1971 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu 454

Description

Big, bad, and brutal, this searing yellow 1971 Chevrolet Chevelle Malibu 454 is the muscle car you've always dreamed of owning. Tons of power thanks to a cackling 454 big block V8 under the hood, a classic high-performance look, choice options like power steering and 4-wheel disc brakes, and dialed-in finish quality that'll make you the star at any car show. Simply put, this is a muscle car done right, and with only 5208 miles on the build, the party's just getting started.

It's a good thing the builders of this Chevelle weren't traditionalists, because during the restoration they ditched the original Classic Copper paint (which admittedly is too conservative for a Chevelle with this kind of hardware) and gave this Chevelle several coats of miles-deep Prowler Yellow paint instead. Superbly finished to a top driver-quality standard, the high-impact, bright paint always looks right on the A-body and you can see from our photos how it highlights the dramatic body lines that are typically obscured with some of the tamer colors from the era. Look at the gentle crease that defines the fender lines, the subtle flare of the rear quarters, and the peak that runs from the roof down to the rear bumper, all of which are often overlooked on lesser cars. Those details stand out because someone spent the time to keep them visible, and that's not cheap, and although it's not perfect, the curb appeal is through the roof. And if we're honest, a buff-and-polish would knock out some of the light surface marks left over from car washes, potentially catapulting this Chevelle to an even higher level. Black LeMans stripes keep the yellow finish from becoming to overbearing, and they also laid down a proper black vinyl roof to make this '71 look a bit more grown up, although they did not dare tone down the aggressiveness any further with the clever addition of a cowl induction hood and hood pins/lanyards up front. Shiny chrome bumpers fore and aft, polished stainless details on the wheel arches and window surrounds, and proper SS badges throughout ensure this muscle car will never get overlooked.

Much of the black bucket seat interior was replaced with custom pieces during the restoration, and it was all expertly done to make this car stand out in a crowd. Buckets in an SS are the only way to fly, and you'll find it's easy to get comfortable behind the wheel with those sporty, custom seats featuring super-clean, ultra-soft black cloth-and-vinyl upholstery. Since it's a color change (the cowl tag says it originally carried Antique Light Sandalwood), everything that's black was either replaced or restored, from the matching custom door panels to the seat covers fore and aft. Bespoke "SS 454" embroidery puts an exclamation point on things inside, and everything was attended to, from the taut headliner above to the plush, black carpets below. The dash was filled with white-faced AutoMeter instruments that are for more accurate than anything from 1971, and all six dials are vital in a proper performance machine like this. This Chevelle is built for combat, but there's plenty of luxury, including a center console complete with a horseshoe shifter, custom velour style floormats, a leather-rimmed Grant GT steering wheel, and a Kenwood AM/FM/CD stereo that handles the entertainment. Even the trunk was tricked-out to match the theme of the build, with custom finished panels and plush carpeting on the floor.

Beautiful cosmetics aside, this car is really about the powerplant, and it's a doozie. 454 cubic inches of Chevy big block was nestled in between the gloss black inner fenders, and comes topped with a Holley 4-barrel carburetor and Holley air-gap performance intake to help it breathe, an HEI ignition that provides instant spark, and Hooker headers at the flanks to make it cackle. It's clearly hardware-focused under the hood, with that big chrome air cleaner (complete with 454/460HP decals) and chrome Chevrolet valve covers to set it off, and super-clean steel-braided lines and a modern alternator that's been dipped in chrome improve reliability and starting power, respectively. It fires easily and rumbles like it's threatening to fight you at idle, and you can be sure that there's huge torque up-and-down the tachometer. A giant BeCool radiator keeps temperatures at bay without much effort, and thanks to the TH350 3-speed automatic transmission, it's a very civilized cruiser at just about any speed. The undercarriage isn't overly detailed for show but it's very clean, extremely solid, and the hardware is what you'd expect for a muscle car, including the dual exhaust with Flowmaster mufflers and a heavy-duty 12-bolt rear end augmented with a rear sway bar. Flashy chrome Coys keep this muscle car looking clean-and-mean with a custom flair that matches the car's color combination, and they're wrapped in 235/45/17 front and 275/40/17 rear Nexen performance radials with plenty of grip.

Brutally fast, exceptionally pretty, and totally ready to rumble, this Chevelle Malibu is the muscle car you've always admired but never thought you could actually own. Don't wait, call today!