NEW BUILDS: Kiss My SS!

There are at least as many clones as there are original high-end muscle cars out there, and while they may not be “numbers matching originals”, its hard to put them down when they look and perform as well as the real thing. In fact, sometimes they perform better, because home builders and good backyard mechanics can build the cars we could all argue that the factory should have made. Case in point: this green-hued ’67 Malibu. The Vincent wheel style called “Slots” always have reminded me of the classic Chevy Rally wheels. You may disagree, but that’s what they look like to me, and considering how many of these cars are in my fleet, it’s about time I build one wearing Rallys! And since I wanted peak performance I clad those Vincent wheels with Road Race Replicas tires. An OS3 Lightning Rod pin and a tiny shim at the back for extra clearance and she was ready to rock! As for The Lore that goes with this car, well, this is how I would build my own ’67 Malibu SS today, if I were to embark on such a build at my age…

Though it has the SS hood and logos, these are actually cosmetic cheats added during the car’s extensive restoration. As for the color: it’s not quite Rally Green, since that was a metallic hue from 1969, but it’s a very close non-metallic cousin, the color chosen by Wisconsin native Angus “Meteor” McKay when he did a complete custom rebuild on a car that started life as a nicely trimmed 327 4-barrel equipped Malibu. Originally colored Royal Plum with a black bucket seat/console interior and a black vinyl top, this car was a Powerglide automatic with power drum brakes, but by the time the redheaded Kenosha resident pulled it out of the previous owner’s back yard it was too rusty and far gone to take back to stock, so he elected to go the full body-off-frame route and build it his way.

The 327 was bored and treated to the best of everything, including a custom-ground camshaft via Clay Smith, milled, ported and polished 202 heads, a forged crank, and hardened rods, and topped off with a high rise Weiand aluminum manifold leading to a 650cfm Holley Dominator. The Powerglide was replaced with a Muncie M22, and the original open rear end swapped for a 12-bolt 3.66:1 limited slip for high-end pursuit. An aluminum radiator, sway bars, and a conversion from power drum to manual vented disc brakes completed the mechanical upgrades. The interior and top were redone in the original black and the paint custom mixed to his liking, and the finished product was christened with the name “Highlander” in deference to McKay’s Scottish lineage.

So while it’s not a true SS, it sure performs like one! With a built 327 that can wrap up to nearly 7000 RPM he can not only chase down a real 396 but pass it as well; getaway may not be as g-force inducing as some, but on the long straightaways at Drag City the power comes on with a vengeance! “Meteor” McKay is a newcomer to the DC muscle car races, but the car seems to have been built for this track, and “Highlander” will often fly past cars with bigger and heavier mills on weight, gearing, and driver skill. The crowd and the officials wait with anticipation to see if the young Midwesterner can rack up as many victories as his performance in qualifying indicates!