Fast forward six years and Marc ended up scoring another ’66 that would become his main squeeze for the next 30-odd years. “One day it was unceremoniously pried from my hands, and headed to greener pastures out in Tennessee,” Marc reflects. “So, I bought another 1966 that did time next to my 1986 Mustang GT in the garage. The Blue Oval didn’t have the same mystique as my Squarebody Bowties so it too was sold off to a buyer in the Midwest.”

Things stayed relatively quiet in the Schankweiler garage until one day Marc spotted something that got his blood pressure rising. “I saw the brilliant Carmine Red exterior of this Malibu for sale on social media. A deal was struck, and just like that the 1979 Chevy was on its way to my garage,” Marc tells. It came complete with the original window sticker, build sheet, and several other unique items, which came directly from its delivery at Larry Murphy Chevrolet in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. It was a rock-solid starting point for a budget streetcar.

Marc’s new ride came off the assembly line as a plain Jane, 3.3L, two-barreled Malibu built with a basic three-speed manual transmission. Interestingly enough, just an AM radio was the sole entertainment source in this modest ride and was also ordered without air conditioning. One high note was that a 383 stroker was now nestled in the engine bay backed by a TH350 transmission. This would provide ample horsepower for Marc’s 18-year-old son Braylon, a former track and NHRA Division 1 Champion who was just aging out of NHRA Junior Dragster competition.

Then things started to change. “After some shakedown passes at the track, I pulled the engine to see what was going on with it and decided that only the block was salvageable. The rest was sold off to make way for the new powerplant.”

So, Marc got to it and sent the new block to C2 Competition Converters and Machining in Ephrata, Pennsylvania. Once ready, in went a Scat forged rotating assembly installed by BMS Motorsports in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania. A pair of Profiler All American heads and Profiler/Wilson intake manifold were bolted on the short-block—the latter topped with an ATM Innovation 750-cfm carburetor. This rodder’s recipe is good for 11:1 compression, running on a 50/50 blend of VP Fuels 110 and ethanol-free pump gas.

A Bullet custom roller camshaft was used as the heart of this feisty small-block. Schoenfeld headers expel the spent gases through an all-aluminum exhaust courtesy of Herfurth Aluminum Racing Mufflers. The crew at J&B Motorsports in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, installed the Holley Sniper fuel cell with internal pump, as well as the required plumbing and battery box in the trunk.

The freshly built 383 is backed by a Chris Root–prepped Turbo 350 transmission built with a bulletproof C2 converter. It feeds a Moser 9-inch rearend, which is stuffed with 4.56 gears. The OEM GM manual brake setup (disc front and drum rear) pushed by a ManualBrakes.com manual master cylinder handles the braking power. To give this Malibu the aggressive look he was after, Marc added a set of 15×4 RC Component wheels up front and a pair of 15×8 Holeshot wheels within the quarters. They are shod in 26×7.5-15 Mickey Thompson Sportsman and Mickey Thompson Pro Bracket Radials in 28×9-15, respectively.

Suspension modifications include Spohn tubular rear upper control arms and UMI tubular rear lower control arms along with Viking Smooth Body double-adjustable shocks and BMR rear springs. Viking double-adjustable coilovers were added up front. Marc also did a steering shaft mod using a Jeep Cherokee shaft, feeding a GM 525 manual steering box.

Knowing that this car was a going to be not only a street digger, but also a track runner, Marc decided to start the interior with a six-point rollcage courtesy of Ken’s Kustom Chassis in Leesport, Pennsylvania. He moved forward and salvaged much of the original interior upholstery including the seats, carpet, and door panels. A Grant wheel sits on the original GM column and looks good while keeping the Malibu pointed in the right direction.

A visit to ASR Street Machines in Boyertown, Pennsylvania, led to a custom shifter mount along with a mount for the RPM Performance Products data logger digital display. RACEWires in Lancaster County handled the wiring duties from front to rear for the fuel system, MSD ignition, fan, water pump, data logger, and custom switch panel using tried-and-true components from Leash Electronics and RACEWires.

The Malibu came with a nice but weathered paintjob in a hue that the new owner was fond of, so John Martin and his technicians at HC Martin Body Company in Stowe, Pennsylvania, were hired to bring the Chevy’s skin back to life. The sheetmetal was in amazing shape and needed only a light massaging of a few door dings to get the body laser straight. It was then followed by a subsequent application of fresh, slightly modified, Carmine Red Metallic Pearl paint that makes this thing pop in just about every lighting condition.

Once finished up, Marc took the opportunity to break in his new ride. “It drives like a dream on the street and the exhaust note is perfect.” Marc says. “I haven’t had it at the track since the teardown, but I expect it will be even better this time around. It came out exceptionally well, but of course, there is always room for improvement.”

Hood: Harwood fiberglass
Paint: HC Martin Body Company
Color: Carmine Red Metallic Pearl