It is well beyond the time to start looking at four-door versions of cars as something more than a parts donor. That might be a hard pill to swallow, especially for the “four-dorks” crowd that won’t have a four-door no matter what, but it’s time. All I have to say to any naysayer is “Australia”. Some of the baddest machines that ever came out of an Aussie factory were four-door sedans, and even in America we’ve given it a shot, with such cars as the Impala SS, Marauder, and the Polara Pursuit.
One of the worst things I’ve done is that I helped part out a rust-free 1969 Chevelle four-door. Nothing wrong with the car whatsoever, except I don’t know with any certainty whether or not the 307 in the engine bay worked. Instead of some interior cleaning to bring everything up to par and fresh paint to cover up the Grandmother Gold, the car was instead raided for what it was worth to fix up a 1969 Malibu that had seen better days, then was unceremoniously thrown onto the back of a ramp truck and hauled off, destined to make someone a brand new toaster. Right now, if I saw the same type of car sitting, I’d be quick to part with some hard earned cash, and that’s where our Rough Start find sits.
This 1970 Chevelle sedan was intended for the seller’s kid. As the story goes, at first the teen was all into the car, but as time wore on other interests have taken over and the time came to make the call and sell the car. Far as we are concerned, his loss, our gain. The “rough but ready” look might not win any awards but it is by far nowhere near the worst we’ve ever seen. A good coat of paint will do wonders…just please, resist the urge to slap Super Sport stripes on this one. The predictable small block Chevrolet resides under hood, bolted up to a TH350 that was recently rebuilt. Take note of the wheels and tires: black steelies, and on the rear a set of Mickey Thompson ET Streets.
The interior will need to be sorted out a bit, the four-wheel drums raise and eyebrow and there are more questions than answers about the engine, but the seller says running and driving, fully functional and in no hurry to sell. They sound like they know exactly what they have and that they know the number is a fair deal. It also sounds like they’ve dealt with BS by the truckloads over this car as well, so if you know what you’re talking about and aren’t trying to hammer them on the price, you will probably do well. As the budget goes, $3,360 sounds like a score to us. Paint and interior restoration together won’t fit the budget, but as we see it, the interior can be fixed up first while the car plays on it’s “beater with an attitude” look.
Craigslist Link: 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu
got kids or mates? get a 4 door…I love my XB Falcon coupe but my `98 Falcon cop car is what hauls the family around…..
Riiiight in before someone parts this sucker out like an idiot.
Seriously, stop doing it. Use it as a daily driver. (I do.) Make it fast. Do whatever, just stop stripping these things for wasted Malibu’s, they’re getting rare enough and every single one you kill makes getting into hot rodding harder for younger guys.
Looking at the engine pics, the intake bolts appear to be vertical, indicating Vortec heads. Even better. I’d do a little more 70’s street racer vibe and drive the wheels off it.
Besides the hood and bumpers, nothing on the four door’s body is useful on a coupe or el camino. They have different ridge lines on the fenders and doors than the sedans and wagons.
But spending a ton of cash on a sedan, no matter how nice, will not recouped. Build one with that in mind and have fun.
That’s the perfect candidate for a updated drivetrain, dare I say it, yes a LS swap! Pick up a wrecked pickup, Suburban, or Tahoe for everything you need to swap.
I’m loving this thing.
Personally, I’m really into wagons, the other former castoff classic car, but I would proudly drive this thing – it has the right look about it that you could put an impressive motor into it and really enjoy it.
The engine is an 87-95 305 or 350. Overall, not a terrible car if you’re looking for a four door, but nobody really is. Really a $1500-2000 car, no matter how much money they put into it. I will never spend so much money on a car that I can’t get the money back out of it if I get into trouble and need to sell it.
Yeah.. I’ve been trying to sell a 1968 4 door chevelle for about 3 weeks now.. Constant bites but no one wants to pony up $2000 for it.. even though its 90% rust free and packing a fuel injected 1997 350 vortec coupled with a 4L80e. All of this in Upstate NY mind you.
Marshall, where is this? Four doors can ve badass
Geneva NY, about 45 minutes SE of Rochester NY.
Is it listed anywhere? Couldnt find it.
In the early ’80’s I helped a guy strip the drivetrain from a licensed and registered, running, fully functional, not wrecked or rusted ’68 Impala wagon. We removed the 396/TH400 for future installation in his ’68 Imp coupe. At the wrecking yard they rolled the wagon on its side and torched the springs to remove the 12 bolt while we took off the 15″ Rally wheels/tires. All the glass and interior was good, original paint, not a crease in the body. I think he got $50.00 for that car. Sometimes that wagon comes back to haunt my dreams.
I saw this on Craigslist the other day too. It showed up as a “nearby” to me in Knoxville. With that said, don’t overlook this one either.
http://greenville.craigslist.org/cto/5150660031.html
I immediately stopped reading the article when I realized it was about 4 doors if you keep up with the four door business I’m unliking you’re site and never coming back to it
Don’t let the door hit you on the way out, then.
What’s a clean Chevelle coupe in this shape run? 2-3x the price? Get used 2 door doors and get creative with the quarters and quarter windows of you hate sedans too much. I’m a wagon guy, but I’ll take a 4 door over a coupe any day. I have kids and hate squeezing in and out of a coupe to get them in and out of car seats.
The 4 door cars have a longer wheelbase. Even with great fab skills- the proportions will still be different.
You’ve not convinced me – but I’d want a wagon not a sedan.
whata y’all think ’bout pulling the door’s and hanging a Two-door post door ? it would resemble the B-body two-door post car’s , a phantom like the factory mighta built . . .