Alitalia on BAT - auction is complete

Boom theres the first pitch and it is deep into left field!

1A4416C7-1583-4E2F-B637-EB1543527E56.jpeg
 
Last edited:
It has been fantastic so far (the comments). Thanks to anyone who chimed in. I really do like mkmini's comment. Says it all. I'm waiting for Utube to yank the video though. I didn't even think about the copyright aspect of putting some cool U2 in the backround. Facebook dropped it almost immediately.
 
So, here is a good example of someone making a thoughtless comment on BaT. And sadly, could even be a member here. "K Swap this thing…would be about perfect. Whoever buys this call the guys at Midwest-Bayless. Don’t screw around with the wheezer of a motor that is in it now. I have a fully built K swapped X1/9 from those guys…has a JDM ITR K20. Its a rocket ship."
Insults my choice of build of a car which he has no intention of bidding on, then goes on to talk about his own car.
I responded with my appreciation for his genre of build and my admiration of the K20 swaps, but explained my intention to keep the car all Italian, hot-rodding it with all Italian parts. He fires back with "My car is a hot-rod Italian, with a proper motor..."(didn't say it wasn't). The implication that a SOHC fiat motor is not a proper motor, and further that the only down side to his choice is in our minds (no kidding, read his post).
I wonder how much of the work on his car was done by him....or did he just write a check.
Here's a translation; Your choice of build would be much better if it were like the car I bought, already built.
Childish at least. And thoughtless at best.
 
That is how internet is.
🤷🏻‍♂️
Don't take him seriously. He may have x19 with K** or only have read a thread about that yellow X19 that Midwest has built and trying to look cool.
 
So, here is a good example of someone making a thoughtless comment on BaT. And sadly, could even be a member here. "K Swap this thing…would be about perfect. Whoever buys this call the guys at Midwest-Bayless. Don’t screw around with the wheezer of a motor that is in it now. I have a fully built K swapped X1/9 from those guys…has a JDM ITR K20. Its a rocket ship."
Insults my choice of build of a car which he has no intention of bidding on, then goes on to talk about his own car.
I responded with my appreciation for his genre of build and my admiration of the K20 swaps, but explained my intention to keep the car all Italian, hot-rodding it with all Italian parts. He fires back with "My car is a hot-rod Italian, with a proper motor..."(didn't say it wasn't). The implication that a SOHC fiat motor is not a proper motor, and further that the only down side to his choice is in our minds (no kidding, read his post).
I wonder how much of the work on his car was done by him....or did he just write a check.
Here's a translation; Your choice of build would be much better if it were like the car I bought, already built.
Childish at least. And thoughtless at best.

We dealt with a lot of that mentality while doing our business (hot rod artwork) at car shows. A sad statement, but you handled it well. Good Job!!Besides, you built the car for you, not him. Don't like it, go build your own & be happy. If people like this were really happy, they would appreciate the variety of other people's builds instead of criticizing them. If we all liked the same thing, cars would be pretty boring.
Best of luck with your sale!!
 
Agreed. I clearly enjoy the ridiculous, and I did build this car with all the Jr.High doodles semi-fresh in my head. I enjoy seeing other people's visions and builds. It would indeed be a boring world without all our silly ideas.
 
Agreed. I clearly enjoy the ridiculous, and I did build this car with all the Jr.High doodles semi-fresh in my head. I enjoy seeing other people's visions and builds. It would indeed be a boring world without all our silly ideas.

I really appreciate the K20 swaps, but I LOVE a built Fiat motor. They just sing, in a way that modern Japanese engines never seem to quite match. It's the difference between "O Mio Babbino Caro" and a really polished J-Pop song. To each their own, but give me the aria every time.
 
Great video! Beautiful car. It must have been tough to decide to sell it as it is obviously a work of love.
 
What is great about it is the fact it's not a unfinished project. It was running for a long time and most details were taken care of. No surprises.
 
The BIG moto fantasy permeates more than a few LeMons racers.. The Vast majority of folks who take to LeMons racing are allowed to play out their racer and racing fantasies in real life. More often than not, these race fantasies of Domination are met with very harsh realities of what it really takes to make an engine swap actually function and what must be done to the rest of the car to make it all function properly if at all.

These are often the same individuals who appear at a track day with "attitude" gets instructors, other drivers upset at then for their dangerous and hideous driving on track, driving FAR beyond their abilities and more often than not end up riding in the passenger seat of a flat bed home with a greatly bent racer-wanna be ride.

Over the years on Xweb, I've written numerous times about the virtues of a stock power train to performance upped Lampredi SOHC engine to installing alternative power trains.. Fact remains, even a stock 1300cc/4speed exxe would be difficult to keep it full throttle (say 10 minutes at full throttle on a twisty back road would be not so easy) for any extended amount of time and not put other public road drivers and driver of the exxe in great risk of crashing or going off the road.

IMO, this is appear to be a competitive thing with moto folks who feel and believe in the need to be public street racer Top Dog..
Then, look at all the YouTube videos of high buck moto cars that get wrecked in an instant by a driver with too much $ and not nearly enough driving skill or judgement.

That said, the Alitalia exxe is a very nicely done exxe in many ways.


Bernice
 
Great video! Beautiful car. It must have been tough to decide to sell it as it is obviously a work of love.
Yes, there were doubts about selling, but in the end it's just a machine. If I crashed it, I'd be bummed, but I would just build another. And likely much nicer. I had my way with her. I have great memories of road trips with my son, and of teaching him about the importance of doing things right. He is a grown man now, a helo mech in the USMC. He laughs at the fact they actually had to have a class on what a torque wrench is and how to use it. Anyhow, this car was a useful teaching tool and a way to meet neat folks and travel to fun events. Time to do the next one, whatever it is. The pics are of my 10yo then 14yo Max working on both Talia and a friend's surprise build. Life moves on.

And Bernice, you are correct. The saying "...slow car fast..." was made for our little cars. I guarantee I can make most non racer folks hold on for dear life with a stock 1300 X. No K20/24 required to have fun. I never had the dream of really changing my X's, just enhancing their personalities with good mods. And thanks for the nice comments about my silly car.
P1000969.JPG
IMG_1313.jpg
 
Last edited:
Apply a GOOD driver, some twisty roads with bumps and corners that can be difficult to negotiate with any vehicle more than 3,500 pounds at speeds that are far in excess of any speed said passenger has experience with.

Kinda like flying with an ex fighter pilot.. they can make a small aircraft do stuff that would make many a lesser experienced passenger do a LOT more than just barf..... with total and utter smoothness.

BTW, a good stock exxe is an excellent learn how to drive a track vehicle. Much the lesson in being smooth, carrying momentum, the true meaning and value of the proper line into-out of a curve and LOTs more.


Bernice

"I guarantee I can make most non racer folks hold on for dear life with a stock 1300 X"
 
When I started roadracing bikes I had a Yamaha R5 with a drum front brake and was racing against the newer version, the RD-350 which along with a few extra hp had a front disc brake. I learned all about conserving momentum as my brakes were useless after a few laps. Made me a much better racer than if I had gone out an bought the RD to start with. I also learned that the driver/rider is a major part of the equation. Years later I was racing a Yamaha 500 single (doing pretty good for an amateur with it) and got passed in turn one at Summit by a guy on a 250 Ducati. I had to laugh at how stupid I looked.

So Bernice, how many cars on the LeMons grid would normally be avoided at all costs due to terrible pilots or dangerously built cars?
 
So, here is a good example of someone making a thoughtless comment on BaT. And sadly, could even be a member here. "K Swap this thing…would be about perfect. Whoever buys this call the guys at Midwest-Bayless. Don’t screw around with the wheezer of a motor that is in it now. I have a fully built K swapped X1/9 from those guys…has a JDM ITR K20. Its a rocket ship."
Insults my choice of build of a car which he has no intention of bidding on, then goes on to talk about his own car.
I responded with my appreciation for his genre of build and my admiration of the K20 swaps, but explained my intention to keep the car all Italian, hot-rodding it with all Italian parts. He fires back with "My car is a hot-rod Italian, with a proper motor..."(didn't say it wasn't). The implication that a SOHC fiat motor is not a proper motor, and further that the only down side to his choice is in our minds (no kidding, read his post).
I wonder how much of the work on his car was done by him....or did he just write a check.
Here's a translation; Your choice of build would be much better if it were like the car I bought, already built.
Childish at least. And thoughtless at best.

Automotive superiority complexes - gotta love them. I am a huge proponent of my K20-powered X, and would encourage anyone to go for a test drive in one and check them out. But discouraging someone else's choices because they are not yours is juvenile and intolerant.

I have been on the other side of that equation and been scolded for my K20 choices. That sucks just as bad. Your ride, your choice. How boring a world if everyone had a K20 X.

I think your car is fantastic, I love it. Good luck with the sale.

Pete
 
My stock '87 will be going up on BAT soon. Like you, I dread the comments. It seems every X that appears on BAT, the comments immediately go to bumpers, rust, and reliability. I'll never understand why these cars get such a bad rep with rust when they lasted better than lots of other 70s/80s cars. I am listing mine as no reserve, which is a HUGE gamble since the prices of these things are all over the map. Mine is very well sorted so it should do well...I hope.

Yours is nice. I'm more of a "stock" guy but I do appreciate a well-built custom, especially when the craftsmanship is superb like yours.

Best of luck to you.
 
Back
Top