Does a 1981 4 door chevy malibu has a v8 rear end or a v6?

Question

Does a 1981 4 door chevy malibu has a v8 rear end or a v6?

Answer 1

Rear ends are the same... some came with limited slip and others like yours were open aka single track. these were used quite commonly in the late 70s till late 80s on El Caminos, Malibu's and the Monte Carlo. You can get any ratio you want from 2.73 to all the way up to a 4.56 or higher these are also referred as a 10 bolt or 8.8 rear

Answer 2

A 1981 4 door malibu should have what is called a "10 bolt rear end" this is a regular differential rear end, meaning only 1 wheel is providing power at a time unlike a positraction rear end where both rear wheels provide power. v8 and v6 will be the same. The only difference will be what gear ratio is in it, that will be determined by what motor and tranny combination came in it from the factory. A 10 bolt rear end is light duty, so I wouldn't recommend it for race duty, but it is reliable for normal driving. I hope this helps.  

Answer 3

You should be able to take the vin number into a chevy dealership and they will be able to identify which one you have.