86 1500, Mild Performance Build

Steve,
That's what I meant, improving what I have to build a beautiful fun road car and occasional autoxer (to tweak the suspension). All Lampredi, I guess, a more traditional build. I do want to build a second X, as what I had hoped to do with Pete W's X a couple of years ago befor I had some problems. I'm actually starting to collect a few parts now for it but not sure what lump to use in it, guessing 150-200 whp. I don't have the second car, just some cool parts. 😈

I have been further confusing the issue as I have been vascillating a lot while trying to figure things out so sorry folks for that.
 
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I have been further confusing the issue as I have been vascillating a lot while trying to figure things out so sorry folks for that.
This is a run down of my 1982 fuel injected mild build. I'm not sure the current condition of your motor. But since my motor had a blown head gasket and later found out a broken ring in cylinder four. I pulled the motor honed the cylinders put in a new set of rings and main bearings and installed all new gaskets. if your bottom end is leak free and since you said it runs good you can forgo the bottom end. I installed a used Euro high lift cam from a X1/9 grand finaly. These work great with fuel injection. I then had the head rebuilt with new valve seals and shave 65 thou. off the surface to get rid of the decompression ring. Doing this I could still retain my factory 1500 timing belt tensioner bearing (new of course). I installed a adjustable cam gear to correct the cam timing. currently set at 2 degrees advance (still dialing that in) probably settle on 3 degrees advance. I purchased a 4 to 2 exhaust manifold and twin down pipe from a junkyard yugo. Then I focused on fueling. I opened my AFM and adjusted the tension by rotating it counterclockwise six clicks. Seems like these were set pretty lean from factory. I moved it as much as eight clicks (it seemed to like this setting) but there wasn't enough tension on the spring to bring it back to shut off the fuel pump. I must say this transformed my car, it runs so much better. I run 93 octane and have the ignition timing set advanced as much as it will take. I dont have a dial back timing light but I feel the factory setting of 10 degrees btdc is way to low. Of course i have no hard numbers of what was done and the gain. But seat of the pants and what i have read maybe 90 hp. I have spent many nights scouring this forum and it is such a great help. So actually for not a lot of money you can get some nice performance out of this motor. Just throwing some thoughts your way. I must say you have a great looking X, Good luck to you.
 
Nicho, appreciate the run down. This is the general direction I will probably go. The initial key is to keep it running and on the road as much as possible. It's so easy to have a project stall. As far as I know the bottom is fine. I have a used performance exhaust system coming along with some small projects while under there. A few days at the most. Seal it up and get back on the road. Then suspension and appearance stuff. Eventually deal with a performance head and compression increase, FI system, etc.

My Paco hub stand upgrade kit and jack adapter just arrived.
Hub Stand Paco laser calibration kit.jpg
 
All Uno turbo and Punto GT turbo ENGINES can be made to work, it's the later (top change) transmission that isn't interchangeable.

the cost of the engine (just as with any conversion) is only going to be a small portion of the overall cost

SteveC
Hm, I am almost sure transmissions are interchangeable. I've done some measuring, and boltings etc are the same except at the lower engine mount that for sure can be modified to fit:
X1/9 trans (UT Mk1) at the top, UT Mk2 (C510) at the bottom:
1609176709362.png
 
Too rich for me but purely out of curiosity what's an all-in price guesstimation for going UT in the US? $7k- $10k? How good are the original turbos and can they be re-built in the US or do most change out to aftermarket?

I'm leaving early tomorrow morning to pick up some (non UT) parts from the guy from S Africa. Anyone want me to inquire re. obtaining a UT set up? I have no idea as to whether he would be interested in such a venture.
 
Too rich for me but purely out of curiosity what's an all-in price guesstimation for going UT in the US? $7k- $10k? How good are the original turbos and can they be re-built in the US or do most change out to aftermarket?

