Member: Tim Thomas

Car: 1969 Chevelle Malibu

I have had a love affair with cars all my life. My brother, our father and I began life in the restoration hobby with a ’28 model A Ford four door original touring before I had a drivers permit. A four year father and sons project that was enjoyed upon completion by our attending a High School Dance!!! At seventeen I built a ’34 Ford roadster. Upon leaving high school I worked for my first real car a ’63 Chev. Impala 327, four speed. Over the next number of years I owned a number of “go to work” cars. They were nothing special but the enjoyment of tinkering and cleaning was always there. I was 23 years old in ’69 when I saw a Chevelle SS big block but due to other commitments couldn’t afford the purchase price. Later, with the responsibilities of marriage, I managed to buy a ’70 GTO “family” muscle car, (automatic…..yuk).

Life continued, but the burning memory of muscle cars and my longing to have a big block muscle car never left my mind. I semi retired in ’97 after a lengthy, hectic career. I had satisfied my family responsibilities and my wife knew that if I didn’t find a muscle car my life could border on mental illness. I realized that there didn’t seem to be a cure for this muscle car disease unless I owned one, so the hunt was on. Around 2001 I found a ’69 Chevelle Malibu 350 automatic that was fairly complete and the price was right to get me back into the hobby. I knew in a very short time that there was nothing like big block horse power and torque.

Through a friend I found a chap in central Ontario who had been collecting cars for 25 years and was down sizing. I managed to find him and the Chevelle. After several visits we agreed on a price and the L-78 Chevelle pictured here was mine and in the garage. I then began gathering information and was able to locate all seven of the original owners. I collected as much data and information from them as I could. The car had been inactive for a long time so needed much attention. I went for a top to bottom front to back frame up restoration.

I found that the Chevelle was one of 201 imported to Canada and sold by Maurice Carter Chev-Olds, Hamilton, Ontario. I also learned that Oshawa, Canada didn’t produce L-78’s so this was a special order car. Maurice Carter was a racer so you can tell by the order sheet that a no centre console and a heavy duty 3 speed transmission probably was meant for one thing, a straight line quarter mile at a time!!

2005, three years after purchasing this Chevelle and a lot of work, I had what my idea is of a true ‘60’s muscle car. The Chevelle is very close to original, however, I did find that the original 396 had been replaced with a 427 which I have had completely re-done. I made three other personal changes and kept the original parts. The 427 has coated Hooker headers, an Autometer gauge package was installed (for these aging eyes - ahem), and a set of Don Yenko style Trans AM racing style American Racing Torque thrust D’s were also fitted. This car is 1 of 722 L-78’s with the first year option of F-41 performance handling suspension so there is plenty of room for the 15 x 8.5" rims with 245-60-15 tires on all four corners.

In closing I would like to say the Chevelle is a marvelous piece of history, a blast to drive and it will keep up with traffic, especially with what has been done to the period correct motor (ahem). After I spent so much time working on this car in a 20 x 24 foot garage using only floor jacks I often thought in days gone by these cars and their problems must have driven mechanics crazy. For me though the license plate chose by our daughter says it all “HAPPYDAZE”.

Regards, Tim.

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