Had this car 1995-98 in high school, all the guys would make fun of it but all wanted to ride in it and would secretly tell me they actually liked it. Girls really loved it.😉
Hilarious … I had the 82 orange one tan interior guys were so jealous and all wanted to drive it and their girls wanted a ride… female owned and garage kept low mileage high school 96 and 97 years… People still talk about that car…
Back in the 90s, I'd buy these, restore/fix them (timing belt, valve adjustment, water pump, rebuild the weber carbs, set timing, new plugs, bleed breaks, install pads, re-wire headlights), drive them for a few months (incl. commuting), then Sell them. This was the 90s. I never paid more than $600 for 'em. Never any issues once I 'sorted them out'. Always made at least a $500 (net profit) when I sold them. These were fun, solid cars.
designed by Marcello Gandini at Bertone, this went on sale in 1972, ten years later it still looked fresh... Toyota took notice and brought out the similar MR2 in 1984.
@@WinstonSmith1997 In my life, I have owned both a 1979 X 1/9 and an 85 MR-2. The Fiat was like driving a go-kart, no real power but a ton of fun to drive. It topped out at just over 100 MPH while drafting a friend in his first gen Honda CRX, with another friend in his CRX tight on my tail. The MR-2, on the other hand, had much more power and handled like a race car. Both cars were a pleasure to own and drive, and I would take either of them over any of the current crop of overpriced cars that attempt to replace them. These were DRIVER'S cars, no computers, no gadgets, simply pure joy on 4 wheels. As for a direct comparison, the MR-2 MK1 was like a re-incarnated Lotus Europa when it came down to it, much more than it was a 'new' X-1/9. Of all the cars I've owned in my life, including a 71 Mach 1, a 70 Challenger 440 ST, a 72 Z/28, and a 2002 Celica GTi, amongst others, the MR-2 remains my favourite.
in '89 as a senior in HS i had this car. it was a '79 and i paid 1200 US bucks. it didn't say Fiat, the side said Bertone so i explained to my curious classmates it was Italian and made by the same company that designed the Lambo's and Ferrari's which was true. it never broke down on me and got looks everywhere being few knew what it was. never won any races but sure hooked up with girls due to the mystic behind it. i am now 50 and have a 2016 VW Golf. yes, i do miss my youth
I owned a '74 X1/9 for four years and found it to be a great car. Of course I did my own maintenance. After some upgrades, new Italian exhaust system, cam, Weber carb. I sold it and bought a '79 Alfa Spider. There's only so much HP that you could get out of a little 1296. The X1/9 was the fastest spinning car I'd ever driven and ended up being more reliable than the '84 Supra (cams @ 34,000 miles & sucked a valve @ 115,000) that I purchased years later. Sure the general maintenance was more but when you do it yourself it was pretty simple.
I own a 1981 Fiat X19 which I bought in the early 90's. I have driven it all over creation. I could move all my luggage and dorm equipment in the car each semester. Raced it in SCCA solo events and often beat cars with twice the horsepower. The down side is the horsepower in stock form but the mid range power and the thorough bread DNA (it was designed by Bertone and raced by Abarth as a Group 4 Rally car which beat the Lancia Stratos but was cancelled due to internal politics giving the Stratos the opportunity to win three world constructors championships). The engine is essentially half a Ferrari 308. Steve Hoelscher won 4 national SCCA Solo titles with the car. His car could pull 1.5 g on the skid pad and transition at 4 g per second. On the way he logged 20 consecutive national event wins, and a total of 50 national event wins. His average SCCA Nationals placing was 2.4. He set 3 records for the largest margin of victory. I have never had to do anything other than normal maintenance. Bought mine for $1200 in the early 1990's and still enjoy having it today.
Michael Brown When I was a kid there was an X19 in my area that I always liked, now I have a 2015 500 Abarth, and if I had the money (and ability) I think it would be awesome to see the modern Abarth engine in an X19 :)
I owned one for 10 years, as my only car. I drove it across the country many times, it never broke down on one of those trips as I did my own maintenance (simple and easy to work on) and made sure everything was ready to go go go. It was a lot of fun to drive, it did rust out on me, so it had to be traded in,... for a new Corvette for 10 years, then it was sold too, for a Jeep, (talk about maintenance!) The X-1/9 is the car I still miss....... it was a lot of fun to drive. I would buy another one if the wife would let me!
My ex-wife and me owned a '79 for 9 years and we had virtually no problems with it. I put in a high capacity (55 watt) alternator and replaced 1 CV joint and that was it for issues!! The dealership put on some aftermarket rustproofer and it never had any corrosions issues. I did all of the maintenance and while not especially easy to work on, it was still easier than my current GTI to work on. I really, really wish I had that car right now!!!!
One little quirk they never talked about was the vertical rear window just behind the seats... at night the oncoming cars headlights would reflect into your rear view mirror and would appear like you had a car behind you coming up about 120 MPH... took some getting used to....
I owned a Fiat X19, it was sorta similar to a Triumph TR7 except the TR7 was a little larger and more powerful. the X19 was like a large go kart. it was fun to drive it had competent handling in stock form. it would have a little push in unbanked corners and would be a little loose otherwise. if a person wanted to use one these little cars for any kind of competition use? a person would want to opt for a little wider wheel and tire combination all the way around? on the stock wheels and tires a person can definitely hear the tires giving up on really hard maneuvering. the one that I had was pretty reliable only needing a few minor repairs during the time I owned it. however it was simple to work on, but could be difficult to work on because of the car's design. (examples are) it would require a person with long skinny arms to reach down into the engine compartment. to get to tight spots around the engine. (and for instance) I had to replace a brake master cylinder on the one I had. and a person would think it would be out in the frunk area? but instead it's up under the dashboard making it more difficult to replace than other cars. but I wouldn't consider it the worst car in the world to work on. even though they are considered sports cars? my father had an MG Midget and I would consider it a more true sports than the Fiat X19. however with the soft top up it was a much more difficult to enter and exit than the X19. I would have liked to have owned a Triumph TR 7 just to see how much different they are from the Fiat X19? but I never got the opportunity to own one.
