I have an '86 X1/9 and drive it almost daily. With electronic points, a refurbed carb and upgraded main jets it's super reliable and responsive; the handling is tight too. The layout and packaging of the whole car was genius.
I had one of these as a young man. I watched this with a tear in my eye. There isn't anything that anyone could ever say to change my opinion of this super little sports car. I need one in my life!
It might be the case that these videos are watched by just a handful, but let me assure that the ones watching are truly loving it. Thanks for creating different content!
Sorry to be that guy but the bodies were always made at bertone and to keep the Americans happy they are incredibly strong. That's why they are 900kg. Mythbusters tried to crush one between two trucks and failed. Mines done 104k and in the 4 years I've had I've never been left at the side of the road. Something must be wrong with that one if it isn't steering properly, the wonky steering wheel is a bit of a giveaway. Anyway nice to see one being tested on TH-cam 👍
This car screams mod me make me right. 1. Engine/tranny swap. 2. Suspension upgrade 3. Strip it down. 4. Dallara kit 5. Track it th-cam.com/video/rQlrsXr9ZmE/w-d-xo.html
I had one here in America that was a 1973 delivered in 1974 to the Lamborghini dealership in Beverly Hills California. I was stranded once with a broken accelerator cable I believe. This was one of the cars that was the most fun to drive through the twisty canyon roads between LA and the Valley. Mine was lime green the same color of the Lamborghini of that year.
I've owned a number of these and trust me - there is NOTHING wrong with the brakes, the handling is spot on and the steering is razor sharp. And I'm comparing that to a then current Ferrari 328 and Formula Fords. If you think the handling is wrong, your car need help. The handling is SENSATIONAL!! The speed is not, but what a wonderful machine. I loved them - every one of them I owned from the 1300 to the Bertone.
I had one before they added Bertone to the name. Still had the same 1.5 l. Some things must have been out of whack on your example. Steering on mine was precise with very tight handling. Shift linkage on mine and I understand all was clunky and slow. Brings back wonderful memories either way.
One of my best friends in high school got a brand new X1/9 as an early graduation gift from his parents. It was a really cool car to cruise around in, especially in the summer with the top off. I have always been a big fan of the bertone design, lightweight tossable driving, and quirky interior. Back in the 70s this was a poor man's Ferrari for those that couldn't afford a 308 Dino.
X19 was designed by Marcello Gandini when he was with Bertone and at the time he was worried that the US was going to change the crash test speed from 30 mph to 50 mph so to be on the safe side he designed the car to withstand a 50 mph crash test. the chassis is a single piece of bent metal that runs around and over the driver the actual B pillar hides the chassis forming the roll over bar . its a strong little car with an excellent pedigree. Here in Brisbane back in I think was 1986 a nurse who owned one managed to roll the car, she did not have a scratch but got concussion when some idiot pressed the release button on her seatbelt and she fell on her head. and why wouldn't you call it a Fiat this car company has been making cars for the masses since 1894 we tend to forget that Fiats are made to be abused and thrown away they are designed to be cheep and cheerful but we keep insisting on demanding that they be made more expensive and then complain about it.
Mine was hit from behind when stationary by a ford Fiesta XR2 travelling at around 30mph on a motorway in a snarl up and catapulted into the car in front bending a solid steel tow bar. I climbed out and inspected the fiesta which had a completely crushed front end leaking fluids. I had a few scratches in the aluminium rear bumper. Same at the front where the damage was limited to a broken number plate. I was able to drive home without incident. The fiesta was a complete write-off.
I'd like to correct you on a few things... The X1/9 and a Volvo (can't remember which) were the only 2 cars to pass the 1972 US crash regs including the high speed frontal impact. The X1/9 was designed to meet these regs, but no other manufacturer apart from Volvo passed, so the regs were downgraded. Fiat didn't want to invest in making the car any lighter, so they left it. It's actually very strong in other words - nobody talks about scuttle shake. Meaning it's capable of handling a lot more power (200bhp) without, strut braces or seam welding or sill strengthening. Also, there are quite a lot of heavy components that can be removed - roof, spare wheel, jack, toolkit, washer reservoir, bumper irons, bumpers, headlamp motors, window regulators etc. You can get Tillett carbon shell seats and Ultralite 13'' wheels, all in all these mods will get the car down to about 800kg. If you spend more and replace the bonnet, engine deck, bootlid, door skins, with carbon components, more like 700kg. The competition weight can be as low as 650kg, the power as high as 380bhp, eg Manuel Dondi's car which uses an X-Trac sequential + Alfa D2 engine from the 156 SuperTouring. th-cam.com/video/3D7880YqCuA/w-d-xo.html At the lowest level, fitting Tarox brakes, Gaz or equivalent coilovers, Addco front arb, and Avon ZZS 195/55/13, will allow the owner to lower the car by around 70mm and totally transform the handling. The X1/9 should stop on a dime, so it looks like the brakes need work like you said. If anyone is interested, I would recommend looking at Gordon Fogarty's car at - RMS Motoring Forum / Members Cars. He's using the Fiat Tipo Mk1 engine as the base motor, which has a modified oil gallery allowing the capacity to be upped to 2 litres. This block is externally identical to the X1/9 block, so it fits the X1/9 mounts. It's running 12:1 compression, ITB's, programmable injection, and makes 200bhp at 7500rpm, naturally aspirated, in fast road tune. Not bad for a non-crossflow 8V single overhead cam designed over 50 years ago. Try it.
@@TheCarGuysTV in that case I apologise for my wooden sense of humour. Hey, I know of a Dino 204GT that's been sitting outside for a year now. I reckon it's lost about 200k value in that time, ie sixteen grand a month. Attributable to condensation forming deep inside the monocoque. Unbelievable how someone who can afford 400k for a minter, cannot see the point of spending 400 quid on a cover. IDOITS!!
I had a 79 back in about 1987. It was my daily driver through rain, sun, cold and even snow! I had snow tires and a five gallon bucket of sand in the frunk for weight and that car was great! Only thing ever went wrong was the alternator and gas tank developed a leak. Both fixed very cheap. Couple items from your video: - the odd toggle switch is for those after market fog lights. -The crash rating of that car for cars of its time was actually very good. New standards had been envisioned and it was designed for that. I can attest to it withstanding a 35mph rear ending while I was stationary by a very large Oldsmobile. I was able to drive away from the accident but eventually my insurance totaled the car. - The aerial and spoiler. The aerial is normally mounted on the other side of the car. For some reason this one is on the wrong side hence the spoiler being backwards.
I am 55 years of age, that means that I saw this car when it just came out of factory among other Fiats just like the fiat 130 and 130 coupe at age 7!... I fell in love instantly, I considered it a baby Lamborghini. I wished it would someday get the 1600cc twin cam engine from Fiat 124, which unfortunately never did (the 2000cc would really be to much for this size of car) Anyway, I still love it (with the original bumpers, not these ugly pieces of plastic) and I thank you for reviewing it! Keep up the good work CarGuys! Greetings from Greece
The steering wheel! 😂 What kind of blind mechanic took care of that car? The wheel would drive me crazy! It needs to be turned left serveral notches to stand correctly, so that turning to the left is similar to turning to the right. Every mechanic with professional honour would fix that. Gee!
I owned this car from around 2007 until I sold it about 8 years later..it had just 5533 miles on the clock when I acquired it. The toggle switch which the guy said he had no idea about is a manual override switch for the twin Kenlowe fans I had fitted along with a recored radiator. And yes, the spoiler is fitted the wrong way round!
