Since we’re on the subject of Iraq, we can’t neglect the Malibu “Iraqi Taxi”. I’ve never encountered one, and there’s no posting of one at the Cohort, so we’ll have to ask for a google lifeline. Not that they’re anything special to look at, at least from the outside. This one is courtesy of gbodyforum.com. But the story behind them is worth retelling.
In 1981, Saddam Hussein’s government placed an order for 25,000 specially-configured Malibus with GM of Canada, to be used primarily as taxi cabs. The specs included the smallest V6 engine, the rather un-loved 229 cubic inch (3.8L) 110 hp predecessor to the 4.3 L Chevy 90° V6. And curiously, they insisted on a three-speed manual, with a floor shifter, as well as air conditioning, HD cooling, AM/FM/cassette decks, front bench seats, 200 kmh speedometers, a rugged tweed-vinyl upholstery, and fully opening rear door windows (I kid). I do suspect that a heavy duty suspension was also in the package to deal with the rough roads.
The only shot of one in Iraq is this one, from what appears to be an Iraqi movie or tv show, but I make no guarantees. The Malibu’s stock baby moon hub caps have been replaced here by what look like wire wheel covers.
Only about half of the order was ever shipped, as Iraq suddenly cancelled the order in 1982. Some excuses were given, including that drivers were having a hard time shifting the Saginaw three-speed. Apparently that wasn’t all just BS, as GMCL techs did identify and rectify (in Iraq) a problem with the clutch release. Perhaps more likely, the cancellation was the consequence of hard currency tightness due to Iraq’s war with Iran at the time.
In any case, the remaining 12,500 Iraqi Taxis were sold to Canadians at a hefty discounted price of about $6800. A fair number are still around, and often referred to as an “Iraqibu”.
Used to think this was an Urban Legand, just make cars for Iraq without payment up front? GM just built them thinking they’d get sold eventually? Why not upsell B bodies to them?
I did a pdi on one of these cars when i was young and working at a GM dealership in B.C. The whole sales staff got a kick out of this amazing anomaly. We took turns spinning the tires and wondering how it could be sold.In the end we took out all the glass,filled the doors with concrete and put it in a demolition derby no shit.
My old man had one. I wish I had pictures. same coloured interior, same gold/green exterior but soup bowls for hub caps. And those rear windows ugh, but damnit I liked driving that car, what 16 year old wouldn’t. I learned stick with that car.
I STILL HAVE ONE
Bill, receive a hello from Caracas. Venezuela. I´m owning for about 2 years a ´81 Malibu and of course had made some repairs but as improvements goes, I notice an issue with stiffness of the suspension.
Now I´m reading about a lot of some 25,000 cars partly exported to Irak and some other places with HD suspension packages. What would be your advice on this matter, as I have no other way to ask for help. The car isn´t as bad, instead looks like the car to stay with, but It seems any military jeep could be a lot softer to my tastes. Receive my best regards, thanks in advance.
r.nunex2009gmail
. I do suspect that a heavy duty suspension was also in the package to deal with the rough roads.
Again, pls ask yr kindly attention as I have no idea about what components look for in for soft ride system.
thanks a lot,
Roberto F. Núñez
They’re not an urban legend. My dad bought one brand new for $6500 in 1982 (left over model). Best car he ever owned and got 350,000 km out of it before he gave it to me. The seats were rock hard (tweed cloth). 3 speed manual transmission was heavy and dreadful, as was the clutch, but the car just wouldn’t die. It had AC, cassette, and 3 speed stick shift, bumper guards, and dog dish hubcaps. I drove it for another year before we sold the car.
I owned two of them, they were awesome cars…. never had a shifting problem with either, and they had a ton of giddy up and get! Quick cars….. wish I still had them…. one was identical to the gold/brown and the other was cream coloured….. all had blah colours, but I absolutely loved these cars
My father bought one too – had it converted to automatic transmission! It was mint green but eventually he had it painted burgundy.
He liked the car so much he bought a used 1981 malibu a few years later (it was a Canadian edition). The Iraqibu lasted 12 years and the Canadian malibu lasted 21.
Just reading this article now. My husband , who was my boyfriend at the time , taught me to drive in this car. We wished we had kept it. It was a tank!
I owned one for many years. Loved that car! No one could believe it was a stick when they got inside. My aunt and uncle bought it new and later sold it to my Dad. The car’s name was WALTER. Same colour as the photo above too. I had it until about 1999. I think it just finally needed too much work and I left it to die in the junkyard at the farm with all the other old junkers. I wish I had photos, I don’t think I do.
Zelda Is still sitting at the farm I’m interested in purchasing the peddles out of it? Where are you located?
Had this generation of Malibu ever been offered in North America with a stick shift? Also, wasn’t there supposed to have been an Iraqi Chevy B body with a really stong V8 around this time? I think I recall a Len Peters COAL about one of these.
From what I know about Saddam Hussein, he would not have taken kindly to an “I told you so”, but I imagine that I am safe by now. He should have gone with either a Fairmont or a Diplomat. The Dippy was so close to the Volare/Aspen, which had offered a floor shifted stick for the slant 6 as of their final year in 1980, so it would have been an easy order for Chrysler to cobble together. And the back windows would roll down. And then PrincipalDan and I could meet up and buy a couple of them in Canada.
“Also, wasn’t there supposed to have been an Iraqi Chevy B body with a really strong V8 around this time? I think I recall a Len Peters COAL about one of these.”
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/auto-biography/1990-iraqi-9c1-from-canadas-skunkworks/
The Trade School I went to had a GM sponsored Tech program that frequently received castoff cars. One was an 87 Caprice wagon with a 350, no Cat and set up for Leaded gas.
