100% Original? 1964 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu SS Convertible
The owner of this 1964 Chevelle Malibu SS Convertible states that it is 100% original. It certainly presents well and would be ideal for the person seeking a classic car that they can enjoy immediately. I have to say a big thank you to Barn Finder MattR for referring this striking and desirable Convertible through to us. It is located in Clovis, California, and has been listed for sale here on Craigslist. Desirability always comes at a cost, and you could park the Malibu in your driveway for $38,000.
I’m a bit disappointed that this is the only full exterior photo of the Malibu that the owner supplies. However, there are a lot of positives to be drawn from it. The Goldwood Yellow paint that the car wears looks to be in excellent condition. The front fender looks slightly odd, but I’m willing to believe that this is due to how the light is hitting it. The seller states that the vehicle has never been restored, which makes it very impressive. If it has spent its life in California, I’m not surprised to see no visible rust. The panels seem to be as straight as an arrow, with no apparent dings or dents. The Black convertible top fits tightly, with no sign of any rips or damage. The trim and chrome appear to be faultless, while there are no apparent issues with the tinted glass.
Lifting the hood reveals the original 283ci V8, which is backed by a 2-speed Powerglide transmission. With 195hp on tap, this Malibu should be a relatively spritely performer. A ¼ mile ET of 18 seconds might not seem that impressive today, but it was considered respectable back in 1964. This photo does raise a question about the claim that the Malibu is 100% original. The original radiator has made way for an aluminum unit. If I were the buyer, I would be hoping that the owner has retained the factory unit. Provided it isn’t beyond help, I would have this restored and refitted to preserve the factory appearance. The owner doesn’t give any information on how well the SS runs or drives, but the news should be positive if appearance counts for anything.
It is hard to find much to be critical of when we look inside the Chevy because the Black interior appears spotlessly clean. There are no signs of any issues with the upholstered surfaces, while the dash, pad, and carpet all look perfect. This interior needs nothing, and features like the bucket seats and the center console would have felt pretty special back in 1964. However, I have spotted another anomaly with this interior that seems to contradict the originality claim. The original radio has been removed, and a retro-style modern stereo has filled its spot. I have no issue with this, and the buyer could easily choose to swap this back out. However, this is another of those little details that undermine the claim of 100% originality.
If I were to pick an all-time favorite in the Chevrolet Malibu’s history, I would struggle to go past these 1st Generation cars. I find the styling to be crisp and purposeful, and while they might not pack quite the punch and presence of the later vehicles, they are still a wonderful car. I like this one, and I can’t think of any reason why I wouldn’t want it parked in my driveway. It isn’t 100% original as the seller claims, but returning it to that state would not be a challenging undertaking. It isn’t a cheap classic, but it is worth remembering that these early cars have been experiencing a slow but steady climb in values in recent years. Pristine examples of the SS Convertible can push upwards of $45,000 in today’s market, and this increase shows no signs of easing. Maybe that makes this the right time for you to park it in your driveway. If you do, I will envy you.
Auctions Ending Soon
1971 Ford Mustang Mach 1Bid Now11 hours$7,100
2003 Porsche Boxster SBid Now12 hours$6,250
1966 Lincoln ContinentalBid Now14 hours$500
2000 Jaguar XJ8LBid Now4 days$1,250
1977 Datsun 280ZBid Now5 days$275
Comments
If the owner’s claims are true, then this is an exceptional find in a great color combo.
A very nice Chevelle vert.
I have the six banger 230 six vert with factory chrome breather and valve cover.
Mine is the-non SS with original radio.
It runs okay and will cruise 75-80.
I like yellow and think these still are over looked when compared to the same year Goat 🐐. Many parts interchange as both GM. I know the goat has more power but many of these Chevelle’s are running modified ponies now too.
Good luck on sale!
I think I can afford the towel hanging on the front bumper.
That being said, a nice rag-top.
The passenger-side courtesy lamp switch suggests the car has been repainted. The weatherstripping looks brand new considering its supposedly 56 years old. The image displaying the NPD receipt also shows a catalog page with ‘weatherstrip’ in its header. It’s a good looking car but it’s not even close to 100% original and unrestored.
Overspray on the trunk latch was not a factory item.