I've owned lots of cars in my years and X1/9 was the best of the best in handling and FUN car! I wish to have a chance of owning such a great fun car, again. It's the only pure sports car. Convertible, 5 speed on the floor, mid engine, 4 wheel disbrakes, no computer managing the wheels and balanced. It's the only disc brake system that doesn't lock-up! Also, the most reliable car I've ever owned. Drove this car coast to coast passing through the Mojave desert (summer time) with no problems. You have to keep the engine in at least 4000 rpm and it won't fail on you. Drive it like a Honda and you're gonna need a tow truck. Italian cars are designed to be revving to red line in all gears.
People take so many pot-shots at reliability. Just take car of your car and it'll run forever. Basic maintenance and DRIVING it now and then goes a looooooong way. I still have my 1983 Delorean and it runs like a dream. I delivered pizza in it for 2 years...torture for any car. Always starts on the first crank. Always gets me where I'm going, roads or no roads.
A agree i had al sorts of itaian cars and reliabily was not an issue ....its just some cars are more resistant to abuse but even toyotas i see people just beat them up
***** Well that was a sweeping generalization there. You can't speak for most. And if you're not talking about being 'fast' then why reply to my post which *only* referred to modern cars being fast. The fact that the Maxima is a beige family car just furthers my point that today's modern cars are crazy fast.
***** No game to play. I simply stated that watching these old videos shows how modern cars are crazy fast. I used my beige family car Maxima as an example. The post really had nothing to do with my car. You could've replaced my car with just about any car on sale today and the point would still stand. The point of my post was not was not to discredit the Fiat or any other old car. Obviously I can appreciate a classic car and what it was during its time. Hence the reason I watch these videos. You took my post and made it into a cool vs not cool. And btw you saying "most" is a generalization as one cannot speak for most.
***** I think you missed the entire point of my post. My post was not specific to the FIAT, nor was it specific to my Maxima. The point was that watching all of these MW Retro Reviews really shows how powerful today's cars are. The fact that a "family" sedan has nearly 300-hp is mind blowing when compared to cars of the era of this FIAT. That was the point of my original post. And again, you cannot speak for "most." Petrol heads or car enthusiasts are not defined by liking only a certain type of car. Petrol heads love all things car, including the "boring appliances."
Have my second one now love driving it, through the rear trunk there's a panel to remove to get at the back of engine.. I was able to lift the front wheels off the ground by grabbing the front bumper
Had several Porsche 914s, a dogged Fiat X19 and a 1st and second gen. MR2 over 30 years. The take away from all of that fun was the Porsche talked the best but always needed something, the Fiat was extremely toss able but fragile, and the first generation MR2 (which I still own) has all of the above except perhaps the steering feel of the 914, plus remaining extremely reliable. The bonus is you can buy a first gen. Mister Two for pennies.
My sis had this car in 84... same color and everything! WHEN it ran it was a blast! - handled better than anything on the road almosrt! Reliability however was not synonymous with the word FIAT at the time.
Throughout my years of sports car ownership I've owned a 124 Spider, a couple of Spitfires and three Datsun/Nissan Z"s, but the most "fun" I ever had driving was with my X1/9.
My step dad and his brother were really into European two seat convertibles. Bill owned a Sunbeam Tiger, an Opel GT, and a Fiat 850 Spider. I got lots of time in the Opel and I liked it. He had the Fiat before I could drive, and he had a shop he would take it for a...bolt check. Wow even I could tell the difference in how well that car drove every time it had a "bolt check" by sitting in the passengers seat. He had it done about twice a year. His would kind of rattle apart between "bolt checks." At any rate, the Sunbeam Tiger was bad to the bone I'll tell ya. I saw 110 mph for the first time riding in that car!
Loved the retro review. The redheaded tester is tough on the car though. He slams the trunk, and jumps over the side door and window and lands quite hard in the passenger seat.
The cheese on this show is funny even by 80's standards. There's always some dude banging on the roof acting overly attentive to a clipboard on the acceleration runs as if some land speed record was about to be set.
my red 87 turns heads of new 911 owners regularly ( I live by a dealership) but the late 80s ones were the prettiest and it's not a Fiat but a Bertone, says so on title.
What was that guy's problem putting the top on? I put mine on from the driver's side, placing my left hand under it and holding it like a pizza pan, while lining it up from the rear with my right hand. The only trouble I have now is that the springs that hold the latches open have broken, but that's more of an issue when removing it, as they sometimes catch the header while I'm taking it off. I don't like the rear attachment arrangement because as they wear, the roof starts to rattle until you readjust the hooks. I used to have a 73 914 2.0, and the rear attachments were much better, being a cam latch type setup that pulled the roof down after the hooks were engaged.
I purchased one of these in 1993 for 400$,,,I think it was a 79',,,the guy who owned it was a mechanic an installed a 2 barrel carb on it,,,that car was the most fun to drive, until I let my girlfriend drive it once and she wrecked it😤
I think one of the major reasons the Fiat/USA experiment failed was because of our American bias against Italian automobile engineering, (Fiat had a reputation for falling apart as you were driving it off of the dealers lot) It was the same reason that the AMC Alliance didn't succeed, we had a similar opinion of French automobile engineering; we thought that the only thing the French could do was make bad copies of typically well engineered German cars. I've owned several Fiats, including the AWESOME Abarth Fiat 500 and had no trouble what-so-ever. IF you understand that you aren't driving a 100,000 automobile, a Fiat will last a lifetime
The problem with Fiat cars was that they were mostly cheap cars. People seems to not understand that changing a timing belt on a $1,000 worth car costs as much as changing it in a $10,000 worth car, because it's the same operation. Being cheap they were not well mantained, small issues were not taken care of... because it was "not worth it". Then, when they fell apart, "FIATs are crap".