The car was damaged pre-shipment to Saudi Arabia and had to be held back. The Lead Instructor said GM either had to crush it or donate it. He also said that the Saudis LOVED their American “Boats”.
Yes it was. I think most of the A-bodies could be had with a stick.
In my 79 Grand Prix owners manual it had a page or two devoted to the manny tranny.
Also, about a year ago, someone was selling a late 70s Cutlass Supreme with a factory floor mounted stick. I think it was a diesel, too.
Was it this one?: thread on BenzWorld.org
Pretty amazing that any of those still exist. The Standard Catalog reports that a mere 267 were built with the diesel V8 and 5-speed transmission, and that combination was only available in 1979. It’s entirely possible that the car on eBay last year was the last one on earth!
Gas powered Cutlasses from that era could be had with a 5-speed as well, slightly more common but still extremely rare. I have seen a few over the years, though – including a ’76 Colonnade Cutlass 260/5-speed. That combination was supposedly optional on the Omega X-car too, but I’ve never seen one of those.
A friend of mine had an 80 El Camino with the 3 speed manual. It was a complete beater though, no carpet, headliner, had a mystery engine swap from the original 200 V6 to some SBC of 60s vintage.
The transmission linkage was so worn out, that to get 2nd and 3rd out of the floor shift, you had to grind reverse to get the gates to line up.
Once he floored the pedal, let the engine hit valve float territory and dumped the clutch. It just ooozed off the line with nary a chirp or much drama. He’d also do 70mph in 1st gear till we figured out the shifter.
We did a complete powertrain swap two weeks later.
The 3-speed floor shift was for the Iraqi taxis only, to my knowledge. A 4-speed on the floor could be ordered by the public up to 1980, but not ’81 and later. Across all three body styles, coupe, sedan and wagon, only 202 1980 Malibus were produced with the 4-speed. A coupe is on my bucket list!
My aunt and uncle bought a brand new metallic dark blue 1982 Malibu Coupe with blue vinyl seats, V6 and a manual transmission. I thought it was a 4-speed but I could be wrong on that. I actually really liked that car, although they didn’t keep it that long.
It was a 1981…. no such car in ’82
The base V6 Malibus had 3 speeds standard starting in 1978.
“and fully opening rear door windows (I kid)”
HAHAHA – you had me!!
Still don’t understand why they couldn’t make rear windows roll down. They had the know-how. I think it was just laziness on GM’s part.
The rear windows didn’t roll down so they could carve out some more rear seat “hip room”. GM considered it an engineering triumph not laziness, nor cheapening out. They certainly could have made them roll down but decided that more room was a better way to go.
They also ended up selling more vehicles with air conditioning, which at the time was an up sell. Gm ended up making more money by doing less work with the rear doors/windows
My step father had one of these on the late eightys. but his had a 267(i believe) under the hood. I got to see it once and the it was gone. so some must have been avaliable from the factory with a V-8.
V8s were available through the entire run of this generation of Malibu, although I’d guess that the V6s vastly outnumbered the V8s after the 1979 energy crisis. IIRC, V8 availability was something like this:
1978: 305 2bbl. Also limited availability 350 4bbl (optional in wagons & El Caminos, available in other models in certain areas where 305 could not be sold for emissions reasons.)
1979: 267 2bbl introduced, 305 switches to 4bbl, 350 limited availability same as ’78.
1980: 267 2bbl/305 4bbl same as 1979, 350 no longer available.
1981: 267 2bbl. 305 4bbl now has limited availability similar to 1978-79 350.
1982: same as ’81
1983: 305 4bbl available in all models (267 no longer being made).
Also from ’79 to ’81, there was a 350-4bbl for 9C-1 models only. These were readily ID’d by their dual exhaust tailpipes. Even on unmarked units. i remember the RCMP narco squad in Saskatoon had a couple of 2-doors equipped like this. Stock looking with rally wheels and a CB-like antenna on the trunk.Those duals were a dead-bang giveaway. Thanks, GM.
Those were really rootin-tootin’ rides, too. They had the same hopped-up motors the Caprice 9C1 had, at least in Canada. This made the light cars really anamalistic to drive. Loads, repeat load.s of low end grunt with a top end to match. By far the fastest small block sedan I have ever driven.
On the other hand, from what I saw and heard, many of them were crashed, so they weren’t on the road long. Having serviced cop cars for years, I can attest the hotter the car, the sooner the whole thing gets trashed.
As for the “dead-bang giveaway,” with stoners it really doesn’t matter much, or for most people for that matter. The Vancouver police have unmarked Crown Vics that even have the push bar on them. My wife never notices they are cop cars.
Stoners? We were into a little more than that.
Besides, the prairies in the mid to late 70s was a different planet from 21st century west coast . We learned to be right up on latest vehicle issues, and were able to zero right in on those disguise antennas, which looked like normal OEM AM radio ones except for being shorter. These really stood out on pre-1981 GMs, as they weren’t supposed to have mast antennas of any kind.
I have a 1978 Chevrolet Malibu Classic that a modified back in 1990
it’s a 2dr and painted black after removing the green paint and vinyl roof
I added a CB (with antenna on the trunk lid) and true dual exhausts.
I also added black Rallye OEM style rims (with chrome outer ring and inner trim rings) and Camaro centre caps as opposed to the Malibu spec centre caps
I modded the 305 V8 with a new camshaft, a 600cfm Holley 4bbl carb, an Edelbrock intake manifold, Accell SuperCoil plus many emissions deletes and full vacuum advance tune with a distributor recurve kit timed at 16 degrees BTDC.
I guess my car looks like one of those RCMP narco squads you refer too
It was a 305, I’m pretty sure.
