New Member With An Old Malibu

[ed1948]

Nice to see another Malibu in the forum. Welcome!

 

[Texas82GP]

Hey Everyone,

I'm new to the forum, and just wanted to introduce myself. My name's Chris, and I have a 1979 Chevy Malibu.
I've had it for about 13 years, and it's been in my family since before I was born. I daily drove it from the age of 14, to the age of 23. In recent years, I've been able to let it rest while I put some time and effort into making it something of a street/strip car. It's obviously an ongoing project, and I'll be sure to do future posts that include some updates on changes I make.

The G-Body community is great. I feel it's unique in the world of automotive enthusiasts. Half of these cars are unrecognizable to the average gear head, and that's okay with us. I'm sure many of you out there have gotten the general passerby saying something like, "Is that the car version of the El Camino?"(at least I have), which isn't really that far off the mark.

Though the G-Bodies weren't as fast as their predecessors in the decades prior(okay, T-Type, GN, GNX guys, that wasn't directed at you), and they were quite unassuming in their appearance, they still hold a special place in our hearts. Anyway, here are some pictures of my car, and a brief list of what it's got for the powertrain.

1979 Chevy Malibu Classic
350 Small Block Chevy
TCI TH400 Trans w/ 3200 Stall Converter
Currie Ford 9" Rear end - 4.30 ratio

I look forward to interacting with you guys. Thanks!

-ChrisView attachment 81759 View attachment 81759

Welcome to the site from Houston. That's a great looking car you have there!

 

[American Muscle 79]

Nice to see another Malibu in the forum. Welcome!

Thank you! Glad to be a part of it!

 

[American Muscle 79]

Welcome to the site from Houston. That's a great looking car you have there!

I appreciate it! That's a very clean Grand Prix you have there!

 

[Econman]

Welcome, Chris.

Admittedly, I do not frequent this forum nearly enough due to being on the go so much.. but I have a special place in my heart for the '79 Malibu. I bought one in 1988 and it remains one of the most beloved cars I've ever owned (even though it's been gone for years). Hideous color combo, but mine was EXACTLY like the one below.

Since then, I've gotten my now 20-year old son in an '82 Monte Carlo, built a '79 El Camino for my young nephew and several months ago bought a totally unmolested '85 Cutlass Supreme that I'm putting plans together for.

Love the G-bodies! And yours is Sweet! Good luck with it. I look forward to seeing your progress.

 

[American Muscle 79]

Welcome, Chris.

Admittedly, I do not frequent this forum nearly enough due to being on the go so much.. but I have a special place in my heart for the '79 Malibu. I bought one in 1988 and it remains one of the most beloved cars I've ever owned (even though it's been gone for years). Hideous color combo, but mine was EXACTLY like the one below.

Since then, I've gotten my now 20-year old son in an '82 Monte Carlo, built a '79 El Camino for my young nephew and several months ago bought a totally unmolested '85 Cutlass Supreme that I'm putting plans together for.

Love the G-bodies! And yours is Sweet! Good luck with it. I look forward to seeing your progress.

Thank you! I appreciate it!. When I was a kid, there was only one other Malibu in town like mine, and it was the same color combo as the one you've pictured above. I used to give a little nod, or wave whenever I saw them at the gas station.

Glad to hear you've kept G-Bodies around. I hope to do the same in the near future, and expand the types I've built.

Thanks again!

 

[commandercool86]

Thanks! The carb hat is great, the hose, not so much. I plan on doing some actual piping from the carb hat, to the hole in the fender that I cut for the intake. The hose is kind of brittle, and I assume it makes the incoming air pretty turbulent.

Howdy, welcome from Phoenix!

I've been looking to do an air intake setup like that on my 87 elco sometime down the line. I was going to punch down where the charcoal canister used to be, or delete one of my headlights. Engine bay gets pretty toasty here in summer. Would you mind showing some photos where you cut the fender?

 

[CaliWagon83]

Econman, have a lot of family in Knoxville! That's where my wagon spent 25+ years of its life. 🙂

 

[American Muscle 79]

Howdy, welcome from Phoenix!

I've been looking to do an air intake setup like that on my 87 elco sometime down the line. I was going to punch down where the charcoal canister used to be, or delete one of my headlights. Engine bay gets pretty toasty here in summer. Would you mind showing some photos where you cut the fender?

Absolutely! When I get home, I'll take one for you. You'll have to excuse the appearance, it's a bit of a hack-job. I did it when I was 16 and have yet to take a dremel to it to clean it up.

 

[Clutch]

Greetings from dirty Jersey