@@neutronalchemist3241 Everyone is entitled to their own opinion; one question: Have you ever actually owned a Fiat? And, if so, what model and year of manufacture and other details; i.e., specs, features/options, model type, etc., and what was your experience with that Fiat?
I bought a new X1/9 in 1975. The list price then was $4900.00. It was fun to drive and looked nice, but it was poorly built and very unreliable. I kept it for 20,000 miles and during my ownership all sorts of things went wrong with it. A fuel line came loose and sprayed gasoline all over the hot engine compartment. All 4 wheels needed to have the wheel bearings replaced, something gave way in the heater core that had coolant shooting out onto the floor of the passengers seat, for the first month I had the car both side windows stopped cranking down. It took the dealer weeks to figure out what was wrong. There was also an issue with the carburetor that caused the fuel mixture to be off, and that caused the catalytic converter to over heat and actually glow red. The interior was also not very durable. The very soft vinyl on the seats started to deteriorate quickly. Oh, and don't even think of taking one of these through a car wash. The first time I did, the water was coming into the passenger compartment from every direction.
Yes and if you parked the car outside and it rained, water came through the engive cover directly onto the top of the distributor. They were definitely dry weather cars.
Scott Trindl….I bought a 1974 model. Regret selling it ( was broke and needed money ) but I had quite a different experience. Never had any problems, no catalyst convertor. The pollution controls really ruined these early cars. The wheel bearings never failed but did on my 1976 Lancia Scorpion. The Lancia had many of the problems you mentioned. Funny how one year production made such a huge difference in the quality. My interior on the Fiat held up quite well except the carpet. No leaks and good performance, I live in the rust belt and the “rust prone Fiat” held up very well. Still have the Lancia. Wish I had the Fiat.
0:50 John Davis loves sitting on some cars back in the day lol. All these old videos, my man is always sitting on the car but this one takes the cake LOL
I looked at one of these in 1988 when I was 17. I loved the looks and the lot had it for 1500 bucks. I probably would have got it if not for the fact that I simply couldn’t fit my long legs (6’5” tall) in it well enough to drive it. I ended up getting an 84 Nissan pulsar nx turbo for about the same price from the same lot. Believe it or not I had not trouble fitting in and driving the pulsar.
Loved the fibre optics for the dash light. So convenient when needing an extra light 🙂 i had exact same one as in this video. Loved it even though I'm 6'2 lol
I love Fiat automobiles, some models are very reliable and easy to maintain In my country is common to see old Fiats with 200k miles running well despite bad conditions with roads, fuel and maintence.
My grandpa had an orange one with a radar detector built into the dash. My dad had a white one. I don't remember much as I was young but I don't remember them being around for that long. They were always breaking which is why they were replaced with other cars.
What is he going on about all the complicated latches to put the top on? There are two latches and the top is incredibly simple and easy for one person to remove and put back on.
It is hilarious how they have to 'TAP" the hood in order to get the car going BUT I much rather have a Fiat than any of the less cute and reliable american cars of the era.
Silly comments by the host.. I could remove the top and stow it at a light while it was red.. I could put it back on faster. And I did most if not all of the maintenance on mine, as it was actually pretty darn easy to work on. Owned it for twenty six years and more than a quarter million miles... which I had another one!
Like most Fiat's they were absolute junk, but really beautiful little cars. It's a shame someone can't make a car like this that's affordable and that actually works.
They went WAY over the top with a bumbling idiot making the roof install look a lot harder than it actually is. Just 2 latches and away you go. And it's dwarfed by my 1st Gen MR2 even though they are laid out almost exactly the same. The only difference between the two are the placement of the gas tank & spare tire.
Are the rear wheels supposed to have noticeable negative camber? In places it looks like it has pre-worn out rear springs. I think the rebate would give customers some money in their pocket to fix the flaws.
You'd think they'd mention the two removable maintenance panels that made these a doddle to work on. I removed the engine once using a few spammers and a toilet seat balanced on a jack, good times. Greatest car ever
For "distributed by Pininfarina and 'Bertony'", read "Badged with the names of the coachbuilders who had subcontracted production from Fiat all along, and distributed by Malcolm Bricklin".
The X1/9 had been designed by Bertone (by Marcello Gandini, Bertone's chief designer. The same of the lamborghini Miura, Lancia Stratos, Ferrari Dino 308 GT4...) and assembled at Bertone's plant for all of it's production.
My dad bought one of these new back in the day. Thing was an absolute blast to drive, but it was in the shop every other week for something new. Recurring problems required merely monthly visits.
+stchman Yep. Never understood how companies could get everything else just right--looks, handling, balance, and power--and get the reliability so wrong. Italian and British cars are notorious for that, but a lot of American cars suffered from the same thing.
+Frank Burns I had one, same experience. Brilliant to drive when it worked, most of the time it didn't and just left you weeping with frustration. Lack of cooling was the main problem, with fuel vapour lock on warm days, head gaskets blowing on long hard drives. Dreadful gearbox too, with a horrible reverse that stripped teeth as soon as look at them, leaving the car without reverse if you weren't extremely careful. And they rusted. Anything good about them? They did drive brilliantly. Oh, I said that already.
GRAHAMAUS that little thing probably weighed 432 pound soaking wet, so its 70 HP or whatever was more than enough, but jesus fucking christ, can't you make it run for a couple of months in a row, at least? fix it again, tony
I used to take a X-19 on joy rides, there was one parked at a VW dealer for months. So one night I came up to it, the doors were unlock and the key was under the mat. I'll leave it at that.
