I have a 68 malibu that previous owner installed a 396 power front disks, suspension upgrades etc... The car is being repainted, and told body man to leave malibu emblems off, also the chevelle emblem on rear tail panel. Just wanted opinion on whether to install ss396 tags , put malibu's back on ,or leave blank. I have all ss emblems for the 68 inside and out? I plan on keeping car so have no intention on selling,just want opinion,its seems weird having a malibu with a 396 under the hood.

Read the posting on clones in Bench racing. The one thing about 68s is the first 5 digits of the VIN Identify Super Sports. Why not just make it a sleeper(no emblems saying big block!)? Just my 2 pennies.....

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Jeff A. ACES#841
68 SS396(454)
68 L78 Project
87 MC SS

Personally, I think the SS badges make a statement and really set a car off. As long as you don't try to turn a buck on a "fake", why not? It's yours, and the whole point of having these cars is personal enjoyment. If you feel that you can enjoy your car better as an SS, do it.

I have a '70 Malibu that had some fender damage and a bad interior. The fenders got replaced with SS fenders - meaning they didn't have that ugly (imo) trim. I have also removed that trim from the doors and the quarters. The Malibu emblems were both wrecked. The interior will get completely redone - probably without Malibu badging.

I am putting an SS hood on the car and also have original SS wheels. I probably am not going to put any SS emblems on it (well, maybe just the SS on the grill instead of the bowtie - not sure yet)

The car is not really a full clone - but it is not just a Malibu either.

My point is this: do whatever you feel like doing! If you are not selling the car, you should build it the way you like it. Build an SS clone, a Malibu, or something in between - its your car, have fun!

Unfortunately in this day and age, most SS we see ( be they Chevelles or Camaros ) are cloned "yearone" SS's. It is an intersting quandry. I'm facing the same with my '67 396, which is getting a 427. I have the 427 emblems () from you know who)and am considering keeping the 96's on. I am of the camp that unless you intend to decieve for monetary or other gain ( getting La*d doesn't count)don't sweat it. Someone who is interested in an original SS should know how to figure it out. Heck, many of our clones are better cars than the factory put out! Nevertheless, there's so many clones out there that I don't think it's a problem, as long as you don't practice deception. These are great old cars and I believe that the biggest deal is that we take the time to keep them, run them, and keep the history alive. What's wrong with a Malibu with a stout '96 under the hood anyway?

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Sure, go ahead, what ever turns your crank, it's legal as long as you don't try and sell it as a real SS.

Mark

My 2 cents.... I have a '71 malibu that has factory disc brakes. I have installed a 12-bolt rear, factory bucket seats and painted the car with the SS stripes. I even blacked out the grill. The car has all of the looks of a true SS, but I refuse to put the SS emblems on the car because that would make it a fake. Most people appreciate the way the car was built and how it looks, not what kind of emblems are on it. I am proud to let people know that it is a MALIBU. Don't get me wrong I would rather have an SS, but I'm proud to have a MALIBU. My wife may not be Cindy Crawford, but I'm still pround of her....(I hope she doesn't read this).

I had a friend who had a legit 71SS. He got so tired of seeing nothing but SS's that when he restored the car he made it into a Heavy Chevy. And that car got more attention than the SS.

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Steve Strasemeier (70SS)

I believe we build our cars for our own personal enjoyment first, but also to show off to others. I like the subtle differences you see in cars. It makes them unique from others. I have a true 68 SS that I have made some changes to. I made sure not to do anything structurally that couldn't be changed back, such as taking off the lower trim and using the eyebrow trim off a 300 instead of the SS trim that went to the wheelwell. As said before, if you don't try to sell it as an SS, then have fun with it.

I am cloning a 67 for my own enjoyment. For safety's sake I am adding power disc brakes and shoulder belts. For power's sake I am putting in a GenVI BB, For comfort sake I might be putting in a vintage air system. For entertainment a thumping stereo. In other words I want the best of both worlds. I would be willing to have a small window sticker stating "Cloned", "Restified", or some other acceptable indicator to assure all who see it that I am not trying to decieve anyone. That way when I find and restore a true '70 SS for the wife, I (I mean she) can show it off as the real thing.
John Walker

Building a clone will not increase the value of the car, and emblems do not make the vehicle what it is. This is like the Gen Xers putting Chinese letters on rice rockets, and windshield banners to make the vehicle a fast giveaway.

Building the car to your liking is the way to go. Just don't try to pass it off as the real thing if you ever sell it.

I have a 71 402 SS Clone but also own an original. Back in 1980 when I purchased the original as my first car, we basically transformed it into a pure race car over the years. Well, I was smart enough to save all the pieces we replaced or took off. After a lot of years I picked up a straight 71 Malibu in 1996 and drove it for a couple of months. Feeling guilty about having killed an original 71 (we still own and race it), I figured I'd resurect the Malibu with the SS parts from the race car. Needless to say, unless you know some of the minute differences you cannot tell my fake from the real thing. I don't pass it off as the real deal but people find the story about how it came to be more interesting anyway!!

Whatever makes you happy I say.

Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. If you try to peddle it as if were the real thing though, you are really low.

First, build the car the way you like it. When I first got into Chevelles I wanted to clone mine. But then it seemed everyone who new about Chevelles wanted a 454, 70 SS. Or, they wanted some sort of SS. There are so many clones out there that everytime I see an SS my first thought is that it's a clone. That's a shame. Personally, I hardly ever look at SS's because there are so amany, either real or not. I hardly even notice a red SS. My friend has a beige Malibu that runs high 9's in the 1/4--it was featured in Hot Rod in January. My other friend has a plain baby blue Malibu that runs low 9's in the 1/4. Now, you outta see how many people flock to these "plain Jane " Malibu's and walk right past any SS, whther it be a Chevelle or not. Don't get me wrong, maybe I'm rationalizing, but for me I'm keeping my bench seat, auto trans [on the column'] with its ugly OEM burnt orange color-Heavy Chevy. But do whats right for you.. Just my humble opinion.

Yeah, but imagine how many people would flock to a cloned red 70 SS that runs 9's...

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Ian McDermott
1970 Chevelle SS 396
Columbia University
New York, NY.
E-mail: havoc@graffiti.net
Web page: chevelle.dhs.org (http://chevelle.dhs.org)
ICQ UIN: 3923441

If I had a non-SS Chevelle, I would probably make it a cloned SS. But I would make as authentic as possible and I wouldn't mislead people that it's a real SS. It's all in what you're comfortable with. I have trouble sleeping anyway, so I paid more $$ and looked longer to get a real SS. Down deep, I knew I wouldn't be happy with a non-SS no matter how nice or how fast it was. That's just me. Each to their own. von

Don't be like one of the thousands of folks that jump on the band wagon. If an SS part looks better than do it, but in my opinion just leave it as a malibu and be a sleeper. Most people are surprised to see what a malibu (not an SS) can do.