The Gran Finale was the run out model available in the U.K only, launched by Fiat U.K in March 1989. It was based on the 1988 Special Edition X1/9, and was available in only 2 colours, Mica Blue and Mica Red. With the addition of the Gran Finale badges on the rear quarters and dashboard, the model also sported the rear spoiler, which was fitted by the dealers, not Fiat. Consequently, some were fitted the wrong way round, or in may cases not at all. I had a Gran Finale on which the spoiler was fitted the right way round, but didn't have cut out for the aerial, there was just a rubber plug in the hole where the aerial would be fitted right underneath the edge of the spoiler. Perhaps the dealership offered the original owner a choice of an aerial or spoiler. Its the best car I have ever owned, and you can bet your bottom dollar all those who tell you its crap have never driven one
Hi Car Guys.. I had the same toy!! Nice to see here complete with boat and trailer. I am very familiar with the story and history of the X19 and have built two from the ground up myself,, I do not consider myself as a expert technician but have much experience with detail and operations of this particular car. The car you reviewed is a Bertone and was put together at the Bertone factory with great care. The wing was only for styling and only for the Gran Finale. No down force was ever needed for the X.. The race version Dallara wing was only to allow the air to flow to the rear to restrict the vortices behind the rear window.... Lets just note this Bertone you are reviewing is a 30 year old car, This one is definitely 'not' pristine (looks only go so far). Only a handful of this color and from what I know only in the UK... A known fact,, the X19 is one of the best handling cars that was EVER produced without the aid of traction control.. Sorry you had to experience one that obviously has worn out shocks and worn out bushings, obvious again, the brakes are bad on this one and the master cylinder more than likely needs replacing, It is unfortunate that this one only does 112mph,, I have two,, one a 85 Bertone, and a 1980 Fiat,, both stock... Crash testing.. (keep in mind this car was designed in 1970 and just after the Lamborghini Muria) The only other car in comparison for crashing is Volvo.. I do take offence to the fact it is a "tin can", It has been documented as one of the best crash designs ever,, and thus the lack of knowledge and research on your part. When these cars are modified,,, they are equivalent or exceed any modern day sports car.. the tighter the track the better performance! Anyway,, I do appreciate the video regardless,, just wish you had a solid X19 to test to come to some more reasonable conclusions. Check this out,, lots of reality here guys,, facebook.com/iCSUNONOVE/ ...BTW,, drive that Porsche in 30 years with the same mileage of this X19 without proper maintenance and see .. just a pretty car that more than likely have a coolant leak.. Just my experiences with Porsche in general.
Bought an ‘X’ reg one of these when i was 22 and 6ft2, immediately felt too small for me. Took the foam out of the oatmeal drivers seat and cut an inch off the reverse of the back and two inches off the reverse of the seat and it fitted me perfectly. Loved that car till it rusted to death.
Mine is stored safely in Ireland due to COVID 19, for almost 2 years, I totally restored it with no expense spared (Don’t ask!) in 2015 -18, money well spent ... It’s been in my family since new on August 1, 1988. This car is a driving experience second to none IMHO, new shocks, brakes, 15” wheels and boots plus a couple of twin Weber’s taken from Ferrari 308 with matched stainless steel exhaust, mark less & rust free makes it just a little more special. Only ~43k on the clock in over thirty years, I enjoyed watching your video this morning and the way your described the car in some detail, hope you agreed driving this car brings a smile when you get behind the wheel. Owning a Bertone x19 in this condition or any condition for that matter is a rare privilege as you know there are not too many left on the road anywhere! … so looking at the world as it is today and all the travel restrictions in place I’m hoping to get back to Ireland in summer 2022 and plan to drive it another +1000 miles to complete the Wild Atlantic Way and maybe a daily sprint round the twisty Irish country roads too. Cheers and thanks for reminding me of what I have waiting for me next year …. Stay safe and enjoy life …
Spoiler on backwards. Wheel straightened by one bolt, brakes need bleeding, may need new struts, none of mine ever rolled in corners. If anything too rough. Joked about feeling twigs when went over them. All mine rode on rails and never felt wacky steering. Keep the revs high, its italian. Speed doesn't matter, it's great mph, topless, rides like rails.
I had a 1500cc X/19 in silver back inthe early 80's. What a superb car. It went around corners like it was on rails. It was obviously not super powerful but I remember being chased an Escort RS down Weston-s-Mare seafront. When I got around the near 90° left hander at the end the Escort had fallen way behind due to the X/19s superior handling.
0 - 60 in 10.1 seconds! Same as the Escort RS 2000 and incidentally, my wife's e-Golf. And for all those complaining about the poor maintenance on the car, surely that's half the point of driving a nearly 50 year old car. It takes you back to when you were young and couldn't afford a newer car, did what little maintenance it got yourself and for most journeys were amazed that it got to it's destination without breaking down!
Great to see your review of the little Exy. I have a few in various stages of oxidation. The earliest ones (70's pre. US bumpers) are prettiest with fabulous interiors. Like a miniature exotic. My youngest Mica Blue '88 has the same blue cloth which with UV exposure has become as fragile as a tapestry. Literally crumbling away... As many have said, you must have driven a dud as the steering is normally tight, telepathic and as delicate as an early Porsche. They can punch seriously above their weight when sorted. No need for a rollcage- very solid wee cars. Keep it up!
Thank you so much, Gareth. I must say it’s great to hear from an owner who doesn’t just throw abuse for minor technical errors or humour! I was losing faith that X1/9 owners were some of the worst pedants. I’m so glad you enjoyed the fact that the X1/9 was getting some airtime, and you understand where we’re coming from
While this car looks to be in good repair, from your description of how it drives, the owner has apparently neglected the steering, struts and brakes. The original X1/9 had the shortest stopping distance of any car sold in the US even surpassing the Corvette. (from 75 MPH to 0 in under 200 ft.) Mine handled like it was on rails, steering was tight and precise. The only time a mid engine car would handle poorly would be if the tire pressures were off. (front to back side to side) Being a mid engine car with almost even weight distribution front to back, tire pressure difference off more than 1-2 psi will cause poor handling. Pontiac Fierro had the same problem, even caused some accidents.
Your example clearly had maintenance issues, as evidenced by the wildly askew steering wheel position, your comment about the car wandering, and the brake pedal going near the floor. An X in proper nick will have very precise steering and solid, linear, high-effort brakes. Neither has power assist. Another X characteristic is a remarkably supple ride for such a small car. Since yours was not, I suspect one or more dampers to be perished--the stock damper failure mode is massive jounce stiffness. Or could be the tires are well-past their expiration date. Spoiler was probably added by an owner as it is indeed mounted backwards and NO stock spoiler had that antenna cutout---antenna installers would simply cut the hole a little more forward on the fender to clear the spoiler. Condition of the interior is amazing, especially the seating upholstery. A single push-on-off courtesy light was mounted to the underside of the targa bar in Series 1 models. Not sure what you are talking about regarding the center stack switchgear, they are all identically sized push-on-off square buttons. The lighting rheostat has to be a dial. The electric window lift switches are simple rocker switches styled to look like separate buttons, and they do resemble a lot of the switchgear on early Series 2 cars.
The wheel being just off of centre was driving me mad watching you drive it, let’s alone what it would be like to drive it. My neighbour as a kid had one of these and I used to walk past it so slowly everyday and admire. Great memories....
Still absolutely gorgeous. Way ahead of it’s time and I’d love to own another. (Had a ‘78 and it was rather a rotter) But the Grand Finale is the one to have. Utterly gorgeous.
i had an '86 model back in the '90s. I had wider wheels and tyres fitted and the grip was incredible. I used to throw it around and it never once lost grip. Having a child brought ownership to an end. I did try in the early days with bags of baby stuff wedged in the front and a buggy strapped to the engine cover but eventually had to sell. I still miss it some 25 years later. Great little cars.
I don't doubt these guys know their stuff, but you're absolutely right some clown has fitted that spoiler back to front in the years since it left the factory.
I had a 1987 Bertone and it was extremely nimble an the manual steering was very precise. I think that this one needs new tires and suspension components. Enormously fun car, even with only 75hp from the Fiat 1.5. I went 100k miles in mine. The interior feels much larger than my NA MX-5, also.
