Words: Tommy Parry
Three years ago, Chris commenced a build on a ‘66 Chevelle Malibu that carried some real sentimental value. The Malibu was purchased by his late mother who, five years prior, had sadly succumbed to cancer. So, in part-commemoration to his mom, he and his father started stockpiling parts to prepare for a bigtime build.
When he first laid his hands on it, the Malibu was already in a mild street/strip configuration done by the previous owner. This setup included a 454 BBC, a Holley 850cfm double pumper, a Magnum Comp Cam, forged pistons and crank, an Edelbrock Z-O intake and a Turbo 350 3-speed automatic trans with a gated shifter. Not a bad way to start.
With the urge for a little more versatility from the car, he decided to start down the Pro-Touring route. “I want it to be a solid, street-driven muscle car with modern brakes, ride, handling and reliability that I can enjoy with family and friends,” he said.
The first move in this direction was the purchase of Ridetech’s Street Grip suspension kit, which included delrin bushings, sway bars and shocks. That, coupled with Ridetech’s adjustable Strong Arms in place of the stock RUCAs, gave the Malibu the athletic footwork needed for its intended purpose.
When going for a short spin and experiencing the pedal going directly to the floor, he knew he had to improve the braking system. For a great price, he went with Right Stuff’s four-wheel disc brakes with a 7/8″ tandem manual M/C from Wilwood to stop this monster repeatedly.
With those pieces in place, he was content with the way the car’s handling had been transformed. “The stance was right where I was hoping it would be; a little lower but with a slight rake, which was aided by the taller 275/60-15 tires out back. The front was going to need some camber adjustment as it was too positive then. I was hoping I could get that within street spec with the offset upper arm cross shaft and enough shims, while still maintaining some positive caster for stability,” he noted.
A rebuilt 12-bolt Posi with 3.73 gears would complement that bump in handling with improved traction, predictability and low-speed acceleration. Once Chris and his father had fixed some of the minor gremlins – mostly leak-related – they could give the Malibu its first shakedown run.
Next came new rubber (New BF Goodrich Radial T/As – 235/60-15 fronts, 275/60-15 rears) and a Magnaflow X-pipe exhaust. Better traction and the ability to wake the neighbors couldn’t be passed up.
In the engine bay, he replaced the valve covers with Summit Racing’s cast aluminum pieces, a set of Fel-Pro gaskets and ARP hardware. As the headers were already loose, he took the opportunity to clean them and paint them with some VHT flat black. The added glitz to the bay couldn’t be ignored.
Though he’d addressed many of the suspension and alignment issues already, Chris felt the front of the car could stand to be improved. So, with a rebuilt Saginaw power gearbox and pump from a Grand Cherokee, a new Proforged pitman arm, an Ididit tilt column and a Grant 13.5″ steering wheel, he improved the connection between his hands and the front tires considerably and affordably.
To improve adjustability and and add the ability to leave in a hurry, Chris decided to spruce up the electronics. Included in his new slew of upgrades were a Holley Sniper EFI kit, a Holley Sniper Hyperspark Ignition Kit, a Tanks Inc. EFI fuel tank with Walbro GPA-4 in -tank fuel pump, a ’66 Chevelle-specific Dakota Digital RTX series gauge cluster, an American Autowire Classic Update wiring harness kit and all-new fuel line plumbing with 3/8″ Ni-copp hard tubing and Earl’s Vapor Guard hose for connection points.
Unfortunately, the rust had spread quite far throughout the body; the body mounts were corroded, as were large sections of the floor, trunk floor and rockers. With some 14-gauge steel, he patched up the rusted sections and stiffened the car slightly.
Down the road, Chris intends to upgrade to a Tremec T56 Magnum 6 speed transmission and a higher capacity radiator with electric fans. Cosmetic changes in the future include new seats, door panels, carpeting, exterior body work and paint. With those changes made, he can “take it out on the weekends with family like we used to. This time though, with the ability to safely and reliably let it rip on Minnesota’s twisty lake roads with dominance,” he said. Sounds like something that would make his mother proud.
To keep an eye on Chris’ motivating and heartfelt build, you can view the thread here.
