(first posted 12/14/2015) Car and driver tested a Malibu Classic with the F41 suspension, and they were quite effusive in their praise.
Part of the Malibu’s magic was its quiet competence. The 1978 downsizing brought a trim new design with a better emphasis on functionality. While the performance variants of Malibu’s A-body corporate siblings (Olds 442, Pontiac Grand Am) took a flashy route to show-off their newfound performance, Chevy opted to offer the “sleeper” of the group.
Sleepy, however, was the adjective to best describe the performance. The top engine option for the 1978 Malibu was Chevy’s 305 2V. Even paired with a 4-speed manual, acceleration was leisurely at best.
What really made this Malibu Classic shine was its suspension tuning, with the then-legendary F41 handling package option. The 1978 Malibu Classic that Car and Driver tested was actually a Chevrolet Engineering evaluation car, which had been modified with the planned 1979 upgrades to the F41 package. So this particular car had an even better version of F41, with more structural reinforcement and better wheels and tires (for the time at least—we’d view the “performance” wheel/tire combo as comically small today).
Brakes and steering were critiqued for their numbness, but actual response was pretty good. That, in general seemed to be the essence of the downsized Malibu. There was a lot of potential, though the all the counterpoints agreed that work was still needed to make the F41 Malibu into a genuine world-beater.
I am assuming Car and Driver’s editors wanted to throw a bone to the rapidly failing Chrysler Corporation when they included the Dodge Challenger in the comparison table with the Malibu. Somehow a 2 + 2 from Japan doesn’t seem to fit well with American mid sized coupes, but there it is.
There’s was some potential for the Malibu Coupe like this Black Sterling concept-car.
http://www.oldcarsweekly.com/blogs/under-the-hood/a-sterling-discovery-in-the-ocw-archives
I’ve seen photos of the Black Sterling with both a 78 grille and as in the pictures you have the link to, with a 79 grille. The original owner of my 79 must have really liked the Black Sterling as they ordered it in black over silver with bucket seats, 305 and 4 speed manual transmission. The car also has the factory sunroof, which was only installed on 842 cars for 79. That, coupled with the 4 speed makes it a pretty unusual version. As for Car and Driver’s assessment, I never cared for their pro European/Japanese bias. Yes, a few modifications as my car has, in the form of larger wheels and tires, 3:73 gears and aftermarket 4 barrel carb and intake have made my car quicker and handle better, but as for them pitting the Challenger against the Malibu? A friend of mine owned one of those new. It was cramped, had cheap plastic everywhere inside, it rode like a buckboard and the engine was buzzy and rough. Pretty much the typical fare for Japanese cars of the time and stills holds true for many of them today. And typical for Japanese cars of the 70’s and 80’s, that friend’s Challenger was a rust bucket after two Long Island winters.
Wait a minute–is that the original paint? If so, wow. I’ve had an eye for Malibus almost my entire life, having had one in the family, and yours is the first black and silver one I’ve ever seen outside of publicity photos, the black sterling concept, and the model brochure. It’s such a striking combination, I’ve always figured the cars were not actually available that way, or why would I not have seen more of them?
Come to think of it I’ve never seen a black one, either, so I wonder if that had something to do with it.
*very* sharp-looking Malibu in either case!
So how did the “legend in its own time” turn out? Another example of journalistic hyperbole, perhaps trying to boost loser Home Team morale after years of sneering BMW ads.
In any case, with admitted deficiencies like steering & brakes, & an engine “happier with the automatic,” this still could not have been enough to bring most Euro-car punters into Chevy showrooms.
Car and Driver has quite a bit of period stuff online. In the early ’80s, they had quotas for 10-best winners, so Detroit could have something to advertise. Looking at what won from US car companies and what they said about them serves as a warning to anyone believing the hype that they’ve finally caught up with the Japanese brands. Supposedly, the Renault Alliance(AMC) had the Japanese shaking in their boots, such was its substance. Or how about a Pontiac 6000STE to turn into a pumpkin at 50,000 miles? The Dodge Daytona was a 10-best award winner in 1984, as was the Fiero. They were as merited as a certain Nobel Peace Prize.
It’s a shame but Chevy got the Impala/Caprice so “right” in 1977 and followed it up 12 months later with the 1978 Malibu, then those 2 models started a not too slow slide into mediocrity.
I always felt these were a sort of spiritual decendent to the 55 Chevy. The 73 Malibu and early 50s Chevys were “okay”, and then their successor model was such a perfect effort. I’d prefer a loaded Malibu Classic but as long as it was a V8 powered 2 door…..or maybe a wagon, I wouldn’t kick.
The spiritual descendent quality can also be seen in the relative sizes of the two cars. The 1955 sedan was 196″ long and weighed about 3300 lbs. with the V8. The 1979 Malibu sedan was 193″ long and weighed about 3300 lbs. with the V8. The power output was even similar–the 265 in the ’55 made 162 HP, and the 305 available in the ’79 made 150 HP. The ’55 did have a longer wheelbase, 115″ versus 108″ for the Malibu.
In a further example of “everything old is new again”, the 2015 Malibu is 193″ long, about 3400 lbs, and rides a 108″ wheelbase. Sound familiar? Power is up though, thankfully.
The next town from mine had this-generation Malibu police cars. The Malibu police package had the F-41 suspension with even firmer bushings. Some wheel time comparing their Malibus…which had the four-barrel carburetor…with our Plymouth Volarés was not only fun but informative. The Volaré, a 1978 model, had a 360 with a Carter Thermo-Quad four barrel. It had it all over the Malibu engine (I never got to try out the Dodge Aspens with the 318 four-barrel, in the town in the other direction). The handling of the Volaré that had a recent alignment, including resetting of the ride height to specification, and of toe to maximum specified toe-out, was more responsive to steering wheel input. The Malibu rode better, but the Volaré was quieter…the noise probably due to the amount if sound deadening in each car, as the older-design Volaré unibody might have been expected to be noisier.
