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Anyone owned one? Are they expensive to maintain? Hard to find parts? Let me know your experiences.
Pic for looks.
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Pic for looks.
Tell me about Fiat x/19
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35,288 Posts
Re: Tell me about Fiat x/19 (CaptSandwich)
i was looking at getting one years ago. here's what i found:
they suffer from "old cool car syndrome:"
they're either affordable and rusty, or in mint condition and overpriced
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good ones in great shape going for a great price.. are RARE!
obin
i was looking at getting one years ago. here's what i found:
they suffer from "old cool car syndrome:"
they're either affordable and rusty, or in mint condition and overpriced
good ones in great shape going for a great price.. are RARE!
obin
Re: Tell me about Fiat x/19 (CaptSandwich)
I had a 1981 X1/9. Great little car, not very quick at all by today's standards, but very fun to drive. The early cars had a carbureted 1.3, then around 1980 they switched to a 1.5 with eithe carb or fuel injection. By 1981, they were all fuel injected. The 1.5 only put out 75 hp, but was a little screamer with a 7k rpm redline.
The beauty of the X1/9 was the simplicity and parts-bin nature of its design. It was based on the Fiat Strada, which was a near-clone of the Mk1 Golf (Rabbit). In the X1/9, the entire Strada front suspension and drivetrain was placed in the back of the car, with fixed links filling in for the steering tie rods. The front end of the car had the same thing, minus the engine.
In the X1/9, almost all of the car's mass (engine, transmission, fuel tank, spare tire, passengers, etc) was placed in the very center of the car, within the wheelbase. This made for very lively handling.
Mine suffered from rust, notably at the base of the windshield. I still miss that quirky car sometimes.
I had a 1981 X1/9. Great little car, not very quick at all by today's standards, but very fun to drive. The early cars had a carbureted 1.3, then around 1980 they switched to a 1.5 with eithe carb or fuel injection. By 1981, they were all fuel injected. The 1.5 only put out 75 hp, but was a little screamer with a 7k rpm redline.
The beauty of the X1/9 was the simplicity and parts-bin nature of its design. It was based on the Fiat Strada, which was a near-clone of the Mk1 Golf (Rabbit). In the X1/9, the entire Strada front suspension and drivetrain was placed in the back of the car, with fixed links filling in for the steering tie rods. The front end of the car had the same thing, minus the engine.
In the X1/9, almost all of the car's mass (engine, transmission, fuel tank, spare tire, passengers, etc) was placed in the very center of the car, within the wheelbase. This made for very lively handling.
Mine suffered from rust, notably at the base of the windshield. I still miss that quirky car sometimes.
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5,198 Posts
Re: Tell me about Fiat x/19 (CaptSandwich)
My uncle had one when I was 5-6 years old. I have very faint memories of riding in it, including some longer road trips (Chicago to Minneapolis = long for a Fiat.) I've always kinda wanted one for nostalgia's sake.
I've been watching this one on Ebay:
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http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...=6218
It is probably headed into overpriced territory.
My uncle had one when I was 5-6 years old. I have very faint memories of riding in it, including some longer road trips (Chicago to Minneapolis = long for a Fiat.) I've always kinda wanted one for nostalgia's sake.
I've been watching this one on Ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...=6218
It is probably headed into overpriced territory.
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3,575 Posts
Re: Tell me about Fiat x/19 (Jordan 191)
Yeah, that one sort of prompted this inquiry. They just look they's be a fun little weekend ride.
| Quote, originally posted by Jordan 191 » |
| I've been watching this one on Ebay:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors...=6218 It is probably headed into overpriced territory. |
Re: Tell me about Fiat x/19 (CaptSandwich)
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Re: Tell me about Fiat x/19 (val98m3sc)
I saw lots of them racing against MGs, Triumphs, Datsun's etc
I saw lots of them racing against MGs, Triumphs, Datsun's etc
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5,198 Posts
Re: Tell me about Fiat x/19 (KARMANN_16V)
Those pictures are awesome.
The popular perception of these cars is that they are:
-mechanical basketcases
-rust-city
The current issue of Retro Cars has a little buying guide for them.
They are similar to the Porsche 944, because they are both:
-loved with enthusiasts, autocrossers, and amateur road racers
-absolutely HATED by car collectors and “classic” sports car buffs
You’ve gotta love cars like that.
