Malibeast’s $300 Origin Story

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The deal of a lifetime turned into a life of fun and success.

Daniel Swan was once an 11-year-old boy with a little more than a dream and a paper route. From a young age, he made it clear to everyone around him that working hard was going to get him to where he wanted to be. That’s exactly what happened when one day he was walking his normal route and spotted a beaten-up old Chevrolet in somebody’s front yard. What happened next may shock you.

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As soon as he saw it, Swan ran to his father who helped him find the owner. Eventually, Daniel was able to purchase the Chevelle for just $300 which is insane considering if you’d want a rusty example today you’d be paying at least in the thousands. Of course, an 11-year-old isn’t going to have much luck working on cars which is why the vehicle was stored until Daniel turns 17. 22 years later, the beautiful work of art that Daniel began working on when he was 17 years old finally came together under the name “the Malibeast”.

Under the hood is a 6.0-liter LS V8 engine which would have put out a lot more horsepower when it was brand new than pretty much anything on the road in 1969. On top of that, The LS6 intake and forged crankshaft work with other modifications to help the vehicle produce 600 wheel horsepower and 640 pound-feet of torque. Overall, it’s a wild muscle car with more than enough performance to satisfy Daniel himself, especially when it all flows through a six-speed manual transmission. This is a heartwarming tale, to say the least for car enthusiasts and Daniel ’s great accomplishments but behind the wheel and in the garage or something he’ll be telling his kids about for decades to come.

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