Besides an Iraqi Chevrolet Malibu, there was also a Chevrolet Iran Nova which were based on the 1979 Model built either during the Iranian Revolution or thereafter in inconsistent numbers at least through 1987 along with the Nova based Buick Skylark and 1G Cadillac RWD Seville. The IRANIAN Novas along with the Skylarks were only available as Four Door Sedans much in the same way its IRAQI enemy counterpart only have those Canadian Built and Exported 1981 Chevrolet Malibus. No Two Door Models were ever built nor exported to those two Middle Eastern Countries.
“…at least through 1987…”
GM stopped building the RWD X body in fall 1978. None were built in the 1980s. The RWD Chevette ended in 1987, though.
Maybe they got the tooling early just before the Revolution. Wikipedia mentionned http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac_Seville#1975.E2.80.931979 then Pars Khodro made the Seville from 1978 to 1987. It might also include the X-body Nova/Skylark.
And someone posted some infos about the Iranian Chevy Nova
http://www.stevesnovasite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=194260
Well.. My mind is blown.. There are some seriously nice rides hiding over there.
What really got me was this quote from the Buick Skylark Wiki page.
“Buick Skylarks were assembled in Iran (4-door models only) from 1977–1981 and again from 1986-88 under the brand name of Buick Iran”
With the exception of Iran, US & Canada GM stopped building the 4th Generation Nova on December 22, 1978. Since Iran got a hold of the CKD = Complete knocked Down kits of the Chevrolet Nova, Buick Skylark & Cadillac Seville a year prior to the Iran Revolution, GM Iran aka Pars Khodro started assembling these CKDs on their own assembly line which was briefly disrupted during the Iranian Revolution at least through 1981. Pars Khodro after the Revolution resumed assembly of those Chevrolet Nova, Buick Skylark & Cadillac Seville at least through late 1987. The very interesting aspect about this was they also built a unique version of the Chevrolet Nova in which the grille was somewhat a combination of the 1976-78 Chevrolet Nova and Buick Skylark as shown on this photo alongside the regular Nova & Skylark which we were accustomed in seeing here in the US. In addition, the other notable unique standard feature of this Nova were its gas tank filler cap area was located behind the rear passenger curbside door instead of its usual customary spot by the rear license plate underneath the trunk lid everywhere else
That’s interesting. I visited family in Iran in 1989, 1993, 1997 and 2004. I only saw a very small number of X-body cars during that period of time, so I’d be very surprised if they were still able to build those cars after about 1981 or so. And while we may have sold the Iranian government weaponry during Iran-Contra, I doubt similar dealings were made for more mundane commodities, and it’s likely that IKCO would’ve had the parts needed to continue its production. Of course, I could be wrong; it just seems unlikely. If any Iranian was buying a new car in the ’80s, it would’ve been a Peykan (Rootes Arrow), a Renault 5 or a grey-market Japanese or European car imported through Dubai.
Interesting observation, Pedro. I have to disagree about the gas tank location though, as the one seen in the photo is apparently converted to CNG/bifuel in the recent years, and hence a second gas lid is added to the rear fender. Otherwise the original gas lid on this model was also located under the licence plate, as in the Skylarks and Novas in the United States.
That’s very interesting PielleMomo, THX for letting me know about this CNG/bifuel conversion since I wasn’t aware of that.
Oh btw the rearlights on this model came from the 75 Oldsmobile Omega, as in the pic.
This model was only manufactured in 1977, after which it was replaced by the ordinary Nova.
Hello Pedro
Thanks for your info on the 4th generation Nova with the unique grill. We have had one in the family for almost 40 years (well since it was first made in Iran around 1977 or 1978 – using my younger sister’s age to time this) 🙂 Is there a forum, website, anywhere else I could get more information on this model Chevrolet; also a rough price for one in good condition ? Thank you very much in advance. Farnam (pic attached)
PS: I agree with PielleMomo, the gas tank on ours is also under the rear number plate.
Oh, OK, I thought you meant that there were Nova/Skylarks built here for export. I am surprised that the Ayatolla would even allow US cars on the streets after the ‘revolution’ occured.
It was very ironic that the Ayatollah still allowed GM (a symbol of America and the Free World) cars to be produced there. The CKD units and manufacturing or production involved had already been in place prior to the Shah leaving that country and the last time Iran was a US ally. The CKD units for the Nova, Skylark & Seville were only strictly available for their own Iranian Domestic Market and not available for export elsewhere. It was also ironic in this related story, Iraq briefly became a US ally after Iran had became a US enemy so GM with America’s blessing decided to export Chevrolet Malibus over there via Canada. This however never happened due to financial or other reasons so this deal fell through. The Canadian Made Malibus were already made for Iraqi Specifications as Saddam Hussein decided to use them as Government Fleet Cars, Taxi Cabs and even to be sold to Iraqi Citizens in Iraq.
Fall of ’79, actually…
My Aunt had a Malibu Wagon, I really liked that car, but it could be tough in the back without operable windows and the a/c off. Those wing windows didnt help all that much. I didnt know it was to increase hip room, that is really interesting.
My Grandfather had an Iraqi Taxi.
In addition to his many fine qualities he was also an enthusiastically cheap Dutchman. The bargain was too good for him to pass up.
I don’t think I ever rode in it, but I remember noticing the 3-speed.
A prior boss in Canada had one of these. He was originally from Austria and was one of the most frugal people I have ever met in my life. He would often chide us about our North American purchasing habits.
He took exceptional care of his automobiles though. I have no doubt that whomever ended up with the car got an impeccable automobile. He kept it for around 10 years if I remember correctly.
I think these mostly got snapped up by GM employees who had first crack at them before any went into the retail channel. Oshawa was still lousy with them in 1989 when I first moved there.
GM employees may have got first crack, but there were plenty of them around in BC for years afterwards. They were common in certain suburbs of Vancouver for a decade or more so we must have gotten a large shipment out here.