Those pictures are awesome.
The popular perception of these cars is that they are:
-mechanical basketcases
-rust-city
The current issue of Retro Cars has a little buying guide for them.
They are similar to the Porsche 944, because they are both:
-loved with enthusiasts, autocrossers, and amateur road racers
-absolutely HATED by car collectors and “classic” sports car buffs
You’ve gotta love cars like that.
Re: Tell me about Fiat x/19 ([email protected])
I have one.
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It's an '83. Bertone body tags and vin, but Fiat registration.
They are easy cars to work on. The mechanical pieces are essentially those of a Fiat 128, which is the car the VW Rabbit was patterned on, so if you know how to work on a Rabbit, you'll know how to work on an X1/9.
Thing is, with the engine in a narrow hole in the back, it can be very hard to get at things. Even simple, ordinary tasks are more difficult because of the location of the engine and the lack of maneuvering room. But there's nothing complex about the single-cam motor or the transverse, all-indirect gearbox.
One thing you should know is that if you're over 6'4", you won't fit. That's not a problem for most people, but for me it is - I only just fit in my car, and it's a tight squeeze. I would not, however, want to drive in it for eight hours.
It's alot of fun. The handling is sharper and more raw than an MR2 and way ahead of a Fiero. The car is lighter than both of those cars as well. But the X1/9's powerplant only puts out about 85 hp in the hottest factory form. 1498cc with bosch injection. The 1290cc cars with single carbs and stock exhausts struggle to put out 65 hp. There's plenty of hot-up gear around though.
As you can guess, there are two kinds - the 1974-1978 cars with the Fiat 128's 1290-cc four, with carburetors, with different bumpers and fascias from the later cars. The early cars also had only four-speeds, in common with the 128. The 1979-1989 cars have the Fiat Strada's 1498-cc four, which is just a stroker version of the 1290 so many things are shared. These later cars gained a "fifth" gear which is really a super-overdrive for fourth - much more usable cars at high speeds. Cars made after mid-1980 had Bosch Fuel injection.
Speaking of parts, it's not really very hard to find parts for this car. It's not as easy as with a Spider mind you - almost everything is available for a Spider but many parts are not remanufactured for X1/9's. But it shouldn't be hard to find regular items. Stuff that's made of unobtanium: NOS rear struts for 1300's, chin spoiler mounts for 1500's, A-arms, metal patch panels for the nose, and a few other things you probably won't need.
There are plenty of vendors and club support is strong, plus the cars are surprisingly practical. And safe. I've even heard of somebody walking away after getting hit by a train.
Rust is the main enemy of course - they all rust - usually in the back, but the worst rust takes place in the sides of the strut towers (which are triple skinned) - it's hard to see at first and not so easy (but not horribly expensive) to fix. Anything rusting in the cowl should be viewed as a parts car, since that's nearly impossible to fix. All the other usual rust spots on old convertibles apply - and remember that this is a very strong, but highly stressed unibody - rust is dangerous.
Feel free to ask anything else.
I have one.
It's an '83. Bertone body tags and vin, but Fiat registration.
They are easy cars to work on. The mechanical pieces are essentially those of a Fiat 128, which is the car the VW Rabbit was patterned on, so if you know how to work on a Rabbit, you'll know how to work on an X1/9.
Thing is, with the engine in a narrow hole in the back, it can be very hard to get at things. Even simple, ordinary tasks are more difficult because of the location of the engine and the lack of maneuvering room. But there's nothing complex about the single-cam motor or the transverse, all-indirect gearbox.
One thing you should know is that if you're over 6'4", you won't fit. That's not a problem for most people, but for me it is - I only just fit in my car, and it's a tight squeeze. I would not, however, want to drive in it for eight hours.
It's alot of fun. The handling is sharper and more raw than an MR2 and way ahead of a Fiero. The car is lighter than both of those cars as well. But the X1/9's powerplant only puts out about 85 hp in the hottest factory form. 1498cc with bosch injection. The 1290cc cars with single carbs and stock exhausts struggle to put out 65 hp. There's plenty of hot-up gear around though.
