By Jim Brennan
Well, let’s wrap up the weekend right, with some 24-Hours-of-LeMons or ChumpCar Candidates, and the first pair are these two Interesting Chevrolet Citation X-11 Race Cars in Waiting… Let’s put it this way, Citations are about as successful in these events as, well, Corvairs… So, do you think you have what it takes to make these crappy Chevy’s contenders?
According to the Poconos Craigslist Listing:
Two cars; First a 1980 Chevy Citation X-11 2.8 -7 V6, 4sp, with fiberglass hood, tilt leather wheel, gauges, Recaro seats: runs but not quite driveable.
Second is a 1983 Chevy Citation XS 2.8 -Z V6 (High Output), 4sp. This car is turn-key driveable. Both cars have been off the road a long time, are weathered with some rot, a lot of surface rust and the typical hole in the drivers floor but are too good to scrap. Here’s your low buck fun to drive project for next summer! Combine into one or do the pair. Price is for the 2 car package.
Price for the pair is $800… and remember, these are both drivers, which should take only 1/2 the time to get them ready… See the listing here, and tell me if you think they are contenders (or not…)
Jeff Glucker
Too good to scrap? Well, that makes me feel a great deal better about my car and it's growing, glitchy manifestations.
But I'm pretty sure I'm not man enough to think I could keep one of these going on to finish a LeMons race. Not a chance. I saw the Craptation, in it's inagurabowl outing, and it wasn't a pretty sight.
Three pedals does pique one's interest, though….
i'd say that price is II-XSive
Being from Texas I'm not familiar with the "typical" hole in the driver's floor. Might be a good deal for $500 but they might have too much rust in the uni-body to make a safe platform for a race car.
You could probably remedy that with a rollcage that is built to funny car specifications.
From Startinggrid.org http://startinggrid.org/2012/10/30/street-parked-…
"The X-11 model came equipped with the “high output” V-6. This engine made a whopping 135 hp, 25 more than the standard 110 micro-ponies the 2.8L V-6 made in lesser Citations. While 110 hp or even 135 hp seems ridiculously little horsepower for a 2.8L engine these days the X-11 actually had a racing pedigree with Bob McConnell, winning the SCCA SSB National Championship in 1982 and 1984 in his 1981 X-11. But considering that a Renault Fuego won the 1983 championship perhaps that’s not saying much about the quality of the competition at the time…"
Those rims are kinda cute, but I think I'd rather have it with the original 5-spoke rims.
<img src="http://www.carrosyclasicos.com/imagenes/cronicas/tres_rivales/citation8189_1.jpg">
[Citation needed]
A high school friend of mine had one given to him by his parents when he started driving (I went to high school and started to drive in the mid 1980's. A prime era for craptastic US cars). The initial elation he experienced was quickly soured as the CItation proceeded to quickly self destruct. Again, a long line of GM misfires from the 1970s to early 1990's.
As an aside, I would definitely race one of these in Lemons in a heartbeat just for the satisfaction of trying to murder one of these miserable cars.
My Dad bought one to keep his Formula off winter roads. It was reliable, as quick as the sorry F-bodies of the day, and could haul stuff around.
Yes, it was crude, but it wasn't that bad.
I have to think that there are a lot of pieces from the corporate parts bin that could improve an X Body car quite a bit, for small money.
I posted this very thing to "Future $500 race cars! Even if the owner doesn't know it yet." on facebook just yesterday. I guess it is my first submission to the Hooniverse.. even if I didn't get the byline.
"runs but not quite driveable"
A great hint at valuable information? Really hard to say what a good price would be for these two…To my eyes, these look like someone has already tried to scrap them.
God help me I almost bought a brand-new X-11. Went for a used '78 Malibu with 4-speed, sport suspension, bucket seats, rally-wheels. Turned out to be a very good car.
Can you post engine pics for the two for sale Citations?