I'm leaving early tomorrow morning to pick up some (non UT) parts from the guy from S Africa. Anyone want me to inquire re. obtaining a UT set up? I have no idea as to whether he would be interested in such a venture.
I am from Sweden. The UT is not very common here even though it was imported. Most cars have been scrapped and so has the engines, and that is the situation all over EU I think. However, the car was very popular in UK, and I think that's the place to look for an engine. What I've seen on Facebook Marketplace you should be able to find an engine for 500-1500 USD there.
Regarding the standard turbo charger, it is very tiny. It can be rebuilt and upgraded (possible in most any country) but it is not worth it. My turbo was in good condition but I wanted more power than the tiny IHI turbo could deliver (max 140-160hp). The cost for restore/upgrade is equal to a brand new modern turbo. A modern turbo is much more efficient and spools up much faster, so that is a better option. The drawback is that an adaptor flange must be manufactured to fit the UT manifold.
 
The biggest change is the shift linkage, from bottom rod link to top cable shift.
Yes, that is my biggest concern right now. Specially on my gearbox as someone removed the cable mechanism and even the mounting frame for for clutch hydraulic.
Seems like easy problems but it is not.
 
Yes, that is my biggest concern right now. Specially on my gearbox as someone removed the cable mechanism and even the mounting frame for for clutch hydraulic.
Seems like easy problems but it is not.
The cable system could be done like the solution done for the K20 by MWB which is a cable shift solution. Yes still difficult but doable.
 
Hm, I am almost sure transmissions are interchangeable. I've done some measuring, and boltings etc are the same except at the lower engine mount that for sure can be modified to fit:
X1/9 trans (UT Mk1) at the top, UT Mk2 (C510) at the bottom:
View attachment 40518
Well anything can be made to fit, but my point was that it is not going to be a straight bolt in fit up, whch is what people are looking for and want to know.

and while SOME internal parts may interchange, MOST do not.

SteveC
 
Regarding the Uno Turbo's original turbocharger. A slightly different perspective...

Rather than buy a complete UT engine, I purchased a used stock turbo along with the stock manifold from Europe to utilize on a standard US spec SOHC 1500 X engine. Although the turbo was in good condition, I wanted to go through it anyway; a bit of blueprinting/porting, surfacing, clean up, and rebuild/rebalance. So I purchased a complete rebuild kit for $20 and rebuilt it myself. Then I paid a shop $25 to rebalance it. The rest of the engine project is still in the works but the turbo and manifold are ready to go.

I agree a new turbo would be more efficient and the better way to go. However I found two things; 1) it is very difficult to get a new turbo small enough for these engines, and 2) the cost difference between the used-rebuilt unit and a new one was very significant. But keep the following in mind: regarding item #1 I want a low boost - quick spooling turbo for a conservative build, and regarding item #2 I am attempting to see how low of a budget I can manage for this whole project. The goal is to see if adding a little boost to a stock X engine in good condition can make it more drivable without sacrificing a lot of reliability. So for my specific application and needs, the old original turbo is fine. If the goal was a high performance X (which mine is not), things would be different.
 
This is a run down of my 1982 fuel injected mild build. I'm not sure the current condition of your motor. But since my motor had a blown head gasket and later found out a broken ring in cylinder four. I pulled the motor honed the cylinders put in a new set of rings and main bearings and installed all new gaskets. if your bottom end is leak free and since you said it runs good you can forgo the bottom end. I installed a used Euro high lift cam from a X1/9 grand finaly. These work great with fuel injection. I then had the head rebuilt with new valve seals and shave 65 thou. off the surface to get rid of the decompression ring. Doing this I could still retain my factory 1500 timing belt tensioner bearing (new of course). I installed a adjustable cam gear to correct the cam timing. currently set at 2 degrees advance (still dialing that in) probably settle on 3 degrees advance. I purchased a 4 to 2 exhaust manifold and twin down pipe from a junkyard yugo. Then I focused on fueling. I opened my AFM and adjusted the tension by rotating it counterclockwise six clicks. Seems like these were set pretty lean from factory. I moved it as much as eight clicks (it seemed to like this setting) but there wasn't enough tension on the spring to bring it back to shut off the fuel pump. I must say this transformed my car, it runs so much better. I run 93 octane and have the ignition timing set advanced as much as it will take. I dont have a dial back timing light but I feel the factory setting of 10 degrees btdc is way to low. Of course i have no hard numbers of what was done and the gain. But seat of the pants and what i have read maybe 90 hp. I have spent many nights scouring this forum and it is such a great help. So actually for not a lot of money you can get some nice performance out of this motor. Just throwing some thoughts your way. I must say you have a great looking X, Good luck to you.

