I spotted an (insert obscure car name here) classic car today!

uplanderguy · November 10

Cavalier wagon sold for $30k.

While I like the car, I’ll withhold editorial comment on the sale price.

imidazol97 · November 10

It's nice to see a Cavalier wagon restored or still in good shape. Almost all of the rare sightings at car cruises here are in terrible shape, but it's nice to see the few examples card for by someone, patina and all.

xwesx · November 10

uplanderguy said:
Cavalier wagon sold for $30k.

While I like the car, I’ll withhold editorial comment on the sale price.

Wow! Not me.....

I think the real problem with this one is that you cannot use it. If you use it, the value tanks quickly. So, you have a 1985 Cavalier wagon museum piece? I don't know about that! I guess that in another sixty years, it will be a real gem.

texases · November 10

Plennnnnnty of other cars I'd buy for $30k!

stickguy · November 10

poking around on BaT the other day and there were a few right away with ultra low miles. Weird. The 1979 Continental, and a 90s Mustang Cobra R. The Lincoln is like the Cavalier, in who wants to pay a premium for a museum piece. The Cobra, just sad it never got used as intended (and that one I think pushed 200K)

fintail · November 10

Wild price on that Cav, but if there's a sentimental thing or one is a J car freak, I can imagine it - has to be the best one remaining. For 30K I could have a small collection of malaise material.

uplanderguy · November 12

I have to laugh. I know what 'malaise' means, generally, in old cars, but for me, 'malaise' is '90's til now. I just stopped caring, for the most part, after the late '80's, when there were still some cars out there that were late '70's leftovers that I liked.

A friend just sent me a link to a Continental Mark V with virtually no miles, that sold on BaT for $140K.

He just drove to MA, btw, to buy a '62 Corvair.

roadburner · November 12

I loved American muscle cars and some coupes like the 1973 Grand Am. From then until the early to mid ‘80s there wasn’t much that caught my eye.
I had not been driving my 1995 318ti all that much due to work and some deferred maintenance (30 year old cooling system, anyone?) but after getting the maintenance squared away and taking it on a week long tour with the BMW Classic Car Club I think that I love it more than ever. It has everything I need and nothing I don’t.
Except for heated seats.

fintail · November 12

uplanderguy said:
I have to laugh. I know what 'malaise' means, generally, in old cars, but for me, 'malaise' is '90's til now. I just stopped caring, for the most part, after the late '80's, when there were still some cars out there that were late '70's leftovers that I liked.

A friend just sent me a link to a Continental Mark V with virtually no miles, that sold on BaT for $140K.

He just drove to MA, btw, to buy a '62 Corvair.

When I say malaise, I almost mean it in a kind of fond sentimental manner - malaise cars are the cars of my childhood. Some of them may not be objectively good, but plenty are interesting and they have character lacking in most mass market material today. Cars in my memory - Tempos, bustleback Sevilles, woody K-cars, clattery MB diesels, edgy Japanese cars, there's a lot to look at, and the era has become popular with the next generation of enthusiasts. My cut off point for vintage interest seems to be the early 00s.

tjc78 · November 12

We are very close in age and I share the same sentiments as you on the 80s cars.

andre1969 · November 13

I always thought of "Malaise" as the period from 1973-1982. A lot of people think it started earlier, like '71 or '72, and I think that rationale is because high performance engines seemed to hit their peak in 1970, and things started to drop off from there. But I still think the '71-72 cars were still pretty good. A lot of that horsepower loss when they went from gross to net was either a paper loss, or the previous engines had been over-rated, or a bit of both. Although in some cases, they did cut compression, so there was a real loss in power/performance here and there.

But for most mainstream cars, I don't think there was any difference. A Mopar with a 318 most likely performed the same whether it was a '71 rated at 230 hp, or a '72 rated at 150. I think the Chevy 350-2bbl went from 255 gross to 165 net. But I'm sure my grandparents' '72 Impala performed the same as a '71 with the same engine. And if it was slower than a '70, that was most likely the result of the '71 being heavier.

But in '73, emissions controls started strangling everything, from the most mundane to the highest peformance. And the bumper regulations added weight and in most cases, did nothing for the cars' looks. And while there were bright spots here and there, it seemed like the industry as a whole just kept going downhill through 1982. But then in '83, it seemed like things started to improve. The cars may still have been crap by today's standards, but the electronics started getting better, fuel systems started improving, and there was some return to improved performance.

