New from Austria

[Longroof79]

[QUOTE="Rockabilly
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@Longroof79
i´ve never seen a skyhawk/ Monza in real, so I don´t know the size of these cars, but I think that they nearly are the same size like the Manta.
My Manta is smaller that a Camaro.
Length Manta / Camaro: 175,2 in / 197,6 in
Width Manta / Camaro: 67 in / 74,5 in

Here in Europe Mantas are relatively cheap. You can get a good one for less than 10000$, but I don´t know how expensive it is to import a car to the united states..
If you want to buy a Manta from Europe, you can search for it on www.mobile.de or on www.autoscout24.com. 😉

The Manta really runs pretty good, because it is a lightweight. It only has 2200lb.

El,
Thanks for your reply and links to the car ad sites.
I kind of figured the Manta is the same basic body style and length as the Monza/ Skyhawk.
Shipping a car from Europe is not cheap. I'm sure if I was serious enough, I'd look for a Monza in the states and save the shipping cost. However, there's something special about your Manta. I guess between the wheels and body kit it has an aggressive look to it.

 

[Rockabilly]

@ssn696: I like those rockabilly festivals. But I´m sure, that I won´t make it to this one. I´ve been to Vegas last October and it was really great and impressive. But sadly such a trip is not really cheap.

@Longroof79: I also think, that it would be a better idea to get you a Monza/Skyhawk. I think they are much easier to get.
Thank you for liking my Manta.


Yesterday I´ve been lucky and unlucky at the same time. The good news: I found a parts car for my Malibu. It has no engine or transmission, but it is in really good condition.
The bad thing: it is from ´83 and has no actual registration, because the police catched the previous owner with a tuned Corvette engine inside.
Let me explain this a little more...in Austria you are only allowed to run your car with the original engine, or a replacement engine of the same size and with the same power. Every change, or tuning part must be resgistered. But our government only allows 10% performance enhancement.

So I´ll get the car next week. The first thing to do is to check all mechanical things on the car and if they are all good.
The next step is to fit the stock drivetrain. After that I have to get the car inspected by the government.
I hope that everithing is ok and that I get the registration after the inspection.

Until now, I don´t know If I should keep the ´79 Malibu and restore it, or if I should get rid of it. We´ll see.

Here are a few pictures of the new one:

 

[mymontess]

Cool, another Malibu with the orange turn signals!
Wow, your laws there are harsh!
Car looks like it's in good condition.

 

[Rockabilly]

Yeah...it is also en export model, so the orange turn signals are stock here.
I would wish, our laws would be similar to the us laws. I have to deal with it, because I want a street legal car.
If the police would pull me out and the car is not street legal, it would cost minimum 800$ fine and I would lose the registration.

The current owner told me, that the car is in really good condition. There´s no rust or dents.
The frame is already restored and the body has a "nearly new" paint job.
On the pics it´s pretty dirty. Only the red stripe needs to be replaced.

I will go and get it on friday next week. So I hope that the current owner told me the truth.

 

[Longroof79]

El,
Your rules over there are much too strict. It's good to see that you found another Malibu. So between the two cars you plan to put one good one together?
You could always put a 350 in it and keep it looking like a 305. Although the police version of the Malibu usually came with a 350.
I guess the authorities want to see receipts for everything added or done to the car. That's worse than California laws.
Do you see any Malibu station wagons over there?

 

[Rockabilly]

Yeah, I know that our rules are way too strict, but I have to deal with it.
Of course I know, that I can make a 350 look like a 305, but the problem is, that every single number will be checked ai the inspection and if only one single number isn't correct, I will get no registration.
But I will put a 350 in the Malibu right after i have passed the inspection.

I want to bulid one good car. That will be the "newer" one. Right now I don't know what I shoeld do eith the older one...maxbe I'll keep it and build it in a few years.
I do not have the money to build two cars in one year, because we are also starting to renovate our house.

Of course we also have Malibu station wagons in Austria.
One of my best friend owned one, but he was parting it out last year.
Right now there is also one for sell around here.
http://m.autoscout24.at/angebote/chevrolet-malibu-station-benzin-rot-264963759
I don't know if the link works, because it is a mobile page. Sadly I'm not able to post a normal link with my tablet.

 

[Longroof79]

El,
Your rules over there are much too strict. It's good to see that you found another Malibu. So between the two cars you plan to put one good one together?
You could always put a 350 in it and keep it looking like a 305. Although the police version of the Malibu usually came with 350's. I guess the authorities want to see receipts for everything added or done to the car.
Do you see any Malibu station wagons over there?

 

[Longroof79]

The link for the Malibu wagon did work.,thanks! So the local authorities actually check engine numbers....that's scary. You're saying that after the car has been inspected, you can put a different engine in it? So the inspection is a one time thing? ...interesting.
I would take the better car out of the two and build that, then decide whether you will keep the other one as a future project, or use it for spare parts. Just make sure you have a good solid frame under the car you plan to use.

Did you say that the newer Malibu is an '83? If it is, someone changed out the front header panel with an '81.

 

[Rockabilly]

Nice that it was working, i wasn't sure about that.
Right...normaly the inspectipn of the authorities is a one time thing. Until you get cought by the cops again with some not legal, not registered parts.
Futhermore we also have to get our cars checked by a car repair shop once a year, but thatbis no big problem, because the shop guys aren't as strict as the authorities.

Both of the cars have good and solid frames, good engines, but the 83 is in much better condition.

 

[Rockabilly]

The newer one should be an 83...the current owner told me so.
It could also be, that it is the date of the first registrstion in Austria.