Essential Mods to X19 feel free to add

D

duderduderini

True Classic
Hi exxers
I have completed a number of mods and I thought to do this list firstly was to thank those that thought of them and secondly to help new members get their head around them
Here goes. In any oder
1. The brown wire mod.. car starts easier not that hard to do
2. The wiper relay mod.. just finished it and the difference is night and day.. before my wipers couldnt make it through one cycle now it has 2 speeds!!
3. Mark Plaia's strut tower reinforcers very easy and now the struts sit where they are meant to.
4. The headlight relay mod.. involved but very worthwhile
5. headlight lift motors diode replacement.. its a matter of time before it disintegrates so do it now and avoid the rush
6.2nd thermo fan... I bought an 9 inch aftermarket job and wired it in parallel and the temp just stays put.. fiddly to make the second mounting bracket and many will argue that it is not necessary but I did it.
7. Electonic Ignition.. from the regata in australia .. not the bosch but the marelli unit.. Very easy and recommended
8. Bernices Bronze steering rack bush... yes I know the new plastic ones work but i dont want to do it ever again
9. Ricardo Borjas Targa rubber moulds the corner bits.. no more U boat.
10. Using washers to mount under the steering colum and its mounting bracket so the steering wheel sits higher and not in your lap
I would like to thank all of the people that thought of these as it just makes life that much easier since they where done..

Feel free to add to the list
ps wrong group so I moved it to workshop Forum..oops
Nick
 
1. The brown wire mod.. car starts easier not that hard to do http://xwebforums.com/forum/index.php?posts/49759/
2. The wiper relay mod.. just finished it and the difference is night and day.. before my wipers couldnt make it through one cycle now it has 2 speeds!! http://xwebforums.com/forum/index.php?threads/14218/
3. Mark Plaia's strut tower reinforcers very easy and now the struts sit where they are meant to.http://xwebforums.com/forum/index.php?threads/10198/
4. The headlight relay mod.. involved but very worthwhile http://www.network54.com/Forum/12159/message/1157943183/New+headlight+wire+mod+for+all+X19's---
5. headlight lift motors diode replacement.. its a matter of time before it disintegrates so do it now and avoid the rush http://www.visualimpressions.ca/fiat/diodes.htm
6.2nd thermo fan... I bought an 9 inch aftermarket job and wired it in parallel and the temp just stays put.. fiddly to make the second mounting bracket and many will argue that it is not necessary but I did it.
7. Electonic Ignition.. from the regata in australia .. not the bosch but the marelli unit.. Very easy and recommended
8. Bernices Bronze steering rack bush... yes I know the new plastic ones work but i dont want to do it ever again http://xwebforums.com/forum/index.php?threads/13240/
9. Ricardo Borjas Targa rubber moulds the corner bits.. no more U boat. Contact Ricardo Borja via this forum to see if he has any
10. Using washers to mount under the steering colum and its mounting bracket so the steering wheel sits higher and not in your lap http://xwebforums.com/forum/index.php?threads/11619/

I forgot one last mod I did and that was to run a large diameter earth cable from battery to gearbox (like a battery cable through the transmission tunnell) Anecdotally it seems the engine just runs better. I mounted it to a gearbox to engine bolt after soldering an 8mm spade lug (Again from an auto electrician)
I hope this helps somebody
 
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Probably one of the most important "mods" is the addition of a decent-sized fire extinguisher mounted somewhere that's quickly accessible, either in the cabin or in the front/rear trunk. I've saved 5 different Fiats from burning to the ground by having an extinguisher handy when needed - one of those was my own car! Best $40 I ever spent.

SAFETY FIRST! :thumbsup:


PS - why is this posted in FS&W? :confuse2:
 
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The fire extinguisher is a good tip, I recently had a fuel line separate from the fuel pump (probably from moving it around so much), luckily it was while I was working on it and not while I was driving it, I'm kinda glad it came apart and alerted me that it was in fact loose. I have an extinguisher for mine but I haven't decided on mounting it yet, probably end up in the rear trunk so I can just open both lids, grab, and spray. 'Course I believe in the law of the universe saying if you have it you'll never use it, but if you don't you'll wish you had it. Auto extinguisher+mount from walmart is about $20 I think and *should* be enough for one small fire.

Good thread btw, nice to get the links too for future reference.
 
location

For many race events, it's required to securely mount the extinguisher (B,C minimum) within reach of the belted driver. Think center tunnel, rear panel between seats, or floor in front of driver seat.

The idea is that when you need it, you need it fast not scrambling for trunk access lid pulls and such. Opening the "hood" often makes an engine bay fire worse, so be careful about that.
 
This is an old Jeep trick

But should apply here. A spare accessory belt zip tied or stuffed somewhere in/on the car
 
Can't get it up

Condition: Glovebox lid sag
Culprit: Weak spring, non tweaked stops and bumpers.
Fix: Retro fit larger gauge spring and bend eyes as required, examine lever end stop and trim as required for greater moment. Trim stop to also increase lid/cover opening. i.e. reduce thickness of stop by half.

General process for early + later model X

Results....lid snaps to attention at full opening.
 
Well THAT was buried....

This is the newer lid. The plastic always breaks there. This mod accomplishes two things. First it improves spring action and second it builds a new metal catch. Notice the reshaped 'cog' ?

To answer your question directly Bob....The bumper is not shown and is seated body side. Razor blade slice to reduce its height. See the leever in the picture ? Compare this to a stock one and notice how much has been trimmed off from the stop feature on this one.

Good fix for those broken lids.

Please note: VERY tedious operation to expose the actuation of the glovebox and button it back up again. Three hand approach.
 
a couple others

Convert to LED's (per Bob Brown) for tail lights, turn lights, instrument cluster - this and the headlight relay and wiper relay will take a lot of load off your charging system and extend life.

Also, add the pneumatic cylinders (Greg Smith? sorry don't recall who started this) to open the front hood - it's really convenient.
 
Swollen and cracked sun visors

Remanufacture of the visor. Simple + Cheap

Virtually all vintage visors are in poor condition. The frame pivots rust, the vinyl cracks, and the foam crystallizes.

Materials: Ultra short nap carpet, Fabic adhesive, Rust converter.
Equipment: Wire brush, Sharps, Swabs, etc.

Fold carpet over frame allowing ample excess which will later be trimmed. Cut to old vinyl as pattern. Touch-up finish on bared edge using colored paint or dye.

vis1.jpg



Frame exposed prior to wrap.

Passenger side ? Shape mirror cutout first, then place new mirror prior to bonding. Apply adhesive to mirror face minus the cutout area.
 
+1, but what do you do about

the dull worn outside covering?
The originals look like they're heat bonded.
 
I'm not certain I'm following the description on the visor rebuild.

Do you have more pics of the assembly process? It isn't clear to me whether you are using the carpet in lieu of the original vinyl, or if you are using it as a substituted stuffer?

Please clarify. Thanks.
 
Glove box repair

I got the door repair hinge from Chris Obert (Link). It comes with installation instructions.

The one thing I did differently is that I countersunk the holes in the aluminum repair piece, and then tapped the holes through the aluminium into the metal frame (outer part of the door) and used screws instead of rivets. Worked like a charm and though I bought a new spring, I didn't end up needing it.
 
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