The 82 is my "Rosebud" sled. Got one for 600 bucks back in 1991. I had a low mileage 06 Cayman S and it just wasn't the same. The only thing I liked better was a Supercharged 1988 MR2 I test drove once.
Prius does not get 60 mpg..................not even 35mpg when you add the true cost of plugging the battery in or the engine dragging the drive-train to charge the battery up.................and yes... the EU, Japanese, and USA versions differ on battery capacities, range, every day torque/power,etc.................and real world MPG. but either way, a Prius does not even get 40 MPG regardless of country where sold. Suzuki Cultus/Geo Metro 3 cylinder will blow any current gas-diesel hybrid electric away in real-world usage MPG.
LMAO, you are a real whack job... It was an obvious exaggeration while trying to make a point, at least to people with a brain it's obvious. The point I was making is how things have changed and what is considered "fast", MPGs are barely a footnote...
We had a 1.5lt 5 speed manual series 3 and got close to 40 mpg on a highway run. This is pretty good considering that it was a 2 valve per cylinder, non cross-flow engine with a carburettor.
This car does not nor did any model year have "Power assisted disc brakes" Disc brakes, yes. The only power came from your leg mashing the brake pedal.
@@cordiasr7021 It wasn't considered too slow for a 1.3 litre engine in a small, cheap sports car. Look at the 0-60 times of contemporary supercars and normal European family cars to see what I mean.
It's amazing how time changes things when it comes to cars. They may have been fun to drive when new, but time proved them to be spectacularly unreliable, even when only a couple years old. They also rusted out fast, which is why they are so rare now.
Had this car 1995-98 in high school, all the guys would make fun of it but all wanted to ride in it and would secretly tell me they actually liked it. Girls really loved it.😉
Hilarious … I had the 82 orange one tan interior guys were so jealous and all wanted to drive it and their girls wanted a ride… female owned and garage kept low mileage high school 96 and 97 years… People still talk about that car…
Back in the 90s, I'd buy these, restore/fix them (timing belt, valve adjustment, water pump, rebuild the weber carbs, set timing, new plugs, bleed breaks, install pads, re-wire headlights), drive them for a few months (incl. commuting), then Sell them. This was the 90s. I never paid more than $600 for 'em. Never any issues once I 'sorted them out'. Always made at least a $500 (net profit) when I sold them. These were fun, solid cars.
designed by Marcello Gandini at Bertone, this went on sale in 1972, ten years later it still looked fresh... Toyota took notice and brought out the similar MR2 in 1984.
And don't forget the Pontiac Fiero
@@ronnieleebailey Actually the Fiero came out BEFORE the MR2.
@@ronnieleebailey The Fiero is much better off if it is forgotten. 😎
I own a 1986 MR2. Not the fastest car but the handling is perfect.
@@WinstonSmith1997 In my life, I have owned both a 1979 X 1/9 and an 85 MR-2. The Fiat was like driving a go-kart, no real power but a ton of fun to drive. It topped out at just over 100 MPH while drafting a friend in his first gen Honda CRX, with another friend in his CRX tight on my tail. The MR-2, on the other hand, had much more power and handled like a race car. Both cars were a pleasure to own and drive, and I would take either of them over any of the current crop of overpriced cars that attempt to replace them. These were DRIVER'S cars, no computers, no gadgets, simply pure joy on 4 wheels.
As for a direct comparison, the MR-2 MK1 was like a re-incarnated Lotus Europa when it came down to it, much more than it was a 'new' X-1/9. Of all the cars I've owned in my life, including a 71 Mach 1, a 70 Challenger 440 ST, a 72 Z/28, and a 2002 Celica GTi, amongst others, the MR-2 remains my favourite.
in '89 as a senior in HS i had this car. it was a '79 and i paid 1200 US bucks. it didn't say Fiat, the side said Bertone so i explained to my curious classmates it was Italian and made by the same company that designed the Lambo's and Ferrari's which was true. it never broke down on me and got looks everywhere being few knew what it was. never won any races but sure hooked up with girls due to the mystic behind it. i am now 50 and have a 2016 VW Golf. yes, i do miss my youth
Fiat X19 is solid, fun and cool car
I owned a '74 X1/9 for four years and found it to be a great car. Of course I did my own maintenance. After some upgrades, new Italian exhaust system, cam, Weber carb. I sold it and bought a '79 Alfa Spider. There's only so much HP that you could get out of a little 1296. The X1/9 was the fastest spinning car I'd ever driven and ended up being more reliable than the '84 Supra (cams @ 34,000 miles & sucked a valve @ 115,000) that I purchased years later. Sure the general maintenance was more but when you do it yourself it was pretty simple.
I own a 1981 Fiat X19 which I bought in the early 90's. I have driven it all over creation. I could move all my luggage and dorm equipment in the car each semester. Raced it in SCCA solo events and often beat cars with twice the horsepower. The down side is the horsepower in stock form but the mid range power and the thorough bread DNA (it was designed by Bertone and raced by Abarth as a Group 4 Rally car which beat the Lancia Stratos but was cancelled due to internal politics giving the Stratos the opportunity to win three world constructors championships). The engine is essentially half a Ferrari 308. Steve Hoelscher won 4 national SCCA Solo titles with the car. His car could pull 1.5 g on the skid pad and transition at 4 g per second. On the way he logged 20 consecutive national event wins, and a total of 50 national event wins. His average SCCA Nationals placing was 2.4. He set 3 records for the largest margin of victory. I have never had to do anything other than normal maintenance. Bought mine for $1200 in the early 1990's and still enjoy having it today.