The Volaré that NEEDED a front-end alignment was understeering notably worse than either its mate or the Malibu. It was our experience that the transverse torsion bars on the Volaré sagged with mileage, up to around 20,000, necessitating front-end alignments more often than the B-body Plymouth “Small” Furies that preceded them. The California Highway Patrol would notice this on the Dodge Diplomats that they began buying in 1981, exacerbated by bad K-frames in 1984 that bent in patrol use. Dodge replaced many 1984 police-package K-frames under warranty.
What we all agreed upon about the Malibu was that it was a more comfortable place to spend a ten-hour shift. Part of this was probably due to vehicle setup of radio, shotgun mount and auxiliary componentry, but the Malibu was roomier to begin with. And, as noted before, the Malibu rode better.
We were lucky. Our Chief was a car guy and encouraged experimentation with the cars. It was a couple of us who experimented with front-end alignment, adjusting in more caster and setting maximum specified toe-out on our Volarés, improving their handling. They were superlative BMW-chasers, as more than one Bimmer driver discovered. They also learned that some cops are real car guys, which got some of them let off with a warning, on occasion. The one who was so incredulous at being chased down by what looked to be a black-and-white version of an old man’s Volaré is the one I remember best. He even came to the station to see what was “special” underneath our cars.
I think this Car and Driver article was accompanied by a sidebar on the 9C1 Police package Malibu. If not this one, then another of their Malibu tests from the period. They loved it so much that they suggested making friends with a dealer that would order one for you through their fleet program. Too bad time has revealed that nothing positive they said about Detroit cars was to be trusted. I just read their 10-best celebration of the Renault Alliance. Egads.
When I was a kid, a teenage neighbor with friends in one of the local police departments bought a 360 Volare police car at auction. They put a dead battery in it and ran it through the auction prematurely. He got a low mileage hot rod for pennies on the taxpayers’ dollars. It was as fast as anything around in 1979, and it sounded fantastic once he flipped the aircleaner cover.
Earlier this year, I wrote a CC on a 1981 Malibu sedan. In researching that article, I read a Road & Track test from 1978 on the Malibu P41. I was surprised to see a domestic sedan tested in R&T at all, but the review itself was as enthusiastic as the C&D test.
These tests really give me a new sense of appreciation for Malibus – particularly the sedans, which always seem to be underappreciated.
Would someone enlighten me as to what effect flipping over the aircleaner cover had on performance and sound?
Certain air cleaners sat on the carb in such a way that flipping them over would allow them to take in more air. My father did this to his 318-powered Cordoba and later his Mirada and got an extra 10 HP.
Mostly it defeated efforts by the car companies to suppress intake noise with baffled air cleaner housings, which was desirable for adolescents. In some cars, it served to bypass the EGR, which meant a cooler source of air that was also more oxygen rich, conducive to making more power.
Yep-flipping the air cleaner lid AKA ‘Teenage Ram Air’!
During the summertime (when I didn’t need the hot air from over the exhaust manifold to help it warm up faster), I flipped the air cleaner lid on my 1969 Cadillac 472. There is nothing more awesome than the sound it made when you opened up those massive Quadrajet secondaries, as you watched the fuel gauge needle visibly descend.
Flipping over the air cleaner lid bypassed the snorkel, which eliminated airflow restriction and noise suppression. On a Chrysler B-block or even a 360, it made the engine sound like it could eat other cars for lunch, when you floored the throttle…a big, deep roar. Reducing airflow restriction was of obvious performance benefit. But most cars are started cold in the morning, and the flipped air cleaner lid also bypassed the heated air intake. Driveability when cold could be miserable-to-impossible until the engine and intake manifold were warm. But on a police car that ran consecutive shifts, warmup was not an issue.
I will confess to doing the same basic thing with my ’94 Caprice 9c1. With a little help from the hardware store plumbing aisle it’s easy to “derestrict” the intake. In the Impala SS world it’s referred to as deleting “first base” and “home plate”, as the intake resonance chambers look kind of like that. I went a little further and cut holes in the side of the air filter box. With the quiet stock exhaust, flooring it would result in an incredible honking roar from under the hood. It doesn’t really give you a significant increase in horsepower but the car sounds more powerful and thus feels faster.
The 10.8 second time as noted was with the more cumbersome 4 speed stick and the less powerful 305 2BBL engine. Even still that was considered rather peppy for the time in a sea of 200 six cylinder Fairmonts and Slant six Volare’s. For 1979 the 305 gained a 4 BBL carb and 20 HP and felt quicker from cars I have driven so equipped. I worked for an elderly lady back in the late 1980’s during high school and she had a beautiful two tone silver 1978 Malibu Classic sedan with a red interior. It had the 305 2BBL V8 and 3 speed automatic and the F-41 judging by it’s fat rear sway bar. I got to drive that car many times and really enjoyed that car. It was head and shoulders above my wheezy 1979 Fairmont 200 six in most every way save perhaps steering. I wanted in the worst way to buy that car from her when she was ready for a new one but alas that wasn’t to be. Shortly after I stopped working for her during early 1989 she was badly rear ended thus totaling the car. She bought a 1989 Buick Century Limited to replace the Malibu and told me she liked her Malibu better. So wish to this day I could have had that Bu.
