Back in 1973 or 1974 when the x/19 came out i loved this car. A few years later i got a 1976 lancia scorpion that was turbocharged forged pistons, nimonic valves. , konis ‘big” bwa wheels. I kept that lancia running and hapoy for over a decade and a half and a couple of hundred thousand miles. I love seeing the beauty of the fiat x1/9 .. i remember bayless quite well ...thank you for posting up.
I had two X1/9s that I bought new, a 78 and an 85 like this. I liked both for different reasons. The 78 had those ladder bumpers which were weird, but the paint was a gorgeous burgundy and the interior was white. I wish the interior held up better. The little 1.3 liter engine was fun with its 4 speed trans, but the 85 FI 1.5 liter and 5 speed trans were a nice upgrade. The lifetime supply of windshield fluid container was much better than the little bag of fluid stuffed into the headlight access area. The seats of the 85 never deteriorated in the 7 years I had her. While the 78s wheels were steel, they were originally shod with Michelin XAS tires. These tires were perfectly suited for the car and I was not able to find them again to replace them. Oh yeah, the 78 was plagued with wheel bearing issues until they were superseded with a better design. I sold the 78 with 90K miles and it was still running strong. I did the head gasket myself at 50K and I had the alternator rebuilt. Yes, a company actually rebuilt the alternator I brought to them. Other than those items I mentioned, neither car ever had electrical issues or engine/trans issues. The 78 I had Ziebarted when I bought it, and the 85 had some similar treatment from the factory so I didn't bother. But the 85 I think had that Russian steel that seemed to melt away in some hidden areas. I never replaced the clutches or exhaust on either car. Radiators and plumbing were also never replaced, although one coolant hose to the engine was being poked by a bolt that I had to take care of. I think these were great cars which were affordable. I paid $5,400 for the 78 and $8,500 for the 85 which was a leftover in 86. Oh yeah, the electric windows never gave me a problem either. Boy, I miss them. They were fun to drive and I found roads that brought out the handling.
I had two also. A '76. Then I traded it in on a '79. The '79 ended up with dual 44 DCNF's along with a header. That car ended up with 244,000 miles on it.
I have had 3 x19s rocking and rolling through english country roads. Perfect balance and traction for turning and sliding thru corners. Small tires Small engine Small car so much fun.
Richard Neal good fun! The size of these cars would be just perfect for B roads. Last time we were in England we had a blast on the B roads. Even a e36 BMW 3 series is getting a bit big to properly toss about so my son and I chatted about what the best B road warrior would be. I landed on a first gen Elise and he decided a fiat 20v coupe would be aces. You are right though and I can’t believe neither of us thought of the car. I think we were caught up in the “cars we don’t get in the states” frame of mind . Enjoy your X/19s they would truly be a joy!! Thanks for watching!!
I have had 6 of these wonderful cars in my life. Now I live in Asia and the one thing I miss the most from back home is Canada is my X. It is the last car owned and sold in Canada before I left. I sold it, 1988 for just over 3K and I miss her very much. A friend painted on of my X's and accidentally dropped the jack on a corner leaving it up on three stands. The car didn't move a mm. She just stayed up there in all her glory. My buddy told me the next day and then said he needs to buy one as soon as possible. He thought they were garbage and all my talk was hype until the jack event. Since then he has been an X1/9 follower. These are absolutely great cars and were far ahead of their time. The safest car when they came out and destroyed motor cities reputation. cops would pull me over and I asked what I did wrong and they said nothing they just wanted to have a closer look at the car. My friend always knew I was coming for a visit. she could her me from miles away. That exhaust note was absolute music. you didn't need to have a radio you just listened to the engine sounds and drove around with a big smile on your face all the while you were doing it. Yeah, I miss my X, can't you tell!!
А когда и как Вы оказались в Канаде? И почему сейчас в Азии? Я никак не смог перевести и понять главный пункт - вот это: A friend painted onE of my X's and accidentally _dropped the jack on a corner_ leaving it up on three stands Я понял, что был какой-то инцидент с домкратом и машина как-то осталась на трёх опорах, но нормально картину не могу воспроизвести...
I used to own an X/9 more than twenty years ago, I rebuilt a wrecked one as a project car. Just like to mention a few of the amazing features of this little car. It was a proper sports car with a mid engine and rear wheel drive. It had 4 wheels disc brakes which were totally unassisted. Great feel and one less thing to go wrong. No power steering but it did not need it being light and rear wheel drive. Some models had the tachometer running anti clockwise as did the one in this video. The 1.3 litre motors were not powerful but were real screamers. They had very over Square bore dimensions and as a result is was really easy to rev 1000 rpm over redline. The targa roof was fibreglass, no rusting, and conveniently stored in the front without taking up much storage space. The car had two boots ( or trunks for Americans), one in front and a small one behind the engine. I loved to drive this car on cold rainless nights with the roof off, windows up and heater on full. Very little wind comes into the cabin and the beautiful engine note gets magnified. And lastly they have a timeless beauty, they have aged far better than most cars of this vintage. Mine remained mostly standard except for three things. Car painted egg yolk yellow and looked great. Had 15 inch shells made for it, they used and old classic Ferrari wheel to make a mould fit the wheel centres, they perfectly suited the car. And finally I had the guy who repaired the body work weld plates over the standard tail lights. I replaced these with two round style tail lights to emulate the style of a Ferrari 308. These lights suited the car perfectly and were worth the trouble fitting. They were actually truck lights so were very cheap but looked fantastic. I almost forgot, I ditched the standard bumpers to improve looks.
Tim's Enthusiast Garage, thanks for the video, it takes me down memory lane. I also have an appreciation for this young guy rebuilding the car from the ground up. Took me a long, long time to do mine and eventually enthusiasm ran low. He did an amazing job.
