1966 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu

Description

Cars like this 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle are the ones you have to look out for. The color seems subtle, but those flashy wheels and fat tires suggest something else entirely. And then there's the very impressive paint and bodywork that make this car stand out in a crowd. If you like walking softly while carrying a big stick, this Chevelle has you covered.

Sporting all-new sheetmetal in 1966, the Chevelle was definitely all grown up and looking for a fight. Painting it simple white does nothing to diminish the aggressive curves of the bodywork, making this the archetypal muscle car. Someone's got a sizeable pile of cash tied up in the work here, with super straight flanks, good gaps, and no cut corners, making this one heck of a good-looking machine. Although this is a Malibu and not an SS, they resisted the urge to dress it up with fake SS badges; however, it does sport a cowl-induction hood that makes it look fast just sitting still. The chrome is nicely finished and we like the look of the standard Chevelle grille, which almost looks aftermarket in today's world of billet add-ons. The subtle paint, standard badging, and overall clean look all add to the sleeper vibe. This is one car they won't see coming until it's too late.

Chevelles have always been big, comfortable machines, and with the handsome black bench seat in this hardtop, the tradition continues. The upholstery shows some minor signs of use, but the condition today reinforces the impression of quality and it's a great place to spend some quality time. The primary gauge cluster covers the basics, with switches for the headlights and wipers in a band above the instruments. The original AM radio is gone, replaced by a digital AM/FM/cassette head unit that fits without any cutting and you'll note that this is a factory A/C car, with modern R134a hardware now working behind the scenes. White-faced gauges are under the dash monitoring the strong-running small block under the hood and the three-spoke steering wheel looks racy in the otherwise low-key interior. This is a great car for road trips, too, because in addition to the big back seat, there's a ton of space in the trunk, which offers black carpets and a full-sized spare tire.

The 350 cubic inch V8 is obviously quite fresh, sporting modern polished aluminum valve covers and a chrome air cleaner in marked contrast to the Chevy Orange block and bright aluminum Edelbrock intake. Very nicely detailed under the hood, it's a great combination of new and old, and you know horsepower never goes out of fashion. The accessory drive is new and even things like the alternator were chromed to help dress things up. Stock manifolds feed a reproduction exhaust system, while the TH350 3-speed automatic transmission bangs off crisp shifts right when you need them. It's quite tidy underneath with slick uncoated floors, suggesting this was a good car to upgrade and one that doesn't have any nasty surprises waiting for a new owner. Newer shocks all around improve the ride and it sits right, with those gorgeous polished Budnik aluminum wheels and staggered 225/50/18 front and 245/45/18 rear performance radials really stuffing the wheel wells.

We love Chevelles, but the ones that really capture our imaginations are those that don't try too hard to be nasty. For this one, it just seems to come naturally. Call today!