Rear  - Screw Adjustable Coils Springs, truck arms and Panhard Bar

By 1975, the large block motors that had once dominated NASCAR were gone and the only factory that was supporting  series drivers was Chevrolet.  Chrysler was on its way to a government bail-out and Ford was busy continuing to destroy the Mustang.  Enterprising Chevrolet engineers grafted a sloped urethane nose onto its Malibu and added louvers to the side windows.   Their new creation would be termed the Chevrolet Laguna S-3.  The Laguna S-3 would prove so superior to its competition that in three years, it would basically be banned by NASCAR.

Hylton Motorsports upgraded its two Malibus to Laguna S-3 configuration before the 1975 season.  In 1975, Hylton competed in all 30 NASCAR Winston Cup Series events contested and placed third in the season long points race.  During the season, Hylton recorded two Top-Five finishes and sixteen Top-Ten finishes in route to collecting $113,641.86 in earnings.  Hylton would also utilize Laguna S-3's to capture a sixteenth position in 1976 and a seventh position in 1977 in the NASCAR Winston Cup driver points standings.

In 1977, one of the Lagunas would be traded to Richard Childress Racing for a Chevrolet Monte Carlo.  The Monte Carlos engine placement offered superior handling on short tracks over every other series contender.  In 1978, NASCAR placed a restrictor plate on the Laguna S-3 and most teams converted their cars into Oldsmobile Cutlass 442 models.  Hylton Motorsports would convert its Laguna S-3 into a 442 for usage during the 1978 season.  The Olds 442 still resides dutifully in South Carolina awaiting restoration