Chevelle Malibu 1969

The Chevelle was bought - or rather, swapped - against two "ordinary" cars, non of them at the time register'd, in the fall of 1994. I took it without engine and gearbox ´cause it were´nt able to get started at the time. The engine, at that time a 454 big block with a manual 4-step gear-change was to be pay'd for afterwards if it turned out to be of any value.

As my ears for engines are'nt as well developed as the ones of my friend and former neighbour, I let this man listen to the 454 as soon as I got it started. It was said to have been going only about 8 kilometers after the renovation of it and I have no reason to doubt that. Well, what happened and how it was treated during those km one can only be guessing of. My friend quickly proclaimed that the engine was suffering from severe damage and that it sounded just like a stone crusher.

I did not at all think that it was tempting to start renovating the "recently renovated" engine. And the fact that the car were'nt inspected and register'd with a manual gearbox did'nt make it any better at all. The 454 had to return to it´s former owner and was, from what I have heard, later sold off as parts. So the next step was to take a trip to MEP-products in Ulricehamn where I got myself a second hand engine-pack.

So nowadays the space under the hood is occupied by a slightly more wallet-friendly and reliable 350 small block, complete with a fitting TH-350 automatic gearbox from a -78 Camaro. (A big THANK YOU!! to Per at MEP- products . The engine´s working as smooth as a clock, besides a slightly ticking lifter.) After that my earlier mentioned friend put a merciful hand at the newly bought 350 and with his ears and an indescribable manual skill got it all set.

I now have an engine that does'nt take more than 1,2 litres of gas per swedish mile, main road driving. I also must point out that it´s carbon-monoxide level has been only 0,5 at the three latest annual safety-inspections. Maybe I will get myself a big block again in the future and in that case a 396 which I think is more suitable according to the history of the car, even though it is not an "SS-model". But that is a question of costs ahead.

I have until todays date spent about 24 000 swedish crowns on new running parts and have still not started with the over-all finish. The Chevelle´s history before my time as the owner of it, I don´t know much about. I have been told of it burned some tyres in Gavle. Whether this is true or not will stay unsaid. What I do know is that someone at sometime has made one or two goes at getting the car all handy by giving it a good layer of paint underneath.

The paint on the body has, I am sad to say, seen its best days. Therefore a new layer of paint and a new interior are due to come unless I change the car for some other object. Maybe if someone´s got a Chevelle cabriolet of -68-69 years model in not too bad a state perhaps there can be some interest of a swap when it is time to open up the garage in 1998. Cheers!

Anders Nilsson Upplands Vasby, Sweden