A car dealer told me last year that cloning a Malibu to an SS is worth about $3K. Of course it will take alittle over $1K to clone figuring paint and everything else. Would be much cheaper if you did the painting yourself. ( I'm talking about the hood and tail panel of course). The BB engine isn't included.

 

There are plenty of clones out there, to be sure. It's always nice to see a well done Malibu at a show. Are you looking towards resale?

A properly done clone can certainly fetch some good money, but it requires a good attention to detail to get all the little things right. Nothing is worse than looking at a so-called " SS Clone " or " Re-creation " and seeing several incorrect or over looked items that stand out like a sore thumb.

You sort of answered you own question with your statement. YOU want to go original; then that is what you should do. Don't let the prospect of increasing the value take you down a route ( cloning ) that you don't want to go.

I have nothing against clones, recreations, tributes, whatever you want to call them. There are just lots of them out there and some are very poorly done.

 

If I were you I would restore it as a Malibu if all the numbers match. There are SOOO many SS clones out there that it makes no since to build one. I have a 70 Malibu that will remain a Malibu. Nothing wrong with a cowl hood for looks if you want, but something as simple as keeping that flat hood keeps the car more correct.

If you want to keep it original, restore it to your build sheet if you can find it.

If the numbers DONT match, and you just want a Rat motor build it any way you want.

If I were considering buyng another and had the coice between a nicley restored correct Malibu, and a SS clone I would buy the Malibu. I'm not the kind of guy thats after the tire ripping power, I preffer a nice running car that can be cruised in. Just my opinion. Unfortunately for me I couldn't afford either if I wanted to right now :clonk:. I already have too many toys.

 

I agree with Dan.There are so many SS clones its almost crazy at the shows or local cruizes. I have a 67 Malibu and I think I get more looks than some of the SS because its getting so rare to see a nice Malibu these days. Everyones got a SS if you want to be special restore it back to a Malibu =) I put in the hood for looks but otherwise I wear the badges proudly. The way things are going A sweet Malibu may become more rare and worth more than SS LOL.

 

It depends on how well you "clone" it. If you pay attention to all the necessary details on doing it correctly, it's a little more involved that some paint and emblems. here is a pic of my 69 Malibu that I kept original. it still has the original drivetrain in it.

 

Ultimatly, Malibu's are worthless. You really cannot hurt the value too much. If you like the look of an SS, swap to SS.

 

"Ultimatly, Malibu's are worthless."

Sorry, I don't believe that.

 

I don't believe that either. I am making mine a custom project, still at the planning stage.

 

I also don't believe it......if it is true there's sure alot of people willing to pay some dough for a Malibu, and I ain't talking the post '72 cars either.

Personally I'd keep it a Malibu and not an SS unless you're hell bent on having one. Everyone and their brother has a cloned SS.....what's worse is half of them are passed off as the real McCoy.

 

Keith
I have more respect for a man and his malibu then one who trys to make me believe his malibu was an SS. A malibu can run with the best of them in the performance area small block or big block. Looks well hey it's a chevelle what more is there to say.
Mark

 

I don't agree with the Malibus are worthless, Afterall if it's a Malibu or an SS it's still the same car, right? (Of course other than some option differences) This SS thing is a bit strange anyway. What is the difference in a true SS car that has been modified and a Malibu that has modified? Still the same car. Now, there are some guys in our local cruise night circuit that have perfect true SS cars, down to the firewall markings and decals, now those are true SS cars and worth the big $$. What difference does it make if a guy has a nice Malibu or an SS, these cars are all 30 some years old. I don't understand the people out there that are paying almost 30 grand for an SS car that has been modified, it just doesn't make sense to me. I own a nice 69 Malibu, I bouhgt it almost 2 years ago. The guy that I bought the car from had the SS stripes on it and correct model year SS wheels with a new zz-4 crate motor. I would never try to pass it off as an SS, I guess it's a semi-clone but it looks great and was in my price range so I bought it and I enjoy the heck out of it. Just my 2 cents worth. Thanks

 

malibu's worthless? Um NO!

I sold my old malibu for 20k. the one im doing now.. already been offered 15k and haven't even finished it yet.

Can't even beleive some douche thinks malibu's are worthless. man that just gets my goat. SS, Malibu only difference is options and size of original motor, and a stripe on the hood. Nothing saying i cant drop a big block in my malibu, and wipe the floor with your ass.

