1968 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu 4 dr.sedan review from North America
"At the time one of GM's bread and butter mid-size sedans"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
Nothing really to speak of other than that it would stall going through large puddles, so I had to spray the spark plug wires with silicone. (It must be a Chevy or GM thing, as I had a new '78 Chevy Van that did the same thing.)
I think the only other thing that ever went wrong was that a bulb burned out for the gearshift indicator.
General comments?
This was by no means a performance car, as it was equipped with the 250 cu. inch six, and 2 speed powerglide automatic transmission.
The power was modest at best, but this was probably a good thing for an inexperienced driver.
This was one of GM's bread & butter mid-size sedans.
It was very comfortable and had very attractive cloth upholstery.
Since I was 17 years old at the time, I'm sure I didn't mind the front bench seat.
I had a decent size (but not outstanding) trunk.
It could be a handful in New England snow storms, but rear-wheel-drive was all we knew back then.
Other than the rather nice cloth interior, this was a pretty bare-bones Malibu. AM radio, no A/C, no rear defroster. Thankfully it did have power steering.
For what it was, it was a decent car. For a seventeen year old kid, it wasn't very exciting. Buy hey, it got me to school, to the movies, and t the local hamburger joint.
Once when I was at the bowling alley with my friends, somebody or bodies
(I think that it was two local kids.)
broke the antenna off and "keyed"
(antennaed?) both side of the vehicle.
I had the original light metalic green
sort of a soft mint color) paint replaced with a very nice metalic gold.
Back then the antenna cost me about $10., and the complete paint job was $170. (It was covered by insurance).
Well 2 out of 3 ain't bad.
After I traded it in (on a new Opel Manta), a neighbor bought it from the dealer. She owned that car for years and years. I was surprised at how long she owned it. So I assume that it served her well.
The vehicle was probably better suited to a young family, than a teenager,
but it was an okay vehicle. Just not very exciting.
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| Oldie, but a goody! |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Don't Know |
| Model year | 1968 |
| Year of manufacture | 1968 |
| First year of ownership | 1972 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 1973 |
| Engine and transmission | 250 cu. in. 6 Automatic |
| Performance marks | 5 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 8 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | 7 / 10 |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 50000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 63000 miles |
| Previous car | Volkswagen Beetle |
| Date of Entry | 8th January, 2005 |