I read this article in the doctor’s office in 1978 and it was the reason I ordered my ’79 Malibu coupe with the F41 suspension. I even located a copy of the article and have it mounted above my workbench. I ordered mine with bucket seats, gauges, rally wheels, 4 speed, AC, and the 267 V8. I chose the engine for fuel mileage since I was going from a 4 cylinder Mustang II. Like Jimmy J , my car also has the sunroof. I wonder how many have the 4 speed and the sunroof as well as the F41. It can’t be many. I have only seen one other with the sunroof and a couple with the 4 speed. The 267 is no powerhouse, that’s for sure, but I sure did a lot of burnouts when it was new. For it’s time it could out handle about anything of it’s size and weight. That F41 also saved me more than once from bad situations, not all caused by me. Mine is black with the red interior. The plastic on the interior is getting a little brittle, but I don’t have any dash cracks. Yes, I still own it but don’t drive it a lot. It served us well as a family car for years and has given us very little trouble. The paint doesn’t look all that good close up and there is some rust in the driver’s door bottom, but all in all it is in good shape. I know several other guys who would like to own it, but It is not going anywhere.
You should write up a COAL on your ’79–I’ve heard enough about it from your posts that i’d like to hear the full story, as it were. That sunroof and 4-speed has to be quite the rare combo, so it’s pretty cool that we have two of them represented here!
We need to find someone with a wagon and an El Camino, and then we’ll have the “complete set” of body styles represented.
Well, in addition to my 79 Malibu, I also have an 86 El Camino, that I bought brand new. I ordered it with every option I could get, and went with the black over silver, just like the Malibu. It currently has only 6600 original miles on it and has been garaged all its life. It was my first brand new car, and I couldn’t part with it.
You, sir, have good taste. Very nice El Camino as well.
Is it true that these are classed as trucks so dont have to meet car emission standards?. Wonder as Fords F series was/is Americas best selling vehicle.
I know that when I bought the El Camino, I lived in New York and unless I had a cap over the bed, it had to be registered as a commercial vehicle. I couldn’t use any of the state parkways which did not allow commercial traffic. In 90 I moved to Ohio and it was registered as a non commercial vehicle. Since moving to Arizona, it has been registered as a car. I can’t remember if they had to meet federal emission standards but, they never had a third brake light as required on cars.
So few of these in real life had manual transmissions. I think they were dropped somewhere along the way before the RWD A/G body was discontinued.
The 4 speed manual lasted through 1980. Yes, they are fairly rare. 1902 were built in 1979, with the overall majority going into station wagons. My 79 has the 305, 4 speed buckets, f41 suspension, two tone paint and factory sunroof.
I was going to scan a picture of mine, but my printer won’t cooperate. Mine is all black with a red pinstripe and no side trim. The interior quality was not real great but has held up pretty well. I am on my 3rd headliner and have had both front seat bottoms recovered. Most of it’s life it has been garaged. I had to leave it out one winter and that was pretty hard on the paint.
Have you ever had any transmission problems? About 25 years ago, right before vacation, a synchronizer hub let go. I couldn’t find anyone to fix it or a replacement so I got out my Chilton’s manual and used the exploded diagram to fix it. I made it just in time for vacation. My wife was pretty skeptical about the repair but it has lasted until now. One of my most satisfying car experiences was on that trip, with everyone else asleep, running 75 on the Interstate driving the car with my first transmission repair.
As I said before, I am a Ford guy, but that Malibu is the second best car I have ever owned.
Before I ordered it I test drove one without the F41. After I got my car I couldn’t believe the difference.
You have a real nice looking car. Good to see a survivor. A lot of these have been made into drag cars.
Thanks! Great to know there is another four speed coupe still out there. Mine has needed a headliner but the original dash is still intact. It has been garaged pretty much all its life from what I can determine. I’ve owned it about ten years now. I’ve had no mechanical problems, it currently has just a tad over 81,000 miles. When these were new, I went to the Chevy dealer and had them write up an order for one very similar to this. As a 20 yr old, I’d never had a loan before so, a co-signer was needed. I figured my Dad would do so as he was a car guy and would appreciate what I wanted. When he saw the price he said no way. At the time,I worked for Avis and could get a discount through them but, only on something more common to a rental fleet. So, I never got one brand new. I never expected to find one, much less one so close to what I originally thought of ordering new, but this one was listed on EBay and was even better than pictures indicated.
Yep, I have had very little trouble with mine. I remember the carb giving me problems when new and the dealer couldn’t fix it under warranty as it was sealed at the screws or something. So, I took it to a smart mechanic here in town and he fixed it for me. I’m on my 3rd clutch, but then, I was a little rough on it when it was new. It has 175 K miles now. I have never been able to keep the valve covers from leaking since it was new. Also, the emergency brake has never wanted to stay set. I have had a lot of fun with it over the years including being a class winner twice at the Super Chevy show in Indy, but that was a long time ago. I even ran it in a couple of rallies a few years ago. One thing I didn’t do was let my kids use it. Maybe that is why it survives today. I really should get it out and drive it more. I certainly do that with my ’66 Mustang.
Anyway, you are the first 4 speed and sunroof guy I have ever talked with. Good to know someone else is out there. Most folks don’t even know these cars exist. I sure had enough trouble convincing Chevy salesmen that when I was shopping for it.
I worked for Hertz around this time (’77 through ’78) and these came out the last year I worked for them, plus Hertz being more of a Ford specialty rental outfit back then, conspired such that I never got to drive one of these…ride in one, yes, one of our two secretaries in my first professional job out of school had a ’78 Monte Carlo, and she gave me a ride in it once (probably to a group lunch or something). I’d driven a colonnade Grand Prix for Hertz, and an Impala (stolen and being returned to our home location) but didn’t care much for the ’78 Monte Carlo (or the GM colonnades, preferring the ’72 and prior midsize cars (my Dad had bought a new ’65 Olds F85 and that was more to my liking). Most of the GM cars at our locations seemed to be Olds Omegas (mostly 4 door), but we also had quite a number of Dodges (no Plymouths though, and don’t remember Chryslers), even a couple AMC Pacers and just 2 imports, a Toyota Corolla liftback and a Datsun 510 (the late 70’s one, not the more popular early 70’s one).
