When he was just 15 years old, Benny’s Great Grandfather was going to sell him this 1970 Chevelle Malibu for $300. That was on a Saturday, so Benny had to wait till Monday to go to the bank for his savings.
In the meantime, other family members got word of the arrangement and stopped the sale. Years later, Benny’s Great Grandpa passed and the 1970 Chevelle Malibu was willed to his Grandmother. She and Benny’s Grandpa were intending to use it as a rainy day grocery getter, but the Chevelle just sat for several years rusting away.
“I begged and pleaded through those years trying to buy the car. Finally, Grandpa was tired of messing with it and hearing me, they decided to sell it to me.”
He drove the Malibu as it was, looking like a rat rod, for a long time now that he was the 4th owner. After a few years, the time came for the 1970 Chevelle to be restored. Benny chose to keep it a Malibu, as that was what it was originally, there will be no stripes or SS emblems to be seen here.
“My Great Grandpa was the 2nd original owner and he bought the car from Dixon Chevrolet in Ullin Illinois. The old metal emblem was still on the car when I got it. It was way to pitted and messed up to repair to put back on the car sadly.”
Benny chose to utilize a mildly built 406 small block with AFR heads and a healthy cam. He is still running the original TH350 transmission, though it is now built, and the Chevelle has 3.55 gears in the rear end now. Future plans include a disc brake conversion along with an overdrive transmission and air conditioning, among other modifications.
