Car: Malibu SS
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John Babchuk remembers the day nearly 40 years ago when his grandfather bought a brand new yellow car home to Ladysmith BC. John was only nine years old when the Malibu SS arrived at his doorstep; his grandfather was taking him out for the first of many rides in his “new” car!
John also remembers that seven years after the Malibu SS arrived home, he used his grandfather’s car to take his driver’s test. Grandpa was away fishing for the day and I pleaded with Grandma to use the car. With only a learner’s license and no adult qualified driver I headed off to do my driver’s test. Needless to say after I passed my test I spent the afternoon with some friends cruising and enjoying the new found freedom.
After that day I frequently prodded my Grandpa to sell me his car. After many years, he eventually came to me and suggested that I give him $500 so that I could become a part owner of the Chevelle. Of course I quickly agreed, however, no actual transaction ever took place. A few years later Grandpa was stricken with pneumonia and passed away.
After Grandpa’s passing the Malibu wasn’t driven a great deal. The car, however, was sought after by many folks around town. In fact, my Grandma had to put a “NOT FOR SALE” sign in the window. Eventually I approached my Grandma with an offer to buy the car from her. I knew I would always be kicking myself for not trying to buy it. After a bit of convincing she agreed to let Grandpa’s pride and joy go.
When I bought the Malibu I was recovering from an industrial accident where I had broken my two legs. Working for a couple of hours each day on the Malibu was a super way to build back my strength. I still have a few more items to replace, like the taillight and headlight bezels.; otherwise the car is in great condition. The odometer now reads 65,563 miles. That is the original mileage!
I still have the original bill of sale, which includes the trade in allowance for Grandpa’s ’51 Chevy and all of the receipts from all of the work, including oil changes, ever done on the car. GM of Canada documentation shows that there were only 152 Malibu SS with the L77 option in ’64. My Malibu SS is full of memories for my family. Grandma still likes it when I show up at the annual car show in Ladysmith!