FYI- Comments are true even if spell check didn't quite do its job.
Michael Brown When I was a kid there was an X19 in my area that I always liked, now I have a 2015 500 Abarth, and if I had the money (and ability) I think it would be awesome to see the modern Abarth engine in an X19 :)
Mark Zielke - My neighbor had one. I loved that champagne roadster.
Will W
I did a search, there are at least two projects putting the Abarth engine in X1/9s
Awesome! That I would love to see!
I owned one for 10 years, as my only car. I drove it across the country many times, it never broke down on one of those trips as I did my own maintenance (simple and easy to work on) and made sure everything was ready to go go go. It was a lot of fun to drive, it did rust out on me, so it had to be traded in,... for a new Corvette for 10 years, then it was sold too, for a Jeep, (talk about maintenance!) The X-1/9 is the car I still miss....... it was a lot of fun to drive. I would buy another one if the wife would let me!
Get a new wife, these things are becoming rare in good condition. Women are easier to find.
Did you ever replace the clutch? Hardly an easy job, you have to move the engine out of the way!
The wife won't let you? Just do it! She'll have to get over it. Lol
Why I've never had a wife! I have a house and garage full of toys!
I used to have a wife like that too
My ex-wife and me owned a '79 for 9 years and we had virtually no problems with it. I put in a high capacity (55 watt) alternator and replaced 1 CV joint and that was it for issues!! The dealership put on some aftermarket rustproofer and it never had any corrosions issues. I did all of the maintenance and while not especially easy to work on, it was still easier than my current GTI to work on. I really, really wish I had that car right now!!!!
I learned to drive a stick shift on a Fiat x19!!!
One little quirk they never talked about was the vertical rear window just behind the seats... at night the oncoming cars headlights would reflect into your rear view mirror and would appear like you had a car behind you coming up about 120 MPH... took some getting used to....
I owned a Fiat X19, it was sorta similar to a Triumph TR7 except the TR7 was a little larger and more powerful. the X19 was like a large go kart. it was fun to drive it had competent handling in stock form. it would have a little push in unbanked corners and would be a little loose otherwise. if a person wanted to use one these little cars for any kind of competition use? a person would want to opt for a little wider wheel and tire combination all the way around? on the stock wheels and tires a person can definitely hear the tires giving up on really hard maneuvering. the one that I had was pretty reliable only needing a few minor repairs during the time I owned it. however it was simple to work on, but could be difficult to work on because of the car's design. (examples are) it would require a person with long skinny arms to reach down into the engine compartment. to get to tight spots around the engine. (and for instance) I had to replace a brake master cylinder on the one I had. and a person would think it would be out in the frunk area? but instead it's up under the dashboard making it more difficult to replace than other cars. but I wouldn't consider it the worst car in the world to work on. even though they are considered sports cars? my father had an MG Midget and I would consider it a more true sports than the Fiat X19. however with the soft top up it was a much more difficult to enter and exit than the X19. I would have liked to have owned a Triumph TR 7 just to see how much different they are from the Fiat X19? but I never got the opportunity to own one.
I've been a fan of MW since the very beginning. THANK YOU for helping me become as knowledgeable as I have over the years!
I've owned lots of cars in my years and X1/9 was the best of the best in handling and FUN car!
I wish to have a chance of owning such a great fun car, again.
It's the only pure sports car. Convertible, 5 speed on the floor, mid engine, 4 wheel disbrakes, no computer managing the wheels and balanced.
It's the only disc brake system that doesn't lock-up!
Also, the most reliable car I've ever owned. Drove this car coast to coast passing through the Mojave desert (summer time) with no problems.
You have to keep the engine in at least 4000 rpm and it won't fail on you.
Drive it like a Honda and you're gonna need a tow truck. Italian cars are designed to be revving to red line in all gears.
i bought one 2 weeks, i ago, i'm waiting to install a new timing belt, then take it for a ride. i hear it is a blast to drive!
Can't remember the last time I've seen one of these.
My dream car as a kid. Still a great design and a fun little car.
People take so many pot-shots at reliability. Just take car of your car and it'll run forever. Basic maintenance and DRIVING it now and then goes a looooooong way. I still have my 1983 Delorean and it runs like a dream. I delivered pizza in it for 2 years...torture for any car. Always starts on the first crank. Always gets me where I'm going, roads or no roads.
A agree i had al sorts of itaian cars and reliabily was not an issue ....its just some cars are more resistant to abuse but even toyotas i see people just beat them up
Pizza to the future or the past?
Watching all these old videos makes you realize how crazy fast cars are today. My Maxima is a rocketship compared to most anything from 1982!
***** And neither is anything else on sale today if 1982 is your definition of cool
***** I'm failing to see your point here. What does 'cool' have to do with being fast? Ya know, the point of my original post...
***** Well that was a sweeping generalization there. You can't speak for most. And if you're not talking about being 'fast' then why reply to my post which *only* referred to modern cars being fast. The fact that the Maxima is a beige family car just furthers my point that today's modern cars are crazy fast.
***** No game to play. I simply stated that watching these old videos shows how modern cars are crazy fast. I used my beige family car Maxima as an example. The post really had nothing to do with my car. You could've replaced my car with just about any car on sale today and the point would still stand. The point of my post was not was not to discredit the Fiat or any other old car. Obviously I can appreciate a classic car and what it was during its time. Hence the reason I watch these videos. You took my post and made it into a cool vs not cool. And btw you saying "most" is a generalization as one cannot speak for most.
***** I think you missed the entire point of my post. My post was not specific to the FIAT, nor was it specific to my Maxima. The point was that watching all of these MW Retro Reviews really shows how powerful today's cars are. The fact that a "family" sedan has nearly 300-hp is mind blowing when compared to cars of the era of this FIAT. That was the point of my original post. And again, you cannot speak for "most." Petrol heads or car enthusiasts are not defined by liking only a certain type of car. Petrol heads love all things car, including the "boring appliances."
