gumby's '79 X-1/9
- Thread starter gumby23
- Start date
gumby23
Daily Driver
Here goes everything. Mrs. gumby is off to Nat'l Guard training and I dropped Blockhead G (teenage daughter) at the airport this afternoon for her trip to Germany. That leaves me and Blockhead J (pre-teen son) to finish out the next couple days on our own before we blast-off for Power Tour.
The car is running well and has been getting me back and forth to work rain or shine, mostly without complaint. However, there are still remnants of a punch list to address:
After hanging up my airport taxi hat, I headed to the shop and managed to knock the first three items off the punch list above before Blockhead J tapped out with hunger pains.
Exhaust hanger as delivered:
New mounts on the muffler
New body mounts and isolators
The supplied bent flat stock hanger allowed the whole exhaust to sag down pretty far. I was able to tuck everything up closer to the rear valance which made me happy. I reshaped the original hanger and kept it installed as a failsafe in case an isolator tears later on.
Figuring it to be in my best interests to keep Blockhead J alive, we made a food run and stopped at the parts store for some hose that I will need to rehab the small air horn set up that came with the car.
CRAP, they found us! I can't take this kid anywhere....
That was pretty much the end of our day. Blockhead J wants to go to work with me and that means getting up early tomorrow, so we called it a night after the parts/food run. I did, however, shoot a quick vid of the car choppin some potatoes before I shut the door
The car is running well and has been getting me back and forth to work rain or shine, mostly without complaint. However, there are still remnants of a punch list to address:
- Oil change
- Spark plugs
- Hang exhaust
- Horn
- Adjust driver's door lock
- Remount driver's harness
- Review and gather packing list items
- Tetris pack all our gear into this tiny car
- Mow grass before we leave?
- Maybe get a haircut?
After hanging up my airport taxi hat, I headed to the shop and managed to knock the first three items off the punch list above before Blockhead J tapped out with hunger pains.
Exhaust hanger as delivered:
New mounts on the muffler
New body mounts and isolators
The supplied bent flat stock hanger allowed the whole exhaust to sag down pretty far. I was able to tuck everything up closer to the rear valance which made me happy. I reshaped the original hanger and kept it installed as a failsafe in case an isolator tears later on.
Figuring it to be in my best interests to keep Blockhead J alive, we made a food run and stopped at the parts store for some hose that I will need to rehab the small air horn set up that came with the car.
CRAP, they found us! I can't take this kid anywhere....
That was pretty much the end of our day. Blockhead J wants to go to work with me and that means getting up early tomorrow, so we called it a night after the parts/food run. I did, however, shoot a quick vid of the car choppin some potatoes before I shut the door
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DanielForest
True Classic
Hussein,
The front shape of the targa top changed over the years. So there are some older top that required a different front seal. Maybe you have a mismatched set?
Nice work on the nudge bars!
My targa leaks directly onto the driver's seat by way of the sun visorCan't figure out what exactly is wrong with the forward targa seal on the windshield frame, but that's where it's now coming through.
The front shape of the targa top changed over the years. So there are some older top that required a different front seal. Maybe you have a mismatched set?
lookforjoe
True Classic
Both are original to the car - I got it from original owner, he never touched it
gumby23
Daily Driver
Got the driver's harness routed, and got the door lock working. Horn is also operational once again.
I started modeling solutions for stowing all our cargo during this adventure. The trunk will carry our duffel bags, no biggie there. The frunk is more my concern. There is a lot of stuff that needs to go in there while still fitting the targa, hopefully being neat, somewhat accessible, and not shifting around while driving. It is an oddly shaped compartment, no doubt. I believe this custom shaped box should hold all the spare parts and fluids I plan to bring along.
Some spare bits I received with the car:
My car has a box similar to the unit on the left. The box pictured has been opened and it looks as though someone planned to put a GM style 4pin module inside the box, a la bbrown. I do not know if it still functions as is, but will likely toss it in the car just in case.
I am curious about the module and wiring in the center. Could someone ID that part for me? If this is complete, as it appears, this could be a simple(side of the road) retrofit to my car. I will need to research the three ring terminal connections and knowing the original application would make that much simpler.
I started modeling solutions for stowing all our cargo during this adventure. The trunk will carry our duffel bags, no biggie there. The frunk is more my concern. There is a lot of stuff that needs to go in there while still fitting the targa, hopefully being neat, somewhat accessible, and not shifting around while driving. It is an oddly shaped compartment, no doubt. I believe this custom shaped box should hold all the spare parts and fluids I plan to bring along.
