This 1980 Chevrolet Malibu Classic is one of those cars that just gets cooler the more you look at it. We all grew up with these buzzing around, but when was the last time you saw one? Check that, when was the last time you saw one this clean? Probably not since the Reagan administration, and even fresh off the factory floor they didn\'t look this good, let alone have this kind of performance hardware. With a BPE 350 V8 crate under the hood dyno-rated at 402HP and 430 lb-ft of torque, matched with a quick-shifting 4-speed gearbox that\'s a blast to cycle through, making this quite a rare factory 4 speed car. Beautifully restored and tastefully modified, this Box \'Bu is one of the cleanest G-Bodies we\'ve ever featured, and as a staff favorite, it likely won\'t last long...

These became so familiar back in the day that it\'s worthwhile to stand back and take a second look today. Pretty great looking car, isn\'t it? Clean lines, a chiseled roof profile, and great proportions make it a car that stands out in a crowd. The handsome white paint prevents it from being too in-your-face, which is a good thing because the mechanicals do that part just fine. It\'s remarkable to find a G-Body Malibu this straight and clean, and someone has obviously invested lots of cash in this beauty. There are no deviations from stock, no cowl hood, rear wing, or goofy stripes that never belonged, just a super-clean 2-door hardtop that was one of Chevrolet\'s last forays into classic, muscle car styling. It was repainted approximately 8 years ago, although we\'d have never guessed it was that long ago because the white paint is deep, lustrous, and still has that slick shine that\'s typically seen on fresh jobs. That means this one was completed the right way, with coat-after-coat of modern urethane materials laid down with an expert\'s touch, and it\'s obviously been incredibly well-kept since. That goes for the bodywork too, which is about as straight as you\'ll ever see on an \'80s GM, and the lack of dings, dents, or signs of neglect tell us this car has always lived a life of privilege. It\'s no showcar, I\'m not sure there are many G-Bodies that can be categorized as such, but it\'s an extremely clean, top-end driver that can easily be shown at your local car show. And other than a couple light swirl marks left over from car washes, we really haven\'t found anything to complain about at all this \'Bu is just that dialed-in. A double-lined black pinstripe encircles the top bodyline and focuses the eye on this Chevy\'s crisp details, even gaps, and laser-straight panel alignment, and we love that they left the original Bowtie hood ornament and cursive \'Malibu Classic\' quarter-panel emblems in place, cementing the 100% stock appearance. The only noticeable difference in each of the 4th generation Malibu offerings were the grille inserts, but the 1980 is arguably the cleanest looking of the bunch, and when coupled with the brightly polished grille/headlight surrounds, the oversized bumpers fore and aft, and the remaining brightwork, the contrasting bling looks fantastic.

Unlike most of its brothers from \'78-\'81, this Malibu didn\'t get the pillow-tufted velour interior and compulsory sagging headliner. Instead, it was outfitted in slick Code 19V Black vinyl, all of which has been expertly restored to stock and looks incredibly fresh today. Sculpted bucket seats are firm yet supple enough for all-day cruising, covered in gorgeous, period-perfect hides that could almost pass for leather. Bucket seats and center consoles are a pretty rare sight, as most G-Bodies in this generation were outfitted with bench seats and column shifters, but the sporty look of this cabin is the perfect complement to the upgraded hardware under the hood. The rear bench was reupholstered to match, as were the door panels, while plush black carpets on the floors and a taut headliner above show that nothing was overlooked in this car\'s refurbishment. The dash is in excellent shape too, free of any stress cracks, sun-fading, and warping that plagued most \'80s GM cars, and as a Malibu Classic this one is accented with very expensive-looking woodgrain applique. Substantial steering wheels were Chevy trademarks from the era, and this stock piece is mounted atop a tilt column that makes room for the tallest drivers, and the cue-ball topped Hurst 4-speed shifter is the star of the show practically taunting the driver to hammer through the gears. The factory center console adds extra storage, and the options list rounds out with a highly desirable U14 gauge package that includes a tachometer, color-keyed floor mats, an AM/FM/Cassette stereo, and factory A/C that blows cold.

What makes this Malibu extra special is that unlike most of its V6 siblings, it was born with a 5.0L 4-barrel V8 and 4-speed drivetrain. And although that\'s pretty impressive on it\'s own, it wasn\'t quite enough power f

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