As you can guess, there are two kinds - the 1974-1978 cars with the Fiat 128's 1290-cc four, with carburetors, with different bumpers and fascias from the later cars. The early cars also had only four-speeds, in common with the 128. The 1979-1989 cars have the Fiat Strada's 1498-cc four, which is just a stroker version of the 1290 so many things are shared. These later cars gained a "fifth" gear which is really a super-overdrive for fourth - much more usable cars at high speeds. Cars made after mid-1980 had Bosch Fuel injection.
Speaking of parts, it's not really very hard to find parts for this car. It's not as easy as with a Spider mind you - almost everything is available for a Spider but many parts are not remanufactured for X1/9's. But it shouldn't be hard to find regular items. Stuff that's made of unobtanium: NOS rear struts for 1300's, chin spoiler mounts for 1500's, A-arms, metal patch panels for the nose, and a few other things you probably won't need.
There are plenty of vendors and club support is strong, plus the cars are surprisingly practical. And safe. I've even heard of somebody walking away after getting hit by a train.
Rust is the main enemy of course - they all rust - usually in the back, but the worst rust takes place in the sides of the strut towers (which are triple skinned) - it's hard to see at first and not so easy (but not horribly expensive) to fix. Anything rusting in the cowl should be viewed as a parts car, since that's nearly impossible to fix. All the other usual rust spots on old convertibles apply - and remember that this is a very strong, but highly stressed unibody - rust is dangerous.
Feel free to ask anything else.
Re: Tell me about Fiat x/19 (Taimar2)
I should also add...
...If you're classic sports car experiences are mostly of British cars, this car will simply astonish you at how well it drives and how practical and functional it is. Frankly it handles light years beyond the capabilities of most classics, and is virtually a modern car in terms of it's dynamics and poise. It is an extremely well balanced machine.
I should also add...
...If you're classic sports car experiences are mostly of British cars, this car will simply astonish you at how well it drives and how practical and functional it is. Frankly it handles light years beyond the capabilities of most classics, and is virtually a modern car in terms of it's dynamics and poise. It is an extremely well balanced machine.
Re: Tell me about Fiat x/19 (val98m3sc)
They were even called just Bertone X1/9 in their last years (IIRC both in the US and Europe). Those were the last ones sold here:
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They were basically 85/86 US models, then switched to European modelsand sold here in 88/89. The last ones were a special edition for the British market.
| Quote, originally posted by val98m3sc » |
| When I was a little kid I thought they were Ferraris. Can't say I've ever ridden in one or driven one, but I think they are great looking. It is a Bertone design, no? |
They were even called just Bertone X1/9 in their last years (IIRC both in the US and Europe). Those were the last ones sold here:
They were basically 85/86 US models, then switched to European modelsand sold here in 88/89. The last ones were a special edition for the British market.
Re: Tell me about Fiat x/19 (Jordan 191)
I'll drink to that!
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| Quote, originally posted by Jordan 191 » |
They are similar to the Porsche 944, because they are both: -loved with enthusiasts, autocrossers, and amateur road racers -absolutely HATED by car collectors and “classic” sports car buffs You’ve gotta love cars like that. |
I'll drink to that!
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5,723 Posts
Re: Tell me about Fiat x/19 (VWteknik)
My dad has a x/j9 it's a 96 Berton badged also.It's a pretty nice car repainted it's stock yellow.It's sitting outside right now with no engine because.The engine is at the shop getting some work done.When it's back on the road it will have a supercharger,head and bottom end work
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We were contemplating trying to see if we could get a vr in there
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but my dad loves only two types of cars fiat's and Bmw's
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My dad has a x/j9 it's a 96 Berton badged also.It's a pretty nice car repainted it's stock yellow.It's sitting outside right now with no engine because.The engine is at the shop getting some work done.When it's back on the road it will have a supercharger,head and bottom end work
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35,288 Posts
Re: Tell me about Fiat x/19 (Jordan 191)
heh heh, yep! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif
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translate that also into "once you put a little into them, you get way more performance than you paid for
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"
obin
| Quote, originally posted by Jordan 191 » |
| The current issue of Retro Cars has a little buying guide for them. They are similar to the Porsche 944, because they are both: -loved with enthusiasts, autocrossers, and amateur road racers -absolutely HATED by car collectors and “classic” sports car buffs You’ve gotta love cars like that. |
heh heh, yep! http://****************.com/smile/emthup.gif
translate that also into "once you put a little into them, you get way more performance than you paid for
obin
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