Joe spent many years scouring the market for his Unicorn car: a 1970 Chevelle Malibu that would be as identical as possible to the one he owned 40 years ago before enlisting in the US Air Force. His search came to an end in 2015 when he stumbled upon a numbers-matching, fully documented, one owner survivor in 2015.
In a cruel twist of fate two days after purchasing the Chevelle, it was involved in an accident that ripped open the entire passenger side of the car. It was time to not only repair the damage but also to perform a full frame-off restoration. Joe opted to split the work between three shops, each taking on certain aspects of the restoration that they specialized in.
One shop replaced the damaged sheetmetal with NOS and OEM pieces, bringing this Chevelle Malibu back from the grave. A second shop upgraded the chassis and suspension, while a third shop built up a modest 350 small block to replace the original 307 engine, which Joe has stored in his garage to maintain the numbers-matching pedigree of this Malibu. Perhaps a blessing in disguise, within 6 months Joe was driving around a fully restored 1970 Chevelle Malibu that was better than new.
Since it is almost identical to the Malibu I owned and sold upon entry into the US Air Force… it brings me back to that simpler time after high school. I enjoy every minute that I drive her. My little grandkids like going for rides around the block in her too and ask for those rides by saying Grandpa’s car, Rum, Rum!
