This 1967 Chevelle Malibu is on its way to becoming a Super Sport clone or tribute car. But with one major departure. Rather than sourcing a 396 cubic inch V8, the seller opted to fast forward a few years and go with a low-mileage Chevy 454 big-block and 4-speed manual transmission. This stalled project will need a bit of sheet metal work, although we’re told the body is solid and rust-free. Located in Auburn, California, this SS wannabe is available via a dealer here on Facebook Marketplace for $19,000. Thanks, Barn Finder Gary, for this tip!

The Chevelle SS 396 became a series of its own in 1966 as muscle car mania was soaring by that point. Chevy would build 60,000 of those cars as a Sport Coupe, compared to the regular Malibu that found more than 166,000 buyers in the same body style. We assume that the seller’s car had good bones, to begin with, and that motivated the owner to begin converting it into a Super Sport. The front grille already wears the SS emblem.

Seller-provided photos show the 454 engine in and out of the car and not necessarily complete. We’re going to guess that it finally made its way into the Chevy, but some parts and dialing in will be needed before that motor could even be cranked. We’re told the engine had low miles on it before being recruited for this project. Once a blue car with a black interior, we don’t get many photos of the body and practically none of the interior except at the floorboard level. One plus is the car is wearing a brand-new set of Cragar mag wheels.  From what we can see here, is this a $19,000 project car? (the listing is at least a month old)