'68 L79 Malibu survivor

[augy]

Just want to intro myself and this Malibu, purchased in Nov of 2014. True L79 car, all original and numbers-matching. We had it at MCACN in Nov 2015 in the Barn Find display, where this pic was taken. Still looks like this today.

I've been a long-time member over on Team Chevelle and finally decided to join up here also.

[Ryan1969Chevelle]

Welcome:-)

Our cars were feet apart :-)

Ryan

[augy]

Welcome:-)

Our cars were feet apart :-)

Ryan

Yes, they were!

[MarcDant]

Cool car , could never understand why these l79s could not be had with auto trans.

[augy]

Cool car , could never understand why these l79s could not be had with auto trans.

This quote was taken from Hot Rod magazine back then:

"In all, the L79 camshaft gave good throttle response, a great power curve, decent power brake vacuum and a lumpy, performance, 800-rpm idle to boot. Due to its overlap, the only thing it could not do was idle properly with an automatic transmission's stock stall-speed torque converter, so the L79 could only be ordered with a 3- or 4-speed transmission."


.

[69W31post]

I absolutely love this car.
One of these would be a great stable mate to my '69 F-85 W-31.
Who doesn't love a screamin' small block.?
Definitely on my wish list.

[67since67]

I've been a long-time member over on Team Chevelle and finally decided to join up here also.

Good to see you posting over here Augy, enjoy the ride!
As was just said, "who doesn't love a screaming' small block"!! :3gears:

[Xplantdad]

Welcome Augy!

[augy]

Good to see you posting over here Augy, enjoy the ride!

Thanks Bill, after your email a couple days ago, I don't want to miss out on any more "good stuff".....:wink:

[WILMASBOYL78]

Cool car , could never understand why these l79s could not be had with auto trans.

I tried that approach many years ago on a small block rebuild...unfortunately I didn't know from things like 'overlap or duration'...just the L79 mystique. Well, I can tell you it didn't work with a Powerglide :tongue:

augy...Thanks for posting the photo of the car...very cool :biggthumpup:

-wilma

[MarcDant]

I tried that approach many years ago on a small block rebuild...unfortunately I didn't know from things like 'overlap or duration'...just the L79 mystique. Well, I can tell you it didn't work with a Powerglide :tongue:

augy...Thanks for posting the photo of the car...very cool :biggthumpup:

-wilma

Sorry to hear about your experience with your small block rebuild , never used a powerglide. Always thought if GM could make a powerglide work in a 67 427 400 hp corvette, that it could work in a 327 325 hp.

[augy]

I've been asked how this L79 Malibu was found, so thought I'd update this post with a little history about it.

A little backstory to begin with. Way back in April of 1967 and 19 years old, I ordered a new '67 L79 Malibu 2-door hardtop. 327/350 hp, M22 4-speed, 4.10 posi, Deepwater Blue, black bench seat interior. It was delivered to the dealer in late June. As a 4-door hardtop! Everything was as ordered, but it had 2 extra doors! Dealership screw-up. I refused delivery and they ordered another one. In August I was informed it was too late in the year, as the factory was changing over to the new-body-style '68 models. No one knew what they would look like (big secret), so I cancelled my order. Sept '68, same dealer calls and says they have something to show me. So I drive over and hidden in the back room is a new '68 L79 Malibu, exactly as I ordered the '67. 327 now rated at 325 hp, same colors, but now called Fathom Blue. I had first look and first chance at the Malibu. This was before the first public showing of the new '68s in Oct. Decided to buy it after a couple days of thinking it over, but couldn't take delivery until the day of first showing, Oct 25, 1968, IIRC. Took it home that day and had a lot of fun drag-racing it until Uncle Sam called in Dec of '69. Sold the car and then it was totalled a month later by the new owner. I always wanted another one.

Fast forward to Nov 2014. After finding THIS car about 10 years earlier, I was finally able to purchase it from a gentleman right here in MN. It had been sold new in Oklahoma and then taken to Las Vegas, where it spent it's first 35 years of life in the dry desert. Then brought to MN in the early 2000's and stored by the guy I bought it from. Never driven in salt, so it's rust-free. Technically I'm the 3rd owner, although the 2nd owner never drove it.