I had a 1985 vs model. As far as a driving experience was concerned, the only gripe I had is that it was underpowered in standard spec. It could have coped with much more. I have to say, the handling characteristics of an X1/9 were a great bonus, not some woeful, vague affair. Maybe an acquired taste, maybe drive a different one. I dunno.
When used to autocross regularly a friend had a late 1970's X1/9 and he ditched the huge front and rear bumpers. There was a company, that I don't remember the name of, that sold a kit that covered up the holes where the bumpers used to be. Significantly lightened the car.
in 89 i got a 79 bertone for 1200 dollars in florida while i was a senior is HS. never broke down and of course never raced considering the 74 thrashing HP wouldn't do much. cool going to a south florida school in an Italian convertible car with my shirt off. yes.................it did help with what every HS boy wants. miss that car
Well sorted out they're actually quite good in handling and in breaking. Very reliable also as I've only had oil changes, 2 sets of tires, 1 set of brakes in my 4 year ownership of a 1982 red one. Very safe too as I walked away from flipping mine (with the roof off) with only a finger cut from broken glass.
I bought one of these (red Fiat version) as my first car when I got a job and it was great fun to drive, all my friends had their tin top hatch backs and I had this great little open top mid-engine sports car. A bit lacking in performance but quite practical.
It's always a treat to come across content about one of my favorite cars. I bought two of these brand new from the dealership, one in 1978 and one in 1985. My experience of the handling and braking performance of these two cars is much different than yours. Yes, the non-power brake pedal pressure was 50 pounds to acheive the highest stopping performance, but that was not difficult because of the seating position and support. The original Michelin XAS tires on the 1978 model were absolutely perfectly suited for the car. I was never able to obtain them again after they wore out. the Pirelli P3s on the 1985 model were not really performance tires and I tried all sorts of relacements but none felt as good as the original Michelin tires. But the car never felt vague, and with the 1500 model there was enough torque to encourage the rear-end to participate in cornering. It's true that todays cars are developing power that was inconceivable back then, but on a two lane twisty road, it was pure heaven. One more thing that you didn't address, for a two seater it had lots of storage in the front and rear luggage compartments. Not to forget that it had a full size spare tire. And contrary to other reviews that said you need two people to remove/replace the top, that's not true at all. What a great fun car and I'm glad I had both of them!
I suspect that as good as it looks, it needs some attention to the steering, because it should be exceptionally precise. As for scary brakes, they’re better than you realize but no power assist takes getting used to - you gotta’ stand on ‘em!
Owned a 81 1.5 ,drove it for four years everyday ,it was fantastic ,the example you tested is clearly in need of some repairs. When asked what it was by almost any one , I said it was a " Bertone bodied Fiat". Wasn't fast off the mark ,but enjoyed luring the "haters" into corners ,then watching them understeer across the corner in my rear view mirror. As for strength in an accident ,a full sized Holden sedan ,hit my rear quarter at 50 mph the X 1/9 survived with little damage ,the Big Holden was totally stuffed.
Such a blast from the pat - thank you for featuring this. I had a faded red (so carrot orange) 1982 X1/9 as my first car - so many good times! I had this while my dad had an 89 TVR 350i - the wedgemen!
That X1/9 demands a little bit of TLC to sort out the brakes, get it ALIGNED (that off centre steering wheel is insufferable!), some new tires and the elimination of that god awful rear 'spoiler'. Very minor attention for an iconic and cheerful automobile!!
Owned five of these! Actually really strong body designed to cope well with rollover, relatively safe in its day. I used to pay £150 for these cars.. Prices have shifted up smartly now especially the earlier 1300 4 speed I recently witnessed a fairly decent example go for £11200 at auction which really surprised everyone. Great review thank you 🙂👍
Another interesting video. You really looked like you were having fun, and without a 400+ horsepower motor. My aunt had the Fiat version when I was a teenager and I remember us driving along the waterfront near Southend Pier. Happy memories.
Brings back memories of my gold X19, thought it was great back then, my first Ferrari...think tracking or steering needed alignment looking at that wheel in a straight line...
Great Video! A good friend of mine said at the time he'd buy both "Mini-Ferrari's the X19 & the MR2" if he got the right number of score draws! - There's an option for you to test
as a late teen, early 20's guy, I had a neighbour who was 6 feet, who had a Kermit green one from new, always thought they could do with a bigger motor, but it was his thing, his prior car was a Triumph Spitfire coupe which had 1500cc motors.
Very nostalgic. I owned a bunch of these back in the day (76, 74 and 79). It was slow even by the standards of the day. A better cam and a bigger carb made a difference, but it really needed dual carbs to be competitive --- you need squeeze out about 140 Hp. I don't remember the brakes being that bad at all. It did have little warning to spin when you went into a corner too hot, but it took a while to get used to how my next car (not mid-engined) would plow. Not as timelessly pretty as the classic 124 spider, but every bit a 70's sports car.
Car Guys, your videos are very entertaining with wit and humour. Can hear your frustration about numbers and I agree I'm flummoxed as to why you aren't above at least 200k subscribers. Keep going, the numbers will get there!
Had an 80, black w/ chrome luggage rack behind engine compartment, tan interior almost looked orange, had air, never used it much, great car, had trouble with the syncros on the 5 speed, everything else worked well, Oldsmobile sold these in the US but didn't know much about repairing them, handled like it was on rails when new, in the winter it would go everywhere, had the 1500 with a carburetor and a fan that never seemed to shut off, even ran after you walked away.
Why not first get the steering and brakes issue sorted before posting this? Now the review is a load of rubbish about what the car really is! Come and drive mine and you will have a totally different view!
@@TheCarGuysTV It will, may be not 90K but sure it will get to 30K. I thoroughly enjoyed both this and the Guess the Alpha video so just keep doing what you are doing.
Brakes are not boosted - therefore they require a lot of pedal pressure to work. The brakes are actually very good - their feel is just very foreign to those who are not used to manual brakes. If the pedal is going to the floor, then there is air in the system or the seals in the MC are shot.
Nope - not Italian engineering. The Gran Finale "kit" was fitted at the dealership. Someone's fitted the aerial in the wrong place first, then went "oops" when it came to mounting the spoiler.... That's possibly unique.
Way too much play in the straight ahead position on that steering. Shouldn't be any perceptible body roll so the shocks bushes and tracking need checking. Also sensitive to tyre pressures. The brakes which are discs front and rear never had any issues stopping mine (in the dry anyway, rain is a different matter) but it is best driven with minimal braking inputs exploiting the mid-engined handling to maintain respectably fast B road progress. Any sloppiness in the gear change is usually due to a failing rubber anti-vibration disc sandwiched between two plates in the lever extending into the gear- box, an easy fix. Had mine from new in 1989, still fun, glad you enjoyed the ride.
I had a 75 or 76 and when it wasn't in the shop it was incredible. Low center of gravity and it felt more like 200hp than 60-70. If Fiat brought this back with a larger engine they'd sell a million of them
I had the 1300cc metal bumper one back in 1982... I was 18 and dreamed I was in Wham!? 🙃 A genuine hairdresser car, I bought it from a ... hairdresser that that spilt peroxide in the rear boot and it had rotten away 😄. Thrashed the nuts of it... but would suggest the handling was actually better than this one 🤨. For sure it was rusty and unreliable, but heck it was 5 years old then 🤷🏻♂️. Sold it and bought Matra Bagheera which was eventually traded for the “Fiat X1/20” .... more commonly known as the Lancia Montecarlo . Great times
The spoiler was optional, probably dealer fitted. There are several pictures and one in particular has the aerial further forward so it misses the spoiler. All the ones with that spoiler have it the same way round as this car. Weird!
Good review guys but you drive it like you were in the eights not the present day. Plus you had to rev them quite a bit to get them to go but hey they were brilliant fun and may I say pretty reliable too as I worked at the main dealer back then happy days. X19 and uno turbos
I believe your audience are discerning viewers.... might not be many but we appreciate the real emotion and honesty you provide... as well as the liberal amounts of bean giving! Cheers mate!
