MALIBU GOLD REGISTER

[thehillsarecalling]

Interesting that Mazda's advice is they were 'factory'. Suggests the decal might have been intended for use in multiple markets.

Dunno. Mazda support might have got it wrong. They took a few weeks to get back to me the first time around, so I guess we'll wait and see.

[thehillsarecalling]

Hi Everyone,

So, have just received this updated from Mazda Customer Support;

Dear Ray

We regret to advise we were unable to find the original supplier of this decal.

Our Marketing department have contacted all of the suppliers we are aware of, without success.

Thank you for your patience in this matter and apologise for not being unable to assist in this instance.

I have responded and asked if they have any drawings / templates etc that they gave to their suppliers which they can send through, so that we can organise our own suppliers. If they come back with a no, then we might have to reverse engineer someone's existing set of stickers. This may involve dropping the car down to a sticker shop to see what they can do.

Will keep everyone posted with customer support's reply.

[93_Clubman]

This may involve dropping the car down to a sticker shop to see what they can do.

Ray, will PM you contact details of one of their suppliers in SE Melb, who were excellent to deal with & provided a top quality product.

[malibu Q]

A good photo taken exactly square on would be good but what would be most useful is someone with the Malibu sticker to take a brass rubbing of it, scan it and post it up. This gives the only true representation of the shape as the wave part of the sticker passes through the body side groove
A scale drawn on the scan would be great so we could create an file for a laser cutter in scale. Probably a fair bit of time on Photoshop to clean up the edges to make them smooth but if you post it up I'll have a go. My vinyl man has successfully cut from black and white png files before

[Novice1]

Will upload properly tomorrow.

My bumble-bee.

http://www.imageshack.com/i/nbsafoj

Novice1

[thehillsarecalling]

Update from Mazda after my last email;

Ray,

We were unable to source the original images/sketches. If you have images of the decal you may be able to have them custom made.

Again we regret we are unable to assist further.

So looks like the brass rubbing / reverse engineered solution is going to be the go.

[93_Clubman]

Pity, but very good of Mazda to have a look & get back to you with an answer.

[M1474]

Anyone know the history of this car?
It's a dead ringer for mine right down to the painted daisies with silver lips.

Edit: a quick google leads to this forum and owned by one 'atomic' located in Sydney.

[thehillsarecalling]

Speaking of car histories....

....I want to get a history of my Malibu, so I got in touch with Services SA, which for you eastern / western states residents is our version of the motor reg. I asked them if I could have them send a letter to the previous owner, encouraging them to contact me.

I received a curt "no, not now, not later, not ever, have a nice day:)" type reply.

I was wondering....other than trying to reverse engineer a receipt for groceries I found in the footwell, and knowing that it was written off by someone near Forrestville (it was cheerfully emblazoned in nigh-unremovable ink on the windscreen by Pickles Auctions), what would be the process for trying to build a history of a car that you picked up with no documentation from auction?

[93_Clubman]

Regarding service history, contact Mazda Aust <1800 034 411> or <CustomerServiceEnq@mazda.com.au>. If serviced at a Mazda dealer they can tell you where & when. Dealer could then be approached to pass on your contact details to PO. It's also worth asking the auction company to pass on your contact details to PO - has worked for me.

[thehillsarecalling]

Thanks clubman. I should have thought of emailing Mazda prior to opening my mouth. I've emailed them, we'll see what they come back with.

I'm not so sure that contacting the auction house will be a winner - I'm pretty sure it would have been an insurance company that flogged it off, and I don't know how they will go passing out their client's details. Still, I'll give it a shot.

Thanks!

[jules]

I'd be up for a set of stickers. Can't guarantee I would ever fit them though

Jules

[malibu Q]

A compact history of my Malibu.

The car yard I bought my one from, imported it from Victoria. Its old Vic registration was FVV 269. I know this because it was written on the key tag. On the day before I got it I had no intention to buy a car, but I drove by the yard in the evening, saw it, and stopped. I must have spent half an hour at the fence drooling over the car and decided then and there that I must have it. Even though at the time I couldn’t really afford it, it was mine first thing the next morning. I’ve never regretted that decision at all. Because I’d spent all my money, I couldn’t afford to insure it straight away, so I decided to take it home and pull it to bits.



I removed the mudflaps first, straight into the bin. Also removed the boot lip spoiler and welded up the hole. I also spent some time making the bumper side plastic lenses bolt on from behind and making them flush with the bumper. I painted on white stripes, 200mm wide 40mm apart and installed a set of King springs with the standard shocks. Note in the picture below it had body coloured sills, I soon tired of that and repainted them black.



It had 95,000 on the odometer when I got it, 135,000 now. I haven’t really done that much to the car over the time that I’ve had it, swapped some accessories and wheels and upgraded the suspension and stiffening a bit. The motor and exhaust etc are completely stock. A Eunos rear panel was sourced, the license light holes were filled and a new light installed under the back edge of the boot. The original roof started to get tatty so I bought a black hardtop. I wrapped the windscreen posts in black vinyl to match, decided I liked the look and later I painted it properly, removing the windscreen and front guards to do so. It’s now got black electric mirrors which aren’t wired in, but it doesn’t seem to matter for me. Every time someone brushed past the original mirrors they would go out of alignment but the electric ones never do. Inside its nearly all original; only a vintage prototipo and black crackle shift knob. The stock radio is one of my favourite features inside, for me it looks so understated.

This is how the car looks today:

[jules]

Funny that. I bought my Malibu from Eurocars Artarmon in 2001 as a birthday present!

I went there to test drive a '94 Laguna Blue that I saw online.

When I got there I just couldn't take my eyes off the Malibu sitting in the window. I had no idea the car was rare. I just thought it looked stunning. It was egging me on, even then.

I asked to test drive both, and being late in the day the dealer actually asked me to come back the next day and he would have both cars off the showroom floor and ready for me.

I turned up the next day and the Laguna Blue was sold (probably to that trouble maker Craig who lived just down the road!)

It didn't matter. One drive of my Malibu and it was all over red rover. Some cars imprint on you, and this yellow stunner got right under my skin.

I bought the car outright, cash on the spot. 20k down on the desk (well it was my birthday) and I had just sold a band to an agency.

It's still to his day the most satisfying and rewarding purchase I have ever made.

Jules

[malibu Q]

first time out with a new set of wheels
Vintage JDM, they're Mooneyes Lucky Star chrome smoothies in 15x7 +22 with 195/50