As for chassis stiffness, it IS one of the best chassis from this era. Standard test is to jack up one corner of the x1/9, get three wheels off the ground and be surprised at how little body flex is has. Try this on a similar year Porsche 911T, 914 or other and be amazed at how MUCH the body has distorted. This test when applied to the Miata NA-NB will also produce wide eye surprises. The chassis was designated to protect driver-occupant in a 50mph barrier test, 80mph roll over. No car from Detroit could meet this proposed DOT test. Only the Volvo 240 series had similar crash protection. Reason for this comes from the x1/9's designer and parents. The same folks who designed the Lancia Stratos, designed the x1/9. Look carefully at this Lancia Stratos chassis then compare it to the x1/9 chassis. Except for the open top on the x1/9, they are so very similar in their design, due to both chassis coming from the same designer. Not to be forgotten, the suspension in the x1/9 is FAR better than most would know. It is in many ways better than the vast majority of two seaters from back then and two seaters in current production. teamspeed.com/forums/maserati-alfa-romeo-general-italian/42997-lancia-stratos-full-chassis-restoration-done-kreissieg.html
I have three Bertone built cars in my garage. The X1/9 is obviously more rigid than its flimsy predecessor, the 850 spider. It is also more rigid than the Volvo 780 although the 780 is more recent, has a steel top and weighs almost twice as much.
I had a guy run a red light and I T boned him at about 50mph. The front crumpled up to the windshield. Even with my seat belt I hit the top of the windshield with my forehead. The car was totaled and I had a bad gash and two black eyes. The car saved my life. RIP 1979 X1/9. I loved you.
I worked for a Fiat dealer when the X1/9 first hit the states. Factory recommended break in was simply, red line every shift. That's it. Red line every shift. The one thing you don't want to ignore is the timing belt replacement interval. replace it every 30k miles. The engine is a zero clearance engine, so if the belt goes, it's going to eat the valves. Love this car, very nice example.
I never heard that. A friend of mine's Dad had a dealer license for Fiat in Massachusetts. Fell in love in 84 and have owned 3. I agree on the timing belt...
@@markmacauley2293 I wont argue that he is wrong, I have had a few cars that were happiest when you used the throttle like an on off switch, that was one, the other is ANY VW IDI diesel. Lugging those is hard on the motor, and death for fifth gear, LOL. It just hammers the gears to shrapnel.
I have two of these, I live in the UK, so they are both RHD, one has done 23,000 miles from new, the other just 850 miles from new, and she is like a dream, just off the prodction line. They are indeed very raw with that engine screaming away behind you with very little sound proofing, the standard tyres do not have much rubber on the road, but the weight distribution is just so pure that you can get away with murder. I had a 1.3 as a twenty year old, andnow I have a few quid, I like to collect examples of cars from my past, I liked this trip down memory lane so much that I got both a keeper and a weekend one. Great video Tim, I can see you enjoyed the blast out :)
Gary Lake thanks so much for watching ! I appreciate your additional personal experience with the x 1/9 and really appreciate your kind words. Subscribe if it would be a bother! Cheers -T
Loved the little X1/9 back in its first year with the tiny bumpers....and of course as seen here. I owned a turbocharged lancia scorpion back in the day..big brother to the X1/9
Loved the Scorpion/Monte Carlo. This was a great era and generated many over looked and under appreciated Italians. They were prone to rust and the price point they sold at committed them to all weather duty thus ruining alot of cars for future generations.
Had a blue 78' x1/9 first RH ones in Australia, they are a great entry level mid engined car with a timeless design & many innovative features. Pity it wasn't developed further once bertone took over.
"This car really surprised me in several ways that were completely unexpected" well Tim that's what 'suprise' means lol. Great video, great car, that kid is amazing!
Man it so is. I got a chance to see it again this last weekend. I will do a follow up in the final epsode of the season. He has taken things to yet another level of excellence.
What's often overlooked of this car is how Bertone and Gandini (Bertone's chief designer) worked this car to the bone to be the most rationally designed roadster ever. It had to replace the Fiat 850 Spider. A car made for young people that didn't have many money, but wanted to buy a fun and good looking car, so that car would have probably been their only one until they had children. So the X1/9 it had not been made to be only fun to drive (50-50 weight distribution, four indipendent MacPherson struts) and safe (50mph barrier test, 80mph roll over. US manufacturers managed to not have those proposed DOT requirements mandatory) but it had plenty of luggage space (front and rear trunks, both spacious and with a regular shape). The roof takes place in the front trunk without reducing the luggage space. The spare wheel is behind the passenger's seat... Compare this with a Fiero or an MR2, despite both being bigger cars.
I had a 1981 X1/9. I found it in a junkyard and bought it for $300 US. I wish I had kept it, but I was young and my inspiration and money went towards something else.
@@manakaitarblootza7258 The MR2 was a cheap copy of the X 1/9 and no where near as efficient. The difference is 20 years difference in development. The X 1/9 was designed in the late 1960's. The same thing happened with the Lotus Elan and the Mazda Miata. You can't compare them.
I´ve got an ´87. Just love every ride. Main problems were electrics and... rust. Lots of rust. Only one way to deal with that : strip it right away and buy/make a rotisserie. Worth every penny. Poor electrics and cooling can be solved easely : do some research. Do put an electronic distributor in to start with, convert the carbs to manual choke, add a electric fuel pump, some relais and thicker gauge wiring and most of your problems are solved. Buy one now, restore it later eventualy, they don´t become cheaper. Enjoy !
Tim ! Where is the requisite shot of the pop-up headlights rising from the corners of the hood ? ;-) Awesome project and I definitely appreciate Brayden's vision and work on this rare gem
You know, in what must be one of this season's greatest oversites it was omitted from this episode. Seriously. A huge failure. In the future cars with pop up headlights will feature that moment prominently. Thanks for watching and for your comment!
