Hello Everyone,
I am new here and new to the world of Chevelles. I am currently looking at a 1970 Malibu as my first Chevelle project and I need some advice.
The car is a 1970 hardtop,350,ac,ps,pb(front disc),auto(console with shift in the floor)bucket seats,12 bolt rear, round "ss" dash with gauges(no lights).
The interior will need quite a bit of work(carpet,seat covers and door panels). The body has some rust starting behind each of the wheel wells at the very bottom. The floors,trunk,rear window,cowl and windshield area all appear very solid. The car will need a repaint.
I have driven the car and it runs good, trans shifts ok. It seems like it would make a good "project" car. What areas or things should I look at to try and be sure that the car is at a solid starting point and not a basket case? Also, and I know this is more difficult, what should a car in this condition sell for?

Thanks,

Mike

I'm not to chevelles and new to car restoration also so I can't be much help. But I can offer up something I wish I had known. Buy a paint meter (not the actual name) that tells you how think the paint is etc. My car looked pretty good, probably would have described it about as you did. I'm finding tons, I do mean tons of body filler in every panel. The wheel wells where cut out and filled over, the body 4-6 inches of the quarters are just well sanded bondo over pop-riveted metal. The rear section of the passanger door was also bondo covered pop-rivet metal. Amazingly a body that looked good with a little rust turned into a project with no body panels usable in a few hours of grinding. Spend the money so you can "look" at whats under that paint or you may end up like me!

Nice find, It sounds like you found an SS model, but you cannot be sure of it untill and if you find the build sheet.

You say it starts and drives and looks good. offer $4 k, that would be a good starting point.
check the frame,No cracks,no rot, buy it.
a project is just that.if all the major stuff is there in good condition, Good Luck

Thanks for the replies. The car is being sold as a Malibu not an SS. Is it possible(or likely) that this is an SS even though the car has no emblems identifying it as an SS? The car does have some great( at least I think so) options on it although, it does have a "flat" hood.If I were to buy it, I am assuming that it is a Malibu. If it turns out otherwise, thats just a bonus. The owner is asking $6800 and so far, not willing to budge.

So, what do you folks think? Is it worth it?

Later,

Mike

Well, if its the origonal paint job then the likely hood of the SS went down. I was going by the 12 bolt, front discs and the round pods, which were options w/ the SS package, but not necissarily available only on the SS. Still a possible SS, but if not, a Malibu with some SS options.


$6800 is a bit larger then I would pay, without seeing any pics.

Chris

No Malibu has SS options. There's no such thing as SS options, other than RPO Z25.
If the dash has a factory tach in it, then that would explain the round gauge dash. There's no other reason to have a round gauge dash in a Malibu.
The 12 bolt is an option. As are the bucket seats, console and disc brakes. All RPO's.
It sounds like to me that you have come across a nicely optioned Malibu.

I'd have to see pictures to tell you if it's worth the asking price.

Is it a numbers matching car and how many original miles ?

Nate

No Malibu has SS options. There's no such thing as SS options, other than RPO Z25.
If the dash has a factory tach in it, then that would explain the round gauge dash. There's no other reason to have a round gauge dash in a Malibu.
The 12 bolt is an option. As are the bucket seats, console and disc brakes. All RPO's.
It sounds like to me that you have come across a nicely optioned Malibu.

I'd have to see pictures to tell you if it's worth the asking price.

Is it a numbers matching car and how many original miles ?

Nate


What about a Malibu ordered with the gauge package but no tach?
Like RedSS454 said, that would be a reason for the round gauge dash in a Malibu.

Dean, The options list shows them separate but is one of those deals where to get the U14 gauges the U16 Tach was included? I know on later model stuff it seems things were packaged but I was only 4-5 years old when the 70's came out and i don't remember much other than my uncle had a cool Dark green Monte back then :D

PirateMike,
Welcome to chevelle.com hope you enjoy your stay here.
In 1970, the Chevelle SS had two motor options: a 454 or 396 (really a 402). Of course you had your hp options but it was still either a 402 or 454. Like mentioned earlier, you more then likely have a well optioned Malibu. To double check, look at the partial VIN stamp and useage stamp on the motor tab. Its on the right side bank. If the last numbers match your VIN then the motor is original and it's not an SS. I guess back wel gas was only $1.50 a gallon someone might of swapped out the big block for a small but that would not explain the emblems. I would rather have a car that I knew was not an SS then having an SS that I was always questioning. Also if the car is wearing its original paint, thats is a positive. A recent repaint can hide a hole lot of problems.
Check the frame carefully for any damage or rot, several posts on the site about front lower control arms breaking off. Check for weld repairs around the bracket mounting points. In the rear quarter panels, pull the water plugs out from underneath, insert your finger and fill for puddy. Take your time and don't get in a rush. If you are uncertain about your abilities, hire a prebuy inspector. You can find them in Hemmings and other places. They should be bonded so that if they tell you it's a good car and it turns out the frame in rotted out, bondo wagon, or etc, they will be libal for their mistake. If you think the car is worth the money, put a depoist on it before you hire the inspector. Why pay the inspector to inspect someone elses car?
The $6,800 sounds high but it depends on how nice the car is in person, the options not mentioned, and how many owners in the past. Does it have paperwork?.. warranty book, service records.. and such. The more paperwork the more the car is worth.

