I'm at a Crossroads

Joe F

Joe F

Hi Miles, Lo Maintenance
In 1992 I saved this 1987 Bertone X-1/9 from a guy trying his best to destroy it.
The original FI motor was replaced by a carbureted 1300 (I still am not sure why or if it indeed is a 1300).
All A/C components were removed.
The left front took a hit that required my replacing most suspension parts.
There is much more to this story, but I'll just say I still have this car and never regretted one moment of the 32 years I've owned it.
It is the third X and (5th Fiat) I have owned.
Well, 32 years and 120,000 miles later I am at a crossroads.
I am 76 years old and the car is now in a retirement community house garage in New Hampshire, which limits the work I can do on it.
With 175,000 miles on the clock, the car is starting to burn oil.
This breaks my heart as I can no longer pull the motor and do the work myself and I feel the cost of having someone else do it would be way more than the car is worth.
This car and I have had a great 32 year relationship and I am asking for opinions as to what I should do next. The body is in great shape and would be a prime candidate for a K20 implant (I owned a '92 RSX Type-S). But selling is my very last option.
My resources are limited and I know all things must pass, but I throw this out to the only people I know that understands my dilemma.
What reasonable options do I have to continue owning this car for at least 5 more years.

Thanks for listening.

20190525_134803.jpg
 
Any thoughts on whether or not it is the rings or the valve seals? If the seals, it might not be that difficult a job. A compression and leak down test might give you an idea of where the problem lies.
 
Joe F said:
There is much more to this story, but I'll just say I still have this car and never regretted one moment of the 32 years I've owned it.
It is the third X and (5th Fiat) I have owned.
Well, 32 years and 120,000 miles later I am at a crossroads.
Click to expand...
The joys of long term exxe ownership in many ways..
Joe F said:
I am 76 years old and the car is now in a retirement community house garage in New Hampshire, which limits the work I can do on it.
With 175,000 miles on the clock, the car is starting to burn oil.
Click to expand...
How much oil is consumed?
Joe F said:
This breaks my heart as I can no longer pull the motor and do the work myself
Click to expand...
We will all reach this point on the journey of life.

Joe F said:
I feel the cost of having someone else do it would be way more than the car is worth.
Click to expand...
Value of your exxe is perceived and should not be dependent on "market value".. Fact is, you've shared over three decades of memories made and shared with this exxe.. Those moments and memories do not-cannot have a monetary value as those are the moments and memories that are of real value.

Joe F said:
This car and I have had a great 32 year relationship and I am asking for opinions as to what I should do next. The body is in great shape and would be a prime candidate for a K20 implant (I owned a '92 RSX Type-S). But selling is my very last option.
My resources are limited and I know all things must pass, but I throw this out to the only people I know that understands my dilemma.
What reasonable options do I have to continue owning this car for at least 5 more years.

Thanks for listening.
Click to expand...
If the goal is to continue on with your exxe for another five years or so, figure out if the current oil consumption is excessive or within reason, followed by figuring out precisely what is causing oil consumption (more likely valve stem seals or leaks than rings/piston/cylinder), then find a
properly qualified mech to fix it with proper quality parts and related as needed. What is of value is your time spent with your exxe, not the just
funds spent... as at some point funds are of no significant value. What is more important and of real value is the joy and moments your exxe can continue to offer...


Bernice
 
If resources are limited and the car is running OK, add a bottle of oil treatment like Bar's Engine Repair and drive on.

Maybe try the old Italian tune up with a little atf thru the carb. Or a bottle of seafoam or berrymans in the fuel tank. There are lots of inexpensive things to try. :)

I don't know how well these treatments work, but lots of folks use them on old engines.
 
As a fellow 76 year old Fiat enthusiast I can relate to your concern. Probably the only reason my wife and I have not moved into an independent living place is the exact problem you are dealing with, I play in my garage almost every day. Unlike most of you all I actually get more pleasure and mental stimulation working on my Fiats than actually driving them. If I had to pay someone to fix my Fiat I would just sell it, but that's me.

Your goal is another five years of ownership but does that mean enjoying driving it or just keeping it in the garage knowing you still have it?
Good advice above about just drive it as is if the smoking is not bad or some miracle chemical will somewhat negate it.

I'll be curious to see how this plays out for you.
 
Don, I will do a compression and leak test in the spring when I get back up north. You are right, knowing what the problem is, is the first step toward a possible cure.