I only remember them being dark blue or a dark maroon shade though, and they really looked cheap from the outside. I seem to recall there was some kind of fuss with the feds that had to be cleared up before they could be sold so a lot of them had been sitting around for some time and didn’t look all that great even when delivered “new”.
Good article, I’d forgotten all about “Iraqibus”.
For sure, this car was a major feature of Surrey BC for many years. The last ones I saw died around 2005.
Interesting that the order was cancelled due to hard-currency shortage. Iran managed to get through its war with Iraq without borrowing money. Iraq, on the other hand, had expected to win within months and found itself getting through the war by borrowing and borrowing money from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia who ironically began to intentionally undersell their oil, blocking their northern neighbor’s ability to repay. We all know what happened next.
The flip side of the coin is the Eastern Bloc countries who sold cars in a desperate attempt to get hard currency. The Yugo is the most notable example, though Yugoslavia wasn’t part of the Eastern Bloc.
Forgive me for talking history, but along with automobiles, it’s one of my favorite topics, and I love when they mix.
These replaced the Chevy Nova at our local Sheriff’s station. I learned to recognize the shape of the car out of the corner of my eye and the front end from a glance at the rear view mirror. With the police package these things could really handle and haul.
I used to have a maroon ’80 base Malibu coupe with 305-4 and 4-speed. It was originally a 229 V6 with 3-speed but had been converted prior to my ownership. I should have loved the car because of its bench seat/4-speed combo but I hated it.
I think the transmission must have come out of a 4-cylinder Monza or something because the ratios seemed a little too short for even the 305 lump that was in it. It was not fast, it had no top end, and it got lousy gas mileage to boot. The styling was very bland to be a 70’s GM product & I was just glad to get my money back out of it.
A year or two later I wound up with a black & gold ’79 GrandAm, 301-4 with factory 4-speed, power moonroof, tach, power seat, etc: pretty much every available option that could be ordered except power windows & digital clock. As rare as it was, it just didn’t do a thing for me.
On the other hand, I’m nuts for the ’78 GPs, ’78-’79 Cutlasses and ’81-’83 Regal Limiteds
About the fixed rear door windows, Car and Driver said it was for more “elbow room”, in a Road test of a ’78 Grand Am sedan. I do remember there was extra room for elbows in various A/G bodies I rode in. But, if the Citation could have roll downs, why not Malibus?
WOW! Lots of BS misinformation. First off the only 78-88 G-Body to get the LM1 350/4V was the 1978 ElCamino/Caballero. And IIRC that was a 49 state option.The 79 Cutlass Hurst/Olds used the Olds 350. A manual transmission was an option on all 1978-1981 G-Bodies. General rule of thumb. The V-8s only used the 4 speed Saginaw. The Chevy V-6 only used the 3-speed Saginaw. The Buick V-6 used the 4-speed Saginaw.Olds had a 260 V-8 that used the BW T5 5 speed. IIRC the 4 speed 1st gear was the 3.11 not the 3.5 used in other applications(Vega/Monza). The most common model to use the manual was the ElCamino. And of course the BOP models are quite rare.All were floor shifted. This only applies to vehicles sold in the USA.
I like to consider myself a self proclaimed G-Body expert. I bought a brand new 78 ElCamino in the winter of 77. It just happened to be a Black Knight with the LM1 350 and 4-Speed. That’s one of those “I wish I still had it” cars. Ever since than I’ve always tried to keep at least one running G-Body in my fleet. I have a 80 Caballero Diablo “project” with a 305/4V and 4 speed. Someday. Anyway I’ve always wondered about this Iraqi Taxi “myth” and ocassionally when I get some time to kill I search the internet trying to debunk some of these G-Body myths. Anyway one night I’m watching a “Death Wish” movie marathon and I think it was #2 that caught my attention. In the beginning they show a few Malibu taxi cabs. What caught my attention was the amber turn signal lenses and folding European mirrors. I’m assuming the Bronx was shot in some depressed area of Vancouver or Toronto. Heck maybe even Tel’Aviv as the producers were those crazy Jewish guys(Golan and Globus). If anything fit the description of a Iraqi Taxi it was one of those cars. Here’s two pics I found. What do you guys think?
Now all we need is one of those Mexican MonteCarlo SS’s. I have some really good info and pics but not my own. Let me know. I’d be more than happy to oblige.
Another pic.
IMDB mentionned then parts of “Death Wish 3” was filmed in London and “Death Wish 5” was filmed in Toronto.
But I remember seeing some of these Malibus with yellow amber signals however they didn’t had the European mirrors.
I just purchased a 1981 “Iraqi Taxi” as we call them here in Ontario,
My Father bought one brand new in 1982 (a 1981) for around $12000, Original retail before they were sent overseas then back again.. was around $17,000 i was told… 3 speed manual on the floor, amazing car, tough, quick enough lots of torque, handled well and was comfortable on long trips…we had it for 13 years, went through 4 family members and was still chugging along when we sold it around 350000 km’s
I found one in Sarnia Ontario by the original owner, in excellent condition kept as a classic aound 80,000 original miles, (138,000 km’s) i”l try to upload the pics…. the single pic is not the one i purchased but the same color and year…. enjoy!!
Well if you check the fine print at the bottom right, the 5.7 was a 1979 49 state wagon option on these.
Yes I have the same brouchure. It’s a misprint. It wasn’t available in 1978 on anything but the truck. Why is it in the 79 copy? Wishfull thinking? Sorry I dont have the TSB or whatever they called the bulletins that were issued to the sales dept saying there was a change. Trust me. You want to know how to debunk my statement, not that I’m challenging you to do so? Back in the 70’s GM used an 11 digit VIN system. Find any non truck G-Body VIN with the 5th character being the letter “L”. Lots of VINs on autotrader.com and eBay. You won’t find any. I’ve been looking for years. Believe me,if you knew how cars are made you would know that GM wasn’t spending money having a specific drivetrain certified if they weren’t selling enough to make a huge profit. I’d almost bet they broke even or lost money on every manual transmission model they built. Try finding the 9C1 brochure for the 78-80 models. That would have a breakdown on the powertrains available. The highest power motor for the Malibu cop car was the 305/4V.
