Photos by Mike Hayes, from the Cohort.
Further reading:
Classic Curbside Classic: 1979 Chevrolet Malibu Coupe – Good News, Mostly
Cohort Pic(k) Of The Day: 1981 Chevrolet Malibu Classic Coupe – Paolo Martin Sends His Regards
Cohort Pic(k) Of The Day: 1979 Chevrolet Malibu – Just Plain White
– Posted on November 5, 2023
My brother had one of these. It had that expensive unreliable sealed carburetor.
A great looking car.
One of the nicest still stock versions I’ve seen in a long time.
Looks like it the current owner purchased it relatively recently based on the plate number. Our state now issues new plates when the vehicle changes hands, for both of the cars I’ve purchased this year, in Feb and Aug have the CGx prefix.
Chevy Geo next to it.
That’s my car doing the photobomb.
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/cars-of-a-lifetime/coal-1992-geo-prizm-shes-a-keeper/
Here is mine, pretty much a polar opposite in appearance. I ordered it new. V8 four speed, bucket seats, sunroof, and F41 suspension. It’s been with me through all the good and bad times ever since.
For the time, black was an unusual, but excellent choice. You were photobombed by a purple Aztek.
Nice. I wanted an El Camino like that at the time.
Nice!
I wonder why they didn’t cant the grille to match the lights, like they did on the Citation.
If I had to guess it was to give it an family resemblance to the Monte Carlo PLC where upright grilles were still in vogue
I see rally wheels and dual sport mirrors as the only exterior options. I sure hope it doesn’t have the miserable 3.3 “litre” V-6. 94 horsepower wasn’t very many, but at least it had an even-fire crankshaft.
“but at least it had an even-fire crankshaft.”
Sorta even-fire-
The 3.3 and 3.8 90° V-6s used an 18° offset between the cylinders. The 4.3 went to a full 30° offset.
A friend of mine had one, a ’79 green on green with the Chevy 229 V-6 and (literally) 1/2 of a Quadrajet carburetor. I think it had a Turbo 200 transmission as well, but given the output of the engine and weight of the car it performed reliably. It was a good car.
Good looking car, especially without a vinyl top.
Doesn’t have the plethora of unsightly bumper bolts, that almost necessitate the optional bumper rub strips, as on the concurrent Chevy Nova. But there is an unattractive recessed channel, that still requires a black rub stripe (and bumper guards) IMO, to look its best.
Lent, a built to a price feel to these. A cheapness, shared by the the Nova, and Citation.
Mine doesn’t have the bumper rub strips because I ordered the Malibu Classic. The one shown above is the Landau. I didn’t order that model because I didn’t want the half vinyl roof or the busy window trim. Personally I just like my cars free of extra trim and graphics.
If I owned and enjoyed, a vintage creampuff like this one, I’d likely go to the trouble and expense, of having body panels better aligned. IE, rear trunk lid in third pic. Better yet, I’d fix it, myself.
My Dad had two of the station wagon versions, at the same time! He liked his wagons.
My sister had a 1978 LeMans coupe that was similar to this Malibu. It had the 305 Chevrolet V8 and automatic of course (I don’t believe Sis ever drove a manual transmission car even when she had a Corvette).
The LeMans would get out of its own way and was fairly peppy. It would also cruise comfortably at well above the ridiculous 55 mph speed limit of the time as her frequent encounters with highway patrol and local law enforcement will attest.
The car was handsome enough except for the front end where it looked like GM/Pontiac tried too hard to make the much narrower LeMans resemble a Bonneville.