If it’s all original it’s the only one that came with an aluminum radiator and a “Fits-all” top radiator hose. That’s also and repop dash insert. This is the most restored un-restored car I ever saw.
Nice little car but, if the owner would lie about it being un-restored when it obviously is … what else would he lie about?
Wonder where the wire from the positive battery terminal that runs through the hole beside the radiator goes to? Also no grommet with a large gauge wire through sheet metal, asking for trouble.
One of my all time favorite GM colors and a color solely available on the SS in the Chevelle line for ’64 and only with black interior. Still I find the Butternut Yellow looking somewhat better being just a tad less yellow.
It has some interesting options, amongst them the remote driver side mirror and the wooden steering wheel. I cannot say with certainty what’s correct color for a ’64 Chevelle firewall as I’m mostly into B-bodies; for ’64 fullsize GM cars would have firewall painted black. Only Canadian built B-bodies had firewall painted body color
https://www.impalas.net/threads/canadian-built-64-ss-327-convert-odd-s.6057/
It HAD a remote mirror at one time since the controller is still on the door. The photo, however, clearly shows a regular manual mirror now.
Good point, I recognized the joystick and OF COURSE expected the correct mirror to be at the other end. Hah! So much for the 100% original claim!
Pretty harsh comments. What do we know for sure? It’s been repainted, it’s had new weatherstrips installed, it has a non-stock radio, some trim items, and a replacement aluminum radiator. Geez, for a 56-year old car, that’s a pretty short list, and falls far, far short of being “restored”, much less the basis for calling the seller a liar.
I hate “fits-all” radiator hoses as much as anyone, but bringing that up as a strike against originality is ridiculous. Nobody would expect the actual original factory hose to be on the car.
Looks to be by and large an original car in pretty great shape. I don’t understand the compulsion to attack it.
Since most people think restored means it has been restored. But in car world, restored means back to original , as it left the factory. The correct rad and hoses are available for this car . So why not use them. A car is only original once, but when it is restored it is no longer original, but to use aftermarket parts that are incorrect , it raised so many concerns. so the guy is representing the car as restored and clearly it is not.
I had one of these many years ago and it had a “non power top” Go figure
I know a lot of people that frequently speak in boisterous absolutes (ALWAYS, NEVER, 100%) and they are ALMOST always wrong. Aside from that, nice car.
I didn’t know Chevelle firewalls were painted body color. I thought they were black with possibly some overspray.
Good catch, the firewall should be painted semi-gloss black.
The left fender isn’t off-color, the door is – it doesn’t match the fender or quarter panel.
Good eye(s) Ed, I also noticed the difference right off the bat as the door appears to have more brown in it, so a shade darker in the yellow. I had eye (cataract) surgery a few years back and I still see colors so vivid today.
Someone mention this over maybe a goat the same year, well this is an ok car but no way I personally would take this over a GTO. I like the yellow on black and being an SS is appealing but it is still a Chevy.
I had a 64 SS it sure didn’t have a nice aluminum radiator like that,all original cmon girls.
I’m wondering if this is the correct yellow. When I was in high school a fellow classmate had a new yellow Chevelle and I don’t remember it being this bright of a yellow. Of course that was 55+ years ago so my memory might have faded along with some other things. I think local_sheriff is correct about Butternut Yellow should be less yellow.
The 64 Chevy yellow is Goldwood Yellow, which is a brighter, deeper yellow than either Crocus Yellow (65-66) or Butternut Yellow (67). While I’m not saying this 64 is the ‘correct’ color, it wasn’t Butternut Yellow in the first place.
Yup, it is. But this is Goldwood Yellow , a new for ’64 color and only available when ordering the more ‘prestigious’ Chevs. Note the restrictions on this chart when specifying RPO 943:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/113737321845
Your friend’s Chevelle most likely was a ’65 or newer wearing Crocus Yellow(’65), Lemonwood Yellow (’66) or Butternut(’67up), all being more subtle colors than the ’64 yellow. The ’65 and ’67 yellows go under the same paint code despite different names. To complicate matters further ’65 Nova yellow was called Goldwood, though it’s the same color code as Crocus in ’65(!), and some ’66 cars were painted Crocus even though the Y paint code for that specific year meant Lemonwood…