1988 Fiat Bertone x1/9

[s1105117]

well, i may have lost my marbles.... first big resto, eeeek! has been off the road for goodness-knows-how-long, and doesn't run, and the clutch slave cylinder is gone, and rust, oh yes rust.. but who could resist!? a red, mid engined Italian sports car! besides, my mum has gone on about her x1/9s for as long as i can remember.. so i rather fancied one, and this popped up on the owners club forum, so! anyway, some pics! all i have thus far are what i was sent, as i still haven't dragged her from Kent back to Glos yet!

[squonk]

Lovely little cars but I suspect that you will either need deep pockets or have to learn how to weld!! These cars have rust traps everywhere.

DVLA doesn't hold any tax or mot info so it must have been off the road for a long time. I'd do a full structural check before anything else just to see if it is a viable project.

[Clement]

What? No. Buy expensive parts, some wheels, and maybe a bigger engine to swap in and THEN look at what you need to do on it repair-wise.

I'll be following this thread closely, I love X1/9s!!

[sonus]

Lovely! I really like X1/9 or FIAT "1st of september" as we call them in Norway. I guess it might be rusty, but that can be fixed with a welder and time

[yoeddynz]

I'll be following this too. I'm keen on one some day after ng drive a friends one. Handles so well... just lacking in ompff

[s1105117]

thanks for the responses guys! although it will be a MAJOR learning curve and big undertaking i am really excited about this car. I think rust will be my biggest bugbear indeed, as it will either be a big saving job or learn to weld, or perhaps a bit of both! oh and 30+ yo italian wiring could be interesting..

Jul 29, 2016 7:11:38 GMT sonus said:

Lovely! I really like X1/9 or FIAT "1st of september" as we call them in Norway. I guess it might be rusty, but that can be fixed with a welder and time

Haha i love this, i shall call the car 'Tuesday' haha! 

[s1105117]

Jul 29, 2016 6:39:31 GMT Clement said:

What? No. Buy expensive parts, some wheels, and maybe a bigger engine to swap in and THEN look at what you need to do on it repair-wise.

I'll be following this thread closely, I love X1/9s!!

hehe i doubt swmbo would sanction to many expensive parts, but what she doesnt know.... though i do know some will be needed! i have considered different power options, the 1.9 punto GTI is supposed to be a good doner apparently, but when did you last see one of those! or perhaps a turbo.... wheel will definitley be going, although i don't dislike the ones on her as such, i just think maybe could do better! however will be a long way off that bit! 

[goldnrust]

X1/9s are very cool, I've always wanted one. Good luck with it

[dikkehemaworst]

These things are real rust traps. It has to be a labour of love , otherwise stay clear of them. Is it a 13 or 1500?
The 13's have better handling and 15's are obvious Quicker. All the luck , you need it :-) Holland has a couple of x1/9 nutters walking , they sell parts at www.speurders.nl , thats Hollands freebee evilbay.

[DrSebWilkes]

No less marbles than me!

Can't wait to see what you do. Looks gorgeous! So 70s and stylish!

I might end up learning something from this, and not just have an interesting read. Good luck!

[s1105117]

cheers guys, i will need all the luck/help i can get!

Jul 29, 2016 9:37:14 GMT dikkehemaworst said:

These things are real rust traps. It has to be a labour of love , otherwise stay clear of them. Is it a 13 or 1500?
The 13's have better handling and 15's are obvious Quicker. All the luck , you need it :-) Holland has a couple of x1/9 nutters walking , they sell parts at www.speurders.nl , thats Hollands freebee evilbay.

she is a 1500, from what i hear the 1300's are ludicrously rare/expensive.. if nutters/spares are in Holland, then i may have to get the passport out!

[s1105117]

Jul 29, 2016 9:43:37 GMT DrSebWilkes said:

No less marbles than me!

Can't wait to see what you do. Looks gorgeous! So 70s and stylish!

I might end up learning something from this, and not just have an interesting read. Good luck!

haha that is true bud! madness likes company evidently!

i do love the style, it is very period for sure! (although a squeeze for all 6ft of me...)

it will be a steep learning curve for me, and i will be chatting (and yelling help) a fair bit i imagine! tbh that is what i really like about this forum, its useful/helpful/good for learning stuff etc and also has some good reads on it.   

[s1105117]

so for all those who noticed my mighty mondeo has no gaffa-tape on it, have a photo of a gaffa-taped x1/9! needless to say it hides rust horrors, i guess th PO put it there to protect it?!

[gazz81]

Fantastic cars, I learnt to drive in a 1500 Bertone, was such a great experience!

[bjornagn]

My (limited) experience with x 1/9s and my extensive experience with rust remediation tells me that you are going to wish you had been born a different species once you get stuck into that chassis.

Can you weld and do you have a welder already?
Are factory quality panels available for the x 1/9? ALL aftermarket panels suck.
I seem to recall a few rust spots where there are multiple layers of tin complicating the repair. Spotweld drilling will become a new skill.
Financially, you are going to lose your shirt if you do a nice job on this. They just are not worth much when finished. Maybe $15,000 for the best x 1/9 on the planet?

The smart kids would go find one that has been done to a good standard about five years ago and is now on the market. Buy it even if you have to finance. Drive for five years and sell for what you paid. Free car. Hard to beat. If financed, only cost the few hundred in interest. Hard to beat.

My experience is mostly with MGBs and here in Canada the DIY cost to sort a rusty shell and have it painted by a shop is around $11,000 Cnd. The completed vehicles tend to be in the $25,000 range by the time the restoration is complete.

Looking forward to the project.

[Clement]

Yo do have to take into account the training you get with being bullied by an old stupid car. Surely that's worth a few thousands units of an obscure currency.

[bjornagn]

Jul 29, 2016 18:12:12 GMT Clement said:

Yo do have to take into account the training you get with being bullied by an old stupid car. Surely that's worth a few thousands units of an obscure currency.

And that is the crux of it is it not? What is the Journey worth? In my case, quite a lot, so although I preach fiscal responsibility, I in no way subscribe to my own advice when it comes to my own projects.

My first restoration was a very sorry Frogeye Sprite. I had no tools, space or welding experience. I also did not have the experience to tell me that I should never have started.

Don't mean to hijack the thread, but rather to point out what a dedicated first timer can do if they refuse to quit even when they should!



Ten years later...

[vitesseefi]

The gaffa tape on the screen pillar is a BAD sign...... Those little monsters know how to rot. I had an early 1300 one ('79 IIRC) in about 1989 and it was absolutely hanging then. Didn't look that bad but underneath.......

[duncanmartin]

X1/9s are great. I loved my 1500, even though you had to wind up the drivers side headlight by hand (the motor was shot), the heating was non existant, and the gearbox jumped out of reverse. Oh yeah, and turning the radio on killed the battery (to 0V!) stone dead.
Once I'd got used to all those things, it went for an MOT and I discovered the floor was pop-rivetted in, so it got sold. I'd have another immediately if I didn't need >2 seats.
The easiest engine to transplant to get more power is the Uno Turbo one, but nowadays they are going to be worth more than the X1/9! There are a couple about with Busso V6s - it would be very hard to do, but totally worth it!
Good luck...
Cheers
Duncan

[vitesseefi]

The gaffa tape on the screen pillar is a BAD sign...... Those little monsters really know how to rot. I had an early 1300 one ('79 IIRC) in about 1989 and it was absolutely hanging then. Didn't look that bad but underneath.......

It had many other issues too and was slower than my 1500 Herald so I didn't keep it long. Did consider the 2L twincam conversion but the shell wasn't up to it.

Nick