Fans of the muscle car will find plenty to love in this 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu Restomod. Gorgeous white paint, a handsome interior, and fuel-injected small block power, not to mention a solid foundation for performance and handling, all make this a great car for having fun on weekends. GM's A-body aged quite well during the muscle car era, and even in 1971 it was still one of the top predators on the street. That means there's... no need for subtlety, so you may as well paint it bright white with blue SS stripes like this one (a big improvement over the original Classic Copper). Fortunately, the work was done to a good standard and this was a straight car when the work started, so it was easy to get nice results. The gaps are decent, the stripes are laser straight, and the two-stage urethane paint is so bright that it can probably be seen from orbit. A cowl-induction hood adds an aggressive look and the SS gear in 1971 included a blacked-out grille and a few well-placed badges around the perimeter, just so folks knew what they were messing with. The work was done a few years ago and while it's not perfect, it is in the ideal condition for cruise nights and having fun with your car, which is entirely the point, right? Your buddies will love the twin tailpipes peeking out from under the bright chrome bumper and with the way this car looks, you won't get many challengers at red lights. Blue bench seats anchor the interior, and the shade works well with the exterior finish, contrasting the white paint and matching the blue stripes. The blue seat covers, door panels, and carpets are all in good shape showing only very light wear that's totally in line with the age of the restoration. As most bench seat cars, the shifter is on the column, and it's joined by an OEM-style steering wheel that fits the interior perfectly. The only possible demerit inside are the factory gauges, which have slightly hazy lenses, but the important stuff is monitored by a triple set of white-face auxiliary gauges hanging under the dash. Up top the headliner is nice and taut, the big blue dash is free of any cracks or blemishes, and a modern retro-style AM/FM/AUX radio is in the center of the dash and looks like the OEM unit. Pop the trunk and you'll find properly painted floors that show off just how solid this Chevelle really is, along with a full-size spare just in case. The rebuilt, remanufactured 350 cubic inch V8 under the hood cackles and snarls the way a true muscle car engine should. Rebuilt approximately 1,000 miles ago in 2016, it's only been driven on weekends, so it's still fresh and runs superbly. Bored .030 over and augmented with a stout Comp Cam and aluminum heads, the block is topped with a FiTech fuel-injection system and Edelbrock intake manifold to handle the air and fuel, all of which hide in plain sight under a matching open-element air cleaner with matching chrome valve covers. It's got plenty of pop and is extremely responsive, which is entirely a good thing, and long-tube headers and an H-pipe bolster its torque production and give it one heck of a soundtrack with Flowmaster mufflers out back. The TH350 3-speed automatic shifts smoothly when you're just taking it easy, but snaps to attention when you crack the throttle, and with a 10-bolt out back, worrying about breakage is a thing of the past. Classic Cragar SS wheels glitter against the bright white paint and wear staggered 235/60/15 front and 255/60/15 rear BFGoodrich white-letter radials. High-profile cruisers need to deliver on their looks, and this Chevelle nails it. Documented with build/maintenance receipts, service manuals, and original owner's manuals, this dialed-in '71 is ready to rock! Call today!
|