1968 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe
This car was built at the Fremont, CA plant and sold new in Eugene, OR. It was back in California not long after and remained there until I bought the car in 2017. I sold the car to a close friend and now it has come back to me.
This car contains its numbers matching powertrain. The engine is the 275HP/355 Torque 327 V8 with Rochester four barrel carburetor. The four speed transmission is by Saginaw. It spins a twelve bolt rear axle containing 3.31 gears and an open differential.
The odometer reads 63,513. That is only about four hundred miles more than when I bought the car in 2017. I was told the mileage is actual and accurate, but have no proof, so it is being sold as exempt of odometer disclosure. I am very confident that the mileage claim is truthful due to the condition of the car.
This car has never been rusty. The undercarriage and floors are in amazing condition. My friend had the car repainted. That involved media blasting the body to bare metal. It was rust-free.
The interior is all original to the car. While there are a few flaws, it is in wonderful condition and certainly supports the low mileage claim. You will find the original black carpet to be a bit faded and shrunk. There is some wear by the driver’s left foot. The Parchment bucket seats are in nice condition, but show some wear and a few holes that were probably poked. The white headliner is original and in good condition. The white door panels are very nice and are original. The black dash is perfect.
Whomever ordered this car must have been focused on performance. In addition to the afore-mentioned powertrain, it has factory gauges and tachometer. It does NOT have power steering or brakes. It has sway bars. The four speed shifter located in the factory center console has been changed to a Hurst. Headers were added to the engine and the exhaust is 2.5 inch true duals.
Other changes include a newer AM/FM/Cassette stereo, stereo speakers in the package tray, a sporty steering wheel (original is included) and over-sized wheels and tires. The front wheels are 15x7x15 Rally wheels with 225/70/15 BFG Radial TA tires. The rear wheels are 15x8x15 Rally wheels with 275/60/15 BFG Radial TA tires. The tires have less than 50 miles of use and were just put on over the summer.
My friend had the car professionally painted to the original Matador Red. As mentioned, the car was taken to bare metal. All lights, emblems, trim and glass were removed. The body is perfectly straight. The finish is a two-stage base coat/clear coat that has been polished to a brilliant shine. It is definitely show worthy.
Most emblems, bezels and some of the trim pieces were replaced. The weather seals were all replaced. The time, effort and expense invested into the repaint is huge.
During the process, the engine was pulled, degreased and repainted. The engine bay was repainted and detailed. The headers were recoated. In addition, the front end was treated to a partial rebuild and the carburetor was rebuilt.
This car comes with its original Owner’s Manual packet that contains the Protect-o-Plate. It has a proper spare and jacking equipment in the trunk. The trunk mat covers an exceptional original floor. There are two sets of keys, with one being the original keys from Chevrolet, and they actuate all locks.
The underside of the car has always been rust-free. It was repainted to chassis black during the refurbishment of the car. It is in fantastic condition for a 54 year old car.
All features, lights and gauges work properly with exception of the heater. It has been by-passed. I would assume it leaks, but having a heater was not a concern for my friend. He is very careful about choosing nice days to do his driving and he has many cars in his collection to choose from.
This is a great car to drive. It is all about the horsepower. It looks fantastic due to the wonderful repaint. It is worthy of any local car show or cruise night. California living was good to this car. I hope you will be as well.