The X1/9 is one ofthe strongest cars on the road! They are double skinned and EVERYTHING is welded together! No bolt on panels. I 'reversed' one into a clay bank at 100kph and shortened it by the entire boot. When I had stopped shaking, I OPENED the door and stepped out! BOTH doors still opened and closed yet the car was 18" shorter. If you are hit by an X1/9, unless you are driving a tank you will be left with an X1/9 shaped hole in your car. My 2 Exxys drive VERY precisely, much like our Skyline R33. It corners just as well as our R33. The car in the vid must have knackered suspension.
I've driven all kinds of cars. The X1/9s I've driven have some of the best steering, best ride & handling balance of any cars ever built. They just need more power and more tire. An Uno Turbo or Punto GT Turbo engine bolts right in.
This is the dream car for me - a Honda engine, a cleaned up body and chassis...jalopnik.com/a-vtec-swapped-fiat-x1-9-has-all-the-speed-of-a-modern-1834200464
These were actually built to comply with a rollover standard that was never actually madated back in the day. Also, because these have no anti-roll bars, you can really tighten up the handling by installing them.
Holy crap, I also had that exact toy! You've triggered a tsunami of nostalgia. Upon reflection, what the blimmin' heck was the concept behind a Fiat sports car towing a Carlsberg-liveried powerboat? There's a story there. As ever, I laughed all the way through that - plus if ever there was a symbol of Italian car design and 'flair', it's that spoiler/aerial cut-out solution.
Methinks thow dost protest too much. I had one from new in Canada, 1975-85. Yes 10 years. It was so much fun and didn‘t have enough power to get too many speeding tickets. I put a hotter cam in it, some anti-roll bars and it never gave me the impression of getting out of control. The only reason I got rid of it was that I was worried about rust and Toyota brought out the MR2 which was dimensionally equivalent, faster, more reliable, but no more fun. You forgot to mention the fantastically ingenious roof system. I loved looking at it every time and had almost no reliability problems with it, unlike my Alfa‘s and Lancia‘s. But, they were too fast for Canadian speed limits.
These car are safe in accidents. The metal is double the thickness of other cars and it was claimed to be safe in a 55mph head on collisiin and the roll bar was designed to withstand an 80 mph roll over. Abarth Prototipo didnt have do much more than weld the strut mounts and the triangulation on the structure roll bar. And it could beat the Stratos. The car is supper under appreciated. It has the DNA of a Group 4 rally car. The engine is an oversquare design by Aurelio Lampredi and it was factory balanced to rev to 10000 rpm. The limiting factor was the mild head and cam which kept it from making real power.
Really enjoyed this one guys. As a kid in Toronto Canada there were actually two of these in my neighborhood!! I just loved the shape of them and they looked like such a fun car to drive. I’m still a huge fan of 70’s era wedge cars and this one ticks all the boxes. However at 6’4” I’ll never own one, even if I could find one today 😜
A nice cold beer. Excellent idea! I've driven a few of these over the years and wondered even back then how the car would have been if the dimensions had been increased just slightly and perhaps a two litre unit? Always thought it was a good looking car and clever design. Thank you Guys.
@@markjohnson8352 It's covered at the end of a book called Fiat Sports Cars by Graham Robson published by Osprey. Well worth getting hold of if you love the Golden era of post war Italian sportscars. My first 3 cars were Fiat 850 spider, Lancia Beta Coupe then Bertone X1/9.
I had a two tone gold and brown one. I really loved it and I burnt off a lot of cars at the time including a Renault 25, the owner of which was shocked that he couldn't keep up with me. Unfortunately it turned out to be a rust bucket (the rust seemed to be within the metal), I got rid of it cheap but still have fond memories of the car.
This was my first car and I loved it but it taught me the hard lesson that one of the most important aspects of a good car is reliability. Fix It Again Tomorrow. 😩
When the FIAT X1/9 was design, the US was looking at implementing a much high mandate for withstanding crashes the FIAT X1/9 was designed to meet that new crash standard. The US ultimately never put the standards into effect but the car was already for production so when the car came out in 1974 only two cars in the world meet this high crash standard. The Volvo sedan and the X1/9. Despite its size it does an outstanding job protecting the occupants and was one of the safest cars on the road in that time period.
I've had four of that Bertone X1/9 and it is a blast to drive! It's the best of the best in winding roads. I've blown away ME and Corvette in a winding road with a big smile waving bye-bye to them....hehehe!
I had a 1973 X1/9 And i will never forget after I rebuilt the motor I used to drive the car pretty hard I put in a 1500 out out of a Fiat regatta long story short when you throw the car into a corner the oil pressure warning light used to come on for about 5 seconds at which point I would panic and quite rightly so…..!!!!!
WHAT!! People did not watch the Alfa video? Whats wrong with them. Err that toggle switch is most likely not OEM. Ive got one on my Alfa. It happens when garages try to fix Italian electrics.
I had one of these in 1990. Bertone VS with leather seats. Steering was the nicest out of any car I have ever driven. Including 911's. Great feel. But the brakes are awful, especially in the wet as there is no weight on the nose, and synchro always goes in 2nd gear. Oh and they wont start when hot even though they have a carb cooling fan. I really wish i still had it. Not fast but a lot of fun.
My guess was 2 days to 60mph...Loved this one Damian and Jason and loved the Alfa one too. SAid earlier we must be the chosen few who love everything you guy do. Top quality and some excellent humour. Cheers
![สาวเมืองเพชร - ธีเดช ทองอภิชาติ [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/kEt7F9PvO3I/mqdefault.jpg)
I have an '86 X1/9 and drive it almost daily. With electronic points, a refurbed carb and upgraded main jets it's super reliable and responsive; the handling is tight too. The layout and packaging of the whole car was genius.
I had one of these as a young man. I watched this with a tear in my eye. There isn't anything that anyone could ever say to change my opinion of this super little sports car. I need one in my life!
If you can do it!!
I had a '79 but sold it due to rust but miss it very much
I had a 74 and I lived very close to my mechanic so all was good. Loved it.
It might be the case that these videos are watched by just a handful, but let me assure that the ones watching are truly loving it.
Thanks for creating different content!
Thank you, David - that means a lot 👏👏
You said it David 👍!
Well put David.👍
Quality over quantity 😎👍🏻
That's definitely true
Sorry to be that guy but the bodies were always made at bertone and to keep the Americans happy they are incredibly strong. That's why they are 900kg. Mythbusters tried to crush one between two trucks and failed. Mines done 104k and in the 4 years I've had I've never been left at the side of the road. Something must be wrong with that one if it isn't steering properly, the wonky steering wheel is a bit of a giveaway. Anyway nice to see one being tested on TH-cam 👍
16 years and never stranded. :)
Totally agree
This car screams mod me make me right.
1. Engine/tranny swap.
2. Suspension upgrade
3. Strip it down.
4. Dallara kit
5. Track it
th-cam.com/video/rQlrsXr9ZmE/w-d-xo.html
I had one here in America that was a 1973 delivered in 1974 to the Lamborghini dealership in Beverly Hills California. I was stranded once with a broken accelerator cable I believe. This was one of the cars that was the most fun to drive through the twisty canyon roads between LA and the Valley. Mine was lime green the same color of the Lamborghini of that year.
It's tiny he says 😂 😂 😂 as he moves the seat forward after getting in. 😂
😂😂😂😂😂😂
@@TheCarGuysTV Do you fancy doing a review of my mint BMW M5 F10 with comp pack. I've got a booster seat you could borrow. 😂
@Delta 67 😂😂😂😂😂
I've owned a number of these and trust me - there is NOTHING wrong with the brakes, the handling is spot on and the steering is razor sharp. And I'm comparing that to a then current Ferrari 328 and Formula Fords. If you think the handling is wrong, your car need help. The handling is SENSATIONAL!! The speed is not, but what a wonderful machine. I loved them - every one of them I owned from the 1300 to the Bertone.
