Using Dixie Restoration Depot’s OEM G-body parts, we rebuild our Malibu Wagon’s Interior.
The G-body Malibu drips with ’80s flair, so we’ve opted to highlight the original look and feel en lieu of a stripped-down racecar interior. We said in our first installment that as we grow older, we require more amenities from our hot rods. So, despite our road racer underpinnings (UMI suspension and Wilwood brakes), our Malibu will remain a family-friendly, carpeted, upholstered wagon. To that end, this month we’re refurbishing the Malibu’s interior with a combination of junkyard parts and items from Dixie Restoration.
We start by gutting the seats, carpet, and address hidden issues underneath the worn interior, namely, the rust. The floorboards are thin in places, but instead of replacing them, we used Eastwood Rust Converter aerosol (part No. 51483Z; $21.99) to convert the rust to a paintable surface, and then we covered it with Eastwood Rust Encapsulator (part No. 16060Z; $21.99). We applied the same method to the rust on the inside, the bottom of the doors, and then topped it with a white spray bomb. With the door panels off, we cleaned out the inside of the doors and opened the drain holes. We also fixed busted A/C vents, broken door handles, and lubed the window tracks with white lithium grease.
Before installing the carpet, we installed Summit Racing heat and sound-deadening mats inside the doors, on the floor pans, and underneath the car (part No. SUM-879020; $119.99). We laid out our Painless Wiring LS1 swap harness too (part No. 60508; $549.99). We plan to mount the computer and harness in a hidden, homebuilt compartment under the back seat.
Dixie Restoration Depot also supplied us with a beautiful four-door upholstery set. It’s blue cloth with vinyl accents, and retains the plush ’80s look and factory 50/50 bench (part No. DM03222 NAVYNAVY; $512.95). The seat upholstery will be featured in a future installment. The almost-finished interior even smells better—at least until we stink it up with road-trip snacks on Power Tour!
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