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They were just single use commuter cars, nothing more. How many 80’s Toyota 4x4 mini trucks do you see now? Everyone and his brother had one then now they are nowhere to be found.
How many 80’s Hondas, Toyotas, datson/nissans, are in the crusher?
These cars were use once and discard. No one would even consider rebuilding one. The cost to rebuild it would be about the same as a newer better car.
Those 1980's Toyota 4WD pickups are still in abundance here in Arizona.
You can still find some in VT too, but they are becoming rare. They're pretty easy to spot, though, with their wooden beds and rusted out rocker panels. Obviously AZ has it all over VT when it comes to rust issues, which is why many of us love to buy used vehicles that came from out west or down south. Heck, I might even buy a Citation if it had the proper credentials. Probably not, but never say never, right?
All I remember about those X-bodys is the stupid radio. It was mounted vertically. If you tried to put an aftermarket radio in, you basically had to mount it sideways to work. Another GM disaster mainly because it was rushed from design to market to compete with the Ford Escort and the Chrysler K-cars. Even though the competion wasn't much better, they still outshined those GM unk boxes. Good riddance.
BTW, I sold a set of calipers today for an 86 Celebrity. Not only was I surprised by the call, but I was equally surprised I had them in stock! Ya never know.
All I remember about those X-bodys is the stupid radio. It was mounted vertically. If you tried to put an aftermarket radio in, you basically had to mount it sideways to work.
I remember that issue as well but I think around 1984 they finally moved the radio to a center console and mounted it right.
But don't complain too hard; remember some of the 60's Corvette's had sideways mounted radios.
Does anybody remember the Chevrolet Citation? I used to see those cars all the time but now I rarely see those cars anymore, they were quite popular back in the 1980s and I'm wondering why they're so scarce?
I remember it. A friend of mine raced a 1980 Citation X-11 in SCCA's Showroom Stock B road-racing class.
Just making some corrections to comments made:
1. The Chevy Citation and Pontiac Pheonix were "X" body GM cars (the Chevy Cavalier, Buick Skylark and Pontiac J2000 were "J" bodies).
2. GM had two (or three, depending on how you count them) FWD cars before the 1980's. They dabbled with the idea back in the 50's with the LaSalle II Motorama concept car, but didn't transfer that idea into a production model until the 1966 Oldsmobile Toronado. A year later the 1967 Cadillac Eldorado became GM's 2nd production model FWD vehicle. The Citation was GM's 3rd production model, but unlike it's predicessors... put them there to stay.
3. The Citation w/sport package moldings, V6 2.8 liter engine (pre Multi-port FI) and alloy wheels was the "X-11" (not XR6). Perhaps the original poster was refering to Ford's equivelant version of "all show no go"/"econo-box muscle car" which started life as a European Escort and was sold here as the "Merkur XR4TI"? However, the XR4TI wasn't on roads until the final production days for the X-11 (which ran from 1980-85).
I had forgot about the radios being like that, but now that you mentioned it, I do recall the original AM-FM radio in our old '81 Oldsmobile Omega looked rather strange.
Yeah, they had a good concept, but did rush to get the car done, but I think since the GM X-cars came out in late 1979 (as 1980 models) that they were before the Escort and K-Cars. Escort came out in 1981, as did the K-cars. However, the FWD Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon came out in 1978, so maybe they were trying to get some competition with those?
Yeah, you never know about parts... sometimes I can go into a parts store and they always have what ever minor part I have needed for my '73 Pontiac... but all I have ever needed was a master cylinder, thermostat and an alternator, but I had the alternator rebuilt when it needed it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bryfry
All I remember about those X-bodys is the stupid radio. It was mounted vertically. If you tried to put an aftermarket radio in, you basically had to mount it sideways to work. Another GM disaster mainly because it was rushed from design to market to compete with the Ford Escort and the Chrysler K-cars. Even though the competion wasn't much better, they still outshined those GM unk boxes. Good riddance.
BTW, I sold a set of calipers today for an 86 Celebrity. Not only was I surprised by the call, but I was equally surprised I had them in stock! Ya never know.
I saw a Chevy Citation yesterday! It looked like it was on it's last leg though
I saw a Chevy Citation (1980-82 model due to the side mirrors) this afternoon parked in a driveway and I still see that particular Citation driving around town, yesterday I saw a beat up early 80s Oldsmobile Omega (it was definitely a 1980-81 model) 2 door that was parked on the side of the yard.
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