Oh and I did make an error in my post. The 5 speed used behind the Olds 260 was the T50 and not T5. Yes that’s right. Olds used a Chevette/CosworthVega spec trans behind a V-8. Tells you something about the torque made from these malaise weezers. Oh and that combo was also available on the 75-77 A-Body. I’ve found a few of those in the boneyards over the years. All without A/C. Now that would be a CC that all of us would like to see.
Well, I guess nobody can/will convince you otherwise but a friend of mine owned a 2-door ’79 Malibu 9C1 with 350. I don’t have the build sheet in front of me but I did see it with its “LM1” RPO and the whole car in person — it actually had a two-page sheet: the second page had “special instructions” on it. And the VIN number had “L” in it: not U or G or H.
It was ordered by the Mountain Brook Police Department for undercover use, triple black. I have nothing to gain by lying about it but the BS call is a bit much. I’m not really into these cars but I know what I saw and I saw a Doraville-built factory 350 ’79 Malibu.
Lt. Bruno may well be an expert on what GM “officially” had EPA certified for the US, but when it came to exports, especially those made outside the US, GM could do whatever the hell it wanted. There are too many sources describing these “Iraquibus” for it to have been a myth. There are enough oddball variants of just about any car model around (some from marginally legal collaborations) that nothing would surprise me. I was taking a cab in Phoenix a few years back, when I couldn’t figure out why the driver seemed so far away; it soon became apparent that this was a Crown Vic with elongated rear doors (which probably had some Lincoln components) and a stretched wheelbase. I’ve heard that Ford had offered these to fleet buyers on and off since the ’60s. Anyway, one “myth” I’d like to see confirmed or busted is the claim that Malibus were built in Mexico with inline 250 cid 6 cylinder engines. I had thought that the whole point of the ’78 downsizing was to take advantage of the smaller length of the V6’s GM had started building, so I’d be surprised if an inline 6 would even fit, unless some of the other parts (fan, radiator, etc.) were awkwardly re-jiggered, as Audi had to do with its ’78 5 cylinder 5000s.
Thats entirely wrong , my first car that i still own is a 81′ 2dr factory lt1 350ci malibu, it has 120mph guages, heavy duty sway bars and bumper guards . When i used to get it inspected they didnt believe it was factory til they checked vin . I bought it off an old man who used to be a detective in California, it was his issued hwy car. I’ve done a little research and it was only an option for 2drs in cali and only 1100 were made .
I was under the impression that in 1978-79 the 350 was a 49 state option in wagons only (as far as Malibus are concerned, not taking into account El Caminos), and may have been available as an across the board option in certain areas with stricter-than-normal emissions standards (e.g., California, high altitude areas). If I’m reading that chart right, however, it seems to be saying that the 350 was available only in wagons, only in areas where high altitude emissions equipment was required, period. The 267 wasn’t available in either California or high-altitude areas, only the 305, but no second V8 choice is shown as being made available except for the high-altitude area wagons. California and high-altitude areas both got the Buick 231 V6 in place of the Chevy 229.
This chart presumably covers civilian vehicles only, so I don’t think it should be understood as making any comment on whether the 350 might have been available in police package vehicles.
I race an ‘Iraqui Taxi’ as a street stock car on a dirt oval…. Or at least parts there of.
Of course you can use any number of different gear ratios, but racing with ‘Iraqui Taxi’ gears (2:56 I think! I will have to count the darn things when it’s opened next!!) is GOLDEN, and apparently VERY hard to find.
I haven’t busted my set, so I haven’t had to go looking for them, but I do know my fellow racers want these gears.
My landlady had one of these when I was going to school in Edmonton in the ’80s.
Hers was an automatic, so not all of them were manual cars. The Iraqi Taxi Malibus looked very basic compared to the more Broughamtastic regular Malibus. The only “luxury” feature on the Malibu was AC – in those days cars without AC were still reasonably common in Edmonton. On the other hand, the car didn’t have a rear defroster, which was unusual for a Canadian market car. If I recall correctly, the 200 km/h speedometer didn’t have MPH markings on the minor scale like a Canadian market speedometer, it was km/h only.
I am from Iraq, I live in Houston TX now, my father had a Malibu 1981 when we were in Iraq.
Actually Saddam did not order these cars to be taxis, these were ordered for the Iraqi Army officers, my father was a major in the army at 1981 and he got the car for about $4000 or something like that. These were highly respected cars and it was a time of war (with Iran), so whoever drives these in the street is by assumption an officer!
Any way the car stayed with us till 2003 when the US army came to Iraq.. I still remember the US soldiers when they saw it and they were amazed by it.. My father took very good care of it and for our family of 6 it was so spacious and perfect.
The most astonishing thing about it was the suspension system, it was so cool that it felt like a ship or a boat over the bumpy streets of Baghdad.. we felt nothing but smoothness inside it..
Most of you are right, all of it came in 4 door manual transmission, I was born in 1984 so I did not catch with the clutch issue but my father told me about it, he said the company called all the Malibus and changed something.
So my father stayed in the army and the year 1985 came and Saddam got Japanese Super Crown 1985 vehicles to the officers again. My father and mother told me that they got the Crown and were about to sell the malibu, but when they rode the Crown for the first time it was like “some one dragging you over the street on a blanket” as they put it (comparing it to the malibu suspension system), so the sold the brand new Crown and kept the Malibu.