Allright, i'll stop biochin. just kills me when so dood thinks a malibu is inferior to an SS. Dood better hope my "Malibu" isn't next to him when he goes to show off next time :grin:.

Scotty, you douche! Why the heck do you think they are worthless?

 

I was offered a trade for my '66 Malibu today, a really sharp '49 Buick Sled. Not exactly my "thing", but definitely worth a pretty penny on the street rod scene.

In the last week I've had three people and ask me about selling it. Two of them had been watching my progress over the last several weeks. One driving a rodded '37 Chevy 350/7004r, had moved in around the corner a little over a month ago and apparently had a '67 back in Hawaii. The other had been working on the neighbors addition a few houses down the street, he drove up in a cherry '69 RoadRunner. They both casually asked if i would consider selling, I think for the most part, they had heard me rumbling around and wanted to check it out.

The third inquiry came with cash in hand. The younger guy had his brother driving him around to check out some cars that had caught his eye while he was awaiting an accident settlement. When asked what I'd sell it for, my response was "not for sale". They asked to check it out, very politely. In the ensuing conversation, I was shown $20,000.00 in brand new sequential $100 bills. Again said I'd have to pass, eluding to the fact that I had been rebuilding since mine had been stolen 8 months earlier. The simple truth is that I have every cent of the $23,100.00 received as settlement from my insurance, plus at least another couple grand, not to mention an easy dozen allnighters freezing my a$$ off out in the driveway to get it where it is now. It would not only be ridiculous for me to sell for anything under $30K, but I'd also never hear the end of how many soccer games, school events, vacations, holidays, etc, etc, etc... that I missed in favor of time under the car.

His parting words were, "Would you take $27,000 for it".

Not that day anyway.

Truth be told, my car has been evolutionary. Originally bought for $1250 in 1978. Other than a few thousand here and there for engine builds over the years, I haven't had any major expences that actually involved saving for or borrowing against. Although I do spend entirely to much and far too often in most peoples opinion. I had to rebuild from scratch 3 times, in 1990 after being rearended, in 2002 when some idiot darted into rush hour traffic and again in 2005, when the car was stolen, stripped and destoyed. Each time I had nothing more to work with than what was left from my previous '66, and a check from insurance. Which, by the way was $5900-$200 buy back, $8900-$876 buy back and $23,100-$3200 buy back, respectively.

No special insurance either, full coverage, on the same account as all my other vehicles.

 

Hmm being shown 20-27,000 in cash new $100 bills be real hard for me to turn down no matter how much I like my ride.

 

Maby its because Im allittle older than some of you,or maby its because I was born at a time which allowed me to buy a 66 gto 4 speed for arround 3600.00 and then an ls6 in 1970 for about 4100.00. Now as time went by and with the family and house in place, I bought a 70 ss clone for 5300.00 in 1987 because even then I couldnt afford a ""REAL"" ss.. Well its not about the money,its about me and my car, not trying to make money,its about the love of my car. Whether it has stripes or an ss dash as supposed to a sweep..... I am not ,I repeat am not trying to pass my car as this or that. If I add an ss dash in place of the sweep.its because I like it, no other reason.. Im tired of hearing some of us bash this and that, Keep your opinions to yourself, Its my car and not a wanna be. This is why we see some people scamming this and that on e bay or trying to offer VINs and buildsheets. Our hobby is suppose to be just that,a hobby, something we love. I appreciate just about any machine w/ wheels and tires,2 or 4 wheels,import or domestic. I apologize for this rant, but this real or fake thing is a waste of time. Im not alone with this feeling,Im sure. I just met a guy with 5 Feraris and that day he was using his ENZO, and this guy appreciated every car he looked at, even mine which needs alot of work.. He is a man who loves our hobby. and leaves his ego in the bathroom.

 

worthless?...a straight, rust free coupe body sitting on the ground with weeds sticking out the grill no motor, trans, rearend or interior is worth good coin these days check e-bay, the car i just described is more desirable than some of the "ss" 's you see there, my question is: why so concerned about resale value? its always going to be worth money and its always going to appreciate, its a chevelle!...for my money, id always pay more for an original malibu than i would for a cloned ss, after all, isnt a cloned ss really a malibu?, and probably a poorly executed clone at that, since i would have to assume the vast majority of people cloning for profit dont care about chevelles, they care about profit

 

Amen HRD!! I bought my Malibu all done. I would never pass it off as a clone even though it has the SS stripes on it, I don't want any other SS badging on it because it's not an SS and I know that. I bought the car because it is rust free with original floors/trunk, and it was in my price range. My son and I have had more fun and bonding time with that car, regradless of what price tag hangs on it. Like you said, it's still a Chevelle. The bottom line is, we better take care of all of them regardless of "what they are" because if we don't, they will all be in the garbage.