I had one before they added Bertone to the name. Still had the same 1.5 l. Some things must have been out of whack on your example. Steering on mine was precise with very tight handling. Shift linkage on mine and I understand all was clunky and slow. Brings back wonderful memories either way.
One of my best friends in high school got a brand new X1/9 as an early graduation gift from his parents. It was a really cool car to cruise around in, especially in the summer with the top off. I have always been a big fan of the bertone design, lightweight tossable driving, and quirky interior. Back in the 70s this was a poor man's Ferrari for those that couldn't afford a 308 Dino.
X19 was designed by Marcello Gandini when he was with Bertone and at the time he was worried that the US was going to change the crash test speed from 30 mph to 50 mph so to be on the safe side he designed the car to withstand a 50 mph crash test. the chassis is a single piece of bent metal that runs around and over the driver the actual B pillar hides the chassis forming the roll over bar . its a strong little car with an excellent pedigree. Here in Brisbane back in I think was 1986 a nurse who owned one managed to roll the car, she did not have a scratch but got concussion when some idiot pressed the release button on her seatbelt and she fell on her head. and why wouldn't you call it a Fiat this car company has been making cars for the masses since 1894 we tend to forget that Fiats are made to be abused and thrown away they are designed to be cheep and cheerful but we keep insisting on demanding that they be made more expensive and then complain about it.
Mine was hit from behind when stationary by a ford Fiesta XR2 travelling at around 30mph on a motorway in a snarl up and catapulted into the car in front bending a solid steel tow bar. I climbed out and inspected the fiesta which had a completely crushed front end leaking fluids. I had a few scratches in the aluminium rear bumper. Same at the front where the damage was limited to a broken number plate. I was able to drive home without incident. The fiesta was a complete write-off.
The TR7 was also designed to meet proposed U.S. DOT test standards.
@@mrradman2986 Cool story, bro.
@@joevarga5982 I still have the car now. A Gran Finale purchased new back in 1989.
@@mrradman2986 I accidentally bumped into a Fiesta with my elbow one time and it was a complete write-off.
Better looking car than MX-5, MG , Toyota MR-2 or Triumph TR7
Well, steady on...
I'd like to correct you on a few things...
The X1/9 and a Volvo (can't remember which) were the only 2 cars to pass the 1972 US crash regs including the high speed frontal impact.
The X1/9 was designed to meet these regs, but no other manufacturer apart from Volvo passed, so the regs were downgraded. Fiat didn't want to invest in making the car any lighter, so they left it.
It's actually very strong in other words - nobody talks about scuttle shake.
Meaning it's capable of handling a lot more power (200bhp) without, strut braces or seam welding or sill strengthening.
Also, there are quite a lot of heavy components that can be removed - roof, spare wheel, jack, toolkit, washer reservoir, bumper irons, bumpers, headlamp motors, window regulators etc.
You can get Tillett carbon shell seats and Ultralite 13'' wheels, all in all these mods will get the car down to about 800kg.
If you spend more and replace the bonnet, engine deck, bootlid, door skins, with carbon components, more like 700kg.
The competition weight can be as low as 650kg, the power as high as 380bhp, eg Manuel Dondi's car which uses an X-Trac sequential + Alfa D2 engine from the 156 SuperTouring.
th-cam.com/video/3D7880YqCuA/w-d-xo.html
At the lowest level, fitting Tarox brakes, Gaz or equivalent coilovers, Addco front arb, and Avon ZZS 195/55/13, will allow the owner to lower the car by around 70mm and totally transform the handling.
The X1/9 should stop on a dime, so it looks like the brakes need work like you said.
If anyone is interested, I would recommend looking at Gordon Fogarty's car at - RMS Motoring Forum / Members Cars.
He's using the Fiat Tipo Mk1 engine as the base motor, which has a modified oil gallery allowing the capacity to be upped to 2 litres.
This block is externally identical to the X1/9 block, so it fits the X1/9 mounts.
It's running 12:1 compression, ITB's, programmable injection, and makes 200bhp at 7500rpm, naturally aspirated, in fast road tune.
Not bad for a non-crossflow 8V single overhead cam designed over 50 years ago.
Try it.
It was a joke... never mind
@@TheCarGuysTV in that case I apologise for my wooden sense of humour.
Hey, I know of a Dino 204GT that's been sitting outside for a year now.
I reckon it's lost about 200k value in that time, ie sixteen grand a month.
Attributable to condensation forming deep inside the monocoque.
Unbelievable how someone who can afford 400k for a minter, cannot see the point of spending 400 quid on a cover.
IDOITS!!
I had a 79 back in about 1987. It was my daily driver through rain, sun, cold and even snow! I had snow tires and a five gallon bucket of sand in the frunk for weight and that car was great! Only thing ever went wrong was the alternator and gas tank developed a leak. Both fixed very cheap.
Couple items from your video:
- the odd toggle switch is for those after market fog lights.
-The crash rating of that car for cars of its time was actually very good. New standards had been envisioned and it was designed for that. I can attest to it withstanding a 35mph rear ending while I was stationary by a very large Oldsmobile. I was able to drive away from the accident but eventually my insurance totaled the car.
- The aerial and spoiler. The aerial is normally mounted on the other side of the car. For some reason this one is on the wrong side hence the spoiler being backwards.
Super car. I have a 1988 SE in exactly same colour. No rust, waxolyed and loved! Sticks to the road like glue! And only done 30k miles!
I am 55 years of age, that means that I saw this car when it just came out of factory among other Fiats just like the fiat 130 and 130 coupe at age 7!... I fell in love instantly, I considered it a baby Lamborghini. I wished it would someday get the 1600cc twin cam engine from Fiat 124, which unfortunately never did (the 2000cc would really be to much for this size of car) Anyway, I still love it (with the original bumpers, not these ugly pieces of plastic) and I thank you for reviewing it! Keep up the good work CarGuys! Greetings from Greece
Thanks, Antonis - glad you liked it
The steering wheel! 😂 What kind of blind mechanic took care of that car? The wheel would drive me crazy! It needs to be turned left serveral notches to stand correctly, so that turning to the left is similar to turning to the right. Every mechanic with professional honour would fix that. Gee!
It’s removed regularly for the owner to get in and out. Must’ve not been put back on properly
I owned this car from around 2007 until I sold it about 8 years later..it had just 5533 miles on the clock when I acquired it. The toggle switch which the guy said he had no idea about is a manual override switch for the twin Kenlowe fans I had fitted along with a recored radiator. And yes, the spoiler is fitted the wrong way round!
The Gran Finale was the run out model available in the U.K only, launched by Fiat U.K in March 1989. It was based on the 1988 Special Edition X1/9, and was available in only 2 colours, Mica Blue and Mica Red. With the addition of the Gran Finale badges on the rear quarters and dashboard, the model also sported the rear spoiler, which was fitted by the dealers, not Fiat. Consequently, some were fitted the wrong way round, or in may cases not at all. I had a Gran Finale on which the spoiler was fitted the right way round, but didn't have cut out for the aerial, there was just a rubber plug in the hole where the aerial would be fitted right underneath the edge of the spoiler. Perhaps the dealership offered the original owner a choice of an aerial or spoiler. Its the best car I have ever owned, and you can bet your bottom dollar all those who tell you its crap have never driven one
Hi Car Guys.. I had the same toy!! Nice to see here complete with boat and trailer. I am very familiar with the story and history of the X19 and have built two from the ground up myself,, I do not consider myself as a expert technician but have much experience with detail and operations of this particular car. The car you reviewed is a Bertone and was put together at the Bertone factory with great care. The wing was only for styling and only for the Gran Finale. No down force was ever needed for the X.. The race version Dallara wing was only to allow the air to flow to the rear to restrict the vortices behind the rear window.... Lets just note this Bertone you are reviewing is a 30 year old car, This one is definitely 'not' pristine (looks only go so far). Only a handful of this color and from what I know only in the UK... A known fact,, the X19 is one of the best handling cars that was EVER produced without the aid of traction control.. Sorry you had to experience one that obviously has worn out shocks and worn out bushings, obvious again, the brakes are bad on this one and the master cylinder more than likely needs replacing, It is unfortunate that this one only does 112mph,, I have two,, one a 85 Bertone, and a 1980 Fiat,, both stock... Crash testing.. (keep in mind this car was designed in 1970 and just after the Lamborghini Muria) The only other car in comparison for crashing is Volvo.. I do take offence to the fact it is a "tin can", It has been documented as one of the best crash designs ever,, and thus the lack of knowledge and research on your part. When these cars are modified,,, they are equivalent or exceed any modern day sports car.. the tighter the track the better performance! Anyway,, I do appreciate the video regardless,, just wish you had a solid X19 to test to come to some more reasonable conclusions. Check this out,, lots of reality here guys,, facebook.com/iCSUNONOVE/ ...BTW,, drive that Porsche in 30 years with the same mileage of this X19 without proper maintenance and see .. just a pretty car that more than likely have a coolant leak.. Just my experiences with Porsche in general.
