Owner of a 1976 Malibu Classic in Quebec, Canada

by 76malibu Wed Sep 16, 2015 11:05 pm

Hi everybody,
I have posted some messages on this forum but was waiting for my car to be fully street legal before introducing myself.

I am the happy owner of a 1976 Malibu Classic in Quebec, Canada.
The car is a 2 doors, V8 Chevrolet 350 2 bbl.

Pic 1 - Waiting to be driven

Owner of a 1976 Malibu Classic in Quebec, Canada Img_2013

Here is a quick video of his current _unrestored_ state, except for mandatory safety compliance upgrades asked by the inspection:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5Mg8SHDThg

The TODO list is long but I was aware of that before buying. It is priceless when you like spending some time in the garage, or driving this piece of American History on main street.

Pic 2 - At the best Poutine in town, in full sight
Owner of a 1976 Malibu Classic in Quebec, Canada Img_2014

Owner of a 1976 Malibu Classic in Quebec, Canada Img_2014

Alan

by Limey SE Wed Sep 16, 2015 11:51 pm

Very nice Alan, Looks like a great builder what your plans for it ?

by 76malibu Thu Sep 17, 2015 6:41 am

Thanks. The big picture is to drive a Sunday cruiser with moderate guts. It will be garage kept and stored for winter.

I have a 2 steps plan.

Step 1: cure the patient
* Treat the rust on the frame
* Treat the rust and repair holes on the body
* Change windows and doors rubber joints
* Misc repairs (door hinge, window crank handle...)

Step 2: Dress the princess
* Restore the paint and/or apply a new paint (not an easy call, I am not fan of brown but which color to choose...)
* Give the engine extra HP, I lean toward low RPM torque (it's a GM V8 350 so I'm not worried, that's the candy part of the whole project)
* Add comfort with CD player and Air conditioning (may be difficult)

I'm on a tight budget but will not sacrifice quality. I'll do the work myself, except for specialized tasks. "Step 1" will take several years so I may do some "Step 2" tasks in parallel to give me some motivation. The goal is also to keep it drivable as much as I can, with heavy work during winter.

Pic 3 - Which one is the nicest car of the whole parking lot?
Owner of a 1976 Malibu Classic in Quebec, Canada Img_2015

Owner of a 1976 Malibu Classic in Quebec, Canada Img_2015

by knightfan26917 Sat Sep 19, 2015 6:02 am

Hey Alan,

Awesome ... & welcome! Sounds like some good plans for it ... enjoy it & good luck!

Cort Smile

www.oldcarsstronghearts.com
pigValve, paceMaker, cowValve | 1979 Caprice Classic (awaiting new owner)
"What if that road is a beautiful slow drive?" __ Melissa Lawson __ 'What If It All Goes Right?'

by Dinomyte Sat Sep 19, 2015 9:11 am

76malibu wrote:
Pic 3 - Which one is the nicest car of the whole parking lot?

I know the answer it's in parking spot "I"

Welcome Alan - she looks like a great starting point. Brown is a great colour, but what were you thinking instead?

by 76malibu Sat Sep 19, 2015 1:04 pm

Dinomyte wrote:Welcome Alan - she looks like a great starting point. Brown is a great colour, but what were you thinking instead?

Brown has the advantage of being the original color, very 70's! But it hasn't success with girls anymore (not a good idea if you want to impress a country girl Wink

).

I'm spinning my wheels on the color choice.

I like shiny black with a discreet touch of color like a little red stripe on the side. But as my brother stated, the black-and-chrome pattern is far too common and I will burn at the sun without A/C. There is a Plymouth Road Runner in my town with this color scheme, I want to avoid the embarrassment of being compared alongside this muscle car...
Black like this:
Owner of a 1976 Malibu Classic in Quebec, Canada Chevrolet__malibu_ss_396_1968_1_lgw

Owner of a 1976 Malibu Classic in Quebec, Canada Chevrolet__malibu_ss_396_1968_1_lgw

Another sweet spot color for me is dark metallic grey as seen in /BIG MUSCLE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Gaewg3RepU
Some may say I'm copying, and he'll be right.

I like all red and all blue, but on other cars only. I know, I am a little picky on this.
My brother suggests Firethorn red. It's a good idea as it is part of the original palette but ... I find it too close to salmon pink for my taste!
https://www.g3gm.com/t3484-firethorn-red

For now I think about buffing the current color, apply some clear coat, then continue spinning over and over about his new color.
The previous owner has done something but I don't understand what it is. New paint or original paint restored???
Pic 4 - The left rear fender is shiny compared to the trunk
Owner of a 1976 Malibu Classic in Quebec, Canada Img_2016

Owner of a 1976 Malibu Classic in Quebec, Canada Img_2016

Pic 5 - Another camera angle. The right rear fender has kind of some metallic gold reflections compared to the trunk
Owner of a 1976 Malibu Classic in Quebec, Canada Img_2017

Owner of a 1976 Malibu Classic in Quebec, Canada Img_2017

Pic 6 - Or maybe it's just an optic illusion introduced by the clear coat, as we can see on the roof
Owner of a 1976 Malibu Classic in Quebec, Canada Img_2018

Owner of a 1976 Malibu Classic in Quebec, Canada Img_2018

Pic 7 - I sometimes don't see the difference when taking a step aside
Owner of a 1976 Malibu Classic in Quebec, Canada Img_2019

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