that it may be an original 4 speed car if the transmission tunnel is any indication, but that’s as far as anything positive about this junk yard dog goes. That’s hard for me to say because one of the very first cars I owned was a Seafoam green ’65 SS. It was just a 283 PG so it wasn’t exactly fast, but with American 5 spokes on all 4 corners it sure was a looker. I believe the ’65 SS was one of the prettiest automobiles produced during the sixties, so to me, it’s a crying shame to see one end up like this. At this point, calling the local salvage yard and donating it is about the only realistic thing to do with it.
The steering column has a shifter stub.
Steve R
Steve R. I don’t believe that is the factory steering column, looks strange to me, but the hole in the tunnel looks original.
I had a factory 4spd. 327 65 Malibu as one of my first muscle cars I rebuilt it and loved driving it. It pains me to see how someone let this rot like this, but as much as it breaks my heart I’m afraid this one’s just to far gone.
I’m not sure this is even a parts car.
Does it still have the 12 bolt rear end ?
Does it still have the 12 bolt rear end ? Also the serial number listed in the ad starts with 136, shouldn’t it start with 138 ?
In 1965 base Malibu VINs started with 135/6 while 137/8 VINs were for the Malibu SS
it will cost at least 50k to bring this back. you can buy 1 done for that. this should have been redone long before it looked like this
The only part of the body that’s salvageable is the cowl. I pass by a 66 ss chevelle 138 car regularly in the same condition as this, only it still has the original drivetrain. I can’t understand why people do this? Some kind of self punishment?
’64 and ’65 my favorite Chevelle years. One the reasons I moved to Nevada (from northern Illinois) was because of cars in this condition. Tin worms don’t live long in very dry climates. Now if I could just muster up some upholstery skills I would really be useful here.
The steering wheel looks like it’s out of an ’80’s GM vehicle. It has the rubber coated horn button on it. It will also need a new right side (and if I guess, left as well) rear quarter panel. The rust looks like just fixing that would be a monumental task. I think that only someone that is a diehard and obsessive lover of this year Chevelle would want to try to salvage it. Should pick whatever you can from its bones and call the scrapyard for the rest.
What a sin it is to leave something like this to rot, before trying to sell it. 20 years ago, someone would have bought this and made a great car again out of it.
Giving rotten Mopar E-bodies a run for the money in the decrepitude race.
I’m a 1971 Chevelle owner for 35 years and this is so sad. It is a parts car now maybee.