This car came to me in a strange way; my friend had owned it and I had told him if he ever wanted to sell it to let me know. Well a 4 wheel drive truck backed over it and he sold it to me for $400 dollars running in 1995. I was a single mom at the time and I could afford that kind of price. I drove it daily for approximately ten years. I tried to pick up a few parts a year and do at least one thing to it a year. It was a great car that I could work on myself and I was able to afford the parts. I also taught my son a lot about how to work on cars and tried to keep him out of trouble with it, although that didn’t last. However, he can change a Chevy starter real quick thanks to the car and my truck. I got teased a lot because the Malibu looked like rent-a-wreck, but I had a vision and knew it could be something real nice someday.

I took a trip to Wendover in 1999 and I got it up at 120mph but the oil pump stopped and the engine didn’t like that much. Shhh! Don’t tell the police! I got my punishment anyway because it was the serial number matched motor that I blew out 3 cylinder walls and threw 6 pistons out the oil pan. I went to Wendover anyway and won enough money to come back and buy another 327.

I drove the car for another 6 months before that motor started to blow smoke. My dad and I then rebuilt the motor and that is when I decided that the future color should be purple. Of course my dad was not real impressed with me painting the block light lilac; he said you do not do that to a Chevy motor. I think he finally got over it once it all started to come together. However I don’t really care if he did or not; it’s not daddy’s Chevrolet. Sorry Dad! The farther I have gotten with it the more apparent that has become.

I then bred and sold Rottweiler puppies and paid for the paint job (yes I pimped out the dog). My mother now calls it Purple Puppy Paint. I guess that works. I did a lot of the body work in my driveway with the help of my dad and his welding skills. We had a lot of rust when we started and I couldn’t even put things in the trunk or they would fly out. The car originally came out of Alaska and that certainly explained a lot. I am only the fourth owner and nothing had ever been touched on the car.

I painted the Malibu in 2005 and one year later I drove it to work. I was having a stereo put in after work and with only 3 other cars in the parking lot a semi truck drove over it! I don’t know how he could not have seen the glowing purple. I’m starting to see a pattern of big trucks running over it which is kind of scary. I sure hope that changes.

I had the car fixed after being run over for the second time and that is the car you see today. I still have a ways to go but I will get there. Thanks to great friends and family who have helped along the way and who will probably help in the future. Special thanks to my husband for great Christmas presents and putting up with my personal obsession.

 

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