RE: SOTW: Fiat X1/9
Discussion
Ferg said:
Not sure the Fiat was particularly innovative... 
I could be wrong, but I think it was the first time a manufacturer used a FWD engine & box to make a very well packaged, affordable, driveable, mi-engined sports car, am not aware of anyone else doing this before, but the MR2, MGF, and others - even the Lotus Elise - followed. Please - More stories of rust and Italian electrics before I buy this one - My resolve if weakening, and the rose-tinted glasses are firmly in place - I had 2 and really don't need a third ....
Silver Smudger said:
I could be wrong, but I think it was the first time a manufacturer used a FWD engine & box to make a very well packaged, affordable, driveable, mi-engined sports car, am not aware of anyone else doing this before, but the MR2, MGF, and others - even the Lotus Elise - followed.
Please - More stories of rust and Italian electrics before I buy this one - My resolve if weakening, and the rose-tinted glasses are firmly in place - I had 2 and really don't need a third ....
does this helps? Please - More stories of rust and Italian electrics before I buy this one - My resolve if weakening, and the rose-tinted glasses are firmly in place - I had 2 and really don't need a third ....
One of my big regrets in motoring is the Fiat X1/9.
I had been searching for an open-topped sportscar, and my choices were narrowed down to a Fiat Spider, Alfa Spider (105 series) or MX5. Then I saw an X1/9 advertised at a good price.
My regret is that I didn't get as far as looking at the X1/9, I bought the Spider - ran it for a year, then found out the cost of an MOT for a further year meant it wasn't worth saving, and sold it as spares or repairs on eBay.
The X1/9 was in much better shape for less money...
I had been searching for an open-topped sportscar, and my choices were narrowed down to a Fiat Spider, Alfa Spider (105 series) or MX5. Then I saw an X1/9 advertised at a good price.
My regret is that I didn't get as far as looking at the X1/9, I bought the Spider - ran it for a year, then found out the cost of an MOT for a further year meant it wasn't worth saving, and sold it as spares or repairs on eBay.
The X1/9 was in much better shape for less money...
the more "real" dalara's look pretty special under the plastic bodywork>>
nice and les rust
ow and>>
that a lot power for such low weight car....nice.
nice and les rust
ow and>>
said:
Another interesting engine swap was done to this racing X1/9 built in the U.K. by Racing Technologies. Under the Dallara-inspired bodywork is an Alfa Corsa 155D2 Super Touring engine that puts out 298 hp. It uses a Bacci 5-speed and LSD and weighs 1653 lbs. This would be an interesting car to try out on an autocross or road race track
that a lot power for such low weight car....nice.
angusc43 said:
What it really needs is proper 2.0 twin cam.
Something like a Strada Abarth 130TC motor.
IIRC you can drop them in.
I had one which had a Beta twincam fitted. Approaching 130bhp, but far cheaper at the time as Strada Abarths were still expensive.Something like a Strada Abarth 130TC motor.
IIRC you can drop them in.
Didnt really handle, needed a full tank always, terrible brakes and the constant fear of corrosion. Still - it wasnt that different to the Arbath twin cam X1/9, just a good deal cheaper (and I think that the original cars only had a 1.6l FIAT spec engine, which wasnt as powerful as the Lancia version).
After this I moved on to a Thema Turbo-engined Mirfiori 131 Sport, which was even more half-arsed!
One thing about the original engine - it does balance nicely. In Norfolk I drove over a hump-back bridge on a deserted road hoping to get a bit of air and got a mild hop. Rubbish. On the return journey I gave it some more beans and was surpised to find the ground several feet below me. (not exaggeration
) There was a horrendous crash as it landed but completely horizontal and the break-away rear view mirror broke away and landed on my girlfriend. (who fortunately laughed) The whole underside was scraped, mostly the lower wishbone mounts at the rear and the cover over the pipes to the radiator. Note to self: in future check bridges are not asymmetrical with one side a lot steeper than the other.
) There was a horrendous crash as it landed but completely horizontal and the break-away rear view mirror broke away and landed on my girlfriend. (who fortunately laughed) The whole underside was scraped, mostly the lower wishbone mounts at the rear and the cover over the pipes to the radiator. Note to self: in future check bridges are not asymmetrical with one side a lot steeper than the other. Edited by UnderTheRadar on Monday 21st May 01:53
If I recall correctly: the speedomater and the tachometer rotated in opposite directions (speedo LHS clockwise - tacho RHS anti-clockwise).
With the standard 1.3l/1.5l engine it was as though the car was teasing you, as you tried to get both needles pointing at each other, but you couldnt ever manage it...
With the standard 1.3l/1.5l engine it was as though the car was teasing you, as you tried to get both needles pointing at each other, but you couldnt ever manage it...
Silver Smudger said:
I could be wrong, but I think it was the first time a manufacturer used a FWD engine & box to make a very well packaged, affordable, driveable, mi-engined sports car, am not aware of anyone else doing this before, but the MR2, MGF, and others - even the Lotus Elise - followed.
Please - More stories of rust and Italian electrics before I buy this one - My resolve if weakening, and the rose-tinted glasses are firmly in place - I had 2 and really don't need a third ....
Plenty of kit manufacturers had done it before, so not really innovative. Chris Lawrence's Deep Sanderson in '61 is the car I think of as being innovative with this particular idea.Please - More stories of rust and Italian electrics before I buy this one - My resolve if weakening, and the rose-tinted glasses are firmly in place - I had 2 and really don't need a third ....
itsrodders said:
Mastiff said:
I LOST one of these once....