Andrea Snow the body kit pieces and rear deck are handmade but he and his dad make them for resale as well. The engine is the original engine but freshened. He actually runs a K series Honda swap now delivery over 200 hp and is in the process of turbocharging it. Crazy right ? Cheers
"Fix it again Tony" one of my most hated commentarys about Fiats, started it. Due to most Fiat dealers being strictly American car dealers, with inexperienced Fiat techs. 1 or 2 trips to the service dept of a dealer that sold Fiats for extra bucks, was usually enough for many Fiat owners to look for independent shops for Fiat service. Meeting "Tony", who was friendly and Italian, people assumed old "Tony" knew his stuff. Well, "Tony" was just a guy who got your money for his limited knowledge of all things Fiat, and could be only half as good as a dealer shop people fled from. You see the obvious of how that "phrase" got way over worked, and usually is heard from people who know nothing about Fiats, or cars in general. I've owned 22 Fiats, 2 of which were brand new, and 6 of that Fiat clonecancelled irreparable
ditto my friend ....as a Fiat Fanatic my self ......i owned 10 different types of Fiats in my lifetime ......and the problems i had with them was almost nonexistant.........so yes i would also like to know where this rumour comes from....that Fiats are unreliable...rust buckets ..etc.etc......I am from South Africa .....which means that we didnt get many X19 s in our country ......and yes it is a beautiful design...!!!........The Fiat i had the longest was my 1978 131 RALLY 2 door ....what a magnificent car....i had it for 23 years...!!!! yes thats correct ....23 years ....and then people want to say that Fiats are unreliable......i eventually gave the 131 to my son when he became 20 years of age .....i made him a Fiat Fanatic also....we installed a fully blueprinted 1600 cc twin cam Fiat motor with 2x 40 sidedraught Webers ..4 into one banana branch ...exhaust ..Richie Jute 3/4 race camshafts ...skimmed the head a little bit painted it a sharp blue ...and that was that .......he drove it for another 5 years......during those years he regularly took it to our local dragstrip...to race...afterwards he drove home again with this car...in the first year he won the 2 litre rearwheel drive ..normally aspirated class.........yea !...that was one hell of a car.!!....he sold it...... and now about 6 years later he cries about selling that car ....but ...it is to late now....good old days........ F.......Fantastic I........Italian. A.......Automotive T........Technology.........!!!!!!
Guess it’s me but I don’t think either cars you mentioned look better without the bumpers. They both look like something is missing. I had a 1985 Bertone X1/9.
djbrianc interesting. They definitely look better to my eye without or with very minimal integrated European style bumpers . Cheers and thanks for watching !
One of THE most under appreciated small mid-engine cars to this day. It is really a Bertone product, much less a Fiat Product. For those interested in the history of the x1/9. read this article in Hemmings. www.hemmings.com/magazine/hsx/2011/08/X-Squared---1979-Fiat-X1-9/3701641.html
I believe he was going to up load it but due to copywrite law it was prevented :( I am a HUGE Rush fan! His teacher loved it and played it for several classes. He didn't spend quite as much time as he would have liked and perhaps for season 2 we will do a real proper version of the song using some of this existing footage. Cheers man!
Philguy Brads we, personally I think the flares from Midwest Bayless and the bumper delete or even small bumperettes really make the design stand out. I really enjoyed the built and Weber fed engine I drove. I know people Honda swap these but I think it kills the classic cool. Focus on shoring up the suspension. A lot of cars I drove prior to this one were not as pointy. Good luck!!
I have one of them with a racing cam performance dick brakes and racing shocks and is ready for turbo and intercooler. I have five webers and about six fuel injector intakes. he gave me enough parts to put ten together one on the dashes says Bertone 065/500 I was thinking a bumper delete with a turbo purple gloss base with graffiti X1/9 on the sides. I didn't know whether to do luggage rack or spoiler. I also was thinking of prettying up the engine bay before throwing Mr turbo engine in there any thought about the look. I also cannot find a vehicle specific turbo and suggestions on the manufacturer?
Philguy Brads I vote spoiler, no luggage rack. Turbo wise I have seen a custom set up to use a small Garrett but I am not sure if the manifold was completely custom or not
I Will Go classic with the others then put two of the four for sale. The other two will be mine one restored to classic and the other with the turbo I was thinking a red for the classic. But ont he sellable ones will the bumper delete depreciate the value of the car?
With the wide fender flairs and simplified nose and tail (without the giant bumpers) I think it is a very beautiful design. The company mentioned in this also makes a conversion kit to run a modern turbo 4 cyl giving 330 hp. That should be pretty mental. I plan on driving one in the spring and will bring a full video on that car as well.
Tim, I am in Youngstown Ohio and I sent you E-mail about driving a 1988 Lotus Esprit that has been converted to Megasquirt EFI from the OEM CIS setup. Did you see my E-mail or did it end up in your spam bucket?
Hey man, to where did you send the email? I didn't see it nor did it make it to my spam though I do have that auto delete. Email me at timsenthusiastgarage@gmail.com and I will check later today my friend. Cheers!
Hi Tim, just some friendly feedback. Please show the whole car in a normal angled shot, before you start doing the artist angles of parts of the car. It was really hard to get an idea of how the car looks as a whole, as I was watching.
Those things rusted through if you sweat on them. The plastic was trash. And stock, they wouldn't get out of their own way. Alfas were rust buckets also.
Nah, I pass.... Although the car was well built and it handled very well in corners and winding roads, the car was slow at only 75 hp. But it was fun to drive on country roads and it was very responsive when shifting. Also, it was a rust bucket. I prefer the Nissan 300zx from 1986-1989 and of course the 300zx from 1990-1996, a much better car in every way.
Mamadou Aziza I always thought of these cars just as you describe. Driving this one was certainly a surprise. I never liked either of the Nissans back in the day but now I find myself more than intrigued. I got to drive both generations recently and each had a special quality to it. I actually liked the older 86 car better.
Tim's Enthusiast Garage I've driven all of them and the Fiat to me had an upscale Go-Cart feeling and you really could feel the road in that car. No power steering, no power breaks, no traction or stability control, just organic handling. Again, the car was built really strong but had so many issues. Fiat never really developed the car much and Bertone did nothing. The late model Nissan 300zx cars were so superior to the Fiat X 1/9 in every way. Better built, more styling, better handling, more powerful etc....The Japanese got it right in 1990 and were finally on par with German's Porsche 944 sports cars with the revamp 300zx. Porsche did everything possible to downplay Nissan's revamp 300zx. Would be nice if Chrysler/Fiat redevelop the X 1/9 in limited numbers at a price of $40k and it handled like a Lotus Elise.