Have my second one now love driving it, through the rear trunk there's a panel to remove to get at the back of engine.. I was able to lift the front wheels off the ground by grabbing the front bumper
Haha brings back memories, yes two people lifted the car easy, and I remember that door from the boot to service
Had several Porsche 914s, a dogged Fiat X19 and a 1st and second gen. MR2 over 30 years. The take away from all of that fun was the Porsche talked the best but always needed something, the Fiat was extremely toss able but fragile, and the first generation MR2 (which I still own) has all of the above except perhaps the steering feel of the 914, plus remaining extremely reliable. The bonus is you can buy a first gen. Mister Two for pennies.
no you can't. They are collectors cars. Expensive. No cheap ones that drive to be had.
One of the best looking sports cars ever!
Beauty car
Still one of the best (in my opinion) looking cars out there. Yes, it's slow...but it just looks fantastic and handles phenomenally.
My sis had this car in 84... same color and everything! WHEN it ran it was a blast! - handled better than anything on the road almosrt! Reliability however was not synonymous with the word FIAT at the time.
Throughout my years of sports car ownership I've owned a 124 Spider, a couple of Spitfires and three Datsun/Nissan Z"s, but the most "fun" I ever had driving was with my X1/9.
My step dad and his brother were really into European two seat convertibles. Bill owned a Sunbeam Tiger, an Opel GT, and a Fiat 850 Spider. I got lots of time in the Opel and I liked it. He had the Fiat before I could drive, and he had a shop he would take it for a...bolt check. Wow even I could tell the difference in how well that car drove every time it had a "bolt check" by sitting in the passengers seat. He had it done about twice a year. His would kind of rattle apart between "bolt checks."
At any rate, the Sunbeam Tiger was bad to the bone I'll tell ya. I saw 110 mph for the first time riding in that car!
I remember in the early 80's walking to high school everyday passing the Fiat dealership and wishing I had one of these....LOL
Loved the retro review. The redheaded tester is tough on the car though. He slams the trunk, and jumps over the side door and window and lands quite hard in the passenger seat.
LOL yeah they always act like they are on meth spazzing around. Of course if anything it would be lines of coke.
Glad to say that I have kept mine since 1987
The cheese on this show is funny even by 80's standards. There's always some dude banging on the roof acting overly attentive to a clipboard on the acceleration runs as if some land speed record was about to be set.
😀
So true.
gribble prat!
scdevon : ya we all knew it was a ruse, but that was part of the MW schtick...
I always love the dramatic slap on the roof to signal, "GO!"
People today "its gutless, needs 300 horsepower to be fun"
Rob Cohen Yeah, those people are ridiculous entitled millennials who drive me up the wall daily! : )
my red 87 turns heads of new 911 owners regularly ( I live by a dealership) but the late 80s ones were the prettiest and it's not a Fiat but a Bertone, says so on title.
0-60: some time today...
Doug demuro would give it a 40 at the most according to his compare everything to supercars scale.
@@Brianfightingmad hes a tool. he seems like a trust fund baby
It was inexpensive,drop dead gorgeous,incredibly modern and on top of that also economical,Fiat should relaunch with modern technology
I like the "from the driver's seat" comments.
I love these old retro reviews! Keep 'em coming! I intend to watch them all!
What was that guy's problem putting the top on? I put mine on from the driver's side, placing my left hand under it and holding it like a pizza pan, while lining it up from the rear with my right hand. The only trouble I have now is that the springs that hold the latches open have broken, but that's more of an issue when removing it, as they sometimes catch the header while I'm taking it off. I don't like the rear attachment arrangement because as they wear, the roof starts to rattle until you readjust the hooks. I used to have a 73 914 2.0, and the rear attachments were much better, being a cam latch type setup that pulled the roof down after the hooks were engaged.
They should make a modern take on this keeping similar styling. The car was a great drive, let down by dreadful reliability and rust.
Fiat Spider Abarth is about as close as you'll get.
I purchased one of these in 1993 for 400$,,,I think it was a 79',,,the guy who owned it was a mechanic an installed a 2 barrel carb on it,,,that car was the most fun to drive, until I let my girlfriend drive it once and she wrecked it😤
Im a woman of my word. Said no woman ever.
Italian seating position is still true on my 2012 Fiat 500. Short legs, long arms : ) But you get used it surprisingly quickly.
The X19 was a LOVELY LOOKING little car; always one of my favourites.
Those break numbers are very impressive.
Yeah, the breakdown rate on these was exceptional, but on the other hand, they had good brakes.
Always loved the look of that car, but I test drove a 1979 and at 6' 4" tall I found out right away they didn't make it for my long legs.
I think one of the major reasons the Fiat/USA experiment failed was because of our American bias against Italian automobile engineering, (Fiat had a reputation for falling apart as you were driving it off of the dealers lot) It was the same reason that the AMC Alliance didn't succeed, we had a similar opinion of French automobile engineering; we thought that the only thing the French could do was make bad copies of typically well engineered German cars. I've owned several Fiats, including the AWESOME Abarth Fiat 500 and had no trouble what-so-ever. IF you understand that you aren't driving a 100,000 automobile, a Fiat will last a lifetime
The problem with Fiat cars was that they were mostly cheap cars. People seems to not understand that changing a timing belt on a $1,000 worth car costs as much as changing it in a $10,000 worth car, because it's the same operation. Being cheap they were not well mantained, small issues were not taken care of... because it was "not worth it". Then, when they fell apart, "FIATs are crap".