Hope it helps some.

Piratemike Heres my two cents. you're looking at a 35 year old car, If I didn't have a lot of experience doing body and mechanical work then I would find a good body/mechanical type guy to look at this first. Even if you have to pay a guy, you're looking at project that could give you many years of pleasure and satisfaction working on it. But without a really good idea of what you're getting into it could get downright ugly right away. You're playing smart by asking questions up front, I'm not trying to discourage in the least bit, getting a reliable opionion should be a must for anybody just getting into this, that is not sure what there looking at. If you're sick you go to the doctor.

Get the guy
floor jack
wood for under jack
two jack stands
strong flashlight
two blocks for wheels
notebook and pen

You need to get under there and really look it over, like on top of spring supports, trunk braces look straight, up behind back seat around the rockers, and what the other guys mentioned on here.

I hope this helps you out, don't get discouraged, good luck Rob.

Oh, $2000.00 to $12,000 range?

Hey Mike,

As a local (NC) comparo, there's a 71 Malibu 350 AT 50K orig mi up the road for sale. I never drove it but the frame and body were that of a car that spent life here in Central NC - very, very good. My wife said it started, ran, and drove exc, and the lady wanted $8K. I think it was her deceased daddy's car.

These guys have hit all the high spots on what to check for, thank good-
ness I didn't ask for help BEFORE I bought the basketcase that I did...

look at bottom of back glass there should be a seem line on both sides of car between glass and trunk lid . if you can see the seem line good. open trunk look underneath the rear package tray. no rust there good. while trunk is open look close down the sides toward the lowest point of the quarters,look good? now open the doors and look at the underside of doors, look good? now with the quarter glass up remove the rubber seal that is in the doorjam,look inside toward the rear fenderwell,look good? look close at the rear of front fenders,look good? now look under the car at the cowl area, that is where the front fenders bolt to the body area, that is a bad place to repair,look good? look underneath the foors where drivers feet rest. also look underneath the rearseat area,any rust. now with doors open lay on your back on passanger side with a flashlight look close around the upper cowl area under the dash, this is another suspect place for a leaking windshield. i am not trying to discourage you but these are just some of the known spots that will rust. all can be repaired but the more rust you find and dig deeper the more and more you will find.

Thats good stuff you're telling him michael, we've probably got him a little paranoid by now, but I wish somebody would have told me the same thing a few years ago. Rob.

I'm sticking to my guns.

Go pick on somebody else, Dean. I'm getting real tired of you trying to find something wrong with what other people post all the time. It must be sad to be you.

I'm sticking to my guns.

Go pick on somebody else, Dean. I'm getting real tired of you trying to find something wrong with what other people post all the time. It must be sad to be you.
Dean is just trying to help out a guy you led astray. JN

How's that ?????????????

By contradicting my info with the wrong info ?

Not because it was YOU that said it Nate, not at all.
Do you really feel that wrong information should be left on the board uncorrected?
I wasn't picking on you , just asking a question.

Lets get the facts straight though for the record

What info did I post that you felt was was wrong?
Like I said lt was meant as a question.

Could you really only get the pod dash on a Malibu IF you ordered a tach as you said?

I've always read here that it came with just gauges.

Unlike you I don't mind at all when I get corrected so If Im wrong I apologize..


:confused:

RPO U14 Instrument Panel Gauges.
I've always thought this was the tachometer and gauges. None of my books show U16. I've never heard of that RPO. Maybe the gauges could be ordered without getting the tach. ??? I'm not an expert on the 1970. But I do know in 1969, if you got the tach, you got the gauges. They cannot be had seperately.

All I was saying is that if the tachometer was ordered, then you would get the round gauge dash. This I know for sure.

Let me ask you this Dean. If you got a tach on a Malibu, what would go in the 3 small holes on the dash ?

Nate

Like I said, I don't know, I would ASSUME the same thing as the SS had.
The thing is, in 69 the gauges are actually part of the tach and in 70 the tach is an individual intrument and can be replaced with a gas gauge or clock I think.

Somehow I skiped over Jeff's reply and didn't read it first. :o
So I guess the answer is you couldn't get the U14 Instrumentation package without the U16 Tachometer.

Thanks for all of the replies. Some of the info I was aware of, some of it I was not. It has all been very helpful. Just from what I have read here and what I have seen on the car I would guess that it is a well optioned Malibu. I am completely happy with that. It has almost all of the options I would have add to a car if I were starting from scratch.If by some chance it turned out to be an SS, that would just be icing on the cake.
My intent is to find a solid car that I can turn into"restification"/crusier. If it were to turn out to be an SS, I would probably restore it. If it is a well optioned Malibu, I will probably restore but, add a few mods of my own. I do not know how you folks feel about it but, I may even consider making an..........SS clone. Not to try and deceive anyone but, for my own enjoyment.
Anyway, thanks for all the info and, I am sure I will have plenty more questions once I find/buy the right car for me.

Later,

Mike