Vehicle Description
Big, bad, and brutal, this searing yellow 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle
Malibu 454 is the muscle car you've always dreamed of owning. Tons
of power thanks to a cackling 454 big block V8 under the hood, a
classic high-performance look, choice options like power steering
and 4-wheel disc brakes, and dialed-in finish quality that'll make
you the star at any car show. Simply put, this is a muscle car done
right, and with only 5208 miles on the build, the party's just
getting started.
It's a good thing the builders of this Chevelle weren't
traditionalists, because during the restoration they ditched the
original Classic Copper paint (which admittedly is too conservative
for a Chevelle with this kind of hardware) and gave this Chevelle
several coats of miles-deep Prowler Yellow paint instead. Superbly
finished to a top driver-quality standard, the high-impact, bright
paint always looks right on the A-body and you can see from our
photos how it highlights the dramatic body lines that are typically
obscured with some of the tamer colors from the era. Look at the
gentle crease that defines the fender lines, the subtle flare of
the rear quarters, and the peak that runs from the roof down to the
rear bumper, all of which are often overlooked on lesser cars.
Those details stand out because someone spent the time to keep them
visible, and that's not cheap, and although it's not perfect, the
curb appeal is through the roof. And if we're honest, a
buff-and-polish would knock out some of the light surface marks
left over from car washes, potentially catapulting this Chevelle to
an even higher level. Black LeMans stripes keep the yellow finish
from becoming to overbearing, and they also laid down a proper
black vinyl roof to make this '71 look a bit more grown up,
although they did not dare tone down the aggressiveness any further
with the clever addition of a cowl induction hood and hood
pins/lanyards up front. Shiny chrome bumpers fore and aft, polished
stainless details on the wheel arches and window surrounds, and
proper SS badges throughout ensure this muscle car will never get
overlooked.
Much of the black bucket seat interior was replaced with custom
pieces during the restoration, and it was all expertly done to make
this car stand out in a crowd. Buckets in an SS are the only way to
fly, and you'll find it's easy to get comfortable behind the wheel
with those sporty, custom seats featuring super-clean, ultra-soft
black cloth-and-vinyl upholstery. Since it's a color change (the
cowl tag says it originally carried Antique Light Sandalwood),
everything that's black was either replaced or restored, from the
matching custom door panels to the seat covers fore and aft.
Bespoke "SS 454" embroidery puts an exclamation point on things
inside, and everything was attended to, from the taut headliner
above to the plush, black carpets below. The dash was filled with
white-faced AutoMeter instruments that are for more accurate than
anything from 1971, and all six dials are vital in a proper
performance machine like this. This Chevelle is built for combat,
but there's plenty of luxury, including a center console complete
with a horseshoe shifter, custom velour style floormats, a
leather-rimmed Grant GT steering wheel, and a Kenwood AM/FM/CD
stereo that handles the entertainment. Even the trunk was
tricked-out to match the theme of the build, with custom finished
panels and plush carpeting on the floor.
Beautiful cosmetics aside, this car is really about the powerplant,
and it's a doozie. 454 cubic inches of Chevy big block was nestled
in between the gloss black inner fenders, and comes topped with a
Holley 4-barrel carburetor and Holley air-gap performance intake to
help it breathe, an HEI ignition that provides instant spark, and
Hooker headers at the flanks to make it cackle. It's clearly
hardware-focused under the hood, with that big chrome air cleaner
(complete with 454/460HP decals) and chrome Chevrolet valve covers
to set it off, and super-clean steel-braided lines and a modern
alternator that's been dipped in chrome improve reliability and
starting power, respectively. It fires easily and rumbles like it's
threatening to fight you at idle, and you can be sure that there's
huge torque up-and-down the tachometer. A giant BeCool radiator
keeps temperatures at bay without much effort, and thanks to the
TH350 3-speed automatic transmission, it's a very civilized cruiser
at just about any speed. The undercarriage isn't overly detailed
for show but it's very clean, extremely solid, and the hardware is
what you'd expect for a muscle car, including the dual exhaust with
Flowmaster mufflers and a heavy-duty 12-bolt rear end augmented
with a rear sway bar. Flashy chrome Coys keep this muscle car
looking clean-and-mean with a custom flair that matches the car's
color combination, and they're wrapped in 235/45/17 front and
275/40/17 rear Nexen performance radials with plenty of grip.
Brutally fast, exceptionally pretty, and totally ready to rumble,
this Chevelle Malibu is the muscle car you've always admired but
never thought you could actually own. Don't wait, call today!
