1981 Chevrolet Malibu Classic 350 V8 from North America

Summary:

Easy to modify, great looks

Faults:

Nothing went wrong until I ran out of automatic transmission fluid. So I got it pulled to my house. Now it has a new engine and transmission.

General Comments:

These cars are the best.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 10th June, 2001

1981 Chevrolet Malibu Classic 229 V6 2 Bl from North America

Summary:

Well built, rides good, will be there...:)

Faults:

Nothing. I bought it off a 92-year old man, and it had 29,000 original miles, completely original, and clean as you can imagine.

The only thing I have done is a tune up, shocks, and brake pads in the year I've had it.

General Comments:

This car is extremely reliable. I drove it from NC to CA and back, and it used no oil, no coolant, did not break down once. Did not give any signs of breaking down.

The engine is weak as most were in that emissions discovery period. However, I'm dropping a 350 V8 4-bl in it, and turn it into a 4-door Malibu SS... wish me luck!

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 29th April, 2001

1981 Chevrolet Malibu 3.8 from North America

Summary:

Cheap. Too much rust to consider this car as decent scrap

Faults:

Everything, really..

The body is cheap and easily mangled.

The rear end is cheap and wears quickly.

The brakes are horrible even after you have new ones put in.

The handling is miserable even after you replace all of the front end parts.

The engine is sloppy, burns oil, weak pick-up.

The interior is falling apart - just like every other older Malibu I have seen.

The transmission is OK.

General Comments:

You know, I have given Chevy a fair chance, I really have. I have found that their cars are cheaply built. Every Chevy I have owned or driven I have compared to a Ford and Dodge of equal value and found Chevy always came up short. Dodge choked in certain years and Ford was bad from '80 to '82.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 29th April, 2001

27th Jan 2002, 13:21

You are criticizing a car company because of a 20 year old beat up car. It looks like you have only put 50 miles on it and haven't had it for a year. I bet you paid less than 500 bucks for it. I am sure this web site is set up for people who have recently bought new cars, or people who own older cars which they bought new, not people who buy old beat up cars with high miles for little or no money. If you would have bought this car with a V8, you would be a lot happier with it, guaranteed..

6th Aug 2002, 00:23

I apologize for standing on my little soapbox, however I do not tolerate a review that seems foolish. This car did not suddenly become rusted to the point of scrap metal in the fifty miles that you owned it. Why did you buy it in the first place? Why would you put the kind of money a total brake job requires, find yourself unsatisfied with the outcome, then continue to dump more money into a complete front end, only to find yourself again unhappy? They must have seen you coming!

1st Sep 2003, 19:15

I had one of these cars, & it was a very reliable & sturdy car. Mine was a coupe with a 305, & an automatic. I still see the guy I sold it to driving it around the area. As the other comments said above, it is highly unlikely that the car just turned to scrap metal after only putting 50 miles on it. If all you say other than the scrap metal comments about the car is true, then the person that sold you the car beat the car extremely hard, & into the ground before you acquired it. Like another previous comment said, you probably only paid 3 figures for the car anyway. You know what they say, caveat emptor (buyer beware).

1981 Chevrolet Malibu Classic 4.4 litre from North America

Summary:

Comfortable, reliable car

Faults:

Normal wear.

General Comments:

I've owned this car for three years and to tell you the truth I really don't have anything bad to report. I would buy another one in a second.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Don't Know

Review Date: 18th October, 2000