Rubb'n on the Chevy...

[Chuck Miller]

Been invited by Registry member and ex-Porsche racer Davey Jordan to a community car show up in the San Bernardino mountains this Sat. so I'm going to take the old neglected Malibu........ which really needed some long overdue TLC...

Will let'ya know how it goes........

[70tangerine]

CM


I love that body........and she looks period perfect.

I recall when they were 3-4k..lol.....now..what, 20k on up.....it seems prices are good to buy now. Even COPO's have dropped big time.

Can I ask....Ive never been in a ol muscle ride?..ever....are they nice to drive.....I guess it depends on so much....traNS, clutch, well sorted etc...

But I mean, I just love ol 911's or say 2002's,....just fun to drive.... how are these big guys?

[Chuck Miller]

Can I ask....Ive never been in a ol muscle ride?..ever....are they nice to drive.....I guess it depends on so much....traNS, clutch, well sorted etc...

- I remember these cars new when they were tight and impressive for a teenager.
(except for the tire technology of the time. Even as kids we knew that there was something wrong when a car could sit in one place and light the tires until they exploded....)

- Then I have driven some as an adult that were old, loose and tired and not very impressive.

The trick with these old cars (an any old car) is sort out the basic mechanicals.
They were extremely primitive to begin with.
So the first things I did were to rebuild the suspension, steering, and up-grade the brakes. Changing to a 1 1/8 inch sway bar in the front, and adding a sway bar to the back completely changed the driving character of the car. Only after that did I gradually add more power, better trans and rear end. Then, after having a tight well performing old car did I go and find the GOOD body and paint guy..... And with that ALL the body rubber gaskets and seals, carpets and seat kit..... The sequence was pretty much like any car project... just took a couple of decades........with LOTS of homework.......

But I mean, I just love ol 911's or say 2002's,....just fun to drive.... how are these big guys?

Lots of fun with BIG torque... A completely different deal then a period sports car.

You're there for drive, the cruse, the relaxing comfort... (my car came with factory AC that still blows cold)... and taking in the scenery....... Hmmm, taking in the scenery, something I seldom do in the Porsche......

On the street you're there for the sound, and sometimes the 'squirt' off the light...
On the freeway, with about 400 HP and conservative gearing, the car will go faster then I'm comfortable driving it... so you 'float' at about 70 having time to respond to the thumbs-up people give you....
Unlike the Porsche where I'm going fast enough not to notice any finger gestures... good, or bad..... and again, not taking in much scenery....

So, a completely different deal............... VERY nice contrast....

- I graduated high school in '67 and it's a '67 Malibu....
- It was sold at the dealership on Van Nuys Blvd, the San Fernando Valley cruse, and street race ground zero west of the Mississippi... and a block from my house.
- I most likely cursed by my car on the lot when I was a kid... couldn't think about affording then... It was a GREAT deal 22 years ago at $2K
- I have my '67 High School tassel handing from the rear view mirror today..........see, it all works....

Cheers

[CurtEgerer]

I've had the pleasure to see Chuck's Chevelle (errr, Malibu) in person and it is just a great muscle car - very well-done with an understated purposeful look. I used to own a '69 SS396 so maybe I'm a bit biased

[70tangerine]

CM..

that was a wonderful response..thank you...and it makes solid sense.....2k?..sheesh...911t prices..lol

Im looking at a few Novas...they are growing on me.....69 or 70.

I just watched the vid on Tim Allen's Camaro, on Lenos yt channel. That is an amazing hi end/ lo key build..wow..check it out...some great choices made.

[Chuck Miller]

Well, I headed for the Saturday Lake Gregory show on Friday to spend the afternoon and night with my family up in Wrightwood (about 3/4's of the way to the next day's show)

- The first obstacle, a semi truck blocking both sides of HWY 138...
- Leaving Wrightwood for the show Sat. morning......
- On the way.... lots of clouds and turning cold..... might still be summer down here, but not up there....
- Nice mountain community car show........

[Chuck Miller]

Interesting cars to say the least.........

The rat and the gasser were entered by a young hot rod fab shop owner and his wife.... The fastback Chevy gasser was a period racer that's he's brought back running......... The rat rod was sanitary and pretty well engineered... not slapped together like so many are........

Not sure about the Citroen El Camino......

[Chuck Miller]

The copper and gold pro-street Chevelle next to me took the class.... A nice car owned by a geezer like me...

- Getting ready to go over to Davey and Norma Jordan's for an after show BBQ......
- That's Davey's little 912 mountain commuter. He built it up and put it together himself at home... including paint...

Dick Guldstrand was suppose to be the Honored Guest at this show, Davey said he called and old Dick has a pretty bad case of pneumonia....... Lets hope he gets better soon...

- When I had the privilege of Dick Guldstrand checking out my old Chevy a few years ago... get well soon Dick



PS. When I was at the show a car buddy of mine who lives up there came by and drove me over to Lake Arrowhead where there was a PCA show.... I'll post some pics over in the 'Tours... ' forum.........

Cheers

[Jim Breazeale]

OK, Chuck

Now you've done it! I am inspired to get my 67 SS Conv back together and drive the thing. I need about 2 hours of work to reassemble the dash and I'm ready to go. Looking at your pictures revealed a White 64 Comet Caliente Conv. Just like the one my son owns that is torn apart next to my Chevelle. His car will take a bit more work and money to get it going again, though. In the mean time, it is taking up the middle of my garage.

Regards

Jim
PS: I noticed you have power brakes on your car. My Big Block Chevelle has non-power drum brakes and is down right scary to try and stop.

[Chuck Miller]

PS: I noticed you have power brakes on your car. My Big Block Chevelle has non-power drum brakes and is down right scary to try and stop.

YEP......... The car came with just juice drums like yours....
About 3 years into it (with still the stock motor) I knew I NEEDED BRAKES!!!! In fact when I bought it 22 years ago it came with the 'Protecto-Plate' and I was able to contact the original old owner... (probably not with us any longer) After he finally understood who I was and what I owned the first thing out of his mouth was ... "Ya'know, that yellow car didn't stop too well" ........ I told him it still doesn't.........

I put on after market discs, calipers, and booster........ After a few years I changed out the after market booster to a bigger volume late '70's GM booster....... I was told that the 'right' booster had to not be to late in production because GM switched to 'metric' in the early '80's... .... and the booster wouldn't hook up to my old 'standard' master cylinder...

Honestly, the cam is so big in the thing that even with the good factory booster I still have to be moving before there's enough vacuum to work it well.... and I just don't want to put an accumulater in the system...... The brakes finally work great on the highway, just not so good in stop and go traffic...........