Cars Inward Yards: 1976 Chevrolet Malibu Classic, Business Office 2 - Exile On Craigslist

$200 projection car. The old Malibu had lost a niggling smoothen yesteryear the fourth dimension I saw it. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 friend told my partner inward grime, Ron Kidd, that he flora a automobile inward a yard that needed to live moved. That agency “sold cheap” to guys similar me. I learned the specifics after Ron hurriedly looked the automobile over 1 afternoon after work.

 “It’s all there. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 silvery 1976 Malibu Classic, 2-door, ability steering/brakes, A/C, together with it has a raise defroster!” said Ron. “The 350 engine looked complete. The dark interior looks skillful too, it fifty-fifty has the master copy headliner inward place.”

 After a winning endorsement similar that, how could I tell “no” to a $200 car? How is the body? Any rust?

 “No rust, straight,” Ron said. “It has ability locks together with roll-up windows!”

 Ron loves ability locks together with roll-up windows. Any oddball talking points that brand a automobile unique acquire Ron’s motor running. His enthusiasm is contagious.

  “Tell the family, of the master copy owner, that I desire it,” I said. “Sounds similar a skillful deal. I don’t fifty-fifty demand to come across it.” Bold words from a guy who lives yesteryear ii simple, hard-boiled, automobile buying rules:

• Don’t purchase a automobile y'all haven’t seen inward person.
• Don’t purchase a automobile y'all haven’t driven, if operable.

This automobile solely met 1 criteria. There was no direct a opportunity this automobile could live driven. Still, I shrugged off the other criteria. This was a no-brainer.

1976 Chevrolet Malibu Classic looks fast amongst the dark steel wheels.

Dream plans

 A quick scan of the spider web offered images of ’73-’77 Chevys amongst massive tires, lowered stance, together with Bassett steel racing wheels that borrow from the NASCAR await of the 1970s. I couldn’t hold off to acquire the ’76 Malibu Classic home. What would it accept to acquire my Malibu looking together with driving good? I would shortly live diagnosing the engine to come across what it needed to become far burn downwardly up. Maybe she’ll run? I’ve bought cars for $300 together with drove them domicile after some tinkering. Just add together fresh gas together with a hot battery. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 $200 automobile is what dreams are made of.

Trailing the wrecker together with watching every bit the prized projection is delivered home.

Family history

 The Malibu was originally owned yesteryear Joe Scott, a career railroad human being inward Birmingham, Alabama. Barbara, his daughter, said he loved the car. But, his menage unit of measurement never understood why he spoke so highly of the Malibu. It was only some other 1 of the cars he eventually parked inward the yard. Joe never sold whatsoever of his cars. Just parked them when the adjacent automobile came along. When Joe passed away inward 2016, at historic menstruation 84, in that location were 8 spare vehicles inward his yard. Barbara said he was wary of automobile dealers or would-be buyers who mightiness endeavor to accept payoff of him. He saw no argue to bargain amongst the hassle if he could only commons them. I also think it was because Joe liked his cars together with trucks.

104k on the odometer of ’76 Malibu Classic’s 350-V8.

Payment, pickup, together with delivery

 It was official. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 bargain was made over the phone, amongst Joe’s missy Barbara, that I would pick upwards the automobile ASAP together with convey payment. On a steamy, 100-degree afternoon inward Alabama I handed over the cash together with waited on the wrecker driver. I brought along an air tank, jack, together with a spare tire/wheel combo, to live used if needed. I filled each tire amongst closed to 40-lbs of air together with lifted the Malibu using the flooring jack to withdraw a concrete block that was positioned nether the frame nigh the engine. Everything was cleared away from the automobile together with it was laid upwards to move. Or so I thought.

 The large rollback wrecker was unable to reach the automobile deep inward the backyard. The Malibu was tucked behind several obstacles, including outbuildings together with plain lines. “Chief,” the 72-year-old wrecker driver, a sometime constabulary chief, tried to acquire the wrecker backed into identify but the path was also narrow. This meant lots of pushing together with shoving was needed to movement the automobile closer to the wrecker. Pushing the 4,000-pound beast was made trickier because the disputation steering column was loose. Cranking difficult on the steering cycle would inadvertently shift the automobile into park. What fun! Did I shout it was 100-degree solar daytime together with one-half the automobile was painted dark together with it had a dark vinyl interior? I jumped into the moldy sweatbox together with cranked difficult on the cycle spell trying to fit it inward neutral. Maybe this $200 Malibu sentiment was a bad one? The menage unit of measurement of the seller fifty-fifty suggested every bit much. I was inward it also far to dorsum out now.

