This ’66 LS-Swapped Malibu Is A Modern Masterpiece

When our ’66 LS-swapped Malibu feature car was new, power steering was fairly common, but power windows and disc brakes were unavailable. Air conditioning was optional—but hugely expensive and seldom ordered. It was a whopping $310 extra—more than three weeks the average salary in ’66 and the equivalent of $3,075.56 today. The base price of a V8 Malibu was $2,484.

Clearly, luxury appointments were not a top priority to the 1960s’ new car shopper. Remember, this is not an SS396, which might be lightly optioned to save weight, or where the money would be better spent on a more powerful engine, steeper gears, or a four-speed transmission. This is a Chevelle Malibu, which was more upscale than the Plain Jane Chevelle 300.

An LS6 intake, ported cylinder heads, and a Brian Tooley Racing Stage 2 cam add plenty of ponies to the stout Chevy LS1.

That being said, this Malibu was actually ordered with a V8, A/C and a black vinyl top. Fancy! Imagine trying to sell someone a daily driver today without air and a giant electronic screen, let alone one with roll-up windows and a pushbutton AM radio. Our LS-swapped Malibu now makes roughly three times the horsepower it did stock.

Once upon a time, hot rodders stripped away amenities in the pursuit of high performance. That was then, this is now. When it comes to street muscle in 2025, many enthusiasts want their high performance and high style. Just because you have 500, 600 or 900 horsepower under the hood does not mean you are willing to forego such accouterments as climate control, giant power disc brakes, cushy seats, and a stereo with more power than a V8 from 1976.

Our feature car is owned by Mark and Jen Farmer, a husband-and-wife team. Mark bought the ’Bu soon after graduating high school (August 1984), and he’s had it ever since.

Mark purchased the A-body from the original owner. It was a 283 Powerglide car and had been “treated” to an Earl Sheib $99.95 paint job. It served him well as a daily driver despite going a winter or two without a functioning heater. It was also a four-wheel classroom. Back before you could go online or watch a video on YouTube, the owner learned the basics of auto mechanics by doing. Many a trip was taken to the library to photocopy service manuals and how-to stories (10 cents a page!).

Ultimately, the car’s body took the brunt of those famous Ohio winters and salted roads. By the time he retired it as his daily driver in 1995, the rust worms had taken their toll. For many years, the Chevelle sat in the corner of his garage, resting on dollies.

He’d gone through three transmissions by the time the car was put aside in ’95. The 283 had been replaced by a 327 from a ’65 Corvette, too. The factory air conditioning had been 86’d at some point as well.

On the plus side, while the car was purchased new in Ohio, it did spend many of its early years in Alabama before returning to the Buckeye state, thus probably saving it from total oxidation oblivion.

The rebuilding process would not start until 2014. It was a harsh endeavor, and Mark suffered the wrath of restoration shop hell. And then interior shop hell. But he persevered. Eventually, the Chevy turned out better than he could have imagined.

The Corvette 327 was put aside at the time of the car’s resurrection. The new engine is a mildly modified LS1 out of a 2000 Camaro and is mated to its original Tremec six-speed. The LS has been balanced, blueprinted, and fitted with ported and polished heads and a Brian Tooley Racing Stage 2 LS1 cam.

Up top sits a factory LS6 intake manifold with Holley fuel rails. Sanderson headers feed a three-inch custom exhaust system with Flowmaster mufflers. The engine was not dyno’d, but he estimates it makes approximately 450 horsepower.

Owner Mark Farmer retained the Malibu’s factory grille rather than swapping it for the sportier SS396 piece.

A Holley mid-mount accessory drive system provides a slick, modern look. Vintage Air keeps the inside cool on those long trips.

Most of the factory sheetmetal has been replaced with the good stuff from Auto Metal Direct. It was sprayed in PPG custom metallic Blue Pearl, which was then covered in clear. A one-piece aftermarket firewall cleans things up under the hood and was ultimately a lot cheaper than paying a body shop to fill in all the factory holes.

Many of today’s hot rods roll on custom frames that are technologically remarkable but are not priced for the average person. With a real budget in mind, Mark stayed with the stock frame, which was boxed. He then turned to Classic Performance Products (CPP) for its upper and lower control arms (front and rear). There are two-inch drop spindles fore and Viking dual adjustable coilover shocks at each corner.

With proper backspacing, the wheels and tires fit properly in the factory fenderwells.

CPP was also sourced for the front and rear sway bars. The original steering box was retained, but that was converted to a quick-ratio unit by Hector Carrillo of Carhex, a California-based company.

Stopping is via CPP disc brakes with 13-inch drilled and slotted rotors (fore) and 11-inch rotors (aft). A CPP hydroboost setup provides a modern touch as well.

These brakes hide behind custom-spec Rocket Racing Attack rims measure 18×8 inches with 4.5-inch backspacing and 18×9 inches with 5.5-inch backspacing, so everything fits in the factory wheelwells. Ultra grippy Nitto 555 G2 tires wrap around the Rockets and measure 245/45 in the front and 275/40 in the rear.

The TMI Products interior is a true work of art and distinguishes this modernized Malibu from its humble roots. The seats are not only stylish but, according to Mark, they are comfortable to sit in for hours on long cruises. The console, also sourced from TMI, houses the power window and door lock switches, cruise control buttons, the stereo, and shifter.

Jen helped with both the design and the installation of the cockpit. No, she was not just along for the ride. For this and other reasons, Mark has dubbed her BWE, or Best Wife Ever.

After many fits and starts, the car was finally completed three summers ago, and Mark and Jen have since put over 6,000 miles on the odometer. No longer does the car do winter duty—or any cold weather duty at all. But they do take it on long journeys, and there’s some long hauling planned for the future, including a trip out west.

Hey, when you have air conditioning, overdrive, and more, why not? On a trip to Tennessee, the Malibu delivered an impressive 27 mpg on premium unleaded.

The fact that he still has friends from that bygone era who still remember the car and the good times just adds to the overall experience. Chances are this car will never be sold. How do you part with something that is such a huge part of your life, both past and present?