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Rare Malaise Performer: This 1980 Chevrolet Malibu M-80 Needs A New Home (And Much, Much More Horsepower!)


Rare Malaise Performer: This 1980 Chevrolet Malibu M-80 Needs A New Home (And Much, Much More Horsepower!)

We’ve covered the 1980 Chevrolet Malibu M-80 a while back (CLICK HERE to check out the in-depth writeup on it) but here is what it was all about in a nutshell: it’s a regional performance-ish package for the Malibu coupe that was sold only around the Carolinas, only in 1980, and in limited numbers (just a little over 1900 examples). They ran the F41 suspension (the mid-grade package for the A/G cars) and a 140 horsepower 305 small-block under the hood. All were white with full-length stripes, a custom air dam, and a one-off ducktail spoiler for the rear. 

Finding one in decent condition is rare, to put it mildly: we suspect that between rust and rowdy good ol’ boys that bought these things, that most have met their end or are sitting at the far end of “the field”. Which makes finding this particular M-80 on Craigslist all that much sweeter. Either someone has babied this Malibu all of it’s life or the restoration costs were well-spent…either way, this Chevy is gorgeous in just about every area save one: underhood. Lift the bonnet and you will be greeted with the nightmare that is a typical A/G body sight: black plastic, hoses, and a lump of a 305 that struggles to get out of it’s own way.

We know the perfect cure for this issue though: it’s time to build a 305! Don’t look at me like I’m stupid…if you can’t get 350 horsepower and 350 ft/lbs of torque from a 305, you aren’t trying hard enough. Keep the stock look, give the TH350 a shift kit, and maybe ditch the highway flyer gears for something a little bit better and you’ll have a resto-worthy ride that can actually fight a little. Or go bonkers…one of these ran the Cannonball Run with a 1970 LT-1 under the hood. Hook that to a five-speed that can take punishment and build the car that GM didn’t have the fortitude to build back then!

Craigslist Link: 1980 Chevrolet Malibu M-80

 


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8 thoughts on “Rare Malaise Performer: This 1980 Chevrolet Malibu M-80 Needs A New Home (And Much, Much More Horsepower!)

  1. Spaceman Spiff

    It’s got center bolt valve covers… Those didn’t appear till 87 I think. Who knows, it could have a 350 already.

    1. C.M. Bendig

      1986 Monte Carlo SS engine 305 Carbureted with center bolt valve cover heads. uses a factory aluminum intake with what we saw in 1987 TBI center bolt V/C truck heads.

      You are right the engine could have been swapped. The heads could have been swapped. the ad does not say original driveline or numbers matching.

      Also not the decal on the air cleaner would be late 1974 or 1975.

  2. Matt Cramer

    I have to wonder if they called it the M80 and sold it in that area because at the time, the Carolinas were the place for Georgians to make a quick trip and bring back some fireworks that weren’t legal here until the mid 2010s.

  3. jerry z

    There is/was a M80 for sale here in NC and was asking around $10K. Sorry can’t justify paying that much for a Malibu.

    1. james schnacky

      I bought one these in 1984 after I sold my 1979 Z-28 Camaro, I took the cat\’s off and changed my rear end gears to 4:10\’s it gave it a lot more \” get up n go\” because that malibu didn\’t have much with that \” low powered\” 305…..

  4. Bill Greenwood

    Strangely enough, sometime during the run of that body style, Canadian buyers could get a 350 and a 4 spd. I want to say 1985, but can’t remember exactly. I appraised one that a guy was trading in on a Grand Cherokee Limited back in 1993. It was decent but not primo, and we couldn’t close the gap on the trade-in value.
    I was intrigued enough to quiz the owner, because I was unaware of that combination being available. He showed me the option sheet still in the owner’s manual envelope. He had ordered it pretty nicely. 3.42 posi, 350-4 bbl, lots of HD suspension bits, buckets with no console, PW/PDL, ralley wheels, factory tach. Like about 99% of Canadian cars of the era it lacked AC.
    It was definitely a neat piece, but we were ultimately about $1500 apart and couldn’t get him to come the rest of the way, and my used car manager was stepping up substantially on that thing.

  5. Jerry Groff

    The car may be rare, but is it collectible. 1980 translates to an under powered asthmatic wheeze machine with poor build quality and ugly looks. I would only offer $5000.00 less than the stated sale price.

  6. C.M. Bendig

    I read between the lines. Ill bet if you show up and Show 10K, you own it.
    I would show 8, then 9m then 9,500. Worst the guy could do is say no.

    The car makes no claims to numbers matching or original. it’s had the heads swapped for Center bolt valve cover heads.. at the minimum. the decal on the air cleaner lid is 4-6 years too old for a 1980 (yet my memory could be slipping).

    If it were me, and I had the cash. First Id find a place with a lift and look underneath and check it out. Then I’d haggle. I would change the 3 speed A/T for a 84-88 Grand National or M/C SS trans. One that has improved parts and new frictions and steels (clutch packs). I would also find the 8.5 inch 10 bolt GN/T-type/442/H-O rear end. build it up with a good posi carrier, 3.73 gears. I’d go and bolt on Hotchkiss suspension stuff, do the 12 inch b-body brakes with the spindles, I would build it the way II would have in 1995. 400 SBC, overbore’d. yet I would use Dart iron heads painted Chevy orange and with grease smeared on ’em. Holley intake manifold & carb. Headers. I’d run a 305 air cleaner lid too.

    For exhaust I would go with dual 2.5’s Walker turbo mufflers, Let people think it’s a cammed 305 breathing threw flow masters.

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