Vehicle Description
This 1980 Chevrolet Malibu is one of those cars that just gets
cooler the more you look at it. Sure, we all grew up with these
buzzing around by the hundreds, but when was the last time you saw
one? And with 454 cubic inches under the hood, this is no 1980s
wheezer, either! Nicely finished to a level belying its very
affordable sticker price, this cool Chevy deserves closer
examination.
These became so familiar back in the day that it's worthwhile to
stand back and take a second look today. Pretty good looking car,
isn't it? Clean lines, a chiseled roof profile, and great
proportions make it a car that suddenly stands out in a crowd. The
soft metallic blue paint keeps it from being too in-your-face,
which is a good thing because the mechanicals do that part of the
job just fine. It's remarkable to find one this straight and clean,
and someone has obviously invested a good deal of cash in making it
look good. The steel cowl-induction hood is the only notable
deviation from stock, but it works rather well on this big coupe
and makes room for the big block underneath. Finish quality is
decent, and if you want to take it to the next level, a
professional cut and buff would probably pay off handsomely. The
front and rear bumpers were powder-coated silver, which gives it a
clean, monochromatic look, and all the lenses are in excellent
shape.
It's 1980 all over again inside, where pillow-tufted blue velour
seats take you back in time. If you like the retro look, you'll dig
it and it's so over-the-top that it's somehow cool once again. It's
also in remarkable condition, as it was all recently replaced with
NOS material and installed by the pros. The most notable upgrade is
the steering wheel, which is a great-looking Grant unit with a fat
rim parked on top of the original steering column. The factory
gauges covered only the basics, so a custom panel in the middle A/C
vents houses a pair of Auto Meter gauges for temperature and oil
pressure, adding to the car's industrial look. A modern AM/FM/CD
stereo fits neatly in the original radio's slot and powers speakers
throughout the interior. Things like the carpets, door panels, and
headliner are in remarkably good shape and the massive trunk is
ultra-clean and fitted with a full-sized spare.
This car might have originally come with a light-duty V6 or maybe a
wheezy 305, but today there's a professionally built 454 cubic inch
V8 that makes for some pretty entertaining driving in the
lightweight Malibu. Fully rebuilt and nicely detailed, it's
immediately obvious where the big money was spent on this build. It
starts easily and idles well, and with almost 400 horsepower on
tap, performance is more than energetic. It's got a stock-style
intake with a Quadra-Jet carburetor, so it seems at least a little
OEM, and it's got new parts everywhere you look, from the belts to
the Accel ignition system. It's backed by a TH350 3-speed automatic
transmission that was built to withstand the big block's torque
without robbing it of horsepower, and it feeds a 10-bolt rear with
highway-friendly 3.23 gears inside. A brand new Flowmaster exhaust
system sounds wicked, and if not for those brand-new flashy
aluminum wheels and oversized Mickey Thompson rubber, this would be
one heck of a sleeper!
Affordably priced and a blast to drive, this is the car for the guy
who doesn't need everyone paying attention to him to have fun, but
believe me, when you fire up that big block, they'll all notice.
Call today!