Hello all, im 20 years old and have a couple of malibu's, a 78&81. Im doing a complete restoration on both of them. I just need some help on where to find interior parts. Any help would be appreciated.

Start with the site sponsor, Ground Up. Be surprised what's available. Also just start looking for small junk yards on the old country roads. Depending on where you live, may find lots of stuff. Check classifieds on this site, E-bay too. tom

Don't forget to check with the GM dealers. They still have stock remaining on a lot of models. You may have to try several dealers till you find one that will take the time to help you. I just purchased the power steering pump brackets for my 64 El Camino 283 from the local Buick dealer. They took the time to dig out the old books, look up the #'s and make a couple of calls. I'll have them next week. He couldn't get me the engine mounts I needed (frame & engine brackets) but he gave me the # of a dealer in North Carolina who has a dedicated restoration dept. I was told they are out of the mounts I need but have contracted someone to reproduce them and they will be available soon. I left the # at home but will post it Monday.

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Philip Valentine
Team Chevelle Member #42 GOLD
philip@chevelles.com

I think by law car manufacturers have to keep parts available for 25 years after the production date so, while expensive, you should be able to get most parts for the '81.

Mike

I don't think that law exist because I can't get parts for my 92 beretta and i was the parts mgr at the dealership.Nothing I could do about it either.

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John 67SS
ACES #2887
TC #127

I hate to break this to you guys, buy GM no longer stocks any (or very, very few) parts for the 78 and up Malibu's. They are too old for GM to stock items anymore. The cars are also too new for the aftermarket to reproduce parts. The common problem with interior parts is that over time the sun dries out the plastic pieces, and they simply fall apart.

You guys with the older Chevelles have got it made when it comes to finding parts. Parts for the late model G-body's have to be dug up in salvage yards or from the local papers.

I have done a frame off restification of my 79 Malibu, and I can tell you that parts (especially trim and interior) are VERY hard to find.

Hopefully the aftermarket mfg's will wake up and start making repro parts in the near future.

Good luck Malibu81

Todd Geisler
Malibu Muscle
http://www.qis.net/~tgeisler

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It's a shame to see a 1978-88 G-car treated like an AMC product, and parts are hard to locate.

The reason that I refer to 1973 and later vehicles being treated like AMC products is that parts are hard to locate. AMC is a defunct marque, like Studebaker, Packard, Kaiser, Willys, Checker, and Dusenberg. They do not have a parent company for replacement parts. This makes finding replacement components a nightmare, and often, leads to neglect.

GM, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler are parent manufacturers, but they limit their stock to late model vehicles. If the dealer does not have what you need, then the only alternative is to purchase a parts car or salvage the needed component, have the component refurbished (e.g. companies like Just Dashes), or purchase the needed part as an NOS item.

Keep in mind about the demand market. If the component is obsolete, and is needed for a resto, then the part in need is reproduced. Look at Goodmark Industries, in which they reproduce sheetmetal for any vehicle that is obsolete for the BiG 3.

The best thing to do is to find the needed components before they are gone, especially NOS or items that are still in stock. Like Porky Pig would say, "That's all, Folks!"



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Weyoun X (the tenth clone)
descendant of a former Chevelle owner

http://www.angelfire.com/tx/lonestarclassics/acar.html

1969 Chevelle Memories Page
http://members.tripod.com/~seributra_d/time_and_memories.htm

Chevelles (and A-cars) On Screen
http://www.geocities.com/MotorCity/Downs/5196/a_car.html

Disco-Era Classics
http://homepages.go.com/~55498/hooptie.htm

Try out the PAddock http://www.paddockparts.com
The Chevelle catalog had a fair amount of 78+ parts They also cover the 73-77 for some parts as well. They also have a 78-87 Elky catalog, maybe some goodies for you there. I would still try GM dealers, most of your interior parts are obsolete, but they can still pull out some mechanical or obscure parts for my 73. Good luck

Frank

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