rebuild or find another

[melloyello]

I have 283 with a powerglide the question I'm asking is should I scrap the engine and spend big bucks on a crate motor or spend the bucks into squeezing out a few extra ponys out of a tired 35 year old motor

[bigjimzlll]

speaking from experience....go with the 350..I put a new cam..new heads...intake, carb and headers on my 283..it helped, but not nearly as much fun as the 355, and b4 you put 400-500 bucks into the 283,,then decide to go with the 350(what I did) you can get a good start on the 350....and i have a nice 283 to bore out to make a 302 out of it..those things sell like hot cakes

[Hutch]

If the powerglide was factory installed in your truck you may have to look into a higher gear rear end also. The powerglides used a lower rear than the others.

I have a powerglide in my 71 and the p.o had it slightly modified and it works well for me.

A popular swap would be the 350/350th combo.
There are alot of options with this combination.

[Hooter]

i like 283 they rev nice and high

[chevy4ever]

Just a question, anyone have a 267ci ? i was thinking the other day of maybe doing a complete restore. My malibu came with a 267ci with 250 tran. '80 Malibu Classic 2-door Landau

[melloyello]

yes the powerglide was factory any suggestions on a better rearend gear ratio all I know is the rearend has 10 bolts(I'm not to savvy on the mechanical) any suggestions are welcome i'd really like to get a bit more low to mid range speed out of it

[Hutch]

If you go with the t/h 350 you could swap out the rear (probably a standard 3.73) for a 3.07 for better cruising speeds.
melloyello,

There are also some other considerations to keep in mind:
Five or six lug axles
Leaf or coil rear end
Column shift indicator replacement

The rear end that you have is well matched with the current drive train. It is also a very dependable setup. Unless you could find a good (and cheap) donor truck (71 or 72) with all the parts you would need for the swap (front and rear) and willing to put quite a bit of effort into it.

I think I would enjoy it as it is.

Some projects start out small and before you know it you are over your head

Just my opinion but some of the other board members may have some ideas on optimizing what you have with minimal effort.

[mikep]

I'm going to get slammed for this

chevy4ever... Why in the hell would you do that ...


a. A complete restoration of a 1980 malibu ? I can think of a few cars that are less desireable but not many. I mean to each his own but that sounds like an incredible waste of money and time to me. Why not get a car that has at least some collector value so that if you ever want to let it go you might get some of your "investment" back. Total restorations are EXPENSIVE !!! That might be all you have now so it looks good to you but you could sell it for a grand or so and pick up a clapped out 68 or 69 chevelle for the same money if you are into intermediate Chevrolets. At least that would be worth something when you are done. OK when I'm driving down the road and I see a sweet 68 or 69 chevelle done up right I look over at the driver and nod my head up and down and say "Oh Yeah" . People walk up to him at stop lights and yell "nice car" Women pull their tops off and flash him. I get the same thing in my truck. You think anyone notices a 1980 malibu even if its pimped out? I got news for you...They don't! I see guys driving those things with a lot of money into them and one word comes to my mind ..." Dumbass". I mean the rear windows dont even roll down.

b. Assuming you were actually going to do it why go with the worst small black ever made. Why not just tell everyone that its a 267 and actually have a 350. No one would know and you might actually impress someone if yu were to blow them away.


The only bad advice is the advice that should have been given but wasn't !

[bigjimzlll]

ouch Mike....ive had quite a few people tell me"why waste your money trickin out a old truck" of course I tell them to go screw them selfs...( I happen to agree with you on the 80 malibu) but to each his own...on the 267 I COMPLELEY agree..If your set on doing the "bu" atleast upgrade the engine to a 327 or 350 or 468....(maybe a 502) now that would be cool...

[Truck Hippy]

Hey. I would go with a larger c.i. motor if you can. If you want to "putt " around go with the 283. If you want to RULE the F'n road go with a 502. When was the last time you saw a 283 turn some heads?

[mikep]

I get the same thing from my wife . " Why waste your money on that old truck? " I tell her the same thing all the time. It's because you can go out and buy a new truck for $30,000 and it just becomes another invisible car on the road. It's like fat chicks. I'm sure they exist . I just can't see them ! Ive spent about 1/5 th of that on my truck and I cant go ANYWHERE without someone commenting on it.

Some cars and trucks are classics and are worth spending the money and effort to make like new and some just plain aren't. Is a 1970 Chevy truck a classic? Yes, it is! Is a 1964 caddy convertible ? You betcha . How 'bout a 67 fastback mustang ? You know it! '69 belvedere ...Nope . Is a 80 Malibu ? Hell no! Its not a total piece of garbage but I'd rank it about on par with a '74 Duster on the desireability scale and I'm not alone.

I'm used to people telling me my opinion is like my asshole.

[Truck Hippy]

Mike i agree! My truck is a piece of sh!t right now but its a 72' swb 4x4 and it gets "looks" all the time. I just can't figure out if they like what they see or if they are trying to stay clear of the "rolling land mine" HAHA

[chevy4ever]

LOL, Well that wasnt the response i wanted but heh, no hard feelings. I know the past of this board has had a few Mishaps on ppl stating their mind, but hey thats what all this is for , right? I Will prob go with a 350, if i do it. But, i was really just wondering if a 267 was even "findable". I have asked a few ppl around and they scratch their head. In any case, regardless of my opinion or your opinion it all comes down to if i get around to do something with it. I personally like the look of the 2 door. Its not a chevelle or nova but i dont know, theres just something about that makes me want to hold onto it. and i have seen some very very nice ones in the past. ill post a picture of one.