I grew up with our beautiful malibu and i will search for photos to post here, however I attached one that I found on the internet for an “Iraqibu” (first time i know there is such a name). It is for sale ($12000) in Iraqi Kurdistan. http://www.dasy2.com/Ar/Reklam.aspx?Reklam_=22988#prettyPhoto
Any way so years past by and I grew up.. worked with the US army in Iraq.. and immigrated to the US, I believe in American cars of the eighties.. my first car in the us was (and still is) a caprice classic 1985, strong beautiful car with great suspension as always.. it reminds of the malibu.. I got it about a year ago and I intend to keep it as long as its alive. I drive it every day to remind Americans around me in the street of those great days where American cars (even though made in Canada), with their heavy metal, great big engines, wide seats, wonderful AC’s, used to rule the world..
I am the original (and still) owner of an Iragi Taxi with a mere 435000 kilometers on the clock.Shortly after purchasing the car from Parkway Motors in Montreal I moved to the “deep south” where there was no salt. Unfortunately a move to the mid west exposed it to salt for a few years. But, most of the rust has now been stopped and the “taxi” is scheduled for a complete rebuild to original condition.
What a great car despite the really bad press it received at the time. This is the only north american car that I have not been able to destroy the transmission. All of my kids learnt to drive on this car and as luck would have it, the very last day one of them would ever drive it, someone hit the passenger door.
I purchased a Iraqi Taxi Malibu back in 1990. I paid $300 bucks for that car! I removed the 229 engine and replaced it with a 350! Changed the interior and put a 4 speed auto transmission. I absolutely loved that car! Ran like a dream. I am so glad I found this website!! Awesome!
There has been so much misinformation and bad press not only on the ‘Iraqi Taxi’ , but on 1980’s Malibus in general on some websites such as this. I was glad to read the amazing story by Moha above and the 2 individuals following his comments. Anyone putting these cars down doesn’t know automotive durability. The 1978-83 Malibus were great cars, and the 9C1 police package was even better. Many of these cars were still in service when I got ‘on the job’ in 1990 in PA! I saw these abused to the brink of destruction and they just kept going mile after mile, year after year. (For example, Harrisburg, PA had a FLEET of 1980 Malibu 9C1s still in service in 1991-92)! and sorry Lt. Bruno, they DID offer the 350 cid engine in a 9C1 Malibu from 1979-81. 1982-83 had the 305 cid as the largest option engine, but that was still a very durable engine. and Roger is also wrong on his dual exhaust giveaway statement , as unfortunately there was no 9C1 ‘factory’ dual exhaust until the 1994-96 LT1 Caprice. The only ‘dead-bang giveaway’ were those neat rally sport slotted/vented mag wheels left over from early 1970’s Novas and Camaros (!) that were used specifically only on the 9C1 Malibus by 1979! BTW not only do I remember these from ‘on the job’, but I personally saved and own a 1981 and 1983 Malibu 9C1. The LG4 305 was a HO option, same as a CA Corvette had in 1980 and the later 80’s Monte Carlo SS’s. It might not of had breakneck 0-60 mph speed with its smog restrictions, but these cars were very nibble with great handling, and with unsurpassed durability. Durability rivaled by ONLY by 1987 and later Caprice 9C1s.
Erik, I would say Roger is correct about his dual exhaust statement. I joined a Southern Ontario police force in 1982 and most of their fleet was Malibu’s. I have vivid recollections of pre ’82 Malibu cruisers that were 350 4 bbl and dual exhaust. Perhaps they were just available from GM of Canada.
I liked the Malibu so much that I bought a used Iraqibu in 1983. It had just 7500 kms on it and I paid around $6000 for it. The seller said his wife never caught on to the three speed manual.
Darn tootin’ I’m correct! I didn’t hallucinate those duals!
I have a 1982 Chevy Malibu 4 door, is a excelent car! i taxi driver too and this car never let me bad
M’y Dad bought one of these. 3 speed manual. When to 120km/hmin second. First car I drove. I always thought the Iraqi story was sells man crap… I guess it was true!
I bought mine in London Ontario on July 30, 1982. The V6 was geared tall, so it took a while to get up to speed, but for its day it was relatively fast. It was easy to spot them from a distance with the rubber strip on the bumpers and the paint that has no shine.
It was a good car and it gave me over 200,000 fairly trouble free kilometers. As stated elsewhere, a stiff truck clutch, heavy duty a/c, tinted windows and the tough cloth upholstery. Sorry, did not have heavy duty suspension.
The demand for these cars was awesome. GM had 20,000 either on the docks in Halifax or in a yard in Oshawa. They announced on a Wednesday they would be sold for $6,800 (retail price $10,000) and by Saturday they were sold out. Toronto dealers were calling as far as London to see if they could get some. My dealer, Ray Cullen, was allotted 25, and managed to get a few more. Mine was number 27 for them.
I bought an iraqi taxi in Calgary in about 1996. I had a 83 malibu wagon and wife wanted a standard. Got a 81 iraqi tax for 300 bucks for the pedals and transplanted the 229 and 3 speed in place of the the Buick 230 and auto. Rebuilt the 229, put in 10.5 flattops (for305) nasty cam etc. That wagon would do 75 mph in 1st gear!!!! Just sold it a year ago.
I just ran in to an three speed on floor Malibu at a local pick-a-part .Houston tx. Never seen one till today! Looked clean guess they just got tired of it or owner died .I’m going back in couple days I’ll take some pics and upload.
just got myself one of these tonight from northern ontario
always wanted one!
YES THEY DO STILL EXIST!
