Rockatansky's Bold, Brash and Blocky 1978 Malibu Build
- Thread starter Mrockatansky
- Start date
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Matt,
You're attacking this project like a pitbull...lol!! I like everything you're doing, and have done so far.
The upholstery is nice and unassuming. Old school is best sometimes. The engine work is well thought out and planned...and I love your choice of paint color. My old Porsche was painted a gunmetal grey many years back. It was a Corvette color.
I'm enjoying your build and write up...very entertaining. Obviously, your significant other is on board with your project.
Keep up the great work!
You're attacking this project like a pitbull...lol!! I like everything you're doing, and have done so far.
The upholstery is nice and unassuming. Old school is best sometimes. The engine work is well thought out and planned...and I love your choice of paint color. My old Porsche was painted a gunmetal grey many years back. It was a Corvette color.
I'm enjoying your build and write up...very entertaining. Obviously, your significant other is on board with your project.
Keep up the great work!
This update is aptly titled: A fool and his money are soon parted.
Been a busy few weeks, with car now safely in good hands out in London, Ontario with my body and paint guy, Paul.
Have done a bit more shopping both on the forum here and online and I think, (read thought) I am done for the near future.. I am sure my bank account balance will thank me after it recovers from the vicious and savage beating bestowed upon it as of late.
I purchased (not in order)
-Hotchkis tuned Bilstein shocks all around
-Rear lower UMI LCA's (Thanks Joe)
-Rear upper UMI LCA's
-Proform Aluminium Centre bolt Valve Covers with Felpro Gaskets
-Aftermarket Center console
Car body disassembly and stripping has started now in earnest and I took the 240 Mile roundtrip out to London last week to drop off some parts and pick up some others that need attention and or refinishing.
Here is the current state of affairs:
Off to a good start with all trim pulled off the car and doors off. Next some minor to moderate bodywork and then primer in the next few weeks.
Have to mention some weird and wonderful things about the car from factory. I erroneously mentioned earlier in this post that the previous owner painted over all the brightwork in black paint. Turns out, it came this way from the factory, or at least that is what I am led strongly to believe with all outside trim removed. Strange as I have never seen a 1978 Malibu with all black body trim. Maybe chrome was an option for this year? Anyone have any insight?
The weird and wonderful starts with the headlight bezels, which are made of ABS plastic and are now stripped of their awful and peeling black paint. I stripped them using a plastic-safe graffiti remover, lots of scalding hot water at pressure, a coarse bristle brush and a plastic scraper.
They look fantastic for being so old and have endured the years rather gracefully. As they are plastic I won't be traditionally chroming them, but instead will be spray chroming them using a system called Cosmichrome, which is apparently a process actually shooting a layer of real silver as a base on the material. Its pretty cool and from the research I have done is pretty comprehensive, durable and has a beautiful finish.
Check out the process here for those that are interested.
Things get weird and wonderful when I get beyond the ridiculously impossible to find headlight bezels for a 1978 (this is why I am refinishing them) The bezels, as mentioned are ABS plastic. The turn signal bezels are white metal, as are the grille side trim pieces. Everything else on the car is aluminium. Why on earth GM used so many different materials for trim is beyond me and it has certainly made things a bit more complicated to restore and work with.
I have replacement drip rails, which are plastic (Goodmark) and the front and rear window box frame from Goodmark was supposed to be on order too.. but after seeing the condition of the pieces pulled off the car I started to think to myself... why am I replacing solid metal with plastic reproduction crap etc. I need to be true to this car and use as many original pieces as possible. If they look this good after 37 years then they should be refinished and replaced as I am sure the reproduction pieces can't come even close to this in lifespan.
In this temporary moment of insanity I take all 42 feet of aluminium trim and white metal to a very reputable and long operating Chrome Shop near me and quite literally almost faint when I get the quote. To channel some Hunter S Thompson "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro". So pro it is. Going all chrome and it only cost me one of my own limbs-Seriously don't ask what it cost.
My justification for the obscene expense is sentimental in the sense I want to preserve as much as I can on this car. I just feel its the right thing to do. Really excited to see how the pieces turn out in 4-6 weeks.
Fortunately the next few weeks should be boring and uneventful with a nice break from everything Malibu related. Things should get back to industry mid April when the body and paint starts to come along and we start to assemble my engine-which I am kind of super intimated by the break in process for (flat tappet). So if any one has any tips, or is local and doesn't mind spending their time supervising the break in process sometime in Mid May for free beer, please do let me know.
Over and out for now.
M
Been a busy few weeks, with car now safely in good hands out in London, Ontario with my body and paint guy, Paul.
Have done a bit more shopping both on the forum here and online and I think, (read thought) I am done for the near future.. I am sure my bank account balance will thank me after it recovers from the vicious and savage beating bestowed upon it as of late.
I purchased (not in order)
-Hotchkis tuned Bilstein shocks all around
-Rear lower UMI LCA's (Thanks Joe)
-Rear upper UMI LCA's
-Proform Aluminium Centre bolt Valve Covers with Felpro Gaskets
-Aftermarket Center console
Car body disassembly and stripping has started now in earnest and I took the 240 Mile roundtrip out to London last week to drop off some parts and pick up some others that need attention and or refinishing.
Here is the current state of affairs:
Off to a good start with all trim pulled off the car and doors off. Next some minor to moderate bodywork and then primer in the next few weeks.
Have to mention some weird and wonderful things about the car from factory. I erroneously mentioned earlier in this post that the previous owner painted over all the brightwork in black paint. Turns out, it came this way from the factory, or at least that is what I am led strongly to believe with all outside trim removed. Strange as I have never seen a 1978 Malibu with all black body trim. Maybe chrome was an option for this year? Anyone have any insight?