@@neutronalchemist3241 Everyone is entitled to their own opinion; one question: Have you ever actually owned a Fiat? And, if so, what model and year of manufacture and other details; i.e., specs, features/options, model type, etc., and what was your experience with that Fiat?
I ALWAYS wanted one of these.
The last run of Bertones had beautiful tutone paint jobs
I bought a new X1/9 in 1975. The list price then was $4900.00. It was fun to drive and looked nice, but it was poorly built and very unreliable. I kept it for 20,000 miles and during my ownership all sorts of things went wrong with it. A fuel line came loose and sprayed gasoline all over the hot engine compartment. All 4 wheels needed to have the wheel bearings replaced, something gave way in the heater core that had coolant shooting out onto the floor of the passengers seat, for the first month I had the car both side windows stopped cranking down. It took the dealer weeks to figure out what was wrong. There was also an issue with the carburetor that caused the fuel mixture to be off, and that caused the catalytic converter to over heat and actually glow red. The interior was also not very durable. The very soft vinyl on the seats started to deteriorate quickly. Oh, and don't even think of taking one of these through a car wash. The first time I did, the water was coming into the passenger compartment from every direction.
lmao wow
Yes and if you parked the car outside and it rained, water came through the engive cover directly onto the top of the distributor. They were definitely dry weather cars.
Scott Trindl….I bought a 1974 model. Regret selling it ( was broke and needed money ) but I had quite a different experience. Never had any problems, no catalyst convertor. The pollution controls really ruined these early cars. The wheel bearings never failed but did on my 1976 Lancia Scorpion. The Lancia had many of the problems you mentioned. Funny how one year production made such a huge difference in the quality. My interior on the Fiat held up quite well except the carpet. No leaks and good performance, I live in the rust belt and the “rust prone Fiat” held up very well. Still have the Lancia. Wish I had the Fiat.
0:50 John Davis loves sitting on some cars back in the day lol. All these old videos, my man is always sitting on the car but this one takes the cake LOL
This car had strong thick body panels, we used to sit on my car all the time. Now days you can barely touch a car and it dents.
That's problably one of the best looking car fiat has ever build! Still look good today!
@3:09 "stops from 30 averaged a brief 32 ft., with no lock" AS THE FRONT WHEELS LOCK AND SLIDE TO A STOP! XD
Awesome to need the episode volume to be almost all the way up to hear anything, only to have the ending exhaust clip blasting.
A friend of mine had one in high school in the mid 80's. Don't know the year, but that thing was hammered. Still a fun car to run around in. :)
What I'd give to go back to this time, I remember 82 like it was yesterday.
I looked at one of these in 1988 when I was 17. I loved the looks and the lot had it for 1500 bucks. I probably would have got it if not for the fact that I simply couldn’t fit my long legs (6’5” tall) in it well enough to drive it. I ended up getting an 84 Nissan pulsar nx turbo for about the same price from the same lot. Believe it or not I had not trouble fitting in and driving the pulsar.
It's still a good looking little sports car, almost 40 years later
OMG! Her green pants!
I still love mine!! It's currently awaiting a full restore :)
Being the 80's, I don't know if the long-haired staff member was a male or female.
Cream rinse and a hand grenade.
Loved the fibre optics for the dash light. So convenient when needing an extra light 🙂 i had exact same one as in this video. Loved it even though I'm 6'2 lol
My first car! was older than me ... got it avocado green...painted it red ferrari.... wow! best car I ever owned....fun to drive....
servicing the distributor was a real pain- the clip for the cap was right up against the body.
I love Fiat automobiles, some models are very reliable and easy to maintain
In my country is common to see old Fiats with 200k miles running well despite bad conditions with roads, fuel and maintence.
I had a last batch 1997 Fiat 147 Vivace CL, 1.4 Tipo engine. Made 690.000km until someone stole it.
My grandpa had an orange one with a radar detector built into the dash. My dad had a white one. I don't remember much as I was young but I don't remember them being around for that long. They were always breaking which is why they were replaced with other cars.
You don't realize how tiny this car is until you see how it's dwarfed by that Dodge 600 in the background.
What is he going on about all the complicated latches to put the top on? There are two latches and the top is incredibly simple and easy for one person to remove and put back on.
Where did these go? There were a bunch around socal. Would be great to drop in some kind of Liter bike engine and she’d really fly!
One of the most fun cars ever made.
It is hilarious how they have to 'TAP" the hood in order to get the car going BUT I much rather have a Fiat than any of the less cute and reliable american cars of the era.
Cool! Thanks for posting this!!
(I own an '82 X1/9)
Silly comments by the host.. I could remove the top and stow it at a light while it was red.. I could put it back on faster. And I did most if not all of the maintenance on mine, as it was actually pretty darn easy to work on. Owned it for twenty six years and more than a quarter million miles... which I had another one!
Often reviews seems to forget the fact that the owner tend to know his car, so he knows where the switches are, or how to open a roof.
Like most Fiat's they were absolute junk, but really beautiful little cars. It's a shame someone can't make a car like this that's affordable and that actually works.
+Jeff DeWitt It's not mid engine but what about the Miata?
+LoveBandit1000 As you say it's not mid engined, and while they are nice looking little cars the X-19 really is a beautiful little car.
Jeff DeWitt first generation mr2
JoshIsParty Yep, I forgot about that one. And it was the rarest of Toyota's, one that is actually fun to drive!
An original Lotus Elan?
They used to dart around minn, and Wisconsin. Hard to even see one any more.
Mn & Wi don't spare the road salt! One inch of salt for every two inches of snow. Gotta keep them roads SAFE! lol
I love my 500. I'm glad Fiat is back.
They went WAY over the top with a bumbling idiot making the roof install look a lot harder than it actually is. Just 2 latches and away you go. And it's dwarfed by my 1st Gen MR2 even though they are laid out almost exactly the same. The only difference between the two are the placement of the gas tank & spare tire.
