Is this Chevrolet “Tritation” a wicked custom, or just wildly terrible?
One of the most beautiful parts of the automotive world is that we are all free to modify and alter our cars to become an extension of our personality and character. However, some of you need to calm down with the sawzall and welder. This Custom Chevrolet Citation, dubbed the “Tritation,” is a prime example of taking it just a bit too far—though it is really well done.
The absurdity starts up front, which is actually the back. If you are a Citation fan, you might want to stop reading, as it took two Citations to create this three-wheeler. The rear of the custom machine is composed of factory sheetmetal that would usually be from the firewall forward, but it’s not the trunk and still houses the engine.
That power plant is a factory 2.4-liter four-cylinder mated to an automatic transmission. If you are scratching you head (like I was) wondering if the car drove everywhere in reverse or how the transmission was set up, most internet sleuths and those familiar with the GM X-body platform seem to think the front subframe is symmetrical, allowing the power pack to neatly be spun 180 degrees and bolted up.
The directional front of the vehicle has been very neatly sectioned and narrowed to arrange the interior in a fighter-plane style, with a single drivers seat up front and a single passenger seat behind. Not quite as cool as a McLaren F1, but an attempt. The interior is surprisingly well-finished, just like the rest of the car—including the most custom part.
That would be the single front wheel conversion. I have seen a fair number of trike builds in my day. Most are based on Fieros, Corvairs, or VWs and graft a motorcycle front end onto a cut-up car chassis. The “Tritation” eschews that kind of hackery for a setup that we don’t get the best look at from the photos provided. The suspension appears to use some repurposed motorcycle shocks, with no shortage of bracing welded into place between the narrow fenders.
Interestingly, if you are familiar with the weirder corners of the internet, this car’s appearance comes as no surprise to you. By digging around a bit, it appears to have been living in Brett Spaulding Sales’ lot since 2017. Is it wacky enough that you would consider buying it, or is it just an interesting exercise in vehicular surgery (of the Frankenstein kind)? Let us know in the comments below.