Totally agree!
Bought an ‘X’ reg one of these when i was 22 and 6ft2, immediately felt too small for me. Took the foam out of the oatmeal drivers seat and cut an inch off the reverse of the back and two inches off the reverse of the seat and it fitted me perfectly. Loved that car till it rusted to death.
Mine is stored safely in Ireland due to COVID 19, for almost 2 years, I totally restored it with no expense spared (Don’t ask!) in 2015 -18, money well spent ... It’s been in my family since new on August 1, 1988.
This car is a driving experience second to none IMHO, new shocks, brakes, 15” wheels and boots plus a couple of twin Weber’s taken from Ferrari 308 with matched stainless steel exhaust, mark less & rust free makes it just a little more special.
Only ~43k on the clock in over thirty years, I enjoyed watching your video this morning and the way your described the car in some detail, hope you agreed driving this car brings a smile when you get behind the wheel.
Owning a Bertone x19 in this condition or any condition for that matter is a rare privilege as you know there are not too many left on the road anywhere! … so looking at the world as it is today and all the travel restrictions in place I’m hoping to get back to Ireland in summer 2022 and plan to drive it another +1000 miles to complete the Wild Atlantic Way and maybe a daily sprint round the twisty Irish country roads too. Cheers and thanks for reminding me of what I have waiting for me next year …. Stay safe and enjoy life …
Spoiler on backwards. Wheel straightened by one bolt, brakes need bleeding, may need new struts, none of mine ever rolled in corners. If anything too rough. Joked about feeling twigs when went over them. All mine rode on rails and never felt wacky steering. Keep the revs high, its italian. Speed doesn't matter, it's great mph, topless, rides like rails.
Also reliable. Not Toyota but better than anything else I've owned. 16 years and never stuck on the road.
I had a 1500cc X/19 in silver back inthe early 80's.
What a superb car. It went around corners like it was on rails.
It was obviously not super powerful but I remember being chased an Escort RS down Weston-s-Mare seafront. When I got around the near 90° left hander at the end the Escort had fallen way behind due to the X/19s superior handling.
0 - 60 in 10.1 seconds! Same as the Escort RS 2000 and incidentally, my wife's e-Golf. And for all those complaining about the poor maintenance on the car, surely that's half the point of driving a nearly 50 year old car. It takes you back to when you were young and couldn't afford a newer car, did what little maintenance it got yourself and for most journeys were amazed that it got to it's destination without breaking down!
I had 74 silver Fiat X 1/9 loved it! miss it madly
Great to see your review of the little Exy. I have a few in various stages of oxidation. The earliest ones (70's pre. US bumpers) are prettiest with fabulous interiors.
Like a miniature exotic. My youngest Mica Blue '88 has the same blue cloth which with UV exposure has become as fragile as a tapestry. Literally crumbling away...
As many have said, you must have driven a dud as the steering is normally tight, telepathic and as delicate as an early Porsche. They can punch seriously above their weight when sorted. No need for a rollcage- very solid wee cars. Keep it up!
Thank you so much, Gareth. I must say it’s great to hear from an owner who doesn’t just throw abuse for minor technical errors or humour! I was losing faith that X1/9 owners were some of the worst pedants.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the fact that the X1/9 was getting some airtime, and you understand where we’re coming from
Can't beat small low power sports cars like this and mk1 mr2 and early mx5, more fun all the time than nearly any other big power cars ...cheers lads
While this car looks to be in good repair, from your description of how it drives, the owner has apparently neglected the steering, struts and brakes. The original X1/9 had the shortest stopping distance of any car sold in the US even surpassing the Corvette. (from 75 MPH to 0 in under 200 ft.) Mine handled like it was on rails, steering was tight and precise. The only time a mid engine car would handle poorly would be if the tire pressures were off. (front to back side to side) Being a mid engine car with almost even weight distribution front to back, tire pressure difference off more than 1-2 psi will cause poor handling. Pontiac Fierro had the same problem, even caused some accidents.
Your example clearly had maintenance issues, as evidenced by the wildly askew steering wheel position, your comment about the car wandering, and the brake pedal going near the floor. An X in proper nick will have very precise steering and solid, linear, high-effort brakes. Neither has power assist. Another X characteristic is a remarkably supple ride for such a small car. Since yours was not, I suspect one or more dampers to be perished--the stock damper failure mode is massive jounce stiffness. Or could be the tires are well-past their expiration date. Spoiler was probably added by an owner as it is indeed mounted backwards and NO stock spoiler had that antenna cutout---antenna installers would simply cut the hole a little more forward on the fender to clear the spoiler. Condition of the interior is amazing, especially the seating upholstery. A single push-on-off courtesy light was mounted to the underside of the targa bar in Series 1 models. Not sure what you are talking about regarding the center stack switchgear, they are all identically sized push-on-off square buttons. The lighting rheostat has to be a dial. The electric window lift switches are simple rocker switches styled to look like separate buttons, and they do resemble a lot of the switchgear on early Series 2 cars.
The wheel being just off of centre was driving me mad watching you drive it, let’s alone what it would be like to drive it. My neighbour as a kid had one of these and I used to walk past it so slowly everyday and admire. Great memories....
A beautiful and timeless car. I doubt many SUVs will age as well!
Still absolutely gorgeous. Way ahead of it’s time and I’d love to own another. (Had a ‘78 and it was rather a rotter)
But the Grand Finale is the one to have. Utterly gorgeous.
The brakes don’t need attention you just need to hammer them!
i had an '86 model back in the '90s. I had wider wheels and tyres fitted and the grip was incredible. I used to throw it around and it never once lost grip. Having a child brought ownership to an end. I did try in the early days with bags of baby stuff wedged in the front and a buggy strapped to the engine cover but eventually had to sell. I still miss it some 25 years later. Great little cars.
That spoiler is around the wrong way. Google shows all others with it around the correct way.
I don't doubt these guys know their stuff, but you're absolutely right some clown has fitted that spoiler back to front in the years since it left the factory.
I had a 1987 Bertone and it was extremely nimble an the manual steering was very precise. I think that this one needs new tires and suspension components. Enormously fun car, even with only 75hp from the Fiat 1.5. I went 100k miles in mine. The interior feels much larger than my NA MX-5, also.
Agreed. And not to mention the alignment is way off, check out the steering wheel when he's going straight.
I had a 1985 vs model. As far as a driving experience was concerned, the only gripe I had is that it was underpowered in standard spec. It could have coped with much more.
I have to say, the handling characteristics of an X1/9 were a great bonus, not some woeful, vague affair. Maybe an acquired taste, maybe drive a different one. I dunno.
When used to autocross regularly a friend had a late 1970's X1/9 and he ditched the huge front and rear bumpers. There was a company, that I don't remember the name of, that sold a kit that covered up the holes where the bumpers used to be. Significantly lightened the car.