Bernice, Thank you for the kind words. I have never considered the worth of this car in doing all the repairs over the years. I simply did whatever I had to do to keep the dream alive. Being a mechanical engineer with access to a full machine shop, and other trades certainly helped to keep this car a joy.

Jim D, I was brought up in the STP generation, however I've never put additives of any kind in my car. I believe in motor and gear oil changes on a regular basis. I think this was the best way to keep this motor running for over 175,000 miles. That being said, I will give serious consideration to the recommendations you suggest.

Carl, If I cannot drive this car, it's not worth keeping it. It started out as a driver, and I kept doing repairs and upgrades for the sole purpose of the enjoyment of driving it (as long as I can get in and out of it). I'll keep you posted.

Twincam, I change the oil every year, about every 4,000 miles. WAY too expensive. I rather deal with the neighbor's complaints :-)

I really appreciate all your responses. I knew I asked the right people and please keep 'em coming.
 
Easy for me to suggest - I am in Australia so can only suggest, not actually help. This feels like a case for an intervention :) of the positive helpful hands on kind. There must be a X owner within reasonable driving distance with reasonable work space.... X Team Assemble!
 
There is the nuclear option. Keep the car for a year. If you never drive it, never work on it and probably never even go look at it then you have pretty much answered the question that it's time to let it go.
 
carl said:
There is the nuclear option. Keep the car for a year. If you never drive it, never work on it and probably never even go look at it then you have pretty much answered the question that it's time to let it go.
Click to expand...
LOL, I am currently in Florida, I wont even see the car until May, and it's all I can think about.
 
Paul Stoltze said:
Joe - I'm not too far away in Connecticut, and have a well equipped garage. I could help you diagnose the problem. Alternatively, If you can find a healthy replacement motor, I could help you do the swap in a weekend.

Paul
Click to expand...
The X community is simply amazing. Through X-Web I found an incredible member that breathed new life into my 1980 Spider (thanks, Beek). While I am not currently planning an engine swap, it may be possible in the future.
Thanks, Paul. Your offer is tempting. We'll see....
 
maybe we can relay-drive your car to FL for you.

Then you can drive it in the winter, and the 2000 miles would work out the kinks.

(my being in Colorado does not help at all!)
 
That makes me feel better, I didn't understand any of it, thankfully.


When in your 60s you assume you are at the end of your car enthusiast life but you soldier on and even discuss it with your similarly aged enthusiasts. You make it to your 70s and you are still a car enthusiast but the thought of climbing under your car becomes less desirable and the afternoon nap seems more important than putting new brake pads on your Fiat. You assume you are close to done with this chapter as your wife look at independent living options as all her girlfriends make the transition to them. But you realize you have Fiat buddies in their 80s still working on their Fiats. It's all very confusing with a dash of depression.....those independent living places are full of old people!

I put racing ignition switches in my Fiats so when my kids take my car keys away I can still drive them.
 
I can't complain too much in my mid 70s when my neighbor who is about a decade older than me is still working on cars. He is a retired attorney who spent a good part of his life racing sprint cars. He built his own cars and motors, and had a rather impressive machine shop which he started selling off a few years ago. He still works on cars but is not building them any more. Checking out what is in his garage is a bit of a treat. Many performance bits that I had only heard about can be seen there. I was checking out a sprint car motor from one of his race cars. It was a small block Chevy (327?) using an aluminum block with Hillborn injection. It used a gear driven cam setup. He told me the timing chain results in too much slop that will impact performance. The motor put out over 700 hp. Not bad for old technology.
 
Biomolecular shifts down here in Florida lead to a lot of Corvettes, BMW Z3's Miata's, Porches and such with silver haired drivers (my hair is a silver/gray mix). :cool:
 
Aging and cars.....a quick story:

I worked for 21 years at the Ferrari / Alfa Romeo / Maserocky dealership in Seattle. We had a long term client, George, who pre-ordered every new F-car before it was introduced, he just had a standing order. George purchased his first Ferrari, a 250SWB in the 60's. In the 1980's I inherited this gentleman from the owner of the store who was backing away from the business. The last car George ordered from me was a 360 Modena that was due in 1999. Late 1998 he came roaring into the store and angrily demanded "Damn it Gregg, when is my new car arriving, I am going to be dead before it gets here!".

I responded that he told me the same thing in the mid 1980's waiting for his Testarossa, then the mid 90's waiting for his 456..

He was 93 the day he took delivery of the 360. And still a pretty capable driver.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top