This car is almost identical to that very first one. Same color, interior, and engine. But with an M21 trans and 3.73 posi rear. This one has the factory mag hubcaps and factory A/C, which the first did not have. It also has a build sheet stuck down in between the front left fender and inner fender. I can see it with a flashlight, but have not tried to remove it for fear of destroying it. There may be more build sheets since the car has NEVER been apart. Some day......

So that's it, thought maybe you folks would enjoy the history.

[novadude]

I ordered a new '67 L79 Malibu 2-door hardtop. 327/350 hp, M22 4-speed, 4.10 posi, Deepwater Blue, black bench seat interior. It was delivered to the dealer in late June. As a 4-door hardtop! Everything was as ordered, but it had 2 extra doors! Dealership screw-up. I refused delivery and they ordered another one

Wonder where that car ended up? Would be neat to see.

I didn't think the was offered with the L79?

[Charley Lillard]

Great story.

[Xplantdad]

Great story.


Times two...thank you for sharing!!

[augy]

Wonder where that car ended up? Would be neat to see.

I didn't think the was offered with the L79?

That '67 L79 4-door hardtop (Sport Sedan) sat outside on the dealer's lot for 2 years before a young farmer with a family bought it sometime in 1969. I never knew the guy's name. It disappeared, but I've tried to find it for many years because it has to be rare, right?

The rest of the story: A couple years ago I was at a small car show about 10 miles from the original dealership. I had my '67 El Camino there and a guy walked over to look at it. He mentioned that his Dad had bought a brand new '67 Chevelle 4-door off that dealer's lot in 1969. And it had "some kind of high performance engine with a 4-speed in it". I almost fell over backwards! Turns out the car is still on the family farm about 30 miles away, parked in a shed. Very rusty now and settling into the dirt floor. It was purchased for his mother in '69, but she only drove it for a couple years because she didn't like the 4-speed and heavy-duty clutch. So the car was parked and they bought her a new '72 Impala with auto transmission. I asked to look at the Chevelle and possibly buy it from them but no deal. They won't show it to anyone because "we're gonna fix'er up some day" Where have you heard that before? I'm about 99% sure it's the same car without having seen it. I've kept in contact with the family and offered to help get it back on the road. No luck yet on that either. But there's always hope. At least now I know where it is, and no, I ain't tellin'......:smile:

To answer your question.....all '67 Malibus could be ordered with any of the available 327 engines for that year, including the L79 engine. I have even seen two '67 Chevelle station wagons with the L79 option.

[bigsixman]

I was not aware that the M-22 was available with a L-79 in 1967.

[novadude]

I was not aware that the M-22 was available with a L-79 in 1967.

That's what I meant above when I said "I didn't think the was offered with the L79?"

Somehow I omitted the all-important "M22" from that sentence. :rolleyes:

[augy]

That's what I meant above when I said "I didn't think the was offered with the L79?"

Somehow I omitted the all-important "M22" from that sentence. :rolleyes:

I did order that '67 with a supposedly Corvette-only M22, but since I did not take delivery of it, I don't know if it had an M22 in it or not. I remember it was a couple hundred dollars extra on the order form. That car was ordered for racing, 'course I didn't tell the dealer that. When the dealer went ahead and ordered the '68, they simply duplicated the '67 order. That first '68 WAS delivered with an M22, and it was listed on the window sheet (wish I would have kept it). They sold me the '68 for the same price as the '67 since they screwed up the original '67 order. My Dad bought all his new cars from them and I think they wanted to keep us as customers. Most, if any, dealerships did not have computers back then, so everything was hand-written. That's probably the reason the '67 was delivered as a 4-door.

So, the question of the M22 in the '67 4-door comes down to this......:dunno:

[bigsixman]

Thanks for explaining the details of your 67 4- door. That would have been a very special car if it would have been a 2- door.

A guy in my area ordered a 67 300 post Chevelle in royal plum, L-79, M-21, HD suspension, disc brakes and 4.88 posi. That car ran real hard and beat many big blocks.