I worked as a transporter (for one way rentals)…did you do likewise for Avis? If so, I’d guess you drove quite a number of GMs, though I’m not sure what timeframe you worked for them, nowdays the numbers would likely be quite a bit different than in the 70’s. I rented a few cars from Avis, but mostly from Hertz, as my professional employer during most of my working trips got a discount from them and just about required renting from them whenever possible. I’m also a manual transmission fan, though just through the VWs I’ve owned the last 40 years, each of which has had them. Unfortunately my next car will have to be automatic (maybe a Malibu?) as no one in my family can drive my current car. The one thing I’ve never had to contend with is a foot pedal parking brake with manual transmission; much prefer handbrake when dealing with steep inclines. Fortunately my father owned several manuals including his first car, a ’56 Plymouth Plaza bought new with column shift, but most were imports, including a ’59 Beetle (he drove early 50’s Beetles when he was in Germany in the US army around that time) and a ’68 Renault R10 he bought new….though my Mother learned to drive on a ’51 Chrysler Windsor with semi-automatic, she never has been comfortable with manuals, so eventually even my father’s 2nd cars were bought with automatics (my sisters were likewise inclined towards driving only automatics). Guess if he still had the Plymouth when I started driving I would have driven column shift manuals with floor mounted parking brake, but I was an infant when he traded it for a ’61 Rambler (with automatic for my Mother). She just stopped driving this year but once gave her a refresher in driving manual when she was travelling with her brother on a trip to eastern Europe….her brother drives manual, but odd things tend to happen to him on trips, and she wanted to be able to back him up if he became unable to drive, since I had the only manual in the family at the time (Uncle lived 1900 miles from us) I was picked to give her the refresher.
Funny that you mention the leaking valve covers. I had those too, perhaps a common problem with the 267? The one on the passenger side dripped right onto the exhaust manifold, which resulted in smoke drifting up sometimes when the car was parked. More than once, during high school, I had someone ask me if the car was on fire due to that smoke…good times.
I know this is an older post but I had to laugh–back in the 80’s and 90’s there wasn’t a week go by we didn’t sell a set of Chev small block valve cover gaskets–I still remember the Victor SKU VS38110. This leaking was systemic from 55 to 86 when they brought out the center bolt covers for 87.
>”…the overall majority going into station wagons.”
Interesting. I wonder if the wagon got a lower final drive that required less clutch slipping to get underway.
The last year of the manual trans in USA market A/G bodies are:
Monte carlo- 1979
Regal- 1979
Elcamino/Caballero- 1981
Malibu- 1981
Cutlass Supreme- 5speed manual Diesel only-1984
Grand Prix- Not offered
Lemans- 1981 (manual transmission and car were discontinued at the same time)
The Grand Prix did offer a manual transmission between 78-80, so did the Buick Century which is missing from your list, it had a 3speed and 4 speed available until at least 1979.
Also, the Oldsmobile 5 speed wasn’t diesel only, and I’m pretty sure it was gone way before 1984.
Hmmmm…. You may be right my GM sources are a bit incomplete. I wonder if there is a record of production figures of how many A/G body RWD cars had a manual trans from the factory?
GM never ceases to amaze me. They CAN build a world beater, they CAN make a car that the mainstream and enthusiasts want, and they have shown time and time again that it is possible for them to do it. Yet they always seem to fall short. I always questioned this about them. Why be second-rate when only first-rate should do? Being a follower and not a leader (which they were at one time but eventually lost) always gave GM the catch-up status they didn’t deserve. Yet it was created by them! For example, how much would it have cost to make the F41 suspension standard vs. an option that most dealers didn’t order or customers didn’t know they should order? So most Malibus were equipped in the same old fashion that led them to eventually become the boring mid-size car that no one really cared about. I know, the F41 option did sacrifice a little ride quality over rough bumps, but isn’t a better handling car for 95% of driving better and safer than worrying about the 5% of the time you go over a rough patch of bumps? To me it is GM being cheap. The foreign makes eventually kicked their butts and then and only then did GM realize they weren’t the world-class leading automaker they once were.
On another note, I can only imagine how rare the 4-speed equipped models are in combination with the power sunroof! That test car was probably one of the most loaded and rarest Malibus ever produced. I wonder if it still exists today?
This is a really rare car, in the article it states it was from Chevrolets engineering dept, I wonder if it does exist.
Your rationale is flawed and doesn’t apply to GM alone, why doesn’t every company only sell the most awesome model of their cars, why are there barebones V6 pick ups when 4X4 Cummins Raptors are so much better? Why isn’t every hamburger a Double Quarter pounder with bacon? Why? because some people don’t honestly care, F41 E34 D54, just letters, that’s the point of options, you can make a car like this or a grandpa plain jane sedan like in the COAL article.
99% of the time Malibu was going to be a boring mid size car regardless of whatever suspension it was ordered with.
I’m sorry Carmine, my point is not easily understood by the way I explained it. I’m not talking about making the most awesome model of each car. I am talking about making the initial car better in the beginning. A small option like F41 could have been made standard back then. I’m not saying GM should have made power windows, locks and a/c standard on every car, but something like a suspension upgrade that makes the car that much better for not much money could certainly have been a standard item. That’s what I am referring to.
And I know that the next response I get will be that most people buying a Malibu in 1979 could care less about F41 suspension. Ok, for the most part that is true. But having a better suspension is not something most people understand or care about until they have an emergency maneuver to make or an exit ramp to take every day.
