By the dictionary, a surprise is that which occurs to someone with a sudden feeling of wonder or astonishment. Rather like a road-bound Q-ship, this septuagenarian coupe keeps a low profile until the time is right and then, it can drop the sides and bring out the big guns.

Those guns, in this case, are the eight cylinders from an aluminum block 5.7-liter engine rescued from a rolled 2005 Pontiac GTO.

The current owner has done it right from the beginning, adding a Tremec T-56 6-speed manual transmission and Ford 9-inch rear axle to the drive line mix.

The engine itself has been updated as well, now featuring an Isky roller cam, Lunati valve springs, a Comp Cams dual timing chain and oil pump.

Once he gets on the loud pedal, there’s no hiding for this ride, given its Hedman ceramic coated headers, 3-inch Pypes exhaust setup and Dynomax mufflers.

Without looking under the hood, you’d be hard-pressed to see that this Malibu is anything but a well-preserved example.

The interior shows factory-original black bucket seats with a floor console, while the beige paint, wire wheel covers and vinyl roof add a seamless camouflage job on the outside.

The car was available on eBay recently, but didn’t quite get the bidding over the current owner’s reserve bid. Times are tough these days, but they would sure seem a lot tougher if you got spanked by this sleeper.