[chevy4ever]

one more

[mikep]

I know where at least half a dozen 267's are in local junkyards. Theyr'e there for a reason. Look in the wrecking yards . Not hard to find at all. Theres absolutely no demand for them so the prices are usually cheap.

My brother used to have an 80 Malibu and I had done a ton of work to it when he was "restoring" it. In the end we yanked the motor out and took it down to a friends gravel pit and drove a Cat over it. Ain't beer great!

[low 84]

Originally posted by mikep
Is a 80 Malibu ? Hell no! Its not a total piece of garbage but I'd rank it about on par with a '74 Duster on the desireability scale and I'm not alone.

that body style is actually quite popular to modify. and alot of the guys who do them leave the exterior mostly stock and go all the way under the hood. they make very good sleepers and i like the looks of them. not everyone can afford a nice 68 chevelle that women like to flash lol , and they are good starter cars for younger hotroders as well. my friend drives a 79 malibu wagon thats dropped with a cowl hood and buckets, that looks sweet as hell, that is his daily while he finishes his truck. keep underestimating them and one day you'll be embarrased when one shows you his taillights

[mikep]

First off I'd like to say that I am sorry to hijack this thread.

My point is I have learned from the experience of having restored a lot of collectible cars and some that werent very collectible. If you are considering restoring a vehicle then start with something that has a broad appeal. I know where I live you can pick up a total piece of crap 66-69 chevelle or 67-69 camaro for around 2K or less but parts are abundant and for the same money tht you'd spend on restoring a car that wasnt as collectible you can have a rolling piece of art and not something people smirk at when they not getting their doors blown off. Driving a car is one thing. Restoring one is another . Iv;e seen a lot of guys dump 20 grand into cars such as that and they end up with 5 grand cars. Ive seen guys dump 5 grand into early camaros and end up with 15 grand cars.

[speesh]

I just have to jump in here to mention that not everyone wants another chevelle or camaro, and not everyone is out to make money on their cars. If you love it and want to restore it, I say go for it! Remember the people who fixed up Vegas and Pintos? ( you don't see them much anymore, do ya?) but they were very fast and fun and different from the red camaros and black chevelles which are everywhere at car shows. (Maybe I am saying this because of that 78 Malibu wagon sitting in my driveway waiting it's turn!) hehehehe anyway, these later models are getting more and more popular, and there are lots of parts and mods to make them handle like a Vette or just go really fast in a straight line....handy if you live right down the block from the junkyard !!!!!!!

[crazy longhorn]

Im not a" resto nut"......cheaper to build a street machine. i for 1 really like wagons, & wouldnt hesitate to hotrod a malibu wagon! I have seen a few of them done, & they take to the mods very nicely. They wont have the resale value that a chevelle, nova, Or camero has.......but everybody has 1 of these "belly button cars". DARE TO BE DIFFERENT!.......build something that not everybody has! as far as the cost.......hell we cant take that money with us.........crazy AL

[melloyello]

well LOL it looks like my post has taken a new life on it own........oh well

.......tryin to figure out what an 80 malibu has to do with a 283

[crazy longhorn]

Mellow yellow, sometimes we get a little off topic....sorry dude. To answer the original question, the 283 was a good little engine, but bigger is alway better! As heavy as these old trucks are, I would swap to a 350.....or spend the extra to build a 383 or 406. I looked at the crate route, & opted for a 383 done by a local speed shop. I picked up a balanced,decked& prepped short block, & added an edelbrock perf rpm package(all but the cam), & used a comp cams XE 268. Dollar for dollar , I feel that I got a lot more hp/tork by going this route. Alot depends whether you have the time/space to do a build up, or partial buildup.....or would rather just plunk the eng in & go. good luck.......crazy AL

[low 84]

i would go te 350 or bigger route as well. the 283 will rev pretty good due to the short stroke, but reving is not really what your after with a truck. torque moves weight, and the more cubes the easier it is to make torque down low where you want it to move a truck

[Brad]

MikeB-If you're gettin' flashed by women, I'm ridin' with you from now on!!

[chevy4ever]

LOL, sorry to throw that in your thread.... just kinda poped in .
And they are right...if you want a good engine to get you somewhere and more go with a 350 atleast, or better go with Bigblock baby! But really its all about the $$$$

[palallin]

Originally posted by mikep
If you are considering restoring a vehicle then start with something that has a broad appeal.

Say rather: If you are considering restoring a vehicle, then start with something that appeals to YOU and tell everyone else to keep their opinions to themselves. It's YOUR car, YOUR money, and YOUR decision. Anybody who laughs is just as likely to get laughed at.

Don't restore a vehicle with the intent to get your money out of it: 99% of the time, you won't (the other 1% depends on finding a sucker to sell it to). Do it for YOU.

As for the 283 vs. 350 debate, the engine to do depends on your goal: if you want a dime-a-dozen, street machine wannabe, by all means go with the 350 or the 502 or whatever "hot" motor is in this year.

If you want to USE the truck AS a truck, then crazy longhorn's advice about a stroker is pretty good.

But if you want to make a truly impressive truck that reflects its own past and Chevy heritage, definately go with the 283. It's a classic engine. The stoplight drags are not the only reason--not even a good reason--to build a vehicle.

My opinion is worth what you paid for it, naturally