Thread: 79 Malibu Combo

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question on my combo, (i.e. good combo? performance outcome etc)?... i have a 79 malibu droppin a 4bolt 350 bored .40, (with rv cam, Valve Lift 424, Duration @ .050-220°, HP crank, Compression Ratio 9.1:1, Cast Iron Vortec 64cc Cylinder Heads (1.94" Int/1.50",) 1.5 Ratio Rocker Arms, flap top pistons, edelbrock performer intake, edelbrock 600 cfm, headman headders (full length), 400 turbo tranny, stage 2 shift kit, auburn posi rear end with 3.73 gears.. get with me let me know what ya think really appreciate it.

Originally Posted by 79malibu

question on my combo, (i.e. good combo? performance outcome etc)?... i have a 79 malibu droppin a 4bolt 350 bored .40, (with rv cam, Valve Lift 424, Duration @ .050-220°, HP crank, Compression Ratio 9.1:1, Cast Iron Vortec 64cc Cylinder Heads (1.94" Int/1.50",) 1.5 Ratio Rocker Arms, flap top pistons, edelbrock performer intake, edelbrock 600 cfm, headman headders (full length), 400 turbo tranny, stage 2 shift kit, auburn posi rear end with 3.73 gears.. get with me let me know what ya think really appreciate it.

First, welcome to CHR. Glad to have you here, and hope you enjoy your stay. You asked for comments about your project, so I'm going to be honest and give you my honest opinion on what you're doing. Even though it's 34 years old a 4-door Malibu is not a car that's going to be valued by very many people, regardless what power train you drop into it. Pretty much everyone agrees that '72 and older defines the street machine era, and anything newer is less desirable from a street rodding perspective. Yeah, I know that NSRA has their "30 Year Rule", allowing anything 30 and older unrestricted admission to their events, but that doesn't make a 4-door mid-sized sedan a hot rod, muscle car or street machine. You can stuff a rompin' stompin' BBC Stroker motor in it and you're still going to have a 4-door sedan. IMO you'd be much better off searching CraigsList for something different to drop your engine into, but that's just my opinion and I surely don't want to discourage you from keeping a project alive. Maybe continue as you are for now, spending your money on the engine & tranny, but watch for a different body & chassis without a power train, and work towards a future swap? Regardless, good luck on the build, and we'd like to see pictures and progress as you move forward.

Welcome to CHR!

I’m of the mind that if you like it - it’s the right car for you! It sounds like your engine is a good solid base – I like all the components you’ve detailed - and with the 3.73 gears it probably launches pretty well. If you’re of a mind to add a bit more zip I like the Performer RPM with a prepped Q-Jet. When those big secondaries open you’ll be real pleased and feel a big difference over your Performer/600 Edelbrock – especially if your running 2-1/2” exhaust with a crossover pipe out some 40 series Flowmasters!

You’ve come a long way from the stock 305 or 350 the car came with and probably had some fun building in the process. As I recall, the 1979 Malibu was a boxy little “step-child” and I’m sure you’ve surprised a few people at a stoplight.

Stick around and kick the tires here – while we can be a bit crotchety from time-to-time (myself included) there’s a wealth of hot rod knowledge here and it’s always good to have new folks drop in.

Regards,
Glenn

IMO the Performer intake is a waste of money, as Glenn mentioned I'd be going for the Performer RPM--Air Gap if hood clearance isn't an issue. You don't mention what size the header tubes are, a few more $$$$ but the 1 3/4" primary tubes with a 3 1/2" collector seem to work well with the Vortec heads, a few of the local guys are running them with good results! Are you going to use the stock rear end? Hope not, those little 7 1/2" ring gear units won't take much abuse at all!!! Might want to save some $$$$ in the long run and go with a 9" Ford. The light weight GM units IMO just aren't worth investing money in, they're going to break soon as you get the car to hook good!