1974 Malibu project timeline

by bitterfitter Tue Mar 29, 2016 10:55 am

I have had this car for 6 years now. I thought it time I shared a little bit of what I am doing with the car. Many of you have helped get the car to where it is today. A huge thanks for all your advice, tips, and parts !!!

Here is my cars story from what I can tell: I believe the car to be an early built 1974 Malibu Classic that originally came from Colorado. The dealer sticker is still inside the glove box. 1974 Malibu project timeline Img_1510

I found the car locally here in Buffalo, NY on Craigslist after a tip from my brother. At the time I was working on bringing a 1973 Chevelle back to life. When I went to look at this car, the guy wanted to keep the motor as it was from a "corvette". that was music to my ears as I had a ZZ430 sitting on a stand at home that was slatted for my '73. I bought this car for around $1000.Here is what it looked like in the persons garage as I looked at it.
1974 Malibu project timeline March_10

by bitterfitter Tue Mar 29, 2016 11:19 am

After I got it home, I got to poke around and take a few more photos. 1974 Malibu project timeline March_13

by bitterfitter Tue Mar 29, 2016 11:28 am

After a few months, I started cleaning under the hood and preparing for the new engine to go into the car. I also replaced that used TH350 that came with the car with a 200-4r. There ended up being a lot of wiring and repairs under the hood I never figured on. 1974 Malibu project timeline June_210

by bitterfitter Tue Mar 29, 2016 11:35 am

After all the cleaning was done and repairs made, I picked a fine day in August to set the new engine in:
1974 Malibu project timeline Aug11210

by bitterfitter Tue Mar 29, 2016 11:42 am

In the next few months, I bought a complete skyroof from a junk yrad in the southwest to add in the restoration of mine. I used the best of both parts and made a nearly new setup and installed it in the car.
She basically sat for the next 9 months until I removed the vinyl top to see what I was in for: Shocked

by bitterfitter Tue Mar 29, 2016 11:56 am

After that shock I needed to sit down for awhile. I knew at this point I could not continue to work on the car outdoors. I had a garage built just to work on this car that winter. By April of the following year, I was ready to tear into it again. 1974 Malibu project timeline 510

by thatfnthing Tue Mar 29, 2016 12:46 pm

That's gotta be the first time I have seen quarters that rotted on the top instead of the bottom. I applaud you for being able to bring it back to life -- I probably would have said 'no thanks' after seeing the huge bondo cracks on the quarters at the beginning. Smile

by bitterfitter Tue Mar 29, 2016 1:26 pm

Over the next couple months I slowly burned a ton of mig wire putting the outside of this car back together
1974 Malibu project timeline Car_1_15

At this point, she was wearing 2 NOS GM full quarter panels

by bitterfitter Tue Mar 29, 2016 1:30 pm

The drivers side was a little bit more work as the new quarter was missing a section near the door. This panel was left from back in the day when a piece of it was used to fix one of our cars in a collision repair when they were just a couple years old. I grafted on a piece from a quarter skin and it looks nice. 1974 Malibu project timeline Dsc00110

by bitterfitter Tue Mar 29, 2016 2:01 pm

After the quarters were done I moved on to the trunk. My trunk was real nice in the center and real bad on the sides over the braces. I ended up getting the 3 piece set from Sherman and just using the 2 outer pieces. I also found the braces and welded those in along with new body mounts.
1974 Malibu project timeline 00710

Also if you didn't notice, I had my garage floor poured after I laid hot water tubing and insulation. I then epoxy coated the entire thing. Much nicer!!

by bitterfitter Tue Mar 29, 2016 2:11 pm

Along this same time I sent the door hinges out for a rebuild. I also finished all my welding work inside the car to the floors, so I installed sound deadener. 1974 Malibu project timeline 07410

by bitterfitter Tue Mar 29, 2016 2:32 pm

Now that the trunk and inside of the car were starting to take shape again, it was time to start finishing the exterior.
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]This is where I had to do some more steel repair
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by bitterfitter Tue Mar 29, 2016 2:36 pm

Just before the weather outside went cold, the car found itself in primer. 1974 Malibu project timeline 12-14-11

by Joe73 Tue Mar 29, 2016 3:25 pm

That is some nice work. The grafting of the quarters look great. And those are some REAL clean 73 plastic wheel wells. Nice work.

by bitterfitter Tue Mar 29, 2016 9:12 pm

Thanks again for all your help and kind words. Without you guys on this forum, my car would still look like it did in the first photos.
I hope you enjoy a few of the thousands of photos I have taken over the past 6 years. I have wished a few times that I had one of you guys here to give me a hand. Everything you see here has been done in my garage with my two hands. And I am far from knowing how to do all this stuff. I can't wait to show you the rest of my pics up to where I am now.

by 77mali Wed Mar 30, 2016 6:12 am

Nice job- car looks awesome!

by dynchel Wed Mar 30, 2016 6:44 am

Nice work, you are very talented

by bitterfitter Wed Mar 30, 2016 8:22 am

So as January of 2014 hit, I decided to work on the front suspension. I did not want to paint until the outside air was warmer. Even though it was warm inside the garage, I like to have some fresh air for ventilation and it is just to cold in Buffalo for this.
I bought all new front suspension parts from poly bushings, to ball joints and centerlink, etc. I cleaned up my control arms and did a nice black epoxy finish. I also cut my front springs down to take 2" of the height in the front. I have since then decided to replace these springs with Detroit Speed lowering springs in the front to match the set I purchased for the rear. Actually from a member on here. Very Happy

by bitterfitter Wed Mar 30, 2016 8:30 am

I also figured while I was under the car, I would do a little work on the rear axle. When I bought the car, it already had a 3:73 posi in it. I have boughten a late model rear end from a 1995 Impala and put 3:23 gears in it and stainless brake lines. I decided to try the rearend in the car first to see if it is what I want before I do a swap. The rearend cover is a cast aluminum one from the 80's from Mr Gasket. I always loved these and decided to redo it and keep it woth the car. What do you think??
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It was in pretty bad shape before I stripped it and recoated with wrinkle paint and sanded the exposed areas.

by Joe73 Wed Mar 30, 2016 9:18 am

I always loved those rear covers as well. I have a brand new one sitting on a shelf. Won it as partial payment in a drag race in the 80s.

by bitterfitter Wed Mar 30, 2016 9:41 am

Once the cold weather was gone I started hanging my plastic and cleaning the car down for paint. I decided to use Eastwood Single Stage Moonlight Drive Blue. Seemed to be everything I wanted and was compatible with my primers and sealers and such. So in June of 2014 I started painting. Here are some of the first parts I shot. 1974 Malibu project timeline Img_0012

Not quite the color I was expecting!! Shocked

I called Eastwood and they said it should have a purplish tint. I sent them the photos and they agreed something was off. They sent me another gallon. I was glad I didn't shoot the entire car and would have to sand all of it.

by bitterfitter Wed Mar 30, 2016 10:13 am

Joe73 wrote:I always loved those rear covers as well. I have a brand new one sitting on a shelf. Won it as partial payment in a drag race in the 80s.

When I noticed this cover and decided to refurbish it, I checked the internet for a new one. They turned out to be really hard to find and very expensive now. All the more reason to keep it and make it look like new.

by bitterfitter Wed Mar 30, 2016 10:30 am

Once the paint color was straightened out I went back to prepping the car and parts for paint. Let's lay down some color finally!! 1974 Malibu project timeline Img_0112