A Friend’s Promise: Travis Fathi’s Supercharged 1983 Malibu Wagon

Travis Fathi always admired the look of high-performance wagons but never had any interest in owning one. That all changed when he was given the opportunity to purchase this 1983 Malibu longtop. From that moment on, he became a wagon guy and hasn’t looked back.

The Malibu wagon was originally owned by a close friend of Travis, who had big plans for the car. Unfortunately, his health began to decline, and he was unable to turn the Malibu into the drag-and-drive machine he envisioned. Travis stepped in to buy the car, but the previous owner had one request: it had to remain a big-block car forever.

Travis was more than happy to honor that big-block pact. Power comes from a 555 cubic-inch rat motor based on a Dart block and topped with a pair of Dart cylinder heads. Boost is supplied by a massive 8.3-liter Whipple supercharger. Air and E85 fuel are mixed via a pair of ATM carburetors. On low boost, the combination has already pushed the Malibu deep into the nine-second zone, and Travis believes it will easily run eight-second passes once the boost is turned up.

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Up front, the car features a 417 Motorsports K-member and Viking coilover shocks. Out back, Travis installed an array of Trick Chassis components along with a 9-inch rearend from Quick Performance. A TH400 transmission, PTC torque converter, and Gear Vendors overdrive unit make the wagon surprisingly enjoyable to drive on the street.

The car turned out exactly how Travis envisioned it, and he feels it’s the perfect way to honor his friend’s wishes. After all, what’s cooler than a Malibu wagon rocking a big roots blower that can cruise comfortably down the street?