I bet it did
in 89 i got a 79 bertone for 1200 dollars in florida while i was a senior is HS. never broke down and of course never raced considering the 74 thrashing HP wouldn't do much. cool going to a south florida school in an Italian convertible car with my shirt off. yes.................it did help with what every HS boy wants. miss that car
"It won't set your hair on fire". Another CarGuys gem. Such a cool car. Nice to see your enthusiasm. What an interior.
Well sorted out they're actually quite good in handling and in breaking. Very reliable also as I've only had oil changes, 2 sets of tires, 1 set of brakes in my 4 year ownership of a 1982 red one. Very safe too as I walked away from flipping mine (with the roof off) with only a finger cut from broken glass.
I bought one of these (red Fiat version) as my first car when I got a job and it was great fun to drive, all my friends had their tin top hatch backs and I had this great little open top mid-engine sports car. A bit lacking in performance but quite practical.
The CarGuys have the best style of videos on TH-cam these days, I'll enjoy this one fellas👏 Thank you.
Cheers, Dylan
It's always a treat to come across content about one of my favorite cars. I bought two of these brand new from the dealership, one in 1978 and one in 1985. My experience of the handling and braking performance of these two cars is much different than yours. Yes, the non-power brake pedal pressure was 50 pounds to acheive the highest stopping performance, but that was not difficult because of the seating position and support. The original Michelin XAS tires on the 1978 model were absolutely perfectly suited for the car. I was never able to obtain them again after they wore out. the Pirelli P3s on the 1985 model were not really performance tires and I tried all sorts of relacements but none felt as good as the original Michelin tires. But the car never felt vague, and with the 1500 model there was enough torque to encourage the rear-end to participate in cornering. It's true that todays cars are developing power that was inconceivable back then, but on a two lane twisty road, it was pure heaven. One more thing that you didn't address, for a two seater it had lots of storage in the front and rear luggage compartments. Not to forget that it had a full size spare tire. And contrary to other reviews that said you need two people to remove/replace the top, that's not true at all. What a great fun car and I'm glad I had both of them!
I suspect that as good as it looks, it needs some attention to the steering, because it should be exceptionally precise. As for scary brakes, they’re better than you realize but no power assist takes getting used to - you gotta’ stand on ‘em!
Owned a 81 1.5 ,drove it for four years everyday ,it was fantastic ,the example you tested is clearly in need of some repairs.
When asked what it was by almost any one , I said it was a " Bertone bodied Fiat".
Wasn't fast off the mark ,but enjoyed luring the "haters" into corners ,then watching them understeer across the corner in my rear view mirror.
As for strength in an accident ,a full sized Holden sedan ,hit my rear quarter at 50 mph the X 1/9 survived with little damage ,the Big Holden was totally stuffed.
Thanks for the great review. Shows that on a sunny day on a country road, this is all you need. Sometimes less is more...
Agreed
Had one of these and loved it as a second car. Used to to tax it from May to October to take advantage of the summer months.
Such a blast from the pat - thank you for featuring this. I had a faded red (so carrot orange) 1982 X1/9 as my first car - so many good times! I had this while my dad had an 89 TVR 350i - the wedgemen!
Glad you enjoyed it!
What's the point of reviewing a car that's in clear need of significant routine maintenance? Fix the damn thing and drive it at it's full potential.
Absolutely agree!
Fantastic video, great to see quirky cars like the x1/9 finally seeing the light of day!
Nice to see some love for this little forgotten nugget. Well done lads!
👍👍
That X1/9 demands a little bit of TLC to sort out the brakes, get it ALIGNED (that off centre steering wheel is insufferable!), some new tires and the elimination of that god awful rear 'spoiler'. Very minor attention for an iconic and cheerful automobile!!
Exactly. Dunno what these two were smokin
Owned five of these! Actually really strong body designed to cope well with rollover, relatively safe in its day. I used to pay £150 for these cars.. Prices have shifted up smartly now especially the earlier 1300 4 speed I recently witnessed a fairly decent example go for £11200 at auction which really surprised everyone. Great review thank you 🙂👍
Awesome, cheers dude 👍
Another interesting video. You really looked like you were having fun, and without a 400+ horsepower motor. My aunt had the Fiat version when I was a teenager and I remember us driving along the waterfront near Southend Pier. Happy memories.
Brings back memories of my gold X19, thought it was great back then, my first Ferrari...think tracking or steering needed alignment looking at that wheel in a straight line...
Great Video! A good friend of mine said at the time he'd buy both "Mini-Ferrari's the X19 & the MR2" if he got the right number of score draws! - There's an option for you to test
OK, you two guys had me worried with the title. I really enjoy your videos, two good friends having fun with great cars. Keep up the great work!
as a late teen, early 20's guy, I had a neighbour who was 6 feet, who had a Kermit green one from new, always thought they could do with a bigger motor, but it was his thing, his prior car was a Triumph Spitfire coupe which had 1500cc motors.
Very nostalgic. I owned a bunch of these back in the day (76, 74 and 79). It was slow even by the standards of the day. A better cam and a bigger carb made a difference, but it really needed dual carbs to be competitive --- you need squeeze out about 140 Hp. I don't remember the brakes being that bad at all. It did have little warning to spin when you went into a corner too hot, but it took a while to get used to how my next car (not mid-engined) would plow.
Not as timelessly pretty as the classic 124 spider, but every bit a 70's sports car.
Car Guys, your videos are very entertaining with wit and humour. Can hear your frustration about numbers and I agree I'm flummoxed as to why you aren't above at least 200k subscribers. Keep going, the numbers will get there!
I’m not sure they will, but it’s been fun
Great video - I think you should test a Triumph TR7 next and have a wedge-off.
Thanks for the fun ride!!
Had an 80, black w/ chrome luggage rack behind engine compartment, tan interior almost looked orange, had air, never used it much, great car, had trouble with the syncros on the 5 speed, everything else worked well, Oldsmobile sold these in the US but didn't know much about repairing them, handled like it was on rails when new, in the winter it would go everywhere, had the 1500 with a carburetor and a fan that never seemed to shut off, even ran after you walked away.
Why not first get the steering and brakes issue sorted before posting this? Now the review is a load of rubbish about what the car really is! Come and drive mine and you will have a totally different view!
It’s an accurate look at the car we drove. And there’s lots of love in there.
As an Alfa fan I was well surprised with the lack of views, I hope this one makes up for it.
It won’t
@@TheCarGuysTV It will, may be not 90K but sure it will get to 30K. I thoroughly enjoyed both this and the Guess the Alpha video so just keep doing what you are doing.
Brakes are not boosted - therefore they require a lot of pedal pressure to work. The brakes are actually very good - their feel is just very foreign to those who are not used to manual brakes. If the pedal is going to the floor, then there is air in the system or the seals in the MC are shot.
This is the first video Ive seen from you and Im blown away! Watches and cars!? Hell yeah Im gonna subscribe!
Cheers, dude
Nope - not Italian engineering. The Gran Finale "kit" was fitted at the dealership. Someone's fitted the aerial in the wrong place first, then went "oops" when it came to mounting the spoiler.... That's possibly unique.
Way too much play in the straight ahead position on that steering. Shouldn't be any perceptible body roll so the shocks bushes and tracking need checking. Also sensitive to tyre pressures. The brakes which are discs front and rear never had any issues stopping mine (in the dry anyway, rain is a different matter) but it is best driven with minimal braking inputs exploiting the mid-engined handling to maintain respectably fast B road progress.
Any sloppiness in the gear change is usually due to a failing rubber anti-vibration disc sandwiched between two plates in the lever extending into the gear- box, an easy fix.
Had mine from new in 1989, still fun, glad you enjoyed the ride.