Mamadou Aziza the Z31 is definitely NOT better than a X19 in every way the only two things that make it superior is more power and more comfort plus they rotted like a bitch just like every other Japanese car in the 80s too which makes it indifferent in that case. the Z32 has almost as good handling to the X19 thanks to its 4WS being quite well tuned and can carry itself through turns better with its increased power without bogging down like the cheap old fiat from 20 years prior. Don’t get me wrong I love the fat Zs heck I want to own one but they are simply not even comparable to the fiat as both are a completely different class of car
You are talking about a car designed over 10 years after the X1/9 with a whole lot more development dollars and final cost. The Z is better in many ways but not all, I've own a 300zx 85 and now own a 85 X1/9. The Z is a far more advanced car, not surprising seeing its 10 years newer and cost a lot more in adjusted dollars. Liking comparing the Z to a C5 Vette, you get the idea. That being said the X does have a number of things on the Z. It is much slower but much more fun to drive, the Z of that era had a sloppy heavy car feel with its front engine. The X is a far more nimble and maneuverable being much smaller, mid-engine and 800 to 1,000 lbs lighter. You feel attached to the road in the X in a way the Z could never deliver. The X is also a much better looking car. The first generation 300sx was a rather unattractive sports car, hodgepodge design. The 300sx did not become a beautiful car til the 2nd gen arrived. Finally you drive a X and you will be surprised how many heads it turns and people asking you about the car, you just don't get that in the Z.
wow .!!!!!....comparing a much more....expensive .....larger..... and more powerful v6 car with a 1500 cc Fiat ......we take that as a compliment,,,,....!!!!!!!
This car is cheep for the poors. The car must be expensive for the riches, to show in youtube that you are rich from the West! No matter how good or not is this car, it should be expensive to show its owner's status! This is the European Valuebility!
The bumpers, especially the US bumpers were a safety abortion that should have been aborted in the idea phase. They really look the best sans bumper. LOL@ rock bottom of the depreciation curve, NO, no they are not. That happened in the late 80s and early 90s when fiat pulled their disappearing act in the US. I bought the one I had in the late 80s with right around 10K and a blown clutch for $300. I wish I kept it it was perfect, no rust at all, perfect body. Sadly being a teen with limited income and the unavailability of parts it had to go away.
American Law Dawg it’s not a sun visor it was some sort of parking pass. Sorry it was so distracting. Cheers
7 років тому
It's pretty stupid test driving a custom-built car and based on that making blanket statements about all X1/9's. Almost all the ones you will find now are broken down rust-buckets and it will take tens of thousands to build them into a car like this custom-built one. That's why you can find them for under $5000. And the parts availability to restore these cars is very poor. No body parts are available and you find any mechanical parts in your neighborhood parts store.
Midwest- Bayless restores and sells these cars. Further most of the restored, or at least well fettled examples that have been coming up for sale lately in the 5-9k price point are really nice cars. Cars that are 1500 and 2000 grand are certainly going to need work but based on this, it's worth putting in the effort. Going further , should you buy a heap the above mentioned company stocks body panels and even makes parts and panels for these cars. It is completely possible to build one to this spec for sub 10k. Cheers
Back in 1973 or 1974 when the x/19 came out i loved this car. A few years later i got a 1976 lancia scorpion that was turbocharged forged pistons, nimonic valves.
, konis ‘big” bwa wheels. I kept that lancia running and hapoy for over a decade and a half and a couple of hundred thousand miles. I love seeing the beauty of the fiat x1/9 .. i remember bayless quite well ...thank you for posting up.
This video reveals exactly why this car will become a sought after classic. Great work!
Vince de Simone thanks for watching and for this comment. It means a lot to me. Starting and continuing a channel like this is hard work. Cheers!
I had two X1/9s that I bought new, a 78 and an 85 like this. I liked both for different reasons. The 78 had those ladder bumpers which were weird, but the paint was a gorgeous burgundy and the interior was white. I wish the interior held up better. The little 1.3 liter engine was fun with its 4 speed trans, but the 85 FI 1.5 liter and 5 speed trans were a nice upgrade. The lifetime supply of windshield fluid container was much better than the little bag of fluid stuffed into the headlight access area. The seats of the 85 never deteriorated in the 7 years I had her. While the 78s wheels were steel, they were originally shod with Michelin XAS tires. These tires were perfectly suited for the car and I was not able to find them again to replace them. Oh yeah, the 78 was plagued with wheel bearing issues until they were superseded with a better design. I sold the 78 with 90K miles and it was still running strong. I did the head gasket myself at 50K and I had the alternator rebuilt. Yes, a company actually rebuilt the alternator I brought to them. Other than those items I mentioned, neither car ever had electrical issues or engine/trans issues. The 78 I had Ziebarted when I bought it, and the 85 had some similar treatment from the factory so I didn't bother. But the 85 I think had that Russian steel that seemed to melt away in some hidden areas. I never replaced the clutches or exhaust on either car. Radiators and plumbing were also never replaced, although one coolant hose to the engine was being poked by a bolt that I had to take care of. I think these were great cars which were affordable. I paid $5,400 for the 78 and $8,500 for the 85 which was a leftover in 86. Oh yeah, the electric windows never gave me a problem either. Boy, I miss them. They were fun to drive and I found roads that brought out the handling.
I had two also. A '76. Then I traded it in on a '79. The '79 ended up with dual 44 DCNF's along with a header. That car ended up with 244,000 miles on it.
I have had 3 x19s rocking and rolling through english country roads. Perfect balance and traction for turning and sliding thru corners. Small tires Small engine Small car so much fun.
Richard Neal good fun! The size of these cars would be just perfect for B roads. Last time we were in England we had a blast on the B roads. Even a e36 BMW 3 series is getting a bit big to properly toss about so my son and I chatted about what the best B road warrior would be. I landed on a first gen Elise and he decided a fiat 20v coupe would be aces. You are right though and I can’t believe neither of us thought of the car. I think we were caught up in the “cars we don’t get in the states” frame of mind . Enjoy your X/19s they would truly be a joy!! Thanks for watching!!
