May 16, 2024  •  For Sale  •  17 Comments

Grandma’s Malibu: 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle

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The mid-size Chevy Chevelle had another successful sales year in 1970 with a production of more than 635,000 units (which would include the El Camino and Monte Carlo). Nearly 290,000 would comprise the Malibu Sport Coupe, the most popular model/body style. The seller’s Chevelle belonged to their grandmother, who we assume has passed away. The engine has major issues, so this Chevrolet is a mechanical and cosmetic project in Hackettstown, New Jersey. It’s available here on eBay where the current bid is $15,000, though the reserve is unmet. A tip of the hat to Russell Glantz for the tip!

After a redesign in 1968, the Chevelle got a refresh on the same platform in 1970. Since the VIN of this car decodes as having been built with a V8, more than likely a 307 cubic inch engine is under the hood (or maybe a 350). Some work may have been started on repairing the motor when it was discovered that the block was cracked. The valve covers, the carburetor and the intake manifold are all off and may be in the trunk. That’s unfortunate as 58,000 miles is too early for a major breakdown (unless it’s 158,000 miles). A Powerglide automatic transmission would be a logical companion to the 307.

We’re told this Chevelle has been in the same family since it was new. Though the photos were taken in a dark garage, the interior of this Malibu looks quite nice (dark green to offset the Green Mist paint). The paint is faded from age and the passenger side rear quarter panel has previously been repaired (and not done very well). We don’t know if rust is an issue, but considering the car has been garage-kept, it may not be.

A restoration may not be tough on this Chevrolet, but would you stick with its original specifications, or use it as a source for another SS 396 tribute or clone? I always vote for sticking with original when possible and would be more inclined to go that route here if the engine is a 350 V8, which had more beef to it than the 307. In that case, a TH-350 automatic transmission would make for a peppier performer.

Comments

  1. Driveinstile DriveinstileMember
    May 16, 2024 at 3:14pm

    I’d personally love to see this Chevelle stay S.T.O.C.K.!!! Original wheel covers and whitewall tires and all. If its a 307 they run just fine. Dont get me wrong, I like Super Sports, a lot but I am at a point in life where I would like a nice clean 2 door hardtop just like this. It looks like a solid restoration candidate.

    Like 24
  2. Steve R
    May 16, 2024 at 3:15pm

    I’d be more concerned about the shoddy bodywork than the bad engine since mildly used performance engines aren’t hard to find due to the popularity of LS swaps. I hate the idea of clones, but that isn’t an issue if you just “de-emblem” the car. The 70 Chevelle is a great choice, they are popular, hence the elevated price, but flexible and can easily be built to any configuration an owner desires.

    Steve R

    Like 7
  3. Johnny Cuda
    May 16, 2024 at 3:39pm

    It has “307” emblems on the front fenders. In the late 70’s-early-mid 80’s, I had a 1970 Chevelle Concours wagon with a 307. Ran great. Great car, but the Boston area winters ate it up. I had hockey pucks to replace a couple of body mounts!

    Like 13
  4. Aussie Dave Aussie DaveMember
    May 16, 2024 at 3:40pm

    Wish my grandma was as cool as this one is. (She had a Toyota Crown, then a Cressida, sigh)
    And agreed, keep it stock

    Like 9
  5. Bill W.
    May 16, 2024 at 5:03pm

    Looks like rust on top of pass side front fender. Seat looks to have splits in the front seat. I’m betting 158,000 miles. I’d be careful and check the underside and in the trunk carefully.

    Like 5
  6. Rw
    May 16, 2024 at 6:17pm

    Fender emblems mean nothing, working 40 years in automotive repair ,we replaced many of Grandmothers engines with 350 Jasper remans,many with less than 100k,putted around town totally sludged engines.

