New Member from Albuquerque

[pvchev]

Hi,

I just purchased a 1967 Malibu 2-door V8 Sport Coupe today. I doubt it is salvageable given the amount of rust but I bought it to gain knowledge. I hope to learn how to remove a body from a frame, weld, and rebuild an engine and transmission.

This car was made in the 2nd week of January 1967 and was the 146,592 vehicle to roll out of the Kansas City, Mo assembly plant. It left the factory with a medium red imitation leather interior with a deepwater blue exterior color. It had tinted windows all the way around and had a Powerglide transmission with a rear antennae.

My background with cars is in with a 1962 Chevy Impala convertible, 1963 Impala hardtop SS, 1968-69-70 El Camino, a 1976 Nova, a 1980 Malibu Station Wagon, and a 1963 Studebaker Lark. However, it has been decades since I last turned a wrench. I did minor bodywork, convertible top repair & maintenance, and engine work, to include pulling and replacing engines & transmissions, although I never rebuilt an engine or transmission, nor opened up a pumpkin.

Both quarter panels, the trunk floor, both rocker panels, and the bottom of the front fenders are thoroughly rusted out. I am unsure of the floor until I get air in the tires and have it towed from the storage yard into a bay. I am hopeful the B-pillars are repairable but I also believe new quarter panels, if I decide to go that way, include the part of the B pillar that is rusted.

The previous owner used hood pins so there are two holes in the leading edge of the hood, and there is a hole in the back of the hood, by the windshield. At this point I do not know if that is from rust, something piercing it, or what it could be.

It has what I believe to be a 350 and some type of aftermarket shifter on the floor. All the side windows are in good shape: both vent, door, and rear, but the rear window was smashed. The rear bumper appears to have a small bend in the top but it is hard to tell since it is parked partially under a large trailer. Front & rear seats are still in the car and I believe them to be original but the only thing that is good about the seats are the frames. The dash appears to be in good shape also. There are four decent aftermarket wheels. I am hoping the frame is in good shape but until it is rolled out and determined to be safe for being lifted on a hydraulic garage lift we truly won't know about the frame.

To me, this car is either destined to be parted out to the extent possible and then crushed, or it is a candidate for a replacement body if the frame is good and I decide to attempt that, or sell it to someone who wants to do that. I believe it would be far cheaper to replace all the sheet metal vs doing any rust repair because it is that bad. Who knows? Maybe I would get lucky and find a donor convertible body and ensure any frame differences between a convertible and a sport coupe are addressed correctly.

I am excited about this project and the first order of business this weekend is get air in the tires, get it rolled up next to the car wash so I can start vacuuming & spraying it out. The second step is to see if I can get it up on a lift to check out the frame, and the 3rd step is to see if the engine is frozen, and if not, then put oil & water in it, get a battery connected, attach some remote starting wires vs using the ignition, and see if it starts. I doubt it but it would be fun to try it.

I will document as much of this journey as I can, and I look forward to participating in this community, although it will probably be all questions at first.

I am very excited!

[Ken Hayes]

Welcome to the group