I have had 6 of these wonderful cars in my life. Now I live in Asia and the one thing I miss the most from back home is Canada is my X. It is the last car owned and sold in Canada before I left. I sold it, 1988 for just over 3K and I miss her very much. A friend painted on of my X's and accidentally dropped the jack on a corner leaving it up on three stands. The car didn't move a mm. She just stayed up there in all her glory. My buddy told me the next day and then said he needs to buy one as soon as possible. He thought they were garbage and all my talk was hype until the jack event. Since then he has been an X1/9 follower. These are absolutely great cars and were far ahead of their time. The safest car when they came out and destroyed motor cities reputation. cops would pull me over and I asked what I did wrong and they said nothing they just wanted to have a closer look at the car. My friend always knew I was coming for a visit. she could her me from miles away. That exhaust note was absolute music. you didn't need to have a radio you just listened to the engine sounds and drove around with a big smile on your face all the while you were doing it. Yeah, I miss my X, can't you tell!!
Kusnezoff thanks for sharing your X Story!! Very cool stuff. Cheers!
А когда и как Вы оказались в Канаде? И почему сейчас в Азии?
Я никак не смог перевести и понять главный пункт - вот это: A friend painted onE of my X's and accidentally _dropped the jack on a corner_ leaving it up on three stands
Я понял, что был какой-то инцидент с домкратом и машина как-то осталась на трёх опорах, но нормально картину не могу воспроизвести...
I used to own an X/9 more than twenty years ago, I rebuilt a wrecked one as a project car.
Just like to mention a few of the amazing features of this little car.
It was a proper sports car with a mid engine and rear wheel drive.
It had 4 wheels disc brakes which were totally unassisted. Great feel and one less thing to go wrong.
No power steering but it did not need it being light and rear wheel drive.
Some models had the tachometer running anti clockwise as did the one in this video.
The 1.3 litre motors were not powerful but were real screamers. They had very over Square bore dimensions and as a result is was really easy to rev 1000 rpm over redline.
The targa roof was fibreglass, no rusting, and conveniently stored in the front without taking up much storage space.
The car had two boots ( or trunks for Americans), one in front and a small one behind the engine.
I loved to drive this car on cold rainless nights with the roof off, windows up and heater on full. Very little wind comes into the cabin and the beautiful engine note gets magnified.
And lastly they have a timeless beauty, they have aged far better than most cars of this vintage.
Mine remained mostly standard except for three things. Car painted egg yolk yellow and looked great. Had 15 inch shells made for it, they used and old classic Ferrari wheel to make a mould fit the wheel centres, they perfectly suited the car.
And finally I had the guy who repaired the body work weld plates over the standard tail lights. I replaced these with two round style tail lights to emulate the style of a Ferrari 308. These lights suited the car perfectly and were worth the trouble fitting. They were actually truck lights so were very cheap but looked fantastic. I almost forgot, I ditched the standard bumpers to improve looks.
Brad Rigg thanks for watching and taking a few moments to comment. I really appreciate that
Tim's Enthusiast Garage, thanks for the video, it takes me down memory lane. I also have an appreciation for this young guy rebuilding the car from the ground up. Took me a long, long time to do mine and eventually enthusiasm ran low. He did an amazing job.
As for chassis stiffness, it IS one of the best chassis from this era. Standard test is to jack up one corner of the x1/9, get three wheels off the ground and be surprised at how little body flex is has. Try this on a similar year Porsche 911T, 914 or other and be amazed at how MUCH the body has distorted. This test when applied to the Miata NA-NB will also produce wide eye surprises. The chassis was designated to protect driver-occupant in a 50mph barrier test, 80mph roll over. No car from Detroit could meet this proposed DOT test. Only the Volvo 240 series had similar crash protection.
Reason for this comes from the x1/9's designer and parents. The same folks who designed the Lancia Stratos, designed the x1/9. Look carefully at this Lancia Stratos chassis then compare it to the x1/9 chassis. Except for the open top on the x1/9, they are so very similar in their design, due to both chassis coming from the same designer.
Not to be forgotten, the suspension in the x1/9 is FAR better than most would know. It is in many ways better than the vast majority of two seaters from back then and two seaters in current production.
teamspeed.com/forums/maserati-alfa-romeo-general-italian/42997-lancia-stratos-full-chassis-restoration-done-kreissieg.html
I have three Bertone built cars in my garage. The X1/9 is obviously more rigid than its flimsy predecessor, the 850 spider. It is also more rigid than the Volvo 780 although the 780 is more recent, has a steel top and weighs almost twice as much.
This, it had one of the best chassis of any car I have ever owned.
I had a guy run a red light and I
T boned him at about 50mph. The front crumpled up to the windshield. Even with my seat belt I hit the top of the windshield with my forehead. The car was totaled and I had a bad gash and two black eyes. The car saved my life.
RIP 1979 X1/9. I loved you.
I hate you. I am more eager to get an X1/9 thanks to you.
nice video really enjoyed it..had my 1979 x19 since 1988,,and getting it back in action...thanks to your dad as well..Matt @ Bayless...super nice guy
I worked for a Fiat dealer when the X1/9 first hit the states. Factory recommended break in was simply, red line every shift. That's it. Red line every shift. The one thing you don't want to ignore is the timing belt replacement interval. replace it every 30k miles. The engine is a zero clearance engine, so if the belt goes, it's going to eat the valves. Love this car, very nice example.
I never heard that. A friend of mine's Dad had a dealer license for Fiat in Massachusetts. Fell in love in 84 and have owned 3. I agree on the timing belt...
@@markmacauley2293 I wont argue that he is wrong, I have had a few cars that were happiest when you used the throttle like an on off switch, that was one, the other is ANY VW IDI diesel. Lugging those is hard on the motor, and death for fifth gear, LOL. It just hammers the gears to shrapnel.
That only applies to the 1.3L, the 1.5L had non-interference valves.
Brilliant. Another forgotten classic that you are literally the best at showcasing.
Thanks so much! I really try. Slowly growing the channel 🙌
@@TimsEnthusiastGarage thanks to you my feed is featuring X/1 9's today. 😀
@@travkatz that right there is a legitimate public service 🙂
I have two of these, I live in the UK, so they are both RHD, one has done 23,000 miles from new, the other just 850 miles from new, and she is like a dream, just off the prodction line.
They are indeed very raw with that engine screaming away behind you with very little sound proofing, the standard tyres do not have much rubber on the road, but the weight distribution is just so pure that you can get away with murder.
I had a 1.3 as a twenty year old, andnow I have a few quid, I like to collect examples of cars from my past, I liked this trip down memory lane so much that I got both a keeper and a weekend one.
