[65Rat]

This is my first step into classic autos. Forgive my ignorance, this is my first classic car after years of owning “practical” needs cars. Excited but trying to take the right steps in classic car ownership.
I just bought a 65 Malibu SS (still unclear) that has a previous life as a drag build but since restored.

Car:
1965 Malibu
496 Blueprint motor
Body and paint are great
Built TH400
Fitech EFI
Supposedly 3.50 gears but I suspect lower gears than that after highway driving.

Right after purchaseI took it to a local shop and they pulled out 10 lbs of bad,
burnt up wiring. The car

1) how do I know what the original build was (I.e. Chevelle, SS, etc). The old vin codes are more vague

2) what are items I should avoid updating? The motor is not original obviously but I’d like to make it look as original as possible, particularly on the inside.

3) what would be the best approach to make it more streetable? It’s currently got a built TH400 and what was claimed to be a 3.50 rear end but I suspect it’s closer to 4.10. Gears or tranny swap to a 4 speed?

all in all, just looking for guidance on how to take the build to a mean street bruiser with road trip capability.

Glad to have finally taken the leap to classic car ownership and looking to those that have been there for guidance.

Dyno session is this week

 

[Dean]

The VIN will tell you if it is an SS or not.
1965 Chevelle VINS (chevellestuff.net)

 

[bry66]

I'd start out by confirming the things you're not 100% sure about. So pull the cover off your rear end so that you so can verify what gear you have in there now. The number should be stamped on the ring gear but if you can't find it I think you can still determine the ratio by counting the teeth.

Is there anything specific you don't like about the way it behaves on the street? Just highway RPM, or something else too?

A 4-speed conversion won't necessarily make it more streetable. Not saying you shouldn't do it, but if you swap to any manual transmission then just make sure you're doing it for the right reason. Also keep in mind that the highest gear in any old school transmission is going to be 1:1, so a transmission swap alone isn't going to change your RPM at highway speeds (unless of course you swap in an overdrive transmission).

So anyways, sounds like maybe a numerically lower gear might be a good move. But before you do anything, take a little time to get to know the car better and figure out exactly what you're working with before you start making any changes.

 

[DZAUTO]

I was interested in reading about the car-----------------------------------until I saw that it had an auto tranny. Sorry.

 

[65Rat]

It's as i expected. Malibu V8, got it. Thanks guys, that link helped.

 

[Dean]

It's as i expected. Malibu V8, got it. Thanks guys, that link helped.

A 136 car?

 

[vortec710]

A taller tire will cut your over the road RPM’s somewhat, but a gear ratio chance may be in order depending on your intended usage......cruising, racing, over the road, street fun, etc.

 

[12stones]

I was interested in reading about the car-----------------------------------until I saw that it had an auto tranny. Sorry.

REALLY???????????????????????????????????????
Tom everyone that knows you knows that you would never have anything other than a 4 speed. But you can't even look at or even slightly appreciate an auto Chevelle or any other auto classic car because it's not your preference. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[blm]

You don’t need to pull the rear end cover to get the rear end ratio. Just jack up the rear(tires off the ground) and rotate the tire one exact rotation. During that one rotation count the number of rotations of the drive shaft. A 3:50 ratio the drive shaft will rotate three and one half times.
My recommendation before you go changing rear gear ratio is to look into overdrive transmissions. A low (numerical) rear end ratio only goes so far. It will lower your highway rpm (not enough in my opinion) but will also affect acceleration. An overdrive trans lets one keep steep gears in the rear plus have low highway rpm. Best of both worlds.
I have a 3:73 rear end in my car and I have an overdrive 5 speed manual trans with 295/60/15 tires on the rear. On the highway at 70 mph I am turning 2200 rpm.

 

[cherokeepeople]

you don't need to pull the rear end cover block the wheels put it in neutral jack one back tire off the ground,see if you can turn the wheel,if so it's a one wheel wonder,mark the tire then crawl under and turn the drive shaft counting the complete turns,do this to 2 full turns of the wheel and that will get you close,say you had 3 1/2 turns that would be 3.55, 3 3/4 turns would be 3.73.Now if the wheel won't turn then you have a posi, jack both wheels off the ground mark tire and count driveshaft turns for 1 revolution of the tire,same thing 3 1/2 turns 3.55 etc.

