1966 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu

-Non Numbers Matching 454ci V8
-Automatic Transmission
-89k Miles Shown
-Blue Over Black Interior

(Please note: If you happen to be viewing this 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu on a website other than our Garage Kept Motors site, it's possible that you've only seen some of our many photographs of the car due to third-party website limitations. To be sure you access all the more than 135 photographs, as well as a short start-up and walk-around video, please go to our main website: GKM.com)

“A taste of displacement” - Muscle Machines, June 2011

Autoweek remembered: “When John DeLorean started the 1960s muscle-car craze with the 1964 Pontiac GTO, it became clear that Detroit automakers could print money by dropping land-yacht engines in midsize hardtop coupes and stirring in a generous helping of hood scoops, stripes, and clever marketing. It took the Chevrolet Division a couple of years to catch up in the cubic-inch wars, at which point the Chevelle— platform-mate to the GTO— got a hairy big-block 396 engine with 325 horsepower as an option.”

Offered here is restored, resprayed, and up-powered 1966 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu in medium metallic blue with a black vinyl top over black. Though badged as a 396 SS. In fact, under the hood is a non-matching 454 big block V8. So, the Muscle Machines “taste of displacement” headline, in this Malibu's case, might better read “an even larger helping of displacement.” The car's odometer shows 89,710 miles.

The exterior medium-blue metallic paint shows very well. This was clearly professional work; door jambs and edges, the underside of the hood and trunk lid, and engine-bay surfaces were all properly painted. The finish is smooth, and the surface gloss is uniform across the entire body. There is no damage to any sheet metal; no dings, dents, or scratches. (To best assess the quality of the paint and trim finishes, please be sure to view the close-up photographs of the car in the accompanying gallery.) Chrome finishes across the entire car are very well-kept, including on the front and rear bumpers, lower body-side trim, wheel-well trim, grille and headlight trim, bowtie-embossed side-mirror, door handles, cabin glass and windshield surrounds, and rear-panel trim, all showing only very minor patina in spots. The black vinyl top is free of damage or wear. Badging includes the “SS 396” front-grille emblem, front-fender (understated) “396 Turbo-Jet” engine identification emblem, and rear-deck “Chevelle” lettering. All lighting lenses and cabin glass are free of cracks or other damage. Factory 15-inch silver-painted, slotted steel wheels (with chrome “Chevrolet Motor Division” hubcaps and chrome trim rings) all in excellent condition are mounted with Grand AM® Radial G/T 245/60 tires. The suspension is raked to the front.

Inside, the black-themed, stock-appearing interior is a perfect Sixties design statement. Black door panels include a chrome trim strip and window cranks. Black looped-pile carpets cover cabin floors. Horizontally pleated black vinyl upholstery in excellent condition covers the front buckets and rear bench seats, with the same vinyl trimming rear-cabin walls and the padded dash. The 3-spoke, brushed-metal-trimmed steering wheel with wood-look rim and Chevrolet center emblem frames the horizontal-design dashboard. Stock analog instruments including the 120-mph speedometer have been augmented by three white-faced Equus® gauges monitoring oil pressure, coolant temperature, and alternator output. Slide-levers control the heat and ventilation, and a vintage-look, bowtie-branded, AM-FM-cassette radio is mounted in the factory-radio location. Across the lower dash, pull-lever switches are mounted for various functions. An analog clock is prominently mounted on the center console just ahead of the shift lever for the automatic transmission and a lockable storage compartment. The car's trunk is very tidy with surfaces finished in the factory-style gray-fleck paint. (Please view the close-up photography in the gallery to assess the condition of all the Malibu's interior surfaces.)

Under the hood, it's all big-block; the 454-cubic-inch M/T-branded V8 commands a clean and orderly engine bay. An open-sided, chrome-topped, Holley®-embossed air cleaner, orange-painted engine block, chrome alternator, and finned valve covers add flair. Viewed from below, the story's the same: a clean, undamaged chassis with properly mounted components. The spotless lower sides of the engine, racing-style exhaust headers, correctly routed dual-exhaust system with crossover pipe (and chrome tips) are all visual focal points. (To best evaluate the condition of undercarriage surfaces, please review the gallery photos shot from below.)

The car's original information and identification tags remain mounted.

While the more than 135 high-definition photographs and the short walk-around-and-startup video available on the GarageKeptMotors website showcase this '66 Chevelle Malibu in detail from every angle, including from below, we expect and encourage in-person inspections at our Grand Rapids, Michigan showroom. Please call to arrange an appointment in advance as our showroom is not open to the public. And feel free to get in touch anytime by phone or email if you have questions.

Hagerty noted the special appeal of this model: “For many, the '66 and '67 Chevrolet Chevelle represent the sweet spot of the model's styling between the original design and the larger cars that would follow.”

Add to that this Chevelle's fastback style, Super Sport badging, beautiful color combination, and—last, but far from least—that 454 cubic-inch big block under the hood, and the appeal is probably irresistible.

For one fortunate individual (who's likely reading this right now), replace “probably” with “definitely.”