Pros
*Wide variety of body styles/makes...something for everybody
*Interchangability between said models
*Good size, always a fan of intermediates
*Relatively inexpensive, when compared to similar older models, though that is rapidly changing
*Production in the millions over a decade, still some out there
*Better corrosion protection on the body structure than older stuff
Cons
*Choice of interior materials/construction makes restoration of interior tough
*Most people that owned the base versions never saw them as anything of value, so they received less care *****than older versions or the "sporty" models in the series, leading to all sorts of issues when the myraid *****of hoses/thermostatic vacuum switches needed service
*Better corrosion protection offset by poor design of cowl seams
*Mounting Malibu qtr glass INSIDE the sheetmetal allowing moisture to sit there for days
The weak OE powertrains really don't bother me, who wants to run the stock powertrain anyway? Even the musclecar era cars got modified before the money guys decided they had to be stock.
Likewise, the chassis....if you're serious about handling, who is going to run the stock stuff on any normal domestic production car of the era?
Some of us on the board are old enough to remember these cars new...and the time in which they were offered. Performance was hardly at the forefront of the public's desire. It was all about the fuel scares of the 70s and early 80s. We were lucky to get cars with V8s at all, given the mindset of the day. I daily drove big block Chevelles, and people looked at me like I was crazy cause premium was a DOLLAR a gallon!
