Now that Pontiac is officially gone, one way of keeping the heritage alive is to salvage whatever parts you can find. We don’t know if that’s what the owner of this 1979 Chevrolet Malibu thought, but, nevertheless, he did swap the original engine with a modern 5.7-liter LS1 V8, sourced from a wrecked GTO, while keeping the styling of the car pretty much stock.
Engine aside, the old-school Malibu has been fitted with a 9-inch Ford locking differential, a Tremec T-56 six-speed manual, various Corvette drive accessories and Edelbrock rear shock absorbers.
The seller claims it"s in good condition without any rust, and that it is accompanied by the original engine and transmission, purchase order and receipts for every new part installed.
As far as we can tell from the photographs, the interior is also in good shape, fitted with hard-to-find factory original bucket seats and floor console (according to the owner).
The mileage is listed at 47,656, but it could be what the new engine has clocked up and not the car. In any case, the Malibu seems to have aged well and the bevy of new parts installed should put any reliability-related worries to rest. It should be pretty fast, too.
*The car was listed for sale on eBay for $11,000, but the reserve was not met.
By Csaba Daradics
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