the two significant things you changed, exhaust and camshaft, these are what has made the difference, maybe you've picked up 5 to maybe 8hp wih the two changes but without bumping the static compression up from it's lowly 8.15:1 sandard factory numbers, I'm afraid I doubt you've gone above the factory 85hp number

By the time the "Grand Finale" hit the showrooms the cam stopped being the 24/68 64 28 9.9 lift... it became a 15/55 9.5 lift (like some european ritmo / strada 1500's) as they bumped the CR in the last of the engines up to 9.4:1 and dropped the cam duration back, still made 85hp /87lb/ft

Now you're probably thinking. how does he know this.... well It just happens I purchased about a dozen sohc motors from Fiat back in about 1990, and they were semi complete X19 engines for carburettor... I immediately removed a cam and measured it. The X19 motors I have retain the large flycut pistons, so are just 9.2:1 static, but definitely have th 9.5 lift cams

SteveC
 
The renter finally moved out of the unit next to my little shop so the X has a new home. A bunch of parts arrive tomorrow from MWB. Yay! Then I'll order a bunch more.

Have been collecting a bunch of parts for the X and a future second X, which will be street legal, super-lite. and a swap of some sort; Lampredi, Honda K, Toyota ZZ2? No more than 200hp, 150 being fine, too. So, looking for light-go-fast parts.
Shop pic 1-10-21.jpg


The inner between-wall will probably stay. The clutter will hopefully stay in the left unit and the X gets the roomy unit. After the initial brrage of parts are installed, I'm thinking a double car coilover party. Putting in two coilover systems at once would fantastic!!! And the X is narrow enough to jack stand all corners instead of doing one side and then moving the car to do the other side... as in below.
Shop  Pic 1-10-21.jpg
 
Nice. Can you easily add a doorway between the two units so you can move back and forth between them with the main doors closed? Might be nice in less than ideal weather.
 
Dr Jeff, it's a temporary set up so I don't want to alter the building. I designed the shelving to allow the Boxster more room on the side it's on so moving it over would not work.

Karl, the construction is very high quality. Supposedly made from an older guy in Italy working out of his house.
Just as important;

Dallara door.jpg


The roof and engine cover are single layer. Don't have a trunk or flares but didn't want the flares and MWB has trunks.
 
Quick update.

I REEEEEEALLY dislike working out of the storage unit. Poor phone reception in the unit, office is in house 800 feet away. When a renter calls to pay rent I have to drop everything and hoof it up the hill. First World Problem but there you are.

Decided to start prepping to build a single car garage next to house/office. Garage/man cave/fort designed around the X with tiny kitchen/bathroom, scissor lift, a.c./heat, clubhouse living room, 16x28?. Get a laptop and conduct business out there.
Crappy pic but flags are the outline, which includes an 8' parking shed on right and a 12' wide guest suite on left. Three huge oaks came down two springs ago and I'm finally getting most of it gone. Well in foreground to be re-dug cuz not enough projects in my life.
future garage.jpg


In the meantime.
The X is right at 1,900 lbs. (-320 lbs.) so it's time to develop suspension, including wider 13" wheels/tires. Other than that any maitainance it needs and drive the heck out of it. Motor runs great so that can hold for a while. I need an aftermarket seat that puts me on the floor and have been driving with a UHaul pad for a seat these past couple of months. Looking at a Tillet Seat.

Old pick
X 1 16 21, -270 lbs..jpg
 
1900lbs (865kg) isn't bad if you still have air conditioning and power windows.

what (big parts) did you remove to get there?

my guess:
lighter exhaust
no bumpers and bumper shocks
no roof
light battery
no spare / jack
some sound proofing removed
lighter radiator?
lighter starter motor.

puts you about 50kg under a series 1 european 1300.

SteveC
 
Hasbro- new shop! That’s exciting. I built myself a shop and finished it about a year ago. It’s so great having my own space to work and play with cars. I’m sure you’ve heard it before but build it as big as you feel you can. Mine feels so full already. But I love it.
 
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