I think I know what you are trying to say Tom. Realistically the F41 option really cost GM next to nothing, stiffer springs don’t really cost more than softer springs. The only real extra costs might be the upgraded shocks and the additional rear sway bar. So why not included it? I think you have to keep a couple of things in mind. First enthusiast magazines preferences for their cars isn’t necessarily what the public want or buy. Look at the Camry for instance. Lately it has been considered a bit of a lame duck in the car magazine world, yet it is the top selling car in the US. So maybe the American people do care more about comfort than corner carving in their sedans?
The other thing was that I think GM (and other American car companies at the time) still had the attitude of they knew what was best for their customers. I think GM was still thinking that their customers want that soft boulevard ride over crisp handling and in my opinion they had this attitude for long past this car. Marketing people probably thought the F41 was too “rough riding” and was only really what a few enthusiasts wanted. The fact is the F41 cars did drive and handle a lot better, but the base suspension certainly were smoother and softer for that jet smooth isolated ride.
I understood what you said, but again you also seem to single out GM as if they were the only, one, and again, is the F41 better? Sure, was the Malibu some sort of out of control dangerous roller coaster without it…hardly.
There are V6 pickups because some companies actually use trucks for work.n Fuel economy is a virtue. I worked for a Buick dealer. The yard truck (retired parts truck) was a GMC 1500 Olympic White 2 door short bed V6 truck. You could have knocked me over with the proverbial stick as I opened the door and saw three pedals. GM does actually offer a base model truck sold as a “Work Truck”.
These were decent cars. They sold a ton of them in the first few years, and I saw a lot of them go thru the used car lot where I moonlighted as a mechanic. Only real problems were random gauge failures (You know its an issue when the local dealer has them in stock) and removing the old school Delco starter motor will have you saying the 7 words you can’t say on TV. A friend of mine had a ’78, four door, with the 200 V6. Decent car, but could not pull the skin off a roasted pepper. And I have never seen one with a factory 4 speed to this day. But I would take one. F41, 4 speed, and I will build and put my own SBC in it. 🙂
I believe that 4-speed is a Saginaw unit, not up to much in the way of abuse, I mean torque.
Base V6? Ouch. My second Malibu (an ’82) had the 229 V6, and that was bad enough in terms of being a slug. By that time it *was* the base motor as I believe the 3.3 was gone after ’80. If the 3.8 was slow, which it was, the 3.3 must have been brutally so.
And I might add, a neighbor up around the corner from me, has a metric (’78 up) Malibu station wagon, with a swapped in 3.8 Turbo from a Buick Grand National. Sweet car!
I agree with most that these were good cars. I even like the bench with the four speed, the vinyl top clashes a little with the lines.C/D advice had been taken on offering the F41 and even the 4 speed. But does anybody really believe C/D actually believes all the superlatives in this article. If you asked Rich Ceppos about this car even a few years later, don’t you think he would say the Malibu is just another piece of Detroit crap while then talking up the 80 Citation. blah, blah, blah….
Of course. And they still do this all the time. I just watched a Motor Trend review last night of the EcoBoost Mustang. It was an overwhelmingly positive review and I think probably well-deserved… but from what the guy in the video was saying, you’d think the previous generation V6 Mustang was barely on par with the worst Mustang II ever built.
I’m pretty sure that I remember all the car mags cumming all over themselves about how awesome and powerful and golly gee, 300HP! and “faster than a 5.0 Fox Body!”, etc. the V6 Mustang was a few short years ago.
And I’m sure that when Ford updates the EcoBoost for the next generation Mustang we’ll be hearing about how godawful the original was!
In fall 1977, as stated in the beginning of the C/D article, there was a “ray of hope” for cars during the so called “Malaise era”. Oil Crisis II was years away, gas was ‘affordable’, and Trans Ams with 400 V8s were selling like hotcakes.
With F41 suspensions, RWD Chevys from Nova to Caprice could be had with V8s. And getting good reviews.
Not all the ‘malaise era’ was a downer. During the 1976-78 model years, cars sold well, factories were running, and one could get a ‘fun’ car. Maybe not a 400 gross HP drag racer, but a good handling road car. Then, back to Malaise, when the Iran Hostage crisis started, and car sales plumetted.
Between a 1978 Chevrolet Malibu 2 Door Coupe and the 1978 Chevrolet Nova 2 Door Coupe, I had decided to take the Nova instead because it was well known for its reliability, durability and value for the money. I would have opted for the Malibu 2 Door Coupe if there were no other choices. I am glad I picked the Nova instead since its reputation for being built to last is not just a statement but a fact. I had mines since 1978 and still have it in flawless condition especially since I kept it in the garage during winter months so it won’t get corroded by road salt.
While I won’t argue with the good luck you’ve had with the Nova, I’d say the Malibu was built at least as well, based on how many of each are left on the road. If you’ve had your Nova since new, though, we’d love to hear more about it!
YES Sure other than those routine maintenance schedule before and after the warranty including re-powering the A/C unit, it served me well especially at 120,000 miles and it was hardly been driven nor used for a 38 year old car. I plan to keep it as long as I can. After I reached 100,000 miles 3-4 years ago, I decide to only drive this car during Spring, Summer and Fall. After Fall or whenever the first snow falls, it is being well kept in the Garage until April and then once the temperatures starts rising to 50 Degrees F or above that’s when this “old wonder” starts being driven especially here in the East Coast. I had also back in the 1980s driven both a 1978 and 1979 used Malibu but INMHPO I was least impressed with them (but would have brought either one of them if my choice were limited) because they don’t offer a 250 cu. in. L6 engine. The only Six Cylinder engines available were V-6s either 200 cu in., 229 cu in. or 231 cu in. the powerful of the three choices. Only the 1978 Nova offered the 250 cu in L6 engine as standard and it had the reputation of being tough as nails with more power and decent gas mileage. Its gas mileage may not be as excellent as the Malibu’s but at least it felt more solid, reliable and more power to the torque plus proven as well.