Yes I most certainly did
I had a 75 or 76 and when it wasn't in the shop it was incredible. Low center of gravity and it felt more like 200hp than 60-70. If Fiat brought this back with a larger engine they'd sell a million of them
I had the 1300cc metal bumper one back in 1982... I was 18 and dreamed I was in Wham!? 🙃 A genuine hairdresser car, I bought it from a ... hairdresser that that spilt peroxide in the rear boot and it had rotten away 😄. Thrashed the nuts of it... but would suggest the handling was actually better than this one 🤨. For sure it was rusty and unreliable, but heck it was 5 years old then 🤷🏻♂️. Sold it and bought Matra Bagheera which was eventually traded for the “Fiat X1/20” .... more commonly known as the Lancia Montecarlo . Great times
Great times indeed 👍
The spoiler was optional, probably dealer fitted. There are several pictures and one in particular has the aerial further forward so it misses the spoiler. All the ones with that spoiler have it the same way round as this car. Weird!
Good review guys but you drive it like you were in the eights not the present day. Plus you had to rev them quite a bit to get them to go but hey they were brilliant fun and may I say pretty reliable too as I worked at the main dealer back then happy days. X19 and uno turbos
I believe your audience are discerning viewers.... might not be many but we appreciate the real emotion and honesty you provide... as well as the liberal amounts of bean giving! Cheers mate!
👍👍👍 But let’s find 50,000 more though, yeah?
The X1/9 is one ofthe strongest cars on the road!
They are double skinned and EVERYTHING is welded together!
No bolt on panels.
I 'reversed' one into a clay bank at 100kph and shortened it by the entire boot.
When I had stopped shaking, I OPENED the door and stepped out!
BOTH doors still opened and closed yet the car was 18" shorter.
If you are hit by an X1/9, unless you are driving a tank you will be left with an X1/9 shaped hole in your car.
My 2 Exxys drive VERY precisely, much like our Skyline R33.
It corners just as well as our R33.
The car in the vid must have knackered suspension.
One of my fathers friends had an X 1/9. For 4-5 yo me the highlight of their visit when he would let headlights pop up and down.
I so recall this car in the wild back in the day, and wanted one so badly when I was a new driver. I'm all good now on it!
I've driven all kinds of cars.
The X1/9s I've driven have some of the best steering, best ride & handling balance of any cars ever built.
They just need more power and more tire.
An Uno Turbo or Punto GT Turbo engine bolts right in.
This is the dream car for me - a Honda engine, a cleaned up body and chassis...jalopnik.com/a-vtec-swapped-fiat-x1-9-has-all-the-speed-of-a-modern-1834200464
These were actually built to comply with a rollover standard that was never actually madated back in the day. Also, because these have no anti-roll bars, you can really tighten up the handling by installing them.
Holy crap, I also had that exact toy! You've triggered a tsunami of nostalgia. Upon reflection, what the blimmin' heck was the concept behind a Fiat sports car towing a Carlsberg-liveried powerboat? There's a story there. As ever, I laughed all the way through that - plus if ever there was a symbol of Italian car design and 'flair', it's that spoiler/aerial cut-out solution.
Methinks thow dost protest too much. I had one from new in Canada, 1975-85. Yes 10 years. It was so much fun and didn‘t have enough power to get too many speeding tickets. I put a hotter cam in it, some anti-roll bars and it never gave me the impression of getting out of control. The only reason I got rid of it was that I was worried about rust and Toyota brought out the MR2 which was dimensionally equivalent, faster, more reliable, but no more fun. You forgot to mention the fantastically ingenious roof system.
I loved looking at it every time and had almost no reliability problems with it, unlike my Alfa‘s and Lancia‘s. But, they were too fast for Canadian speed limits.
These car are safe in accidents. The metal is double the thickness of other cars and it was claimed to be safe in a 55mph head on collisiin and the roll bar was designed to withstand an 80 mph roll over. Abarth Prototipo didnt have do much more than weld the strut mounts and the triangulation on the structure roll bar. And it could beat the Stratos. The car is supper under appreciated. It has the DNA of a Group 4 rally car. The engine is an oversquare design by Aurelio Lampredi and it was factory balanced to rev to 10000 rpm. The limiting factor was the mild head and cam which kept it from making real power.
Really enjoyed this one guys. As a kid in Toronto Canada there were actually two of these in my neighborhood!! I just loved the shape of them and they looked like such a fun car to drive. I’m still a huge fan of 70’s era wedge cars and this one ticks all the boxes. However at 6’4” I’ll never own one, even if I could find one today 😜
A nice cold beer. Excellent idea!
I've driven a few of these over the years and wondered even back then how the car would have been if the dimensions had been increased just slightly and perhaps a two litre unit? Always thought it was a good looking car and clever design.
Thank you Guys.
The Lancia Montecarlo was originally given the Fiat X1/20 designation in the prototype stage before being given to Lancia.
@@mrradman2986 Thank you for that! I'll read up on the link but now you've mentioned it I can see some sense of connection. Cheers!
@@markjohnson8352 It's covered at the end of a book called Fiat Sports Cars by Graham Robson published by Osprey. Well worth getting hold of if you love the Golden era of post war Italian sportscars. My first 3 cars were Fiat 850 spider, Lancia Beta Coupe then Bertone X1/9.
@@mrradman2986 Thank you for that! Your input is very much appreciated. What a nice way to begin driving! All the best to you.
I had a two tone gold and brown one. I really loved it and I burnt off a lot of cars at the time including a Renault 25, the owner of which was shocked that he couldn't keep up with me. Unfortunately it turned out to be a rust bucket (the rust seemed to be within the metal), I got rid of it cheap but still have fond memories of the car.
This was my first car and I loved it but it taught me the hard lesson that one of the most important aspects of a good car is reliability. Fix It Again Tomorrow. 😩
They were always built by Bertone at the Bertone plant. Prior to 83, they were sent to Fiat only for final drivetrain install.
A slab of gammon 🤣🤣 I love your videos of car legends. That red M3 in the background looked great too. Fantastic lads, keep them coming...
"It's tiny, ancient, and very '70s. But at the same time, super COOL!"
Haha, no you are!
Those door mounted inside lights are also found on Ferrari 308GT4’s also designed by Bertone!
When the FIAT X1/9 was design, the US was looking at implementing a much high mandate for withstanding crashes the FIAT X1/9 was designed to meet that new crash standard. The US ultimately never put the standards into effect but the car was already for production so when the car came out in 1974 only two cars in the world meet this high crash standard. The Volvo sedan and the X1/9. Despite its size it does an outstanding job protecting the occupants and was one of the safest cars on the road in that time period.
Also the TR7 was designed to meet such.
I've had four of that Bertone X1/9 and it is a blast to drive! It's the best of the best in winding roads.
I've blown away ME and Corvette in a winding road with a big smile waving bye-bye to them....hehehe!
Love your video 😀👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks, Michael
Great video. Always remember the X19 v MR2 review. As a new convert to the Ferrari 348 - this is one you should really get your hands on next!
I had a 1973 X1/9
And i will never forget after I rebuilt the motor I used to drive the car pretty hard
I put in a 1500 out out of a Fiat regatta
long story short when you throw the car into a corner
the oil pressure warning light used to come on for about 5 seconds
at which point I would panic and quite rightly so…..!!!!!
WHAT!! People did not watch the Alfa video? Whats wrong with them. Err that toggle switch is most likely not OEM. Ive got one on my Alfa. It happens when garages try to fix Italian electrics.
Great video, i enjoyed it that much i have subscribed to your channel.
👍👍
I bought a new one, in metallic orange, in 1978. Was a fun car except it overheated in summer. Was a good winter car.
You were living the dream
I had one of these in 1990. Bertone VS with leather seats. Steering was the nicest out of any car I have ever driven. Including 911's. Great feel. But the brakes are awful, especially in the wet as there is no weight on the nose, and synchro always goes in 2nd gear. Oh and they wont start when hot even though they have a carb cooling fan. I really wish i still had it. Not fast but a lot of fun.
My guess was 2 days to 60mph...Loved this one Damian and Jason and loved the Alfa one too. SAid earlier we must be the chosen few who love everything you guy do. Top quality and some excellent humour. Cheers
Neil Patching Thanks, Neil - great to have you around. 👍