My family had an iraqibu growing up as the family car in the Maritimes. It has a bench seat plus floor shifter so it was tricky for the person sitting in the middle front seat. That 1981 – my parents drove that car until about 2003 and it still had the original clutch. I know that some kid drove that car around that time out to Edmonton and it made it. Back windows only slotted out – more like vents….remember as a kid it was always hot in the back seats. Was always funny in the late 90’s watching kids not know where to put the fuel (was behind the back plates) – reminds me of the scene when Sparky gets the Family Truckster
I also bought one of these in Hamilton. When I heard they were taking $200 deposits in order to get one of the few to be delivered to the dealership I left work and ran up to the dealership. I did have the transmission repaired a couple of times. The Malibus were going for $10,000 at the time so you can see how good the deal was at the time
Did they make a model with three on the tree? My buddy had an ’81 in high school that he called the Iraqi Taxi and I’m sure it was a manual tranny column shift (I had never seen one before).
Are original versions of this car considered “collectible” because of both the unusual specifications, as well as the unusual way that they were sold in Canada?
Here in Canada back in the early to late ’90’s when these so-called “Iraqi Taxi” Malibus could still be found in wrecking yards, they were sought after as a source for the clutch linkage and pedals in order to do 4 or 5 speed manual conversions on other GM A and G body cars.
I remember asking my dad about the neighbour’s 3-speed Malibu as we also had a 1981 Malibu. Their’s was a light brown or beige (if I remember correctly, it has been 32 years since I had seen it) but ours was the Malibu Classic with two-tone blue and the 4.4 litre V8 which was spec’d at 130 HP I believe.
Anyway, my dad told me about these cars and that many of them actually had made it to the east coast of Canada before the order was cancelled. My dad worked for CN Rail at the time and was somewhat involved in the shipping of these cars. He also mentioned it was much cheaper than what my grandfather had paid for ours. We bought it to replace our 1976 Mercury Montego Villager wagon in 1984 which had even less HP per litre than the Malibu. I do miss that 81 Malibu though…
I had thought it strange they would have a manual and that they were only 3 speeds. Our neighbour wasn’t one for much spirited driving so I never found out how it compared to ours or if when the road was slightly damp the rear wheel (singular on purpose) would spin forever. One good thing about the 4.4 only putting out 130 HP was that it never overheated not even with only water in the cooling system. Most parts were also fairly cheap for the car, at least by the early 90s.
We still have one of the 1981 Maibu’s needs some work now, but will be getting her ready for next year to use a an Antique. We now use the 1973 Nova SS, but with 2 drivers might just as well have both cars on the road. , All three of our children learned to drive in the Malibu and they can still drive a standard and so can my husband & I .
GSL Chev City here in Calgary got about 20 of these, $6800 with a 5 year warranty. I bought one of them in 1994 from the original owner, 200K, and drove it till 2004 every day on Calgary’s Deerfoot Trail to the airport and back to SW. 435K when I sold it to a workmate, who drove it for a more couple years, till it needed a valve seat.
it was a great car, driving position was uber comfortable, and it was fun to drive. Made many long trips to Montana and beyond, it was my fishing car on weekends. The only complaint was a stiff shifter going from 1st to 2nd. They all had the same color tan interior. Mine was Lemonwood Yellow, many of the ones around here that GSL sold were red or light green metallic.
“… First off the only 78-88 G-Body to get the LM1 350/4V was the 1978 ElCamino…”
Um, no. The LM1 350 was available on civilian A/G wagons, for 1978-79 in CA and “High Altitude” counties out west, for emissions reasons. Also, was optional for Police only cars.
And, there are people on gbodyforums who have a few. One has 2 Olds wagons, from Utah, with factory 350. And no, they were not a “misprint”.
I had an seafoam green Iraqi taxi, it was my first car. It was given to me by my grandfather. At 16 years old I lifted the rear suspension, put on a set of 16″ American racing chrome rims with 255/65/16 on the back and 235/65/16 on the front, straight H pipe exhaust. Edelbrook 4 barrel carb. It produced a whopping 146hp. Hahaha. I thought I was the shit. A year later swapped out that lazy 229 for 5.7L 350 and a five speed manual. After poking probing and tinkering. I got her up to 376 hp with 402 lb. Torque. She was nick named the mustang eater. There are days I wish I still had her.
ATTENTION: PAUL NIEDERMEYER…
Your story regarding the 1981 Chevrolet Malibu “Iraqi Taxi” — which was built in the General Motors Canada Oshawa Car Plant #2 — made for some interesting enough reading here…but some of the facts surrounding this particular chapter in GM history are actually far more interesting, than what was related to your readers…
Back at that time, I was employed by GM Canada as a front-line quality control supervisor in what we all referred to as Chassis #2. One day, management asked us all what trademark / emblem / WHATEVER could be physically removed from the Malibu, so as not to make any reference whatsoever to “…the Great Satan,” a.k.a. the U.S.A. When we asked why, we were all told that Sadam Hussein’s government was on the verge of purchasing a large quantity of these cars, each of which was to be bestowed to the family of deceased Iraqi army veterans as a “reward” for their having died in Iraq’s war with Iran at the time.
Hence, the nickname of “…Iraqi Taxi,” to the best of my knowledge…although some may well have ended-up being used as cabs in that country, I’m sure…
The manufacture of these vehicles buffered the blow of otherwise declining sales for Car Plant #2, which ended-up temporarily losing an entire production shift in mid-1982. But I digress: the then president of GM Canada was unceremoniously fired after he personally released for manufacture, “…on spec,” the final phase of production of Iraqi Taxis BEFORE the order was formalized by Iraq — and that order was never received. Additionally, the head of GM Canada public relations was similarly terminated shortly thereafter, too, for being publicly quoted referring to the Iraqis as “…camel jockeys,” rather than legitimate car owners.