Great video Tim, I can see you enjoyed the blast out :)
Gary Lake thanks so much for watching ! I appreciate your additional personal experience with the x 1/9 and really appreciate your kind words. Subscribe if it would be a bother! Cheers -T
Had a 1974 stocker and luv it with lack of power. Would of luv’d to had had this boys upgrades. Nice job.
Weets thanks for watching !
I had a 74 that I rebuilt from the ground up back in the eighties, loved that car.
I know it is pretty off topic but do anyone know of a good site to stream newly released series online ?
@Anthony Alfredo Lately I have been using flixzone. Just search on google for it :)
@Anthony Alfredo i would suggest Flixzone. Just search on google for it :)
Wouaww spectaculaire exemplaire, well done Guy ! 🤩
Loved the little X1/9 back in its first year with the tiny bumpers....and of course as seen here. I owned a turbocharged lancia scorpion back in the day..big brother to the X1/9
Loved the Scorpion/Monte Carlo. This was a great era and generated many over looked and under appreciated Italians. They were prone to rust and the price point they sold at committed them to all weather duty thus ruining alot of cars for future generations.
I am so amazed at the quality of this beautiful fiat.it looks even better in person.the owner has some mad skills.
The owner is indeed deeply talented and humble.
He made this car look even more beautiful.
Even more inspiration to buy an X19 for myself after I passed one up years ago for a Suzuki Alto RS/R
Had a blue 78' x1/9 first RH ones in Australia, they are a great entry level mid engined car with a timeless design & many innovative features. Pity it wasn't developed further once bertone took over.
Yes, I agree, more development and an evolution version could have made this car a proper legend. Cheers and thanks for watching!
Bought many parts from Bayless for my ❌. Great company.
"This car really surprised me in several ways that were completely unexpected" well Tim that's what 'suprise' means lol. Great video, great car, that kid is amazing!
GoalieLife Hahahaha. Yes. Very surprising . He is a great guy. Thanks so much for watching
Man, that thing is beautiful.
Man it so is. I got a chance to see it again this last weekend. I will do a follow up in the final epsode of the season. He has taken things to yet another level of excellence.
I also had a Fiat x 1/9 for years. A great sports car. Unfortunately I am now 87 and therefore no longer have a car.
Greetings from Holland.
Cheers, thanks for watching! I would love it if you would Subscribe. Cheers!
What's often overlooked of this car is how Bertone and Gandini (Bertone's chief designer) worked this car to the bone to be the most rationally designed roadster ever.
It had to replace the Fiat 850 Spider. A car made for young people that didn't have many money, but wanted to buy a fun and good looking car, so that car would have probably been their only one until they had children. So the X1/9 it had not been made to be only fun to drive (50-50 weight distribution, four indipendent MacPherson struts) and safe (50mph barrier test, 80mph roll over. US manufacturers managed to not have those proposed DOT requirements mandatory) but it had plenty of luggage space (front and rear trunks, both spacious and with a regular shape). The roof takes place in the front trunk without reducing the luggage space. The spare wheel is behind the passenger's seat... Compare this with a Fiero or an MR2, despite both being bigger cars.
Yes, these cars are beautiful designs that remain very affordable. Thanks so much for your comment and for watching !
Thank you men for all your great work. Cheers!
Cheers and thanks for watching !
ROCK ON Brayden,,, sry if I misspelled your name... I soo much want another X1/9
Jim E How much you want a car like that?
I can help you.
They are great cars...just check for rust!
I had one from new in the early 80's. It handled like it was on rails. Get the 1500cc
I had a 1981 X1/9. I found it in a junkyard and bought it for $300 US. I wish I had kept it, but I was young and my inspiration and money went towards something else.
Wow! $300 ? That is fantastic. I'm Curious as to what replaced it?
love the fiat x19, always felt like it was the better looking and performing then its toyota clone: sw11 Mr2. That car looks similar.
I love the X1/9 too, but the MR2 was so much more efficient. Although, that also makes the X1/9 a better project car because of its rarity.
@@manakaitarblootza7258 The MR2 was a cheap copy of the X 1/9 and no where near as efficient. The difference is 20 years difference in development. The X 1/9 was designed in the late 1960's. The same thing happened with the Lotus Elan and the Mazda Miata. You can't compare them.
I´ve got an ´87. Just love every ride. Main problems were electrics and... rust. Lots of rust. Only one way to deal with that : strip it right away and buy/make a rotisserie. Worth every penny. Poor electrics and cooling can be solved easely : do some research. Do put an electronic distributor in to start with, convert the carbs to manual choke, add a electric fuel pump, some relais and thicker gauge wiring and most of your problems are solved. Buy one now, restore it later eventualy, they don´t become cheaper. Enjoy !
Tim ! Where is the requisite shot of the pop-up headlights rising from the corners of the hood ? ;-)
Awesome project and I definitely appreciate Brayden's vision and work on this rare gem
You know, in what must be one of this season's greatest oversites it was omitted from this episode. Seriously. A huge failure. In the future cars with pop up headlights will feature that moment prominently. Thanks for watching and for your comment!
Love a red barchetta. Love the video.
🚗
Famous x1/9 within the community :) Best looking modified x in my opinion.
My son and I are huge fans of Brayden. We are adding one to the collection and you can bet branden will be involved! Thanks so much for watching!
This is the first time l seen it as Lotus looking, makes me want to buy one on the other side of town (yellow 2500)
I drive one once. The seats are fantastic.
I'll be getting ahold of you soon. Just bought a 1975 for $500
Awesome video.
Cheers and thanks so much for watching
Amazing, the body kit is aftermarket or handmade ? the engine is original ?
Andrea Snow the body kit pieces and rear deck are handmade but he and his dad make them for resale as well. The engine is the original engine but freshened. He actually runs a K series Honda swap now delivery over 200 hp and is in the process of turbocharging it. Crazy right ? Cheers
Well when his Honda engine is ready do a video
The flares is great ,Faza edtion ?
Midwest Bayless
Most Fiats are great cars, much better than their reputation - wherever that comes from I don’t know. Take it from an owner!
I second that!