When I daily drove mine, I could put on the top in 30 seconds alone. Never a problem to put it on at a light.
Are the rear wheels supposed to have noticeable negative camber? In places it looks like it has pre-worn out rear springs. I think the rebate would give customers some money in their pocket to fix the flaws.
You'd think they'd mention the two removable maintenance panels that made these a doddle to work on. I removed the engine once using a few spammers and a toilet seat balanced on a jack, good times. Greatest car ever
I remember the engine dropped down out of car, I replaced mine with one from a Ritmo. So simple, but always had problems with the hydraulic clutch
I dig the new 124 Spider, but I'd crawl over broken glass to buy an updated version of THIS.
For "distributed by Pininfarina and 'Bertony'", read "Badged with the names of the coachbuilders who had subcontracted production from Fiat all along, and distributed by Malcolm Bricklin".
The X1/9 had been designed by Bertone (by Marcello Gandini, Bertone's chief designer. The same of the lamborghini Miura, Lancia Stratos, Ferrari Dino 308 GT4...) and assembled at Bertone's plant for all of it's production.
My X1/9 was the most fun car I ever owned. And I have owned a car or two
My friend had one many years ago, I would love to get my hands on one fantastic little car
My dad bought one of these new back in the day. Thing was an absolute blast to drive, but it was in the shop every other week for something new. Recurring problems required merely monthly visits.
+Frank Burns
Fiat does stand for:
Fix
It
Again
Tony
European cars are shop lizards.
+stchman Yep. Never understood how companies could get everything else just right--looks, handling, balance, and power--and get the reliability so wrong. Italian and British cars are notorious for that, but a lot of American cars suffered from the same thing.
Frank Burns
Compared to European cars, American cars of that era were "old reliable".
+Frank Burns I had one, same experience. Brilliant to drive when it worked, most of the time it didn't and just left you weeping with frustration. Lack of cooling was the main problem, with fuel vapour lock on warm days, head gaskets blowing on long hard drives. Dreadful gearbox too, with a horrible reverse that stripped teeth as soon as look at them, leaving the car without reverse if you weren't extremely careful. And they rusted. Anything good about them? They did drive brilliantly. Oh, I said that already.
GRAHAMAUS that little thing probably weighed 432 pound soaking wet, so its 70 HP or whatever was more than enough, but jesus fucking christ, can't you make it run for a couple of months in a row, at least? fix it again, tony
I used to take a X-19 on joy rides, there was one parked at a VW dealer for months. So one night I came up to it, the doors were unlock and the key was under the mat. I'll leave it at that.
man there are a lot of cool old cars they tested. Never saw this on TV in 80s.
The 82 is my "Rosebud" sled. Got one for 600 bucks back in 1991. I had a low mileage 06 Cayman S and it just wasn't the same. The only thing I liked better was a Supercharged 1988 MR2 I test drove once.
Crazy to think that in this ERA the Toyota Prius would be faster then 95% of the cars on the road while getting like 60 mpg
Prius does not get 60 mpg..................not even 35mpg when you add the true cost of plugging the battery in or the engine dragging the drive-train to charge the battery up.................and yes... the EU, Japanese, and USA versions differ on battery capacities, range, every day torque/power,etc.................and real world MPG. but either way, a Prius does not even get 40 MPG regardless of country where sold. Suzuki Cultus/Geo Metro 3 cylinder will blow any current gas-diesel hybrid electric away in real-world usage MPG.
LMAO, you are a real whack job... It was an obvious exaggeration while trying to make a point, at least to people with a brain it's obvious. The point I was making is how things have changed and what is considered "fast", MPGs are barely a footnote...
Shut your fucken face, troll
We had a 1.5lt 5 speed manual series 3 and got close to 40 mpg on a highway run. This is pretty good considering that it was a 2 valve per cylinder, non cross-flow engine with a carburettor.
All are gone now. A very rare care to see in 2023.
FIAT
Fantastic
Innovative
All Original
Tradition
Fix it again Tony.
@@tednugent8501 Fascinating Italian Attempt at Technology.
Looks great..... thank goodness for the Miata!
Did you ever review the revamped Bricklin IAI imported X1/9?
The Fiat X1/9 was my mechanic's favorite car.
I always wanted one, great looking till this day!
TR7 was another wedge shape car I liked.
I bought one in the spring of '74 for $4.400......
You could’ve had a v8, and some gas....
I wish my X1/9 had power assist brake's. All manual disc brakes with a strong leg stops an X1/9. The roof is easy to put on or off.
Loved mine when it ran.
This car does not nor did any model year have "Power assisted disc brakes" Disc brakes, yes. The only power came from your leg mashing the brake pedal.
did it not have hydraulics?
I had 2 x19's. Someday a 3rd one!
Imagine. Twelve seconds to sixty was considered fast. It's amazing how far we've come in 33 years.
it was considered slow for a sportscar back then lol
@@cordiasr7021 It wasn't considered too slow for a 1.3 litre engine in a small, cheap sports car. Look at the 0-60 times of contemporary supercars and normal European family cars to see what I mean.
@@cordiasr7021 A Mustang III with the freshly introduced Essex 3.8l V6 did it in 11.5s. It was not slow.
I always thought these were such cool little cars.
It's amazing how time changes things when it comes to cars. They may have been fun to drive when new, but time proved them to be spectacularly unreliable, even when only a couple years old. They also rusted out fast, which is why they are so rare now.
Do you guys measure the turning diameter from the inside or outside wheels?
A friend down the street had one of these. He gave up on it after a few years because they never could chase the electrical gremlins out of the car.
No need to worry about most of the issues raised in this video. The car won't work long enough for the owner to deal with those issues anyway.