RED X19

What Doc said... especially being 30!

Please don't "hack-up" that body. FIll the holes, fix the rusted area and go bumperless. Makes for a unique, clean, simple and IMHO, an attractive looking car.
 
What Doc said... especially being 30!

Please don't "hack-up" that body. FIll the holes, fix the rusted area and go bumperless. Makes for a unique, clean, simple and IMHO, an attractive looking car.
I wish I could go bumperless, have to put them to pass MOT.
 
Or make custom bumpers. Janis is good at such things.

For the shape/size of your new garage, maybe make some "skates" to put under the car's tires. That will allow you to move the car sideways or in any position to work on different areas easier. Something like this (but can be simple wood construction):
41HqvZUm7+L.jpg
 
I wish I could go bumperless, have to put them to pass MOT.
Going bumperless is good. I am 60 but feling like 30 and I've lost at least 20 kg and 40cm by removing the bumpers. What more to remove to reduce weight? I will probably remove the seats and go for glassfiber instead. Any other suggestions?
 
Good evening! What are Your thoughts about cutting off rear lower corners ?
View attachment 25303 View attachment 25304

I'm not a fan. Please don't do that to Ulix's car ;)

But honestly, whilst I understand perfectly well the rust issues in that area, removing it isn't the solution. If you continue down this path, you won't have much of an X1/9 left.

We should accept the fact that Marcello Gandini knows more about car design than us and retain as much of his design as possible (which can certainly include removing the bigger bumpers and anything that wasn't on the series 1 Euro car).

Cheers,
Dom.
 
We should accept the fact that Marcello Gandini knows more about car design than us and retain as much of his design as possible
Dom, with all due respect, car style is a very personal thing. The original design of any vehicle is always open to improvement or alteration to the owners liking or interpretation. That is what the American $45 billion a year aftermarket industry is based on. Furthermore, some examples may be too far gone to 'save', some budgets may be too limited to stay 'original', some owners may not have the resources to keep 'authentic' or 'stock'. So every situation will be different. However I fully respect your view and appreciate the desire to retain a stock original look (this is not intended as disputing or criticism by me). :)
 
I'm not a fan. Please don't do that to Ulix's car ;)

But honestly, whilst I understand perfectly well the rust issues in that area, removing it isn't the solution. If you continue down this path, you won't have much of an X1/9 left.

We should accept the fact that Marcello Gandini knows more about car design than us and retain as much of his design as possible (which can certainly include removing the bigger bumpers and anything that wasn't on the series 1 Euro car).

Cheers,
Dom.
hahahahha
No, not to Ulix’s car haha, it was best photo I found on google to show my idea.
 
9745AED8-2071-4E03-B89B-D918759AF5C2.jpeg
I am thinking of taking engine out again and paint whole chasis :D
How to take out door handle and these chrome lines on doors?
 
To remove the door handles, you need to get access to the inside of the door. See if this thread helps:
https://xwebforums.com/forum/index.php?threads/door-locks-locate-replace.6350/#post-38573
Basically there are some small nuts that need to be removed from the back side of the handles. Unfortunately like most things on the car the nuts are likely to be rusted and stuck, and the studs are thin/weak so the tend to snap off when trying to remove the nuts. Also there is a plastic "clip" that connects a rod to the lock. Removing it often breaks the small metal post it is attached to (referred to as a "pawl"). Here is some info on repairing that:
https://xwebforums.com/forum/index....ith-door-handle-lock-issues.23433/#navigation

The chrome strip at the top of the door is easier, but it's been so long I'm not certain on some of the details now. Seems like there is a small "hidden" sheet metal screw buried in the 'fuzzy' felt toward the rear of it, that must be removed. Then for the most part the trim can be pushed up from the bottom, off the top edge of the door. It is a tight fit so a piece of wood and a mallet may be needed to help persuade it. It is fairly soft so be careful not to bend it in the process. The front end of it is tucked under the vent window assembly, but I believe the trim can be pulled out from under it without removing the vent window frame. There was a old thread that described the whole process, but I don't have it linked. Maybe someone else can help more.
 
Just looking at all of the body work you have already done is making me feel sick, because I have three of them to do still. I started on one, got the rust repair done and some metal work but needed to take a break from all the sanding. That was a year ago. :( And the other two have not even started yet. :mad:

Yours is coming along nicely, well done. ;) Red is a classic sports car color, always a good choice. I know other colors like bright green, orange, etc are popular for the X1/9, but on small, somewhat odd cars like these I'm not a real fan of that. To me those really 'loud' colors make them look more like toys ("clown cars") than real sports cars. Maybe if the cars were bigger and bolder on their own (like newer Lamborghinis for example) then a loud bright color can work, but I think it sort of 'backfires' on tiny cars - making them seem even smaller and less menacing ("chick cars"). But color is a very personal taste with lots of individual opinions, so I am not against anyone's choice - this is only my thoughts for my cars. I nicely painted car in any color always looks better than a scruffy one. :)
 
MK...

I have TWP "philosophical" suggestions relative to colors:

1. Decide on your car's theme, i.e. is it a racer, cruiser, GT, stocker etc. The bright colors look great on racers, but dark colors like dark green, blacks, dark blues, etc.... not so much. Conversely, bright colors like oranges and yellows, reds tend to "cheapen" a cruiser. One outstanding example I saw recently was an all BLACK Tesla Model S with "chrome" accents and wheels. Looked very "rich and classy", IMHO. Then I saw another in let's say a "Ferrari" RED and it looked cheap and out of place... blacked out wheels etc. The black car appeared to cost $40K more than the red one!

Lastly... a true restoration requires the factory colors... but a "restification" or resto-mod can be a modification like using a slightly brighter green or a pearl top-coat. A play on the original colors...

2. BLACK... Black hides all the seams, gaps, vents and grills... and also takes our rather "angular" cars and "rounds them out. Of course black also takes a lot of prep as it doesn't hide anything.

From what I have seen with your "blocking" so far it would appear you have a lot of experience in body prep. I think what ever direction you go or color you choose its gonna be great! Keep up the good work!
 
Good to see it moving forwards. I seem to have a little PTSD when it comes to looking at bodywork / paint prep - I would not want to go through that again :D
 
@lookforjoe when am sanding all corners, where 3 planes comes into two, I remember Your Dallara work everytime hahah, I thought You did it with pleasure :D

I enjoyed the challenge, since bodywork is not something I routinely do, but I wouldn't say the paint prep/detail sanding is exactly fun :D
 
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