Sometime after the first shipments of these cars landed in Iraq, word spread quickly about the lack of reliability in GM vehicles — and why? One prime reason, we were told, was that the sandy, dust-filled air of Iraq would very quickly clog-up the cars’ air filters. So what did many of the owners do to improve the performance of their Malibu…? Why, they simply removed and discarded the air filter assembly in its ENTIRETY, thus allowing all of the grit and sand to enter the carburetor, DIRECTLY…!
GM Canada canvassed its Chassis Heavy Repair hourly personnel for volunteers to live in a compound in Iraq, built especially for them, for a full year to do nothing but repair Malibus brought to them for service. Many took GM up the offer, and by all accounts, it was a most profitable venture for the volunteers, financially-speaking.
Meanwhile, back in Oshawa, the Iraqi Taxis were in a veritable merry-go-round of in-plant post-production overtime recalls: they were tested for potentially cracked transmission cases, the clutch pressure plates were of the wrong size, etc. etc. In short, EVERYONE seemed to be making money on the Iraqi Taxi, save for the corporation, itself. When word came back to the plant that there were hundreds awaiting shipment at the Halifax, Nova Scotia harbour, inside wags declared, “Throw them all into the harbour…!”
GM finally decided to sell what cars were still unsold in Canada to its employees and their families on a lottery system… and as I recall, the price was just $5,000.00 — hardly the figure quoted in your article. My brother-in-law’s name was drawn, & he immediately had his Taxi “two-toned,” and replaced the “mooner” hub caps with wire-rimmed ones. When he passed away in 2010, we discovered his Iraqi Taxi sitting in his garage, where it sat after being on the road for less than two years, with a mere 36,000-kilometres on the odometer. He said at the time that he grew tired of riding the clutch pedal, so stored it, in near mint condition, both inside, and out.
Thanks for the additional info! It’s always appreciated.
Thanks for the information.
I had ridden in one of these cars as a kid when my parents had test driven a brand new one from GSL in Calgary. Sadly being truck people,they did not purchase it.
Fast forward some 37 years to September 2019 while checking out KIJIJI a headline caught my eye. Malibu and the words 3 speed.
Sure enough it was real Iraqi taxi in amazing original shape.
Not sure what I will do with it ? But I bought on the spot.
Edward,
Your brother-in-law’s car is alive and well. I drive it almost every day (summer months)
But is now powered with an L31 Vortec 5.7L, Holley Sniper EFI, Tremec TKX 5spd transmission, Auburn posi, Moser Axles and a 3.42 richmond gear.
She boogies now!
Fall of ’79, actually…
Just bumped into this news article re the Iraqi Taxi. As a dealer employee in the Maritime I was excited to see all this comment. We had dozens of these plain Jane’s but interest was so high for customers to be included in the first-come-first-served basis. I drove this model limited times, but the pzazz under the hood was terrific, Don’t forget no pollution gizmos.
The news details mentions only Nova Scotia customers, but other provinces shared in the excitement .
Just put my one owner 1981 Iraqi malibu for sale on Craigslist if anyone interested
My Dad bought one not realizing it. He just saw a $4000.00 price tag on a very popular new car our neighbors also had in the early 1980’s. Their real Chevy Malibu was a dream they never wanted to wake from. Ours had demons no mechanic could kill. The front end dropped off many times on surface roads and the freeway, tie rod bouncing on the ground. The bench front seats took at least 2 people to adjust and after our first try twisted on the track and forever remained at a diagonal. Ours had no tape deck or FM radio, only AM with the antennae in the rear windshield and useless. It rusted away to nothing but a glamorous and thankfully thick paint job which held it all together. The engine stalled in stop and go traffic and would not re-start for a very long time, in traffic. A constant like the bouncing tie rod and run away ball bearings from the front end. The distributor cap is also under the engine, puddles less than 1/4 inch deep cause no power, steering, breaks, just a death flight through space that used to make me black out. I don’t know why I am alive. This was supposed to be my mother’s first car, but she gave it to me after driving it only a few weeks. Her nerves couldn’t take it, but I was a teenager and so greedy for my own car it didn’t matter if it killed me. Nobody wanted to share that car or even ride in it. Over 14 years I waited for the car to die, and while moving to a new town where I would drive an hour to school, my parents, fearing for my life, did help me dispose of it and get a Mazda Protoge.
Do you still have it
I vaguely remembered these, all the chev dealers on the east coast had these, as a huge amount of them were stored at the Eastern Passage Autoport in Nova Scotia. There is one, a white one I see all the time in the summer in Mount Uniacke, which is just outside of Halifax. Guy takes good care of it. The 3speed and interior is the giveaway.
My Dad had one of these Iraqibus, in blue. I drove it often as a teenager. I remember accompanying him to the dealership when he bought it. The local dealer (small town, eastern Quebec) was alotted 5 sedans and 1 station wagon, as I recall. Price was $6500 for the sedan, I think $6900 for the wagon. He wanted the wagon, but it was unavailable. This was a 1981 model, sold in 1982, with 229 ci V6. They had to be sent from the dock in Halifax back to the factory for catalytic converters to be added, and probably a few other modifications for legal sale in Canada. The car had very powerful Freon air conditioning, took no time to cool down even on the hottest days. It had no rear window defroster though. (I guess you don’t need those in Iraq.) The clutch and 3-speed stick (on the floor) were tricky but I managed with it. The car was very smooth on the highway, but too softly sprung for high speed. The car (as per the owners manual) was rated for maximum sustained speed of 75 mph with the stock tires, or 85 mph if swapped for “high speed” tires. Anything over 75 (120 km/h) it felt too floaty, so that was probably good advice. He had the car until 1988, one of the most trouble-free he’d owned up to that point. He traded it for an ‘88 Camry wagon, and the mechanic at the Toyota dealer bought the Malibu for himself afterwards, so it wasn’t in bad shape.