As a new arrival in Victoria in 1994, I needed a car and saw this 1981 Malibu at a garage sale. Asking price was $1,000, but I bought it for $800.
I had owned a Malibu years earlier and knew them to be reliable vehicles. I have driven it now for 18 years. It is not perfect but rides beautifully and is comfortable.
Except for the wear-out parts like tires and battery, very little has been done to the car.
The engine and transmission are untouched and I figure I have close to 600,000 kilometres on it. I do a lot of maintenance work myself or with a friend, and I keep records and receipts and I have a bit less than $2,000 in repairs on the car.
The oil is changed every 2,000 kilometres along with the filter, and it's given a lube job. To me that is cheap insurance.
The body has rust and the paint is pretty bad, and the front seat was worn to the springs. But I found another Malibu almost identical to mine and obtained the seats, trim and the hood.
Every so often someone will ask if I want to sell it, but right now it is treating me too well to get rid of it.