[augy]

A guy in my area ordered a 67 300 post Chevelle in royal plum, L-79, M-21, HD suspension, disc brakes and 4.88 posi.

Wow, I'd love to find that car!

At the time I ordered that first '67 Chevelle, I was torn between a 300 post and a Malibu 2-door hardtop. Actually flipped a coin while the salesman was filling out the order form, and the hardtop won out. I was driving a '57 150 2-door post with a built 301 (remember those?) in it when I ordered that first new car. So I've always had a soft spot for post cars. Still have a couple right now, both are '57s.

[Drew Papsun]

I did order that '67 with a supposedly Corvette-only M22, but since I did not take delivery of it, I don't know if it had an M22 in it or not. I remember it was a couple hundred dollars extra on the order form. That car was ordered for racing, 'course I didn't tell the dealer that. When the dealer went ahead and ordered the '68, they simply duplicated the '67 order. That first '68 WAS delivered with an M22, and it was listed on the window sheet (wish I would have kept it). They sold me the '68 for the same price as the '67 since they screwed up the original '67 order. My Dad bought all his new cars from them and I think they wanted to keep us as customers. Most, if any, dealerships did not have computers back then, so everything was hand-written. That's probably the reason the '67 was delivered as a 4-door.

So, the question of the M22 in the '67 4-door comes down to this......:dunno:

Hello,
I found this interesting of your Chevelle history.
What was the name and town and state the Chevrolet dealership?
Regards,
Drew Papsun

[DW31S]

It would be neat if the current owner of the 4-door would be more receptive to at least letting you SEE the car! Maybe then you could the determine the status of the M-22. That 4-door is likely the only one extant, although rare and desirable aren't always of the same meaning. I doubt if the farmer or his family will ever restore that car; it will likely biodegrade along with the shed where it's sleeping.

[DW31S]

Mr. Drew.........I don't think Augy is gonna spill the beans on that one. Didn't he say the
4-door is slumbering some 30 miles from the dealership? ( I thought I read it that way)

[scott s]

Here is a pic of the 1st car u ordered if it would have been correct 67 L79 in Deepwater blue...

[augy]

Mr. Drew.........I don't think Augy is gonna spill the beans on that one. Didn't he say the
4-door is slumbering some 30 miles from the dealership? ( I thought I read it that way)

Yeah, you're right about the current location of that '67 4-door....:grin:

As far as the dealership, it was Hinckley Chevrolet in Freeborn, MN. They moved many years ago to Wells, Mn under the same name, then sold out to someone else. I had contacted them about records for both cars (the '67 and the '68) but all those old hand-written records had been destroyed during the move.

[augy]

Here is a pic of the 1st car u ordered if it would have been correct 67 L79 in Deepwater blue...

Aw Man, don't remind me.....

That's exactly what I would have done on Day 2....:Can-I-Have-It:

[67since67]

Thanks for explaining the details of your 67 4- door. That would have been a very special car if it would have been a 2- door.


My being a bit partial to anything '67 Chevelle, I'd say that L79 Sport Sedan is a very special car! JMO

Great story Augy!! :biggthumpup: Have you washed the '68 yet?? :grin:

[augy]

Great story Augy!! :biggthumpup: Have you washed the '68 yet?? :grin:

Ummmm......no. Gonna keep that 1980's Nevada dust a little longer. Last licensed in '82, and that's probably the last time it was washed.

[Drew Papsun]

Yeah, you're right about the current location of that '67 4-door....:grin:

As far as the dealership, it was Hinckley Chevrolet in Freeborn, MN. They moved many years ago to Wells, Mn under the same name, then sold out to someone else. I had contacted them about records for both cars (the '67 and the '68) but all those old hand-written records had been destroyed during the move.

Hello Augy,
Hinckley Chevrolet
Zone number 18
Dealer number 787

I have no intrest in trying to find the Chevelle.
I hope some day they will let you see and buy the car.

I just wanted to tell you from my information about the Chevrolet dealership.

Regards,
Drew Papsun
Norwalk, CT

[bbbenny]

Augy, Their only orginal one time! A little detailing. Enjoy the car. BBBenny

[Salvatore]

Listen to the Professor Augy.