C & D went bat shiote crazy over other GM turds-in-production also.
I don’t recall ever seeing a Malibu optioned like their test car, new or used.
I suspect a “ringer”.
I agree about the one off car. Growing up I watched Maryland’s own MotorWeek car show and they would also have cars with options I had or never have seen in cars that I looked at.
Take the MotorWeek program about the 1985 Aries K, the test car was loaded up with power options such as power windows and locks an I have never seen an Aries K with power windows(I have seen Lebarons with them) and I spent a lot of time around the Dodge dealer when my folks had that POS 1986 Aries K
They did say specifically it was an engineering test car, so you’re at least partially right. However, it sounds like Jimmy J’s coupe mentioned and pictured several posts up is pretty close (305/sunroof/4-speed/F41), as is Mustang Rick’s except for the 267 versus the 305.
I owned a 229 ci 1980 Malibu for some times a few years ago.
I don’t know if it had the famous F-41 suspension (it might have since it was imported in Europe) but I was quite surprised by his handling.
I was never afraid at the wheel of that Malibu (while I sometimes get the willies when I drive my Caprice). It felt – well, it seems strange to say it – quite nimble. And responsive. I had a great fun with it in heavy parisian traffic.
And, in spite of its boat anchor reputation, I really liked the 229 ci. Not powerful but enough low end torque in my opinion.
Also loved its DIY white trash gold painting with rusty shades.
Nice ’80. I suppose the blacked-out grille was DIY also? It actually doesn’t look half bad.
My parents had a ’78 Malibu Classic wagon when I was growing up. 305/4-speed. I’m sure it didn’t have the F41 (was that pkg. available on wagons?) It’s kind of funny that the same week I got my driver’s license (in 87) my dad found some excuse to sell the car… not sure a V8/4-speed vehicle would have been smart for me to have at that age.
I do remember my Dad only buying Oldsmobiles, until he decided he wanted the Olds version of this wagon, and they wouldn’t sell him one with a stick, that’s how we ended up with the Chev. It was a good car, I wish I had been able to have it.
There was a very similar car in my family that stayed around long enough for me to drive…but in contrast to all this Malibu love the car was a total crap wagon.
In 1978 or ’79 my grandfather bought a Malibu wagon as a third car and basically used as a truck. Hauling lumber, big dogs, even the occasional load of gravel. Stuff people now would use a 2500 pickup for. He built a vacation house with it. After he died in ’87 it mostly sat until my mother started using it occasionally to tow a boat in the early nineties. Granted, it had been road hard and put up wet (as they say) but it did not stand up to the wear. The white paint was chalky and rusting thru. The red interior was pink and crumpling. After replacing the AC compressor a few times they gave up. The steering had an extreme amount of slop. My brother and I got to ride in the back and with the non opening windows, an exhaust leak, no AC, and the south Mississippi heat it literally felt like I might die back there. The few times I drove it, I couldn’t believe how bad it was and how weak the V8 felt. For the last five years of its live if it got parked in the front of the house junk haulers would leave their business card under the windshield wipers. Eventually my mother bought a V-6 Explorer that towed the boat better and my grandmother called the next junk man who left a card.
Amazing to me now is that the car was barely more than 15 years old. Today, even an abused 15 year old car is worlds better than that heap was. My daily driver is 21 years old. Sure, the old Malibu wagon was used and abused but still. No doubt if it had been lovingly garaged and maintained it would have been a different story, but a similar vehicle (midsize SUV Explorer/TrailBlazer/etc) from the modern era can survive without being handled with kid gloves.
I feel as if my response may have sounded a bit too harsh. Don’t get me wrong, I still appreciate these cars. I would jump at the chance to drive Jimmy J’s coupe and totally understand why he’s held on to it. Personally if I was choosing I’d prefer a “resto-mod” late 80’s Regal or Cutlass or a ’77 Caprice Coupe with the folded glass back window, but I wouldn’t throw one of those car-mag-spec coupes out of bed for eating crackers.
But that doesn’t change the fact that my grandfather’s Malibu wagon was a POS long before it’s 15th birthday.
Your response is fine Harry. There is total love on this site for the ’77 Caprice and my Dad’s was a total POS too. His had serious body rot after only five years and more rattles than you can imagine. Moldings and hubcaps randomly fell off that car on a daily basis. Was the 350 V-8 and tranny bulletproof? Yes. That was the best thing about that awful car.
Don’t feel that way Harry. Everybody has an opinion and everybody is free to express it. That is what I like about this website.
I have a lot of love for my 1980 Malibu sedan because it was my first car but it really was a total piece of shit due to all that crap that went wrong with it from day one of it being new especially when you consider it was always taken care of and not abused.
The A/C never worked right and by the time I got it, the A/C had pulled a DB Cooper and went missing.
The passenger side front door panel turned pink and was crumbling. It went through 2 auto transmissions and was starting on its 3rd(they would not go into 3rd gear unless you took your foot off the gas pedal for a second then it would go in.
The speaker grill in the center of the dash crumbled and left a big hole and the final nail in the coffin was that I had honked the horn at a dumbass that pulled in front of me without looking as I was on my way to college and the horn would not shut off. I was late to class so I simply left it honk in the parking lot for the next 4 hours and by the time i came out the battery was dead. I left it and got a ride home. two days later I had a low mile Chevette and the Bu got hauled away for a tax deduction. Ironically as low budget as the “vette” was, it was a far better car then the Malibu and everything worked. It gave me 4 years of trouble free driving.