Do tell?Back in the late 80's my Father owned a Fiat delership in Dorking, and as I worked for him he gave me an old X19 to run around in.
He was also very involved with the Boxing Scene back then, and we went to see LLoyd Honeyghan fight (I think) Jorge Vaca at Wembley(?).
Because of his connections we started the day at the weigh in at the Royal Garden Hotel @ 11.00am in the morning. I drove up.
Things from then on got rather a tad messy. The next thing I remember is waking up in a hotel in Paddington, with a girl I've NEVER seen before or since, with my father knocking on the door and saying "Come on son, we're out of here".
When we hit the pavement he turned to me and said "Right, where's the car?"
I just looked at him blankly.
We looked everywhere, the hotel, Wembley - back at the Royal Garden - everywhere. I remember that they had not long introduced radio cabs in black taxis, and we had the guy radio all the other black cabs to see if anyone could locate it.
We never found it.
In a flash of reason I remembered the number plate not too long ago, and hpi'd the car to see if it still existed - but nothing came up. Could be wrong the registration I suppose, it was a long time ago!
He still reminds me of it occasionally.
Mastiff said:
I think I've told this before on here.
Back in the late 80's my Father owned a Fiat delership in Dorking, and as I worked for him he gave me an old X19 to run around in.
He was also very involved with the Boxing Scene back then, and we went to see LLoyd Honeyghan fight (I think) Jorge Vaca at Wembley(?).
Because of his connections we started the day at the weigh in at the Royal Garden Hotel @ 11.00am in the morning. I drove up.
Things from then on got rather a tad messy. The next thing I remember is waking up in a hotel in Paddington, with a girl I've NEVER seen before or since, with my father knocking on the door and saying "Come on son, we're out of here".
When we hit the pavement he turned to me and said "Right, where's the car?"
I just looked at him blankly.
We looked everywhere, the hotel, Wembley - back at the Royal Garden - everywhere. I remember that they had not long introduced radio cabs in black taxis, and we had the guy radio all the other black cabs to see if anyone could locate it.
We never found it.
In a flash of reason I remembered the number plate not too long ago, and hpi'd the car to see if it still existed - but nothing came up. Could be wrong the registration I suppose, it was a long time ago!
He still reminds me of it occasionally.
Back in the late 80's my Father owned a Fiat delership in Dorking, and as I worked for him he gave me an old X19 to run around in.
He was also very involved with the Boxing Scene back then, and we went to see LLoyd Honeyghan fight (I think) Jorge Vaca at Wembley(?).
Because of his connections we started the day at the weigh in at the Royal Garden Hotel @ 11.00am in the morning. I drove up.
Things from then on got rather a tad messy. The next thing I remember is waking up in a hotel in Paddington, with a girl I've NEVER seen before or since, with my father knocking on the door and saying "Come on son, we're out of here".
When we hit the pavement he turned to me and said "Right, where's the car?"
I just looked at him blankly.
We looked everywhere, the hotel, Wembley - back at the Royal Garden - everywhere. I remember that they had not long introduced radio cabs in black taxis, and we had the guy radio all the other black cabs to see if anyone could locate it.
We never found it.
In a flash of reason I remembered the number plate not too long ago, and hpi'd the car to see if it still existed - but nothing came up. Could be wrong the registration I suppose, it was a long time ago!
He still reminds me of it occasionally.
Silver Smudger said:
Please - More stories of rust and Italian electrics before I buy this one - My resolve if weakening, and the rose-tinted glasses are firmly in place - I had 2 and really don't need a third ....
Do you remember the distributor? I note the car in the ad has replacement electronic ignition and that's a good move. Mine were always going out of tolerance and I was there at the side of the road with the driver's seat tipped forwards, the spare wheel out, the panel unscrewed so I could set the points with the end of a fingernail and adjust the timing by ear. I'm sure I'm not the only X1/9 owner to keep a spanner on board just for this. There are downsides to putting a FWD set of mechanicals in the middle Also asking a mechanic to check the rear tracking got me plenty of "fool" looks until I explained.There are a lot less Stradas on the road now so I suspect parts availablity isn't so good.
Parts availability remains good thanks to a handful of specialist retails around the world.
The cars left now are generally pretty rust free - simply a matter of survival of the fittest. Late 1300s and early 1500s are pretty good at rust proofing (for a 70s car), the early Bertone build cars were pretty poor and then improved again so in general you look for cars registered 1978 to 1982 and about 1984 onwards. There are exceptions but it is generally quite consistent.
The cars left now are generally pretty rust free - simply a matter of survival of the fittest. Late 1300s and early 1500s are pretty good at rust proofing (for a 70s car), the early Bertone build cars were pretty poor and then improved again so in general you look for cars registered 1978 to 1982 and about 1984 onwards. There are exceptions but it is generally quite consistent.
carinaman said:
This particular example doesn't seem very torquey so an Uno Turbo transplant would fix that.
yup the Uno Turbo lump drops pretty much straight in there - I used to have a 1300 X with a 1400 Uno lump, thing went like a scalded cat (at least compared to the original 1300 and indeed the 1500 version I had as well!!). Sold the X1/9 having been bitten by the V8 bug and then realised I prefered mid 80s 5 litre IROC-Z fun to mid 80s 1.3 litre X1/9 fun. Shame it took me soooo long to get to the Yanks, though to be fair the X is not a bad idea at this price pointGassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff