Got my X-11 back again, and gave it to one of my kiddos. Lots of pics

Over the years I've bought and sold this car three times. I first sold it to a 16-year-old girl who ended up side-swiping a dumpster with the right 1/4panel, and then blew the original motor by not fixing an oil leak and throwing a piston out the side of the block. I bought it back, and put in a used Citation X-11 motor that I had in a parts car. I then sold it to my friend Laird.

After selling it to Laird, the used motor blew. Laird pulled the motor and had it totally rebuilt. He also swapped the original Muncie 4spd for a Getrag 5-spd from a Cavalier Z24. He installed an NOS carb, new water pump, new fuel pump, new struts, new tires, new steering rack, and on and on and on. Sadly he could never get it to run right (in the 10 years I'd first owned it, it had been a GREAT car, so I still feel really bad that it gave Laird so much trouble).

Anyway in 2012 the car started stalling, and would not re-start until it cooled down. Drove Laird nuts, nobody could find the problem. He finally replaced the computer, and that solved it. Then last year the shifter cable broke, and being it was homemade, hooking the 4spd to the 5spd transmission, we could not find a replacement. This is when I traded Laird my Cutlass for his 1996 Bonneville, so my wife would have a commuter, and got this car thrown in the deal.

Fast-forward about three months later and I'd fixed the shifter, and Laird changed jobs and needed something to commute in. He bought the X-11 back from me and commuted in it until last November, when it started stalling again. Frustrated, Laird parked the car and got something else.

So last week he called to see if I wanted the car back....again... Laird made me a great offer on it, so I picked it up for the kids this weekend. Joseph, the 18-year-old, has no interest in it, but Johnathan loves it and worked HARD on it all day Saturday, along with the rest of the family. I bet Joseph will like it more this summer when he's asking his younger brother for rides!

We spent ALL DAY Saturday on the car, and it really turned into a family project, with my Dad and all my kids but 5-year-old Tuck, who Misty took to the movies, out in the driveway working on the X-11.

Here we've picked up on Sat morning at my friend Robert's shop, where it had been parked. Car was filthy from sitting outside for three months, but 15-year-old Johnathan doesn't care, he's thrilled to have his first car!



Johnathan And Joseph vacuuming at the car wash.


Joseph pitching in on the clean-up


Proud new owner waiting for his turn in the carwash (I had to wash my Denali first...ha)


First wash. Had been sitting outside for three months!


Unloaded at home, time to detail it!


The factory sunroof had started leaking, and rather than fix it, Laird had taped the sunroof up...with white masking tape. Amazingly Lily took this project to heart, and with WD-40 and plastic razor blades, she TOTALLY cleaned all the tape mess off and got the sunroof working again. Nice work Lil!!









My Dad showed up and decided we needed to paint the black trim around the windows, which was faded and worn. Everyone pitched in with the masking, Joseph with the paint-can shaking, and Johnathan had my McGuier's wax in his hand and we taped as soon as he got each panel waxed, ha! Then each kids took turns painting, they had a ball!















Paintwork finished as the sun sets. Unmasking the car here

 

All cleaned up, freshly waxed, and black trim painted, looking good again! Johnathan inside and Lily peeking over the fender. Lily used a tiny paintbrush and re-painted the lettering on the Hurst fender embelms. Again, nice work!






So after all that I HAD to let Johnathan drive it. We did three laps around the neighborhood. He had driving my Denali at the ranch, but never had driven a stick before. After some initial bucking and stalling, he started to get the hang of it, and was able to get into 2nd and then 3rd, BUT the Citation started losing power and then began stalling on it's own when it warmed up, just like Laird said it would. Will have to sort that out...I'm thinking the ignition module in the distributor is failing....?
Don't know. Regardless I took over and we got it home. Despite the car being a little sick, Johnathan loves it and was all smiles.


Here's Johnathan After Driving his new car around the block for the first time! He'll always remember his first car, with fondness I hope! Car is all clean and safe under the carport in it's new home. Now for a license Johnathan!



And here's pics from the next morning. Made a lot of headway in a single day! Really looks good again. That's the original 33-year-old paint!



Black trim around the windows came out great!






Great sticker!



Little V6 has a nice burble through the chrome exhaust tips.



Interior cleaned up well too. The driver's seat is faded though. I wonder if I could re-dye it black. The rest of the interior is still nice and dark black.



Full gauges and vertical radio...85mph speedo and blue 55 numbers. Ahh the 80's!



Gotta love the sideways-facing factory stereo with cassette, still works too! Ha!



Hurst-shifted 5-spd. Car was originally a 4-spd, now had a Getrag 5-spd from a Cavalier Z24



No cruise control, no power windows, no power locks, no delay wipers, no CD player, and a stick. A REAL car! Hey it has a sunroof, cloth seats, great a/c and a tilt wheel. It's perfect for a 1st car!


Such fun!


-Mike

 

I also made sure to show him this TV ad for his new car. For some reason he wasn't impressed.....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C67s6xysEj8

 

Nice work Mike and crew. You've turned them all into little YOU's.
Now all you need is a sign out in the yard DETAILING WHILE YOU WAIT.
I'll bet the neighbors would love that.

 

Mike,, This is great and I always like reading your family stories....

However,,,, I do have one question....... ( ??)

Look in da garage,,, seee that 'ole poncho just SITTING there,,,
allll alone,, lonely,, neglected,, feeling unloved,,,,


When the hell are you going to get that one DONE !! ???

 

Maybe when Dewey gets his wagon enterior finished and I get my panel truck done.
Possibly when Hell freezes over. :banghead3:

 

What I learned from this thread...
I should have had kids, about 6 or 8 would be handy.

 

Mike's the pied piper of automotive repair and detailing.....
Unfortunately, the only pic I can see is the sideways radio one.......
Edit: Never mind. I refreshed and they're all there....... lemme go see.....

 

That really is a great car for a kid - all the right stuff. Fun to drive, economical, nice looker. Wish I had your detailing skills when I had my first car. I remember 'blacking out' some stuff on my '63 Cutlass - the grill, maybe the steel rims (?). Also did the same thing to my '65 Dart, including the rear center panel between the tail lights.

So what does Joseph want?

 

Looks great Mike!

 

Then you would not have time or money for the cars.

 

I was thinking the same thing. Poor old goat. It almost looks like it's tring to sneak out of the garage and get some of that attention...

Nice work on the car 81x11 team.


Congratulations on your first car Jonathan...enjoy and stay safe.

 

x2 on the x11! The poor old GTO is right in line behind Dewey's interior on the list of getting things done.

 

He's holding out for the Goat.

 

It's good that 81X11's '81 X11 is back with the family....