"Fix it again Tony" one of my most hated commentarys about Fiats, started it. Due to most Fiat dealers being strictly American car dealers, with inexperienced Fiat techs. 1 or 2 trips to the service dept of a dealer that sold Fiats for extra bucks, was usually enough for many Fiat owners to look for independent shops for Fiat service. Meeting "Tony", who was friendly and Italian, people assumed old "Tony" knew his stuff. Well, "Tony" was just a guy who got your money for his limited knowledge of all things Fiat, and could be only half as good as a dealer shop people fled from. You see the obvious of how that "phrase" got way over worked, and usually is heard from people who know nothing about Fiats, or cars in general. I've owned 22 Fiats, 2 of which were brand new, and 6 of that Fiat clonecancelled
irreparable
ditto my friend ....as a Fiat Fanatic my self ......i owned 10 different types of Fiats in my lifetime ......and the problems i had with them was almost nonexistant.........so yes i would also like to know where this rumour comes from....that Fiats are unreliable...rust buckets ..etc.etc......I am from South Africa .....which means that we didnt get many X19 s in our country ......and yes it is a beautiful design...!!!........The Fiat i had the longest was my 1978 131 RALLY 2 door ....what a magnificent car....i had it for 23 years...!!!! yes thats correct ....23 years ....and then people want to say that Fiats are unreliable......i eventually gave the 131 to my son when he became 20 years of age .....i made him a Fiat Fanatic also....we installed a fully blueprinted 1600 cc twin cam Fiat motor with 2x 40 sidedraught Webers ..4 into one banana branch ...exhaust ..Richie Jute 3/4 race camshafts ...skimmed the head a little bit painted it a sharp blue ...and that was that .......he drove it for another 5 years......during those years he regularly took it to our local dragstrip...to race...afterwards he drove home again with this car...in the first year he won the 2 litre rearwheel drive ..normally aspirated class.........yea !...that was one hell of a car.!!....he sold it...... and now about 6 years later he cries about selling that car ....but ...it is to late now....good old days........
F.......Fantastic
I........Italian.
A.......Automotive
T........Technology.........!!!!!!
Guess it’s me but I don’t think either cars you mentioned look better without the bumpers. They both look like something is missing. I had a 1985 Bertone X1/9.
djbrianc interesting. They definitely look better to my eye without or with very minimal integrated European style bumpers . Cheers and thanks for watching !
Beautiful car, but it really needs period correct wheels. I recommend classic Ferrari style wheels
Mini Stratos!🏁
Go up in value? When?
alhalhalal1 they are on the rise. Locally perfectly maintained cars are already on offer above what I would consider paying
One of THE most under appreciated small mid-engine cars to this day. It is really a Bertone product, much less a Fiat Product. For those interested in the history of the x1/9. read this article in Hemmings.
www.hemmings.com/magazine/hsx/2011/08/X-Squared---1979-Fiat-X1-9/3701641.html
you said your son shot a remake of red barchetta? is that online? (rush and fiat x19 fan)
I believe he was going to up load it but due to copywrite law it was prevented :( I am a HUGE Rush fan! His teacher loved it and played it for several classes. He didn't spend quite as much time as he would have liked and perhaps for season 2 we will do a real proper version of the song using some of this existing footage. Cheers man!
Sick!!
my4cars Mini stratos!!
Hot car!
I have one of these, How do I get in touch with them to get parts and flares?
ben The Governor’s Channel Midwest Bayless . They have a decent web page. Tell them Tim sent you and they give you the special prices :)
Tim's Enthusiast Garage theyre out of stock 😢
hoche27 oh sad. They usually build them frequently. Contact them directly, let them know Tim sent you.
Tim's Enthusiast Garage 👍 cool thank you
I was just given four of them about to start my build. any suggestions?
Philguy Brads we, personally I think the flares from Midwest Bayless and the bumper delete or even small bumperettes really make the design stand out. I really enjoyed the built and Weber fed engine I drove. I know people Honda swap these but I think it kills the classic cool. Focus on shoring up the suspension. A lot of cars I drove prior to this one were not as pointy. Good luck!!
I have one of them with a racing cam performance dick brakes and racing shocks and is ready for turbo and intercooler. I have five webers and about six fuel injector intakes. he gave me enough parts to put ten together one on the dashes says Bertone 065/500 I was thinking a bumper delete with a turbo purple gloss base with graffiti X1/9 on the sides. I didn't know whether to do luggage rack or spoiler. I also was thinking of prettying up the engine bay before throwing Mr turbo engine in there any thought about the look. I also cannot find a vehicle specific turbo and suggestions on the manufacturer?
Philguy Brads I vote spoiler, no luggage rack. Turbo wise I have seen a custom set up to use a small Garrett but I am not sure if the manifold was completely custom or not
I Will Go classic with the others then put two of the four for sale. The other two will be mine one restored to classic and the other with the turbo I was thinking a red for the classic. But ont he sellable ones will the bumper delete depreciate the value of the car?
oh and I already have the manifold.
I wonder could it be a Stratos alternative
With the wide fender flairs and simplified nose and tail (without the giant bumpers) I think it is a very beautiful design. The company mentioned in this also makes a conversion kit to run a modern turbo 4 cyl giving 330 hp. That should be pretty mental. I plan on driving one in the spring and will bring a full video on that car as well.
Tim's Enthusiast Garage Stratos is one of my favorite cars . But nowadays they only exist in Kit car replicas
Tim, I am in Youngstown Ohio and I sent you E-mail about driving a 1988 Lotus Esprit that has been converted to Megasquirt EFI from the OEM CIS setup. Did you see my E-mail or did it end up in your spam bucket?
Hey man, to where did you send the email? I didn't see it nor did it make it to my spam though I do have that auto delete. Email me at timsenthusiastgarage@gmail.com and I will check later today my friend. Cheers!
That is the exact address I sent the note to. I sent it on July 7th. It came from my yahoo account. I will try resending from my gmail account.
Thanks !!
3:22 tachometer reversed ?
Yes, the tach sweeps opposite a standard tech
Hi Tim, just some friendly feedback. Please show the whole car in a normal angled shot, before you start doing the artist angles of parts of the car. It was really hard to get an idea of how the car looks as a whole, as I was watching.
