I feel such kinship. I (and my family) was also cursed with a 78 Malibu. Blue and rust. Drove it until the timing belt failed (which was fortunately not long after I got my driver's license). My poor parents bought it new. It died sometime in 95 or 96. Our was even worse, since it had the CA-emissions V6 in it.
Oh god, and vinyl seats.
It was so bad, it made a 91 Taurus feel like a sports car.