Previous member back to the G-body family

sammy

Frequent Racer
Jul 8, 2003
661
15
18
Columbia, MO
Not sure who is still monitoring from 7 years ago, but I am back!!! In fact my new malibu is my old malibu!! Forced to sell it to take care of family matters at the time. Sold it for cash and a transmission for my son's car. I never got the transmission and he bailed and ended up getting arrested for kidnapping charges. At that time I had no idea where the car was, I spent a lot of time looking but had to give up. One day I get a facebook message from a guy asking if I owned one at some point. It was abandoned and left on his mothers property and he was going to build it for his son. He was asking if I still had the title, which I did not. At that point I was okay, knowing it was going to someone that was going to put love into it and keep it running. Two days ago I saw a 78 malibu on facebook marketplace that was from Texas, it showed the door open and the original green paint could be seen, I'l admit I got a little emotional after seeing that color as it is what mine was originally. I did not purse the car, honestly I am not looking for another project at this time. Yesterday the add came up again and looked at it for a bit and then looked at the seller, not someone I know but looking at his profile it reminds me that I need to schedule an appt with a friend of his that does PDR on my wife's trans am. I contacted the PDR guy and tell him the story of how I found him and he tells me he knows the car and the long list of parts that he has. At this time I am thinking it sounds like a nice project that I should look a little deeper at, but nothing really lighting the fires for me. After the PDR appointment I have to source a new muffler for her car and call a shop that is owned by the guy that found my old malibu that was looking for the title. While talking with him about the muffler I ask him about my old malibu, he chuckles a bit and says "yeah, I sold it a few years back... in fact, it is back in town and for sale now" At this point my heart sank, I had to know, I asked and he confirmed the seller was the one I was looking at. So yesterday I went and looked at it, it was very different but it was in fact my old 78. It was stripped to the bones with plans to build a track car, it was black instead of the white it was when I sold it, interior is all gone, my motor and trans gone. I plan to build it back to a street/strip car, using the parts that come with it. Almost 500hp 5.3 fi, with a th400 trans, 8.8 rear with viking dual adjustable coil overs, trick chassis 8.8 swap kit.. Should make a great ride, and lots of fun for the family. Glad to be back in the g-body family again!!!

Current:
2021-04-14.png


When I sold it:
1618507941354.jpeg
 
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Longroof79

MalibuRacing Junkie
May 10, 2004
8,948
9
38
Gainesville, Fla.
Sammy,
Glad to see that you got the car back after all these years. I'm sure it's in better hands now. Good luck building it back to how you want it.
I was looking nice when you sold it initially.
 
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sammy

Frequent Racer
Thread starter
Jul 8, 2003
661
15
18
Columbia, MO
Sammy,
Glad to see that you got the car back after all these years. I'm sure it's in better hands now. Good luck building it back to how you want it.
I was looking nice when you sold it initially.
Thanks Jack, I remember you from the old days ; ) on here!!
 
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Longroof79

MalibuRacing Junkie
May 10, 2004
8,948
9
38
Gainesville, Fla.
Thanks Jack, I remember you from the old days ; ) on here!!
Sammy,
I remember you as well. It's been awhile, hasn't it? It's good to see some of our old forum friends still with us and picking up where they left off. I guess once it's in your blood, despite life altering our path, we seem to make a comeback.
Sammy, keep us updated on your progress. I'm sure you'll do the right thing for it.
Welcome back! :)
 
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sammy

Frequent Racer
Thread starter
Jul 8, 2003
661
15
18
Columbia, MO
Sammy,
I remember you as well. It's been awhile, hasn't it? It's good to see some of our old forum friends still with us and picking up where they left off. I guess once it's in your blood, despite life altering our path, we seem to make a comeback.
Sammy, keep us updated on your progress. I'm sure you'll do the right thing for it.
Welcome back! :)
It's going to be a long road, right now it is just a shell and a rolling frame. I have to source a complete interior, going to add a/c, looking for a torque converter and headers now. Then at some point I will be able to get to bodywork and paint!! Glad to be back and yes this is truly in my blood!!!
 
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Longroof79

MalibuRacing Junkie
May 10, 2004
8,948
9
38
Gainesville, Fla.
It's going to be a long road, right now it is just a shell and a rolling frame. I have to source a complete interior, going to add a/c, looking for a torque converter and headers now. Then at some point I will be able to get to bodywork and paint!! Glad to be back and yes this is truly in my blood!!!
It's a bummer that the car was gutted as a racecar. It usually becomes a bit of a challenge trying to fit the car back to streetable roadworthyness.
Just continue at your own pace and you'll get there again. I'm sure the big part of is is finding the replacement parts to make it whole again.
Just don't let it overwhelm you.
 

sammy

Frequent Racer
Thread starter
Jul 8, 2003
661
15
18
Columbia, MO
It's a bummer that the car was gutted as a racecar. It usually becomes a bit of a challenge trying to fit the car back to streetable roadworthyness.
Just continue at your own pace and you'll get there again. I'm sure the big part of is is finding the replacement parts to make it whole again.
Just don't let it overwhelm you.
Thank God I have all of the interior plastic and the original dash (needs to be recovered), so basically needing door panels, head liner, seats, and carpet. It's a great start but it is a shame to see the old parts gone. I have added a goodmark cowl hood to the malibu so far and I have a guy that is supposed to be coming to buy the VFN fiberglass dash I have.
 

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Longroof79

MalibuRacing Junkie
May 10, 2004
8,948
9
38
Gainesville, Fla.
Thank God I have all of the interior plastic and the original dash (needs to be recovered), so basically needing door panels, head liner, seats, and carpet. It's a great start but it is a shame to see the old parts gone. I have added a goodmark cowl hood to the malibu so far and I have a guy that is supposed to be coming to buy the VFN fiberglass dash I have.
Having all of the interior plastics and trim parts is big plus. All that stuff is getting more difficult to find these days. At least with seats and door panels, you can substitute seats with ones out of another G-body, F-body, etc. Other type seats, you may have to get creative with the tracks and mounting.
Door panels could be used out of an El Camino or other 2-dr G-body cars. Finding a donor car would be helpful for interior parts. In most cases, donor car interior parts would be roached out.
 
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