And i recommend a wide angle lens for your shots, of you in the car. Feels awkwardly close.
So as built, what's 0-60?
Comfortably in the 5.5-6.3 range
Is there any info on the comany middle of love italian aisle
Anthony kennedy Midwest Bayless is the company mentioned in the video. They have a website and Facebook account . Cheers!
Damn!
I have one but need help on restoring it, where do you get parts?
Kay Jackson Midwest Bayless, tell them tim sent you.
Midwest Bales Talian Auto?
Midwest Bayless Italian Auto. JK
Indeed. Thanks for watching !
Cool LG Austria
Those things rusted through if you sweat on them. The plastic was trash. And stock, they wouldn't get out of their own way. Alfas were rust buckets also.
So were Lancia and Ferrari of the era. Bad steel to be sure
Dual webbers on a 1.5? Damn the carbs are bigger than the engine. lol
Hi!
what diameter are the rims?
and where can I find them?
Contact Midwest Bayless . They can get them for you and give you exact spec with ET
@@TimsEnthusiastGarage I need the same as yours, can you give me your spec and ET??
@@gioelepagliarani4927 the car is Braydon (the kid in the video) he works at the place. Just ask for him . Cheers!
What is the name of the wheels?
it is a custom made wheel. You could call or email midwest-bayless for specs
Nah, I pass.... Although the car was well built and it handled very well in corners and winding roads, the car was slow at only 75 hp.
But it was fun to drive on country roads and it was very responsive when shifting. Also, it was a rust bucket. I prefer the Nissan 300zx from 1986-1989 and of course the 300zx from 1990-1996, a much better car in every way.
Mamadou Aziza I always thought of these cars just as you describe. Driving this one was certainly a surprise. I never liked either of the Nissans back in the day but now I find myself more than intrigued. I got to drive both generations recently and each had a special quality to it. I actually liked the older 86 car better.
Tim's Enthusiast Garage
I've driven all of them and the Fiat to me had an upscale Go-Cart feeling and you really could feel the road in that car. No power steering, no power breaks, no traction or stability control, just organic handling. Again, the car was built really strong but had so many issues. Fiat never really developed the car much and Bertone did nothing.
The late model Nissan 300zx cars were so superior to the Fiat X 1/9 in every way. Better built, more styling, better handling, more powerful etc....The Japanese got it right in 1990 and were finally on par with German's Porsche 944 sports cars with the revamp 300zx. Porsche did everything possible to downplay Nissan's revamp 300zx.
Would be nice if Chrysler/Fiat redevelop the X 1/9 in limited numbers at a price of $40k and it handled like a Lotus Elise.
Mamadou Aziza the Z31 is definitely NOT better than a X19 in every way the only two things that make it superior is more power and more comfort plus they rotted like a bitch just like every other Japanese car in the 80s too which makes it indifferent in that case. the Z32 has almost as good handling to the X19 thanks to its 4WS being quite well tuned and can carry itself through turns better with its increased power without bogging down like the cheap old fiat from 20 years prior. Don’t get me wrong I love the fat Zs heck I want to own one but they are simply not even comparable to the fiat as both are a completely different class of car
You are talking about a car designed over 10 years after the X1/9 with a whole lot more development dollars and final cost. The Z is better in many ways but not all, I've own a 300zx 85 and now own a 85 X1/9. The Z is a far more advanced car, not surprising seeing its 10 years newer and cost a lot more in adjusted dollars. Liking comparing the Z to a C5 Vette, you get the idea.
That being said the X does have a number of things on the Z. It is much slower but much more fun to drive, the Z of that era had a sloppy heavy car feel with its front engine. The X is a far more nimble and maneuverable being much smaller, mid-engine and 800 to 1,000 lbs lighter. You feel attached to the road in the X in a way the Z could never deliver. The X is also a much better looking car. The first generation 300sx was a rather unattractive sports car, hodgepodge design. The 300sx did not become a beautiful car til the 2nd gen arrived.
Finally you drive a X and you will be surprised how many heads it turns and people asking you about the car, you just don't get that in the Z.
wow .!!!!!....comparing a much more....expensive .....larger..... and more powerful v6 car with a 1500 cc Fiat ......we take that as a compliment,,,,....!!!!!!!
If someone is in interest to buy a car like that - I can help.
This car is cheep for the poors.
The car must be expensive for the riches, to show in youtube that you are rich from the West!
No matter how good or not is this car, it should be expensive to show its owner's status!
This is the European Valuebility!
I like the perspective
タイヤがTOYOてのが、いかすぜ
Barchetta is pronounced barketta!!
Not to Rush fans. Not to Rush fans
everything you sayd,rust appart...
The bumpers, especially the US bumpers were a safety abortion that should have been aborted in the idea phase. They really look the best sans bumper. LOL@ rock bottom of the depreciation curve, NO, no they are not. That happened in the late 80s and early 90s when fiat pulled their disappearing act in the US. I bought the one I had in the late 80s with right around 10K and a blown clutch for $300. I wish I kept it it was perfect, no rust at all, perfect body. Sadly being a teen with limited income and the unavailability of parts it had to go away.
When I made this video you could still find them pretty cheap. Good ones have gotten PRICEY. Maybe it’s the video 😏 . thanks for watching !
Why in the hell would you guys leave the sun visor just hanging there, swinging in the wind....why?
American Law Dawg it’s not a sun visor it was some sort of parking pass. Sorry it was so distracting. Cheers
It's pretty stupid test driving a custom-built car and based on that making blanket statements about all X1/9's. Almost all the ones you will find now are broken down rust-buckets and it will take tens of thousands to build them into a car like this custom-built one. That's why you can find them for under $5000. And the parts availability to restore these cars is very poor. No body parts are available and you find any mechanical parts in your neighborhood parts store.
Midwest- Bayless restores and sells these cars. Further most of the restored, or at least well fettled examples that have been coming up for sale lately in the 5-9k price point are really nice cars. Cars that are 1500 and 2000 grand are certainly going to need work but based on this, it's worth putting in the effort. Going further , should you buy a heap the above mentioned company stocks body panels and even makes parts and panels for these cars. It is completely possible to build one to this spec for sub 10k. Cheers