The Chevette/The Chevy Citation

[jiacinto]

Did any of you own it?

[ZenLefty]

1. Yes.

[xcentrik]

2. Different cars

The Chevette (a.k.a., the "Shov-ette") was a little boxy subcompact. The Citation was a larger compact, and less heinous, but dull.

[jiacinto]

3. How were they different?

nt

[rppper]

16. here are the pics

the chevette.....



the citation.....

[BigMcLargehuge]

4. I had an 83 Chevette

blue, nearly shuddered to pieces at anything over 50 miles an hour. Stalled at every, and I mean EVERY, stopsign unless the engine was so hot it glowed.

[ironflange]

5. My car was totalled by a Chevette once

It was sitting out on the street ('82 Tercel - great little car) when it was rear-ended at 30 mph by a Chevette. Cause of accident: two teenage boys and a basketball. The Chevette had to be towed away, but my Toyota folded up so neatly you could still open both back doors.

[Digger]

6. I had a '76 Chevette

I liked it at the time, but in retrospect it was a POS. The newer sub-compacts are much better.

Don't know a thing about the Citation.

[jiacinto]

7. Explain it

nt

[Digger]

10. Hmmm...

Just off the top of my head...

It cost mucho$$$ just to keep front brakes on it.

Little problems like horn quit, turn signals always broken, ignition problems, carburator(sp) problems, windshield wipers only worked sometimes. etc. etc.

I kept fixing these things and liked it for the gas milage.

As I look back I realize my 93 Geo Metro is way better in every respect.

[jiacinto]

11. Are Geos still made?

nt

[Digger]

13. I don't think so.

Seems like they stopped making them a few years ago. There are still some good used ones available if you keep your eyes open.

[MaineDem]

19. Yes, still made

But they are marketed as Chevy's now...the Chevy Metro, the Chevy Tracker, etc.

[LibertyorDeath]

8. I couldn't possibly say enough negative things about both of these

so called "cars"

[anti_shrub]

9. I will say one thing about Chevettes

my one friend had 3 serious accidents in the same Chevette, and both her and the car survived each one.

[TrogL]

12. My father in law had a Chevette

Problem is he weighed close to 400 pounds. He wrecked the shocks, bent the seat and warped the frame.

[LibertyorDeath]

14. I remember my friend Serge owned one we got way to high one night

and grabbed the left over bright orange paint we found in his basement and a couple of rollers painted the whole car in less than an hour it was absolutely hideous in the light of day.

Man we laughed till we cried.

So yeah I do have something good to say about The Chevette/The Chevy Citation get stoned (optional)paint them bright orange with regular house paint at night and laugh till you cry the next day.

[Don_G]

15. No But Worked On A Few

For friends.

[TreasonousBastard]

17. The Chevette was...

a real POS-- a rear wheel drive wierdness from the dark years of GM in the 70's when they thought they were making a subcompact to compete with Toyota's Corolla. The last one was made in the mid 80's. There were a few freaks around who raced them. Slowly. Kinda like the freaks who raced Le Cars. Cheap thrills. Real cheap thrills. Can't imagine there are many around on the used market.

The Citation was the X-car body-- front wheel drive and marginally better. Came out in the early 80's. I had one that was pretty well indestructible, but had some handling problems. Wouldn't pay more than the 300 bucks I paid for that one. A running Chevette for under 300 bucks may not be a bad deal either. Well under 300 bucks.

Drove plenty of both of them as rentals. Avis loved them because they were, well, cheap.

[dbt]

18. Owned one of each

The Chevette's gearbox (manual transmission) went out around 5,000 miles and the front brakes began to grind at 10,000. OTOH, it took a side impact rather well.

The Citation was OK until you had to make a sudden stop. As you jammed on the brakes, you were treated to the sight of the rear end outrunning the front end. Not too comforting!

:dunce:
dbt

[MaineDem]

20. We raced a Chevette

Not succesfully, mind you, but it was a great school car.

We also had a street Chevette. At one point it started malfunctioning. The mechanic found pieces of wood in the carbeurator! Now explain THAT one! :D

[Corgigal]

21. I had the Citation

She worked well for several years. She wasn't very expensive but she got me where I was going. Not really that bad.

[Kolesar]

22. The Chevette was a Vauxhall with a bigger engine

I heard that GM dropped the "Iron Duke" into the English design. It was heavier and overtaxed the suspension.

The Citation was GM's first front wheel drive design. They replaced it in a few short years with the A-body Celebrity, which was slightly larger. That A-body design was sold for 14 model years.

[GOPisEvil]

23. "Kind of a 'vette. A Chevette."

That's a quote from one of the guys in my dorm, when the talk turned to our cars. When asked what he drove, that was his answer. Actually, he didn't even have a Chevette. He had the Pontiac T-1000 (same car, different name).

[MaineDem]

24. I've used that line

:D

It didn't impress ANY of the guys!

[GOPisEvil]

25. Reminds me of my friend with the Porsche...

...everywhere he went, he'd leave his keychain (with Porsche fob) dangling from his pocket. It seemed to get the attention of certain women. :eyes: Anyway, it's not like he had a 911, or even a 944. He had a damned 914. But, it worked for him from time to time. :shrug:

[Terwilliger]

26. yes...why is this important?

:shrug:

And I do mean :shrug: