1982 Chevrolet Citation from North America - Comments

I just got this car from my grandma so there is probably more, but here is what I saw when I got the car;

Front seats have holes.

Parking brake was seized (probably not much fault of the car's, notice how little KMS are on the car? And it is 21 years old! Plus my grandma probably NEVER used the parking brake.)

Needs tune up badly (again, not a fault of the car's, it has all original tune up parts except the oil!)

Rear seat does not fold.

Rear hatch does not stay up in cold weather.

Steering wheel doesn't line up (when the car is moving straight, the steering wheel is not straight)

Seat belts don't have much spring left in them, they are pretty anemic at retracting.

Right indicator does not show up in dash however the outside lights work, probably just a burnt out bulb in the dash.

That is IT that I know of.

This is a great car, especially for a 16 year old kid. The car is quite slow, what do you expect, it has a 2.5L 90HP engine in it combined with a 3 speed automatic.

The handling is fairly good, the power steering is EXCELLENT, the car turns as easily as a golf cart. The power brakes are also very good. The engine and transmission is also very durable. According to my grandma, nothing has gone wrong with it (well, it does have low KMS)

I would have rather had fuel injection, but the carb is fine right now (I got an early 82, before they started putting in FI on these L4s, plus I am in Canada, so the fuel injection may have been added a few months later than in the US.) The car starts easily even in cool weather, especially with old plugs, wires, air filter, gas etc. (It will be given the ultimate test in January when I will have to start it in -25 degree weather.)

However, if you are looking for power, don't get a citation, unless you find an X11. Other than being fairly slow (not as bad as a Chevette, Pony or K-car) the car is great!

Hey you got the "Iron Duke" engine. It will run forever.

Well said!! Yes, the Citation "IRON DUKE" will run forever. Mine leaks oil, but that's the only thing wrong with it.. I have driven this car and I like its acceleration, it goes quick, but not fast. The manual would be faster. The iron duke is not 90 HP!! I have hauled a u-hail, trailer full of cement blocks, a huge boat and much more!! Still, it goes like spit!!

Perhaps if you had the throttle body fuel injection, it would run better.

Cheers!

Timothy D.

Visit www.chevytalk.com It is an online forum that will make you feel like family and will help you with your car!!

I am the reviewer. The iron duke is actually 90 HP. For a light car, it is fairly quick off the line, but the top speed is nothing to brag about.

I just did some basic maintenance---air filter, fuel filter, plugs, wires, cap, rotor and it starts a LOT easier now and NEVER stalls when it is cold (that is a problem I noticed when December cold hit.) The power is also "there" when at highway speeds. The poor power at high speeds before can be attributed to the clogged fuel filter.

BTW mine also leaks oil, not something I will complain about. A couple drops after the engine is hot and it doesn't drip when the engine is cold. I am almost positive it is leaking from the valve cover... an easy fix. The transmission also needs topping off. I noticed it has to "search" for what gear it wants to stay in when it is cold. Meaning it goes "2nd, 3rd, 2nd, 3rd, 2nd, 3rd" all in the time of about 20-30 seconds when cruising at 50 kph without making any movements to the throttle. More trans fluid should fix that right up.

All in all, a durable car with an engine and trans that can take a beating and some neglect. Although the interior is falling apart (a problem with almost all 80s cars, unfortunately.)

Update

The car's heater now leaks coolant, I have to decide if I want to keep it or drive it through summer and then buy a new car.

Replacing the heater core shouldn't be that tough, not a reason to dump the car.

I just got the heater core replaced for 400 bucks Canadian (first money ever put into the car, other than 30 dollars for maintenance junk) the Chevy dealership cleaned the car inside and out for free (we know the owner) now it runs and looks much better. It just needs new spark plugs and wires and every maintenance part will be new. It is nice to drive it without the rancid smell of rotten coolant and also nice to not have slime all over the inside of all the windows.

I managed to get an old Citation with the old L4. It has a bad oil pump, and I spun the bearings. Somehow it still runs and climbs the steep hills of New York better than most. If your car still has a solid body, keep it as long as you can. Parts are very cheap, and interchangeable with several other Chevy cars. I was lucky to keep many parts off of my previous Citation for my current one. The weak horsepower problem can be remedied by better air and fuel filters, along with some carburator cleaner added to a full tank of high grade gasoline.

I have a 1982 Chevy Citation and it has a problem starting. I replaced the plugs and it needs a tune up. After placing it in gear, it will just die. Once I get it going it runs fine. What could be wrong with my car?