Another Italian To Make You Smile

[twowings]

220 HP moving 1,950 lbs of automobile...I like it!

Read about it here:

https://jalopnik.com/a-vtec-swapped-fiat-x1-9-has-all-the-speed-of-a-modern-1834200464

[JJ]

Back in the day, an old girlfriend of mine in CT drove one.  Fabulous lines from Bertone, with a cool, removable one-piece targa roof...excellent handling / braking...but it did not...(repeat)... DID NOT like the cold, wet East coast winters...

[Zoom Zoom]

Dang, I was hoping for Sophia Loren.

I'm taking this to the complaint department. I demand satisfaction.

John Henry

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

Lost me at "VTECH". 

I bought a Bertone (Fiat) X1/9 new in '85 and daily drove it for the next three years, racking up almost 90k miles. I was "essential personnel", so had to be there no matter the weather. Plowed through the worst that Winter could throw at it, never missed a beat. Few problems - worn out rear ball joint, cracked cv joint boots. Small critter inflicted damage: busted from spoilers and grills. Ran it on Mobil Delvac, changed cam belts every 25k miles. Zero oil usage or leakage. Only reason I got rid of it was I started car-pooling and needed more than a two-seater. Fast enough that a well-driven Honda Civic Si with 15 more hp never could get past me...

[JJ]

Dang, I was hoping for Sophia Loren.

I'm taking this to the complaint department. I demand satisfaction.

John Henry

Best I can do on short notice!!!

[Roebling3]

Years ago a good friend, race car enthusiast and colleague based in CA, learned of several, still in the crates, so to speak, in a Baltimore warehouse. He bought 3 for little more than a song. My nearest encounter was with similar. An X19 making a U turn on a 4 lane highway including a low profile, center lane divider. ATGATT? The trauma Dr. was convinced I was hiding something that would kill me, if he turned me lose.  R3~

Addenda: JJ! X GF in CT ? Might she have shared her love w/ CP? My late friend. Just sayin'.  Life is filled with juxtaposition.

[twowings]

Dang, I was hoping for Sophia Loren.

I'm taking this to the complaint department. I demand satisfaction.

John Henry

[Gliderjohn]

Sophia is worth a second picture.



boy names that end with o

GliderJohn

[Zoom Zoom]

Ah, now we're talking.

I remember when X19 sightings were frequent. Cool little cars!

John Henry

[canuck750]

I sure remember seeing a lot of those on the road around here. Local Italian car specialty dealer "ITAL Motors' sold them along with Lancia, Alfa and the dreaded LADA. I always like the look of the FIAT more than the Porsche 914.

I was not a big fan of the Italian cars after my sister bought an early 70's Fiat Spyder, lovely to look at, rusted away before your eyes and was always breaking down.

[Rough Edge racing]

 Around here they rusted away like magic if driven in the winter...They are a nice classic piece when used as intended...Engine swaps are fine if reasonable and don't overwhelm the suspension and character of the car..

[tris]

Like RER I thought that they had all dissolved into piles of red rust 

Always thought it was a cool looking car though

[bad Chad]

I liked the Triumph TR 7 too.  Cool add slogan  back when I was a kid. “The shape of things to come.”

[ITSec]

I owned an X1/9 for more than seven years back in Edmonton - '82 to '90. I loved that car. Not as much power as it needed from the stock engine (though mine - a fuel injected 1500 - was the best engine the factory ever gave it).

As time went on, I changed the cam, replaced the struts at about 70,000 miles, and did a port and polish / head shave when the aluminum head warped away from the iron block. Got some reasonable gains in power; the handling was always good, and improved when I replaced the 80-series P3s and 13-inch wheels with 60 series Sumitomo Ultra HR rain racing tires on 14-inch wheels.

A friend and I bought our first new cars at the same time, me the X1/9 and him a Civic Si. After 7 years, my cost per mile was lower than his! Sold the machine to a kid (which I had been when I bought it) with over 100,000 miles - and last I spoke to him, he had it up to 150,000.