I figured I wasn’t the only one with a Malibu horror story.
This is Malaise era GM, after all–for every good solid Malibu like mine and the ones mentioned favorably here, there was probably a badly built one that someone remembers quite unfavorably. Build quality, while not as much of a crapshoot as late 70’s Chryslers, was still somewhat variable.
And I totally get your comments on the interior plastics. Rubbish, and they would fade funny colors and start to crumble if the car wasn’t garaged or covered. Mine will probably be a total PITA to find replacements for whenever I get around to the interior (which admittedly isn’t high on the list).
I had no appreciation for these cars when they were new. Where I was from they were a “flash-in-the-pan” step in upward mobility. Most of the models I can recall riding in (I was too young to drive when they were introduced) were the gingerbread adorned Monte Carlo, Cutlass or LeMans versions. My own family passed right over this generation, trading up from a ’77 Monte Carlo to an ’80 Tornado (before Dad went back to the “Church of Chrysler” almost exclusively thereafter). In a classic case of “If I knew then…”, I have really come to appreciate the honest styling, straightforward engineering and almost new-fangled-but-old-school workhorse quality they possess. These are good looking cars, and despite the questionable quality of interior fittings and that horrible late ’70’s era GM dash layout they’ve really proven themselves. If you’d have told me 20 years ago that I’d be scanning EBay for late ’70’s/ early ’80’s Malibus I’d have asked what you were smoking, but…
I picked up a copy of this same magazine on ebay in the early 00’s, but it’s been tucked away in a box for some time so it was good to read it again. It also really makes me wish my grandfather had checked the box for the F41 suspension, though it handled well enough for a car its size in stock form (the worn original springs on mine probably didn’t help matters at all).
Going from 195/75R14 to 205/70R14 actually did make a difference by itself. I made that change to get a little wider tire on the stock rims.
My brother bought a new Malibu wagon either this year or maybe a couple years newer.
He purchased a basic model with no AC. When he got it home he realized the back windows were stationary and could not be opened, how stupid and cost saving of GM to do such a thing. In-fact I think maybe all Malibu’s might have came that way ?
Needless to say he was so POd that he never bought another GM product.
They all did come that way, and it was a stupid cost-cutting move by GM (though it did have the small functionality benefit of allowing them to inset armrests into the rear door panels).
I’m kind of shocked he wasn’t told beforehand–you’d think that any good salesman would have used that as a selling point for the optional A/C.
Truly awful product – awful proportions and it got worse in four door form.
Sadly the Monte Carlo, Cutlass, Regal coupes were far better looking than this thing.
I had a 78 Malibu Coupe 305 4-speed, F-41. Upgraded to a 4bbl, “monza” small chamber heads Corvette cam (P/N 3896962 I can remember for some reason). I loved that car, added good Michelin tires, gas shocks and poly bushings, surprised many BMWs in the twisties.
My first Malibu (1993) was a 1979 305? (could have been a swapped out 350) factory 4 speed Landua bucket seats and console A/C blue on blue,( stock/sleeper, keep kicking myself for ever selling it, my buddy back then a had brand new Mustang LX 5.0 5 speed and I busted his butt in the standing 1/4 mile till he went around about 1/3-1/2 mile around 120-130 mph so he said I can’t confirm as the 85 max Bu speed, anyways it handled okay and ran pretty decent and of course the great Q-jet sound upon opening, fast forward to now I have a 78 black on black 406sbc TH400 4.10 post BU under cover in the carport.
I’ve long had a not-rational appreciation of ’78 Malibu Classic coupes. I wanted one new while in college–figured out a black coupe, gold pinstripe, sport wheel covers, F41, tinted glass, A/C, special instrumentation, body side moldings, door edge guards, Deluxe bumper strips, color-keyed seat belts, AM/FM radio, rear seat speaker, LH remote control mirror, cruise control, floor mats, 305, 50/50 split front bench with dual center armrests–and that’s it. The camel colored cloth interior. I’d still love one. It’s an old car that still seems responsible by today’s standards.
The ’79 had improved F41 (per the above article) and offered a 4-barrel 305, but lost the diagonally-cut rear taillights, lost the gold pinstripe around the piano black instrument panel trim and replaced with chrome, and used the station wagon’s side-by-side “Malibu Classic” nameplate as an emblem above the glovebox, instead of the “Malibu” over “Classic” nameplates outside the car (the ’78 had no nameplate on the instrument panel).
The downsizing was more drastic than the full-sizes the year before, and some of the engineering was arrogant to say the least (clip-on rear wheel cylinders?), but to me the packaging was perfect. Not an ounce of fat.
We had a 79 Malibu with the 4.4L Auto. We ordered it from the factory with the gauge package a/c (but dad did not order tinted windows), Limited Slip rear end and cloth bench seat, ps, pb. The seat was just so-so. The car never started and ran right when cold. Ran just fine once warmed. The power was lacking (120 hp I believe) compared to other cars now. The rear end was very light and made it very difficult to drive in the snow. Our ’66 Chevy Bel-Air 283 with Powerglide was a much better car for winter driving.
The car was brown, but there were issues with the paint that looked “chalky” unless recently waxed. GM would not fix the paint.
Went beyond the 85 mph indicated speed a few times (95-100?) and it felt stable (we replaced the rear springs with stiffer springs). It also did not seem to be lacking for power at that speed.
This car was spec’d by me approved by dad, for my mother to drive. We wanted the F-41 suspension, but that required an extra charge for the 205/70r14 tires, which dad objected to, so I had to drop the F-41.
We were told that there would be a radio hookup even if a radio was not ordered. We were told wrong- so no radio in the 11 years we owned this car.
Fuel mileage seemed to be around 14. Engine pretty tight with the exception of the carb. Transmission was good as well (apparently we did not get the 200 series tranny that was terrible).
No radio? Seems like you could have at least thrown a boom box into the back seat and lashed it down with the seat belts.
My close friend ordered one of these, F41 with the 305 and the four speed manual. I thought it pretty cool at the time, especially as I was envious of his ability to buy a new car!
One funny thing I recall was that the PRNDL indicator for an automatic was at the bottom of the speedometer. In Tony’s four-speed the PRNDL was painted over, but still evident below the paint. I don’t think Chevy was taking the manual transmission very seriously!
Not the first time that “Car & Driver” foamed at the mouth over a pre-production GM car that wasn’t quite so good out in “The Real World”.
I remember reading this piece when it came out.
I have always like the looks of these cars, and the seating positon was even better than in the B Body cars. Even with the stock non-power seat one sat high off the floor. It made for a much nicer drive in my opinion.
The listed curb weight of 3521 pounds is interesting. I had always thought these cars weighed in at 3100-3200 lbs. A lightly optioned Impala was only about 200 lbs heavier.
As for the lack of power, even at the time I knew a nice 50 HP or so was yours for a the sake of an intake, cam and dual exhaust. In today’s dollars that would cost about C$2500, which I know from having done many of them back in the day.
In comparison, adding 70 HP and 83 lb/ft of torque to my Golf cost C$800.
That’s the difference between “curb” and “as tested” weights. Curb weight is a stripper; no options. Tested includes full tank of gas and all options. And the ashes in the ash tray.
Interesting points, which account for the difference. The article uses the term “curb weight” and not “as tested” weight, but I think they must be used interchangeably here. The specs for the 305 equipped model, those which I can find, list the shipping weight at 3294 lbs. The driver and fuel would make up the difference.
Still more than I would have thought for a car of this size.
The difference between a 3200-3300 lb 77 Nova or 78 Malibu, and a 3600 lb version comes down to this: the advertised lightweight was for “base” cars that didn’t exist.
Virtually all of these cars had automatic (+60 to 80 lbs), power brakes (+10 to 20 lbs), power steering (+40 to 70 lbs). Oh, and a radio and speaker (+10 lbs).
So that’s 100 to 180 lbs.
A V8? There’s another 40 to 80 lbs. A/C? There’s another 75 lbs.
And we’re at around 300 lbs….
The Malibu also offered power windows and locks and seats.
Even with the stock non-power seat one sat high off the floor.
That wasn’t true of my dad’s ’78 Century 4 door. It was fine for him (5’8″) but not for me (6’2″). It was pretty quick with the 305 4 bbl, and the base suspension wasn’t sloppy–compared to the ’56 Olds I was driving!
I bought a used ’83 Cutlass Supreme in 1984. Several years later, I found the build sheet under the rear seat. Paired with the super stock wheels was the handling package. That car handled so much better than a buddy’s ’82 Buick Regal.
Hard to believe a $50 option could make such a difference. Such packages were so under the radar.
As a twenty-something, I rented a 1978 Malibu to drive from Halifax to Moncton NB. I found it quite different from what I had been used to in terms of styling of early ’70s cars. The greenhouse certainly felt very open with good visibility. I don’t know what it had under the hood, but it had enough power to keep up with traffic on the highway nicely.
It got lots of looks on the highway, being early in the model year, and nobody had really seen many of them yet. I think they were wondering what this kid was doing driving a shiny new car.
Once i got to Moncton, I turned it in to the rental company and tooled around in my uncle’s mid seventies Valiant/Scamp sedan.
The way the 1978 Malibu weigh in at 3521 pounds, that’s about as heavy as the the 1977 version or even a stripped down but larger 1977-79 Impala/Caprice Classic coupe and by all accounts even heavier than a fully loaded 1978 Nova Custom 4 Door Sedan by at least 100 pounds with a 350 cu in. V8 engine.
I was a huge fan of these – from a distance – at the time. But regardless of features and handling, or reliability, the Chevy A/G and B Bodies were peak GM sedan styling in my opinion. Of course that same era was the time of two ongoing enthusiast press themes: CD’s “best handling American car ever”, usually in connection with F41, until the next car came out and suddenly all predecessors were junk; and R&T’s “Porsche has finally licked the 911’s trailing throttle oversteer”, again until the next version came out and the older cars were suddenly undrivable.
This caught my eye and I see that I had posted about my Malibu. I still have the car and decided a few years ago if I was going to keep it I needed to drive it instead of it being a garage queen. I fixed a few things and did some rehab to the interior. I am now on headliner number 4. The engine still runs good, the sunroof has never leaked, the body and chassis are both still in good shape and the paint shines when it has a good coat of wax. My daughter, who was one month old when I bought it asked if she could drive it in our annual car show parade ( 400+ vehicles) this year. She had never driven it but is good with a manual transmission. She was widowed last year and was just starting to enjoy life again. I took her for a test drive to acquaint her with it’s personality and she did great. She said later that she just had to take it for a couple of cruises through town with her, also single friend just like in high school. She just couldn’t stop smiling. Just another event in this car’s life that is so special to me. I have been using it a lot in the last few years and actually drove it last week on a nice day.
I really need to do a COAL on this car.
$7552 in 1977 $ = $34,638 today with 145 hp
Price of 2022 Malibu Premier = $33.990 with 250 hp
Weight of 1977 Malibu = 3,521 lbs
Weight of 2021 Malibu = ~3,300 lbs
The more things change…
The car I wish I could see a period road test for is the 1978 El Camino 350 4v 4 speed that was the only game in town besides Corvette, there were a few Malibu and Safari wagons with 350s in 78-79, the ’79 Hurst Olds 350 W30 and ’80 Olds 442 350 W30 those were the only factory 350 A/G body’s.