    Like 2
  7. Tommy T-Tops
    May 16, 2024 at 6:30pm

    I am all for keeping everything stock but for this one I would preserve the paint, leave it as-is even the 307 callouts and drop a nasty 427, 4 speed with a muth thumper cam…now that would be fun…old school sleeper until you started her up. Dog dish hup caps..yes sir

    Like 9
  8. Kenneth Carney
    May 16, 2024 at 7:06pm

    A friend of mine’s mom bought one of
    these new in 1970. Hers was this shade of green with a dark green vinyl
    roof and a dark green interior. And it had a working AM radio too! My friend Jimmy and I would sneak out of church just after alter call started.
    We’d sneak outside to the Chevelle
    where he’d light a cigarette and listen
    to country music while he waited for
    his mom to come outside after the
    services were over. Jimmy would go on to play the steel guitar and the fiddle in warm up bands like I did.
    His big break came when he played
    steel guitar for the Amazing Rhythm
    Aces for a short time before I lost track of him in the late ’70s..whenever
    I hear Hello Darlin by Conway Twitty,
    my mind goes back to those Sunday
    services where Jimmy and I would
    sit and listen to some of the best music on earth. Of course his mom
    blamed me for corrupting her son, but
    it was Jimmy who made the choice to
    enter the music business. We did that every Sunday til we went out separate ways to make our fortunes
    playing music. Seeing this car brought it all back one more time.

    Like 15
  9. Mike76
    May 16, 2024 at 8:37pm

    I almost bought a 70 almost exactly like this back in the mid-90s. Only difference was it had dark green vinyl top and a 350. It was a super clean all original single owner older lady car. $2800 was the asking price. Truthfully, I wanted another Olds or a Buick at the time which is why I passed. Thinking about the car I ended up buying, a 69 442, I shoulda bought the Chevelle. That Olds was a damn washing machine. Ran good but all sorts of nagging issues started popping up after I bought it, including electrical gremlins from hell and brakes that dang near failed on me trying to stop going over a small bridge near my parents home. That Chevelle was probably cloned into another SS. It’s nice to see an original plain Jane with wheel covers and all. This one looks like a good project if you can get it for the right price, which at 15k now, it’d have to be close to that for me to consider it a good value considering the work it needs.

    Like 4
  10. 19Tiger65
    May 17, 2024 at 3:39am

    $15k for this? Nope, hard pass on this one. What is going on with classic car prices? You can find a nice running example for less cash.

    Like 12
    • PRA4SNW PRA4SNWMember
      May 17, 2024 at 2:47pm

      Yep, someone has shill bid this one over what it is worth.

      Like 0
    • Rich
      May 17, 2024 at 6:56pm

      Yep 62 years old now and shopping for a decent project car and they are priced out of my range… ended up buying a R53 Mini Cooper 1.6L they run a little Eaton Supercharger and plenty of get up and go.

      Like 0
  11. Big C
    May 17, 2024 at 7:08am

    An average old car. With the old lady green paint job. And a station wagon engine. But it’s a Chevelle, thus the bids. The big money will swoop in, and it’ll be an SS 454 with a six figure ask.

    Like 4
  12. geezerglide 85
    May 17, 2024 at 7:48am

    A friends grandmother had one of these. A 2dr. it was red with black stripes, like an SS, black vinyl top and interior. But it was a 6 cyl. with an auto. trans. That was the way it came from the factory. Evan back in the 80’s everyone wanted to buy that car. This one looks a lot better than SS from a couple of days ago.

    Like 2
  13. Don
    May 17, 2024 at 9:31am

    Leave it as it is…the world does not need another 454SS tribute, clone, replica, or whatever it’s called.. even a nice 350 with rallye wheels would be nice.

    Like 5
  14. bone
    May 17, 2024 at 11:32am

    Remember that totally trashed gold 70 SS Chevelle listing ? its cars like this that will end up with that rot box vin#

    Like 2
  15. RickyMember
    May 17, 2024 at 11:38am

    I’m more interested in the white Triumph GT6 in the background!

    Like 2

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