With the rising prices of early 70s hot rods, the GM G-body remains the popular budget-friendly platform. Its a car were familiar with here at Car Craft, having built multiple G-bodies over the years, just never a wagonuntil now. When were done, this 1980 Malibu Classic Wagon will be driven daily, produce 600 hp, and feature suspension capable of tackling any road course, all with room for a baby seat. Once completed, your author will be the coolest dad in the elementary school drop-off line. Introducing Project Malibu ST (pronounced Mali-boost). But why a G-body wagon? asked Brian Weaver, president of GBodyParts.com, with an eyebrow raised. Apparently, the G-body wagons are rare, and the four doors and extra glass are just unnecessary weight. While the Malibu wagon weighs 300 pounds less than a full-size Caprice coupe of the same year, we admit its 130 pounds heavier than a Malibu coupe. For us though, the extra space is worth the extra weight. As we grow older we require more amenities from our hot rods. We plan to build a spacious daily-driven wagon with air conditioning, power steering, and reliability. Add that with room for a stroller, diaper bag, jack, tools, and spare racing wheels, and well hopefully never need a dedicated tow-rig and trailer. Were also tapping into local North Carolina NASCAR resources, using as many hand-me-down stock car parts as possible. The idea is a well-rounded grocery getter thats good at everything. With a goal of 600 hp, our engine build plan includes an aluminum LS1 stroked and bored to 383 cubes using a Wiseco engine kit and built by Pro Motor Engines, known for building hi-po NASCAR engines. We started with a Malibu Classic Wagon scored on eBay Motors. Inherited through a family since nearly new, it featured a 1975 truck 010-block 350 (meaning it could be a four-bolt main crankshaft) and a Quadrajet. The previous owner installed a slew of new parts like an HEI distributor and starter, along with multiple sets of spark plugs in a failed attempt to get it running. After a few days of haggling, we towed it home for $1,500. The original idea was to begin commuting to work (after removing all of the ants and mold) limiting mechanic work to the weekends. But a dead camshaft and possible rod knock has caused us to rethink that plan. Our online shopping habit is either a skill or an addiction, as we then scored a donor 1998 Trans Am Formula with a blown LS1. Now, we have two dead cars in the driveway. The easiest part of any build is dismantling it. We began by pulling the dead SBC, and after examining the frame and firewall decided to pull the front clip as one piece. This gave us the opportunity to clean and prep the frame, engine bay, and core support. Luckily there are few rust issues to addressonly a destroyed battery tray and subsequent damage to the core support. With the front body work out of the way, we have more room to install new Holley LS-swap engine mounts, UMI suspension, and brakesbut thats for next time. Follow along as we rip into this Malibu in an effort to bring it back to life. By The Numbers 1980 Malibu wagon $1,400 Junkyard A/C box $100 Tow truck $100 Eastwood 2K paint (4 cans at $23.99) $95.96 Trans Am parts car $700 Summit Racing heat protection $159.99 Scotch Brite pads and wire brushes $25 Current total $2,640.95 The budget is higher than we want, but we have a lot of ways to make our money back. If we dont use the small-block Chevy, we will likely sell it to raise funds for the Malibu. The Trans Am is a complete parts car, but without a title. Weve already begun stripping the useable parts to sell on Craigslist and eBay. Check our next installment to see if we can make some money back! The G-Body Malibu wagon is rare but only on the verge of being popular. This means theyre (for the moment) cheaper than Malibu coupes. Its a body-on-frame, mid-size Chevy with tons of room, and long-roofs are just cool. This 350ci small-block (according to the serial ID) came from a 1975 Chevrolet truck with a factory 4-barrel Rochester, but it has a dead cam. While it will be replaced by an LS, well likely rebuild it for another project or sell it to raise funds for the Malibu. We began by pulling the engine, and after examining the condition of the frame and firewall, decided to remove the front clip as one piece. Pulling the front end was easy enough; we started by unbolting the front wiring harness from the connection point in the firewall. We unbolted the bumper, two body mounts on the core support, followed by the fenders at the firewall. We even left the wheel wells bolted to the fenders. We put the stacks of washers and shims in labeled baggies. A good Car Crafter cant leave well enough alone. It wont be a show car, but we couldnt help but cut down the factory welding splatter before painting the frame. We spent an afternoon with a Harbor Freight air grinder and Scotch-Brite pads cleaning up the frame. After five wire brushes, a box of sanding discs, a slew of Scotch-Brite pads, and two pairs of blue jeans, we cut the frame down to metal and removed surface rust from the entire front clip and firewall. Black gives us the option if we decide to switch colors down the road. With our engine out of the way, we found our A/C box destroyed from the 350 swap by the previous owner. We scored a junkyard replacement for $100. Without the inner fenders in the way, the box was easy to install now before filling up the engine bay. When the firewall was ready we used a Summit Racing Paint Prep combo kit (part No. SUM-CSUMSRPP003, $156.92). It features everything we need for painting including Surface Cleaner, Wax/Grease Remove, wheel covers, and plenty of masking tape and tack clothes. It certainly isnt a necessity but materials will likely last the majority of the project. Eastwood makes a variety of spray and brush-on frame paint. We opted for the 2K Ceramic Aerosol Underhood Black (part No. 14147Z) for the firewall and 2K Ceramic Aerosol Chassis Black Satin (part No. 14146Z), which distributes an activator inside the can. It sprays like a paint gun without the need for an actual spray gun or the mess. The cans are more expensive than a typical spray bomb, at $23.99. Heres the finished firewall. The Underhood Black features 20-percent gloss, resulting in a quality satin finish as opposed to a dull flat. Anticipating the heat of the new engine, we installed Summit Racing Ultra Heat Barrier/Sound Deadening Mats (part No. SUM-879020, $159.99) which come in a set of nine 32- x 18-inch self-adhesive sheets. Many choose to install these under the carpet, but the best method is with the aluminum sheet facing the heat source. We began by fitting, measuring, and cutting to length, followed by a wooden roller to flatten. We got lucky finding this 1998 Trans Am Formula with an LS1 for only $700. Its a complete car, but the engine features a rod knock (we must be bad luck). We hope to use a ton of components from this car including the radiator, fan shroud, transmission, computer, and fuel system. Friend, Greg Anthony helped pull the engine out of the Malibu and then sketched this rendering. While we dont expect big wheelies, we are pondering a possible color change. The post Project Malibu ST: Car Crafts New Sucker-Punch 1980 Chevrolet Malibu Wagon appeared first on Hot Rod Network .