Meet the Fleet – Muscle Cars: ’67 Chevy Malibu SS

• BODY: Aurora Model Motoring
• WHEELS & TIRES: Road Race Replicas

Back again to the early days of Thunderjetting…for me and this blog, that is; the first copy of this magnificent body I acquired was this white version with a black vinyl top. I’ve since added 2 more, one of which I’ve already profiled as a New Build, but this one predates the “Meet The Fleet” concept and I’ve been saving it for a rainy day. And it just so happens, its raining now…profusely, in fact!

This is a very fast car; so fast that it became the founding member of the gang of cars and drivers called “Team ’67 Heaven.” It was also one of the first cars to get a nickname before the big “Nickname Project” gave a name to every car, and it was appropriately dubbed White Lightning.

I love Chevy Chevelles and Malibus; most fans of classic American cars do! Of all the early Chevelles, the ’66 and ’67 models are the standouts in my book: they are the best combination of style, performance, quality, and size, and they drive as beautifully as they look. I know; I’ve owned 2 of them in my lifetime, albeit briefly (both ’66 Malibus, one a 2-door HT with an original 283 and a powerglide, the other a rare wagon in its original green with green interior with a transplanted 350 and TH350). I’ve wrenched on more Chevelles than any other model of car with the possible exception of their spiritual forebears, the ’55 and ’56 Bel-Airs and 210’s. I know these cars, and there are few other vehicles of this era from any manufacturer that can best them for sheer joy of ownership. I was stoked when I discovered that Model Motoring made a slot body of this car, and all the more so when I saw what a beautifully proportioned piece it is.

Of course, its obvious at a glance that these accurate proportions were achieved by making the body ride very high on the chassis. Some would say this produces a car that looks wrong, but let’s face it; you only get 2 wheelbase options with a T-jet chassis (and that’s true of almost all slot car chassis) so the alternative is a structure far too tall for its length that looks cartoonish in its proportions; IMHO that result looks far more wrong! For this design, in particular, the high-riding body really works, because it gives the car that classic ‘60’s “gasser” look, with the high front bumper and the exposed front axle. I fitted this one with the “usual” Road Race Replicas “Bullet” wheels (aka American Racing Torque Thrusts). Which-yeah, I know, I use a lot, but go ahead and argue with the results, I dare ya! A set of RRR low profile tires help compensate for the tall structure by getting the chassis closer to the track so she whips through the turns like a sports car! With a few well-placed iconic decals, including the Hurst and Clay Smith logos and the stars and stripes in one corner of the rear window, this baby has “American Classic” written all over it; it looks great, it goes great, and its always up there in the final rounds of any tournament.

As for “The Lore:” naturally this bad boy is an SS396 with some extra “not quite stock” goodies under the hooding pushing him well past the original 350HP factory rating and gets shifted via a 4-on-the-floor, as the Hurst logo on the quarters would suggest. There are plenty of trophies backing up this winning history, and the driver, Shane “Storm Rider” Sutherland, continues to be one of the standard bearers of the exclusive club whose membership he initiated back in early 2020.

I know I’ve said this this a few times before, but, yep: one of my favorites!