But, everyone has their own definition of "Malaise." And some cars, like the early Taurus/Sable, early LH cars, and so on, were probably so bad that they rivaled the worst of the '73-82 era when it came to reliability. But, they were improved in terms of performance, fuel economy, handling, etc.

texases · November 13

Part of the negative on '72 cars was the switch to SAE net hp ratings, all cars lost reported hp, many with no change in design or actual hp. I consider '73 the beginning of malaise, because of the bumpers and the rapid decline in performance. You had to search more, but I think there were a few '72 models with good performance.

kyfdx · November 13

I think the Lincoln 460 was 3XX HP in 1971, and the new 1972 was only around 220 HP

texases · November 13

kyfdx said:
I think the Lincoln 460 was 3XX HP in 1971, and the new 1972 was only around 220 HP

Yes, and that drop included actual performance losses, per wiki:

From 1968 to 1971, the 460 was rated at 365 gross hp. In 1972 SAE net horsepower, which accounted for real world power losses created by engine accessories and the exhaust system, was adopted as a standard in North America, resulting in a significant decrease in horsepower ratings of all engines. In addition, a reduction in the 460 compression ratio (to 8.5:1) and modification of camshaft timing to allow the engine to comply with Federally mandated exhaust emissions standards, caused the rated output to plunge to 212 hp (158 kW); output continued to change nearly annually thereafter to improve fuel economy and emissions performance in line with increasingly stringent Federal requirements, dropping as low as 197 hp (147 kW) in 1977.

fintail · November 13

I've seen the 1973-82 period for "malaise" too, and I agree that the term can vary by who is using it. I see malaise being alive at least through the 80s, as there were peak malaise era (1979-82 perhaps) designs on the market until the end of the decade, and some early 90s cars can have the vibe as well. For new entrants, malaise stereotypes (low power output, drivability quirks) were usually fading by the end of the decade. I see the very angular cars of the late 70s-early 80s as being the malaise aesthetic.

I kind of look at it that way, malaise is a vibe, and it can carry on to other items from the era - household goods, (especially residential) architecture, clothing, etc, again in a somewhat fond sentimental way, as it is memories of being a kid for me.

fintail · November 13

Unusual spot, Jag X-Type wagon.

uplanderguy · 2:38AM

Not much love for these cars here I know, but on a '78-83 Malibu FB page I joined recently, a guy posted that he just bought this car yesterday, and that "it hadn't seen the light of day since 2001. Battery and fuel pump, and it started right up".

I wanted a '78 Malibu Classic in college, new, but of course had no money. Everybody else I knew wanted a Mustang, a Camaro, a Firebird, or a Datsun Z. I always wanted a car with a practical backseat for passengers!

As discussed here, these GM mid-sizes were body-on-frame, and in my memory, felt like a shrunken big GM in driving/riding/quietness.

I hate this powder blue. That said, the condition is pretty remarkable, especially the interior I think.

This has the two interior options I wouldn't have bought one, without--the optional round gauge cluster, and the 50/50 split cloth seats with fold-down center armrests.

I'm sure there were discussions in product planning meetings about an interior with zero woodgrain and not even a model nameplate. I think it's a bit bold/odd in that time. I really like the simple elegance of that interior. Hard to see in the pic, but it's gloss black in the instrument panel inserts around and below the instruments, and around the radio and heater/AC controls. It's wasted space, but I also like on the Chevy, and Buick, panels then, how above the radio and climate controls, the dash is pushed back close to the windshield, giving an appearance of space.

Just noticed a couple minor oddities about this car...I remember the factory pinstripe wrapping around the car via the decklid, but this car has it stopped at the body sides. I might be remembering the two-tone treatment, just not sure. Also, I remember the subtle pinstripe outline around the gloss black instrument panel inserts, being gold on the '78's, which I'd like better. This appears to be chrome, which is what the '79's had. The cars that came into my hometown dealer were all Baltimore cars; I have wondered if there were some minor differences depending on assembly plant. This car was built in Kansas City per the build sheet he posted that was in the car. This is an early car as mid-way through the model year, I recall cars coming in with a black splash shield in front of the front wheel openings, which looked more substantial than the early cars, like this one, just being open there.

That the interior isn't more faded, and the dash isn't cracked, is pretty remarkable, 47 years in.

stickguy · 6:06AM

I always liked that version of the Malibu. A nice 2 door with a v8 and manual trans, the sports gauges, and F41 handling package. And bucket seats.

But I would really like that in an El Camino. Was there an SS version of that vintage, since that’s pretty much what I just described!

uplanderguy · 6:37AM

In the El Camino there was an SS in that era, but not in the Malibu.

In the El Camino and Malibu wagon, you could get the 350, which would've been nice.

I have seen a couple '78 Malibu Classic coupes online over the past couple years or so, with factory 4-speed.

