1. Broken sway bar.
2. Broken driver (left) side front coil spring.
3. Tired left and right rear coil springs.
4. Leaking left and right rear shock absorbers.
5. Tired spark plugs.
6. Tired spark plug wire set.
7. Cracking drive belts.
8. Dead battery.
9. Emergency (hand) brake cables x3 (front, left rear, and right rear).
10. Torn left and right side constant velocity (CV) joint boots.
11. Disintegrated cradle bushings (cushions).
12. Worn out left and right side hatchback gas spring supports (shocks).
13. Leaking gas tank.
14. Malfunctioning fuel guage.
15. Failed alternator.
16. Failed starter.
17. Failed (worn out) ignition module.
18. Worn motor and trans-axle mounts.
19. Worn speedometer cable.
20. Leaking brake line.
21. Floor rusted out.
22. Lower door panels rusted off.
23. Rear left and right side wheel wells / shock towers rusted out.
I purchased the car from a friend of mine. He warned me of all the problems with the car (numbers 1 to 14 and 21 to 23).
As the fuel prices were becoming outrageous and my road traveling was increasing. Also, I did not have much money to spend. I required a reliable and economical car, with plenty of space for passengers as well as cargo.
My friend was thinking to scrap the car. Just to upgrade to a better one. I explained my shortfall of cash. Offered to take the car off his hands. He warned me of all the car's faults that he knew about. I still wanted it.
Long story short. I bought it for $200 Canadian. Did a little bit of work each pay. It has given me great joy in fixing it up. Just to get around. Now that almost all the mechanical work is complete. Next step! The remainder of the body.
It is definitely a reliable, roomy, sporty and a head turning little economical car. So, now that all the absolute necessary repairs; body and mechanical are done.
Next step give the car back its glory and dignity by fixing up the rest of the body. Hope to be chatting on-line next week with the Chevy Citation car club on yahoo dot com.
I love this car it's a keeper. I plan to convert this four door hatchback to an X-11 type with the cowl induction hood. If I can find one? I hope!
Good choice! Citations are excellent cars if you take the time to learn about them.
Here are some tips:
Keep the car covered such as a heated garage.
To keep the body in good shape, you should wax it frequently.
Oh and another thing hardware and automotive stores SHOULD well stock the parts in the ignition system such as the distributer, ignition coil etc. I would NOT recommend you go to a junkyard to buy parts as you don't know if it was abused or not and if it is wearing or not.
I own 2 Citations, a 1984 and 1985 sedan. I'm PROUD to own them and will never say the word "junkyard" near them!
OK-found this site via Google, I have 1985 4 cyl with over 300K miles, a gift from a friend. I live in Sunnyvale Ca. I have a code reader, which leads me to replace the O2 sensor. however, the eng still runs for a while and then stops, I haven't a clue..Help. My name is John
Hey.. I have a 1985 Chevy Citation II, 2.5L fuel injected. I drove it during my time in high school (till it quit) and let it sit around for a couple of years. Replaced the battery, rotor, and cap about seven months ago (as well as tested the coil, and module from inside the distributor) and managed to get it running, but the car quit halfway to destination; figured the fuel filter or fuel pump cut out due to old gas.
I had the car towed to my house. No indication of spark while using a timing light. Took the time and changed the fuel filter anyway. The fuel pump appears to be working OK. The rotor was very loose, as well as the two electrical connections to the ignition coil. I am going to get the module retested, and test the pickup continuity myself, as well as replacing the loose rotor with a (hopefully) tighter fitting one. I am hoping the module tests out OK, and that the loose connections on the coil as well as the ill-fitting rotor are the cause of my problems.
On a side note, has anyone ever heard of Chevy putting failsafe switches in the engine block, so that the engine will not start with low oil? (Guy at the auto parts store told me this one, but haven't given it much thought). If anyone has any other suggestions, they would be greatly appreciated.
(My 2.5l Citation, part two) :
I pulled the distributor and replaced the pickup.. made sure everything was fastened down super tight before starting her back up. Lo and behold, she started and purred like a kitten! The iron duke never fails to suprise me.. sitting for close to four years without a run, only to start right up! I'll never get rid of my Citation.
My husband and I purchased a Chevy Citation II, and not being very mechanically inclined, cannot figure how to remove the starter. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, gtrgrl3369@yahoo.com.
Note: A Comments RSS Feed 
is available. New comments appear in the Members Area before the main site