What did you do to your X1/9 today ?

Just (mostly) finished with my project putting gas lift struts on the trunk and engine cover. Still a few tweaks, but they both are functional. Something I've wanted to do for a LONG time. The hood will be next.

photos please
especially the trunk :)
 
Did some porting and polishing this morning on a cylinder head for a development motor for the 2B X19 race car I'm building.

This afternoon I worked on my Strada, which was a model never imported to Australia, it's one of just a handful in the country. I bought it a little while back (very cheap) the body is excellent but it had some mechanical issues. When I pulled the motor and had a really close look at the LH chassis rail I found this... :sad:



The holey area where the battery tray sits is a mutitude of fine stress cracks, metal fatigue... you could grab the LH front corner of the chassis and move it up and down by about 3/8 of an inch by hand... no wonder the car drove like crap!

Today I dragged out my MIG (haven't used it for about 18 months or more) and after spooling off about 100m of wire that had gone a bit rusty and wasn't letting me get a clean weld, I managed to do this...



Theres still a couple more minor cracks to plate over in the front crossmember, but the front end is SOOO much stiffer now than what it was this morning.

SteveC
 
didn't do much today except finished freshening the black trim from yesterday and began refurbishing my spare engine cover (which will be used). I also made camera mount this evening that I'll test tomorrow and post a couple vids.
 
got my MTL, drained and filled, here's hoping it doesn't leak out! Man that stuff seems thin compared to the gear oil.
 
I've already whined about MTL but that wasn't in a Fiat, it was a transmission famous for what happened after I changed. Probably a coincidence...

I went out and carefully covered one of the X's with a huge tarp this morning. Neither the passenger or drivers door windows will stay up right now, and it's finally raining!!! First hint of actual moisture in something like 2 months.

I've got to get the 2 cars under the roof at the barn where the tarps won't be on the cars all the time.
 
Picked up my ugly brown X from Midwest today after an absolutely necessary carb rebuild:clap: This was the first step in the cars resurrection and they did a great job. Unfortunately during their test drive they discovered that the clutch was slipping and one of the front calipers was sticking. After an oil change and freeing up the caliper I was able to take the car around the block on its maiden voyage. Tires are flat spotted and shift linkage is stiff from sitting for 25 years but it always feels great to finally drive a car you've been working on. Thanks Matt and crew at Midwest!
 
Tonight replaced all 4 upper strut mounts (with the Obert/Plaia replacement part), fixed a squeaky brake(s) and string re-alligned suspension alignment. Car is a little happier :)
 
installed the door panels

after re-skinning the door panels just reattaching the inter chrome strip along the top and next thing is know there's glass all over the side window broke on me :wall: so now to find a replacement glass locally if not from Matt slowly putting it all back together after a paint job early this summer and just getting ready to put the engine back in.
 
had to disassemble and reassemble my carb twice on the way home from work today. luckily the gas station attendant didn't mind me playing mechanic and tying up one of his gas pump slots for the 1.5-2 hrs it took to fix the car. A huge thanks to Dave without whom my car would have most likely been towed home. Thanks man:headbang:
 
Fuel pump is getting noisy. Pulled inlet hose, shot carb cleaner up in it, replaced rear hose, noticed 0 gas coming out (very very empty tank, but THAT empty?) Gased up. Pump still louder than it used to be. hmmmmm
Can't be getting cruddy, that tank was pristine when I was done with it.
 
Hose check...

Take the pump end of the large hose off and see what comes out. Remove gas cap to see if it increases... should be minimal change. Big change means vent system faulty somehow.

If nothing or very little comes out, blow into end of hose to try and open things up, if flow improves right after you have a floater. Could be rust, could be tank sealer, leaf, etc.

As a last resort if flow out of the tank is restored but pump is still noisy, try "back flushing" the pump by reversing the wires to it. Run it ever so briefly this way into a catch basin, to see if the pump inlet is clogged.
 
Update...

Looked longingly at it again today.

Final invoice for big job #2 went out this evening. Big job #1 was done about a week ago. Little job #1 is almost done.

May have some play time soon. Meeting with 2 potential design clients on Friday, both are also potential build projects. Which translates to maybe having some play money soon too.
 
Hmmmm... crud in the carb?

Is this NOT what I warned you about?

I got towed a couple of times until I "boiled" out the carb properly...

BTW... there are rebuild kits available on ebay for 15 bucks...
 
Pulled fuel level sending unit and resoldered the ground wire I added first time through. Things that move don't stay soldered long I guess. Guage reads correct and doesn't flicker all over the place but I know it'll go bad again. And I'll fix it again, and again and again. Then after I've got $600 worth of time in it, I'll buy a $40 sender.
 
Ordered clutch kit yesterday and made a deal on another X that I will pick up Saturday. Will more than likely be parting out a 1981 with a lot of good parts so if you need something send me a pm( I will post some photos after I get it home). I will be changing out clutch myself on my 77 so will be reaching out for advice. According to my wife if I buy anymore fiats I may be reaching out for a place to stay. She may be pacified for now since I agreed to sell my motorcycle in the spring:sad: Although, I really don't intend to sell it:nana:
 
Fuel pump pulled, cleaned and run backward, then forward. Nothing apparent. Reninstalled (took oppurtunity to replace one of the last fuel lines, between filter and pump, it was not leaking but like the others was worm clamped and the hard line ends (inside the wrap) were all cracked). Renewed my cushions between pump and bracket (PO had not put bracket on and pump was just hanging when I got the car, I made my own). Could be the cushioning was shot already and the pump noise was resonating through the hardware. Don't know but pump is quiet again.:clap:
Also conscripted 17 year old daughter to move stick around while I fiddled with linkage, that too appears a bit better, easier to find reverse, but too late for extensive testing.:clap:
 
11-8-10

I plan to drive it to work today and I'm going to check the coolant and oil JIC. Lately though Ive been trying to convert late model Tiboron sun visors to the X1/9, and Ive sourced a new header/exhaust, carbed 1500 intake, 34 DATRA carb,and engine/trans mounts that will all be installed over winter:headbang:
 
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