 “Chief” winched the Chevy inward every bit shortly every bit nosotros had pushed it closed plenty to the rollback. Once loaded, delivery of the Chevy A-body into my backyard was a slice of cake.

Hood left upwards to proceed animals from nesting nether the hood. Mice are scared of birds of prey that tin give the sack swoop downwardly together with catch them.

Time to come across what I bought

 Unfortunately, my neighbors solely come across the silvery together with rusty orangish side every bit it sits nether a backyard carport. I settled into the torn driver’s topographic point together with realized that despite the musty smell, the interior was the best utilization of the car. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 wobbly disputation steering column, a cleft inward the dash together with foam spilling from the separate driver’s topographic point were the solely troubles inside.  

 Outside, the body was straight off except for the only about the raise window where body filler or caulk had been used to seal the raise drinking glass together with comprehend harm caused yesteryear wet trapped nether the vinyl roof. Underneath the belly of the Malibu was crusty together with thin. I tested the pull of the floors yesteryear stabbing a screwdriver upwards into the flooring pans. They provided niggling resistance. I also flora the body was a minefield of gaping holes, exposing the top of the gas tank. The holes were hidden beneath large pieces of plastic runners that your grandma may receive got used to protect the carpet. Intensive metallic rehab would live necessary to acquire this where I would desire it to live my daily driver. This was the turning quest of my $200 dream.

Bright Silver pigment nether body lid present what color the ’76 Malibu used to be.

“Rust! What rust?”

 I got Ron on the telephone after I inspected the body of the Malibu.

 “Hey Ron, did y'all await inward the body of the car?”

 “Yes, I glanced inward it,” said Ron. “A junk spare tire, jack, together with some fan belts?”

 No demand to quibble over a niggling rust. It was all the same a deal. Worth to a greater extent than than $200 inward combat metal. But I’m non 1 to combat out a solid-looking Malibu Classic amongst a consummate 350-V8/2-bbl engine, transmission, decent interior (decent to me, I’m non also picky), together with consummate A/C system, including compressor that turns freely. I was happy to receive got it, but this was a long way from a pro-touring, daily driver.

Gas tank visible through flooring of trunk.

Then in that location was a 1973 Pontiac Grand Am

 A fan of our Colonnade stories from New Bailiwick of Jersey contacted me nigh buying his 1973 Pontiac Grand Am. It was solely a few weeks after I bought the Malibu. He needed to sell together with made me a deal. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 running Grand Am amongst a few body issues (I’m thinking, delight don’t allow it live a rusty handbasket case), together with I could live daily driving a Bill Porter-designed A-Body amongst a Poncho 400-V8 together with posi-traction. 
My Malibu was no longer an option. Time to sell. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 quick post to Craigslist was inward order. Four hours later, a buyer was standing inward my yard. I sold it also inexpensive at $500. I made dorsum my $120 towing cost, together with the $200 purchase price, but non much more. Very niggling compensation for the elbow grease equity but a valuable lesson inward my dorsum bag for time to come “rust free” purchases.

 I wishing I had held onto the Malibu a combat longer, at to the lowest degree until my ’73 GA is delivered. But those are the breaks when you’re living a Junkyard Life on a shoestring budget. You got to sell to purchase some other one.

 Stay tuned.

Jody Potter
— Junkyard Life

My dog, Gracie, loved the driver’s topographic point inward the 1976 Chevy Malibu.

Faded silvery pigment gave way to the orange, rusty patina on 1 side of the Malibu. Passenger side painted black.

Sagging disputation column together with torn driver’s seat.

Rear drinking glass sealed to protect the automobile from wet damage. Not certain it did much skillful after glancing into the swiss cheese trunk. 

Gray beard NASCAR fans volition shout upwards these beasts roaring only about tracks inward the 1970s.

Some are non fond of the stacked rectangle headlights adopted yesteryear the Malibu Classic inward 1976. Round headlights were available on the base of operations model Malibu.

Sometimes your projection cars await meliorate leaving – earlier y'all dump a pile of coin into them. Commit or telephone vociferation upwards it quits.

Do you receive got a classic or musculus automobile barn find? Got a cool automobile story nigh buying a automobile y'all didn’t want? Send us details together with we’re on the way!  Send emails to Jody Potter at junkyardbull@gmail.com. 

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