 

I should have explained myself a little better, Looks like I offended some people. Don't take what I said the wrong way. Of course they are not "Worthless" to the owner, my car is worth a million to me!!!
I too have a Malibu (1971). I hired a proffesional Appraiser to come to my home and appraise my car this fall. A 350 small block Malibu is only worth $20K according to his book, Less if it not original like mine! The exact car is an SS Big block version was worth almost $40K!!! That is why I made that comment about just make the car what he wants it to be. He is not going to be changing a Original Yenko or anything, He is changing A Malibu.

Here is my car they only wanted to appraise for $20K!

 

20K????? The motor is worth that!!! How much did it appraise for, really?

 

20 K!!!!! If I were you I would find another appraiser who isn't an idiot! I had an appraisal done on my 69 SS396 (real Canadian built SS), three years ago and it appraised for $21,500. This is for a car with power windows, locks, tilt,etc. It turns out the guy is partial to Fords and always values other makes lower than they should be. I had another appraisal done 8 months later by a fellow who is partial to Mopars, but loves all musclecars and it was valued at $34,500. Did a much better job than the first guy also. Just depends who you get. You must feel insulted as hell getting an appraisal thet low for such a nice car, Malibu or not.

 

I ended up showing the guy estimates to do the work I did to the car and had the appraisel raised much higher. But, sometimes the appraiser does'nt seem to always know the value of what he is looking at.

 

Ok, but the bottom line is it's your pride and joy and it appears to be nice ride. Besides, we aren't in this to make money, how many of us with this goofy "hobby" ever get out of them what we have in them?? SS or whatever car it is. I still don't agree with a "modified" SS being worth any more than a Malibu that has been modified with the same stuff done to it. Stuff a new 502 in either car and you really have the same car, SS or not - right?? (of course there are a couple of other differences) but they still are not original equipment cars. Take care guys.

 

that is a sweet chev scotty, nice plumbing work, silly me i'm always down playing the value of mine, as far as my insurance guy knows its just a 35 year old chevy, its the other guys company i'll have to convince should it come to that (hear any knuckles on wood?)...as far as building a car for your own pleasure, i say do what ever you like, not knocking them but, i get a kick out of people on here "what color should i paint my car"..."should i shave the emblems?" .."stripes or no stripes?"..if you build what some one else likes, you might as well build it to sell, personlly, my non ss has a cowl hood and ss stripes and yes i have an ss emblem on it, from a 64 (i think) chevelle the one with red letters in a circle (on my tailgate) and i have most all the chrome molding (actually more than most, wheel openings and lower belt line and door edges, bumpers) and shaved door handles and emblems .....just because i think it all looks cool, ive had a few ss cars and to tell the truth, having a non-ss is kind of liberating, i really dig all kinds of cars and if i see or think of something that i think looks cool, i use it, ive stolen plenty of stuff from street truck mags, custom car mags (i really admire what those guys used to do, and, the guys restoring those old cruisers, is a well executed 50 merc not awe inspiring?), street rod mags, and, hot rod and car craft, i even proudly admit to snitchin a thing or two from lowrider mags...if i think of something i used from an import tuner mag im keeping it to myself though.
living in scottsdale and peeking in at barret jackson once in awhile, its ez to see the biggest problem (threat?) to our hobby....theres way too many investors and not enough car guys

 

Here is my Malibu as of today. The problem i have is that I want to get it painted a dark green with the 2 white racing stripes. Did the malibu ever have that option? If I were to take it to a show would it lose points for having it painted that way?

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a50/krager/Picture003.jpg

 

Here is my Malibu as of today. The problem i have is that I want to get it painted a dark green with the 2 white racing stripes. Did the malibu ever have that option? If I were to take it to a show would it lose points for having it painted that way?

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a50/krager/Picture003.jpg

Bahh. Green - pfftt. Thats what my wife keeps saying - "Paint it Green". The blue is beautiful. Leave it be - No stripes.

If you detirmined to go green w/stripes, then just do it. It's "YOUR" ride my friend. Besides original options are for original trailer queen cars.