When one thinks of the word “stealth”, most automatically think of stealth aircraft that is designed to avoid radar detection. In the case of our Ride of the Week for May 25, 2012, stealth refers to a vehicle that is surreptitiously designed to avoid gas pumps.
If you walked by Christopher V.’s 2005 Chevy Malibu, you probably wouldn’t notice that this is anything other than a very clean and well-maintained stock vehicle.
In reality, this Malibu is anything but stock and the real-world efficiency of this car is anything but typical. The published mileage claims of a stock Malibu in this trim (3.5L V-6/4-speed automatic transmission) is 34.8 miles per imperial gallon on the highway. Christopher’s best highway mileage of 51 mpg (imperial) and an overall average of 48.7 mpg on the highway certainly shows that this is not your average Malibu.
Let’s have a look at some of the modifications and notable items that Christopher has added to improve the performance and efficiency of his car.
- Custom-fabricated aluminum under-body belly pan
- Modified headlight assemblies for improved air flow
- Removal of mudflaps to improve air flow
- Upper grille block
- RActive high-flow air intake
- OBX exhaust headers (designed for a Pontiac G6)
- Magnaflow catback exhaust (designed for a Pontiac G6)
- Removal of catalytic converters
- Indexed spark plugs
- Added 1/4″ compressor air filter to PVC line to prevent contaminants from entering the throttle body
- Brembo carbon fiber brake rotors, with Akebono ceramic pads
- Monroe Maxair shocks
- Centerline wheels (lightweight, rotary forged)
- Optima Red Top battery
- AMSOIL Synthetic Fuel Efficient Automatic Transmission Fluid
- AMSOIL HDD 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil
- Premium fuel only (avoids ethanol for optimum fuel economy)
Custom Under-Body Belly Pan to Improve Air Flow.
Engine Bay of Christopher's 3.5L Malibu
OBX Exhaust Headers (designed for a Pontiac G6)
If you would like to have a closer look at Christopher’s Malibu project, he has published a very detailed webpage here. His page also includes detailed documentation of all of his fuel economy data.
Would you would like to submit an offering as our Ride of the Week? Just send us a photo and short blurb on any type of vehicle that you enjoy and that others may find interesting. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, boats, snowmobiles, etc. are applicable. Your full name and location will be omitted. Feel free contact us at “info-at-oildepot.ca”.