 

[Jim Mac]

a 65 chevelle doesn't have much of a wheelwell, so there might be a smaller tire out back with 3.50s its going to run higher rpms. remember it was normal to get a mid 3 gear ratios back in the day and people still drove them down the highway. we are just spoiled with the od trans today.
Depending on how much freeway driving you do, it might make more financial sense to just keep it as is. or you could do a gear vendor od unit. jim

 

[shovelrick]

Gear vendor unit with a T400 would be my first choice, you can play with 6 speeds if you want

 

[DZAUTO]

REALLY???????????????????????????????????????
Tom everyone that knows you knows that you would never have anything other than a 4 speed. But you can't even look at or even slightly appreciate an auto Chevelle or any other auto classic car because it's not your preference. WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

YEP, that is correct. I'm to old school to change--------------or even consider change (well, I would go for a 5-or 6sp).
BUT, with that said, I would look at a genuine automatic HEMI car. In fact, I might even park one next to the 70. But that is as close to an auto car as I would get.
I don't even do cell phones---------------------although, I do have a flip phone, and it's turned off 95% of the time.
This is my preferred type of phone.

 

[cherokeepeople]

like your wall unit.

 

[Dean]

I was interested in reading about the car-----------------------------------until I saw that it had an auto tranny. Sorry.

About 99% of cars on the road today are automatics

 

[DZAUTO]

About 99% of cars on the road today are automatics

Well Dean, take a guess as to who IS NOT in that 99%.

Oh ya, I DO OWN 2 cars with auto trannys: 04 Impala SS and 12 Tahoe. Almost every time I drive the Tahoe, I cuss the #$%(*&@#)& transmission in it. I want gears to change when I WANT THEM TO CHANGE, NOT when GM says they need to change.
At 78yrs old, I HAVE NOT had problems nor desires to have an auto tranny. I bought my 51 Chevy from Granddad in 1962, and he bought it new.. When he sold it to me, he was 75yrs old and STILL pushing the third pedal and shifting gears-----------------------and NEVER complained! Plus, I've added a 4th gear to the 51.
I'm thinking the majority of today's drivers have become weak, puny, lazy sissies.
There is absolutely ZERO substitute for this.

And why should I fly Delta or American in comfort, when I can fly uncomfortably in this?

 

[blm]

About 99% of cars on the road today are automatics

Only in America. The manual trans is still king in Europe.

 

[Dean]

Well Dean, take a guess as to who IS NOT in that 99%.

...

UMM guessing > YOU
Pulling your leg cause I know how you feel about automatics.

Different strokes for different folks.

I drove stick shift vehicles for many years and got tired of replacing transmissions, clutches, and throw out bearings.

Then when I drove my first automatic, an Oldsmobile (1940 or 41 I think) of my buddy's dad's that we snuck out to joy ride when he was passed out.

 

[texas]

UMM guessing > YOU
Pulling your leg cause I know how you feel about automatics.

Different strokes for different folks.

I drove stick shift vehicles for many years and got tired of replacing transmissions, clutches, and throw out bearings.

Then when I drove my first automatic, an Oldsmobile (1940 or 41 I think) of my buddy's dad's that we snuck out to joy ride when he was passed out, (he was drunk every night) I said to myself from now on it's automatic transmissions for me.

His dad was the only man I ever knew that would get drunk every night yet get up and go to work every morning.

for a laugh I asked my 95 year old grandpa what he thought of this guy’s thinking and he said “to hell with that, we will enjoy our space phones and auto transmissions without him”. He learned how to drive on a ‘27 Model T pickup and everything in between since so I’ll trust his opinion

 

[DZAUTO]

for a laugh I asked my 95 year old grandpa what he thought of this guy’s thinking and he said “to hell with that, we will enjoy our space phones and auto transmissions without him”. He learned how to drive on a ‘27 Model T pickup and everything in between since so I’ll trust his opinion

I have a 23 model T pickup------------------------one of the SPECIFIC reasons I bought it was because it had a Muncie. The other reason is because it has a Rochester fuel injection.
The image of Hotrods, muscle cars, Corvettes, 57 Chevys is just wrong with an automatic transmission!