RE.: El Camino of that period--I always thought it was odd that for '78, the El Camino's wheelbase actually went up an inch from the '77.

andre1969 · 7:03AM

I went to that Facebook Malibu page. Looks like it's private, and you have to join to post or even view anything. I wonder if they got tired of people whining about those stationary rear door windows? 🤡

uplanderguy · 7:13AM

The one I joined is "Chevy Malibu 1978-83 Lovers" which says it's public, but that powder blue car I see now, ended up on my feed from something called "Chevy Malibu 1978-83 classic (Bitcoin Maximalist) How to" which sounds sketch, but has 20K members and is 'Public'.

Here's the link with more pics and info on that particular car:

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=4373196093000028&set=pcb.2267644720400908

I think those cars are minimalist, which I actually like. I gotta believe that although all of the GM midsizes were on the same wheelbase, that Malibu would be the shortest by a few inches.

I remember, andre, you saying you didn't like that plastic vertical bolster in the middle of the back seat. I didn't love that, but a late friend of mine had one of those cars and used to comment on hating that too!

stickguy · 7:20AM

I always thought one of those Malibus was a good basis for a gentle restomod. Upgrade brakes and suspension/steering (I assume a lot of Camaro parts would swap over), a not too crazy small block crate engine with modern FI with a 5 speed, and better seats. And no 22" inch wheels with rubber band tires! That should make a nice reliable but fun "classic" that you can drive anywhere reliably.

uplanderguy · 7:23AM

Most of those Malibus have ended up being rodded-up. It's hard to find a nice stock example IMHO.

ab348 · 7:36AM

Am I seeing white interior A-pillar trim in one of those pics? Or is it badly faded blue plastic from that era?

One thing I noticed was a reminder of something I used to see from a couple of decades ago when I was visiting wrecking yards regularly hunting for stuff for my '78 Delta - every GM car from that era with a blue interior had the GM rubber floor mats faded to a totally different shade that was more gray than blue, just like that one.

stickguy · 7:38AM

not long ago I got stopped at a light behind an El Camino of that era. first it was surprising how low it was (can't remember if we were in the Maverick or RDX, but neither one is super high). I mentioned to the wife that I liked them. She was not a fan.

andre1969 · 7:47AM

Back in the early 90's, while in college, I worked part time at a department store (Hecht's, owned by May Company, and later bought out by and turned into Macy's) There was an old lady who worked there who had a 1978 Malibu Classic coupe similar to that one in your post, Uplander. I can't remember if it had the landau roof or the rally wheels, but I remember it being that really light blue, with a light blue interior. But it had vinyl seats, and a solid bench up front, so you had that plastic strip, both front and rear!

She let me sit in it once. It was very well kept. However, apparently she didn't see too well at night. I remember one night, after the store was closed, and the parking lot was empty, for some reason she got in the car and took off, kind of fast, and aimed right at one of those concrete divider islands! Luckily she saw it at the last second and slammed on her brakes. It's funny, the long buried memories that can come back. I hadn't thought about her, or that car, in ages!

I think that plastic strip really bugged me because the base Malibu didn't have it. My 1980 Malibu coupe had vinyl seats with a solid bench up front, dark blue. It wasn't fancy, but what I'd call "presentable"...it didn't reek of cheapness. On the Classic, the vinyl itself was a really nice upgrade, but it was just marred by that plastic strip down the center. It just seemed annoying to me, to pay more for a car with a nicer interior, but have that strip inflicted on it.

Looking through some brochures online, it looks like they got rid of the strip after 1980. For 1981, the interiors seemed like they were upgrade pretty nicely...on the Classic at least. It also looks like, for 1981, they went from a 50/50 split up front to a 40/60.

As for the Facebook Malibu page, I might have stumbled across a different one.

andre1969 · 8:00AM

Oh, regarding the El Camino SS... according to the EPA website at least, it looks like you could get a 305 with a 4-speed from 1978-81. The EPA also lists the 350 as only being offered in 1978. You could get it with an automatic or manual, but for that year, the EPA only lists "M" or "A" so no way to tell, from their site, whether that manual was a 3- or 4-speed.

fintail · 8:18AM

On that Malibu coupe note, I remember when I was a little kid, a family a few doors down had one, I think it was grey or medium blue (no memory of the trim). This is long enough ago that the car was a current model. The memory sticks with me because the dad was a policeman, and ever since I have associated those cars with being driven by cops.

I think a lot of those coupes ended up being hot rodded a bit in the later 80s and 90s.

fintail · 10:45AM

From the dashcam, the X-type:

And what could be more Spokane than an old Trans-Am behind a 4x4 squarebody, like going back in time 35-40 years, just another day here:

I spotted an (insert obscure car name here) classic car today!

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