The weird and wonderful starts with the headlight bezels, which are made of ABS plastic and are now stripped of their awful and peeling black paint. I stripped them using a plastic-safe graffiti remover, lots of scalding hot water at pressure, a coarse bristle brush and a plastic scraper.
They look fantastic for being so old and have endured the years rather gracefully. As they are plastic I won't be traditionally chroming them, but instead will be spray chroming them using a system called Cosmichrome, which is apparently a process actually shooting a layer of real silver as a base on the material. Its pretty cool and from the research I have done is pretty comprehensive, durable and has a beautiful finish.
Check out the process here for those that are interested.
Things get weird and wonderful when I get beyond the ridiculously impossible to find headlight bezels for a 1978 (this is why I am refinishing them) The bezels, as mentioned are ABS plastic. The turn signal bezels are white metal, as are the grille side trim pieces. Everything else on the car is aluminium. Why on earth GM used so many different materials for trim is beyond me and it has certainly made things a bit more complicated to restore and work with.
I have replacement drip rails, which are plastic (Goodmark) and the front and rear window box frame from Goodmark was supposed to be on order too.. but after seeing the condition of the pieces pulled off the car I started to think to myself... why am I replacing solid metal with plastic reproduction crap etc. I need to be true to this car and use as many original pieces as possible. If they look this good after 37 years then they should be refinished and replaced as I am sure the reproduction pieces can't come even close to this in lifespan.
In this temporary moment of insanity I take all 42 feet of aluminium trim and white metal to a very reputable and long operating Chrome Shop near me and quite literally almost faint when I get the quote. To channel some Hunter S Thompson "When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro". So pro it is. Going all chrome and it only cost me one of my own limbs-Seriously don't ask what it cost.
My justification for the obscene expense is sentimental in the sense I want to preserve as much as I can on this car. I just feel its the right thing to do. Really excited to see how the pieces turn out in 4-6 weeks.
Fortunately the next few weeks should be boring and uneventful with a nice break from everything Malibu related. Things should get back to industry mid April when the body and paint starts to come along and we start to assemble my engine-which I am kind of super intimated by the break in process for (flat tappet). So if any one has any tips, or is local and doesn't mind spending their time supervising the break in process sometime in Mid May for free beer, please do let me know.
Over and out for now.
M
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Hi Matt. Looks like you're making good progress. I understand what you're saying about getting chrome and stainless polished and refurbished. The Cosmichrome looks pretty interesting. I'm curious to see how that turns out. Are the '78 and '79 headlight bezels the same? I had a '79 Malibu years ago, and I know that they look very similar. Might expand your search parameters a bit.
Looking forward to the next update.
Looking forward to the next update.
Matt,
If I'm not mistaken, the '78-'79 headlight doors are the same, unlike the '80 and '81 which look similar, but change in accordance to the different grille style pattern.
..
You're really giving it your all, and the final results are going to reflect that.
Keep up the good work, my friend.
If I'm not mistaken, the '78-'79 headlight doors are the same, unlike the '80 and '81 which look similar, but change in accordance to the different grille style pattern.
..
You're really giving it your all, and the final results are going to reflect that.
Keep up the good work, my friend.
Jack and Jeff,
Thanks for your input. I sourced a replacement bezel but could only find the right hand one (R). Other than used on eBay there doesn't seem to be a reproduction left hand bezel and unfortunately the bezel isn't the same, meaning I can't flip it over and use it upside down on the other side.
Its rather strange, unless I am missing something (which happens more than I care to admit)
Check it out:
http://www.ecklerschevelle.com/malibu-headlight-bezel-right-1978-1979.html
https://www.opgi.com/el-camino/99L0074/
Even Goodmark industries only has the right hand bezel for 78-79 in their catalogue, which I have a hard copy of.
The only left hand bezels I was able to find were in "thoroughly used" condition online.
Very odd, none the less.
Jeff has graciously agreed to accompany me today to see the "Cosmichrome" process so should have some more information to provide and some before and after pictures for the near future.
Thanks for your input. I sourced a replacement bezel but could only find the right hand one (R). Other than used on eBay there doesn't seem to be a reproduction left hand bezel and unfortunately the bezel isn't the same, meaning I can't flip it over and use it upside down on the other side.
Its rather strange, unless I am missing something (which happens more than I care to admit)
Check it out:
http://www.ecklerschevelle.com/malibu-headlight-bezel-right-1978-1979.html
https://www.opgi.com/el-camino/99L0074/
Even Goodmark industries only has the right hand bezel for 78-79 in their catalogue, which I have a hard copy of.
The only left hand bezels I was able to find were in "thoroughly used" condition online.
Very odd, none the less.
Jeff has graciously agreed to accompany me today to see the "Cosmichrome" process so should have some more information to provide and some before and after pictures for the near future.
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A fair bit after the fact.....but I had a very nice 78/79 front end trim set here (grille was 79) as an extra for my 79 El Camino Royal Knight. When I sold the car the trim didn't go with as the stuff on the car was already pretty nice. I thought about hanging on to it as I love the 78/79 front end....but I did list and sold it last summer. Good pieces are still out there....it takes a little time to find them.
Love the direction your going with the car Matt!
Love the direction your going with the car Matt!
Looking forward to the chrome report. Hope there is some cash left over to pay for the paint...
Oh, and your avatar just kills me! National Square Dance Convention T-shirt? In black?!? With a goth death mask???? You definitely have the defiantly different thing going on, Matt...
Oh, and your avatar just kills me! National Square Dance Convention T-shirt? In black?!? With a goth death mask???? You definitely have the defiantly different thing going on, Matt...
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