Some spare bits I received with the car:
My car has a box similar to the unit on the left. The box pictured has been opened and it looks as though someone planned to put a GM style 4pin module inside the box, a la bbrown. I do not know if it still functions as is, but will likely toss it in the car just in case.
I am curious about the module and wiring in the center. Could someone ID that part for me? If this is complete, as it appears, this could be a simple(side of the road) retrofit to my car. I will need to research the three ring terminal connections and knowing the original application would make that much simpler.
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DanielForest
True Classic
I used to carry my jack in the trunk but your arrangment seems fine. Don't know about the center item. Don't think it's a Fiat part. Maybe related to the GM module. Plugging to the FI?
Dr.Jeff
True Classic
The only spares you really need are a AAA Road Side Service card, and a credit card. Those will take care of everything else.
Joking aside, my dad was the type that always brought EVERYTHING from his garage..."just in case". So I adopted a bit of the opposite approach and try not to bring a lot of extras with me. Guess I've been lucky because I've never found I needed anything I didn't have.
Joking aside, my dad was the type that always brought EVERYTHING from his garage..."just in case". So I adopted a bit of the opposite approach and try not to bring a lot of extras with me. Guess I've been lucky because I've never found I needed anything I didn't have.
lookforjoe
True Classic
That’s a Bosch powerstage - used from mid - 80’s in EZK (and probably other) ignition systems. Not part of any stock X1/9 Marelli- based ignition setup. Get the Bosch number off it & google it. Should give you an indication of its application.
Ring terminals would be attached to coil , and black to ground on the motor (usually).
Ring terminals would be attached to coil , and black to ground on the motor (usually).
gumby23
Daily Driver
I have been pretty busy trying to catch up my autoX season after missing a few events this spring with the Fiat/Power Tour adventure. Power Tour itself went quite well I wrote a follow up thread over at GRM
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/hot-rod-power-tour-in-a-fiat/140619/page1/
Since returning home, I have put many more miles on the X. I eliminated the power valve in the carb on the theory that this cam doesn't produce enough vacuum to pull the PV closed. I never actually proved this out since my vac gauge is missing, but blocking the PV netted and extremely lean idle with no changes to the jetting. So that is some confirmation of an issue. Re-jetted the carb without the PV and have generally just enjoyed having something different to drive when the mood or weather strikes. I even took it out to autoX once when the weather threatened rain
It didn't rain, such is life!
About 6wks ago the radiator decided it no longer wanted to hold coolant and peed all over the driveway. I parked the car for a bit as I was mid-thrash between autoX events with my truck. Pulled the rad and swapped in another unit I got in trade. It leaked in the same location. Pulled that rad out, tossed it in the corner, and took my original to a local repair shop. Unfortunately he sat on it for a month and never touched it. Wednesday morning I ordered up a replacement from MWB and repo'd my original from purgatory.
The replacement showed up Thursday
I have an autoX tomorrow to close out one region, and another next weekend to close out a different region. I need both events to earn class trophies for each region, so it may be another week or so before I get this rad installed and the X back on the road, but I am looking forward to some fall cruising!
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/hot-rod-power-tour-in-a-fiat/140619/page1/
Since returning home, I have put many more miles on the X. I eliminated the power valve in the carb on the theory that this cam doesn't produce enough vacuum to pull the PV closed. I never actually proved this out since my vac gauge is missing, but blocking the PV netted and extremely lean idle with no changes to the jetting. So that is some confirmation of an issue. Re-jetted the carb without the PV and have generally just enjoyed having something different to drive when the mood or weather strikes. I even took it out to autoX once when the weather threatened rain
It didn't rain, such is life!
About 6wks ago the radiator decided it no longer wanted to hold coolant and peed all over the driveway. I parked the car for a bit as I was mid-thrash between autoX events with my truck. Pulled the rad and swapped in another unit I got in trade. It leaked in the same location. Pulled that rad out, tossed it in the corner, and took my original to a local repair shop. Unfortunately he sat on it for a month and never touched it. Wednesday morning I ordered up a replacement from MWB and repo'd my original from purgatory.
The replacement showed up Thursday
I have an autoX tomorrow to close out one region, and another next weekend to close out a different region. I need both events to earn class trophies for each region, so it may be another week or so before I get this rad installed and the X back on the road, but I am looking forward to some fall cruising!
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stingray250
True Classic
My suggestion, get rid of that monster floor jack and get an old scissor jack from like a Honda or Nissan. Does the same job while takin up about 1/3 the space.