New Member, New Employee at Midwest Bayless

[Rupunzell]

Welcome the the Italian X family Jonathan..

You're discovering what I have been saying about the X for years, it is a very under-appreciated, under developed great chassis. It's parent FIAT would not allow all of it's potential to be cultivated for political reasons. The X was and always has been a Bertone product with no real help from an un-willing FIAT management.

Once a technically car intelligent individual takes an X1/9 completely apart and closely examines each part, they usually come away with a very different impression than it's quite negative public reputation.

Much to discuss here as there is a long history of performance increase methods for the X. There is a good data base and history of what changed works and what does not.

As for engine/transaxke alterations for the X chassis, I have always believed that if Bertone was allowed and had the means, they would have produced the X with a different engine/transaxle. I have a theory that the two section top cross member in the early x1/9s that tends to crack were part of the planned alternative engine/transaxle future for this chassis.. It never happened. But today, there are engine/transaxle possibilities that never existed when the X1/9 was in production. All it takes is for a technically competent individual with enough interest, passion and resources to make it happen.

One of the best ways to understand an X is to own one as a daily driver..


Bernice

Thank you all for the kinds words and the welcome. I truly do like my job, my employers and the X1/9. The cars have surprised me with a level of craftsmanship in the little touches that very well engineered German cars completely lack. I am glad to be here, glad to expand my knowledge and pleased to have a chance to use my skills to develop products to provide consumers with the power necessary to take advantage of the handling potential of the X1/9 chassis.

Mr. Tohill, I will indeed be working on your car. I like the scheme, by the way. Do you have family in Canal Fulton, OH? I have two Tohill friends there.

I will also be taking over the K20 swap, making some changes and will be working to help Matt kit out the K20 conversion for the DIYer. Let's just say I have some ideas.

I have been talking with Matt and Chris quite a bit about engine swap alternatives as well. I am excited about the new products I could develop and the variety of powertrain alternatives it would offer to X owners interested in doubling to quadrupling power and/or fuel economy.

Engine swapping and fabrication are right up my alley, so this is all very exciting to me!

I look forward to getting to know you all and meeting some of you when you come to pick up your cars.

Oh, and what exactly do they say about Tom?

 

[cozzoi]

Welcome to Xweb Jonathan

Hope to see some of your artwork pretty soon!
George

Hi,

My name is Jonathan. I have extensive experience working with and modifying Audi Foxes, VW Dashers, VW Foxes and VW Quantums. My love for taking the obscure and neglected and using common sense and ingenuity to turn them into performance machines led me to apply at Midwest.

I just completed my first week at Midwest Bayless--spent it working on a deeply troubled Zagato and Thursday started working on learning the X1/9 by starting to assemble one out of parts left behind from another mechanic.

I like the cars. I like the company. I LIKE MY JOB. Look to hear more from me. I will be taking over fabrication work there, including engine swaps. I am also planning to throw myself fully into the job and buy an X for experimentation and modification. If I do this, the car will show up here as a project that I hope will lead to more options for making power, stopping fast and cornering hard for all X owners.

 

[Black-Tooth]

You mean they didn't tell you about Tom???

WHooooooa!

 

[DTohill]

Family in Ohio

There are Tohill's all over the Ill/Ind/Ohio areas. I have a family listing. If I can get the name. I will see how he/she may be related.

 

[Longitudinal]

My friends' names are Adam and Patrick Tohill. It would be interesting to know. It's an unusual name. My last name is Pack, which is unusual enough to draw the same "I knew a Pack in high school" sort of comment.

Definitely one of the best ways to get to know a car is to own one. I am finding that assembling one out of a box of parts is a pretty good way as well.

A multi-valve I4 with lots of brap makes sense for these cars, but the cheap power of an 8VT VW engine is too tempting. The one significant obstacle to a VW swap may be the location of the water pump, which is approximately opposite the X's alternator location. It is higher up, but if it is too low, then it is right where the forward RR control arm buching mounts.

 

[jvandyke]

...It's parent FIAT would not allow all of it's potential to be cultivated for political reasons. The X was and always has been a Bertone product with no real help from an un-willing FIAT management.
Bernice

This is why my "loyalty" to Fiat is thin. I'm not sure they deserve credit for the X. Without them it wouldn't exist (most likely) but they sure seemed to drag their heels, maybe I'll rebadge mine as a Bertone. All I need is a non-Fiat horn push and cover the FIAT on the FI plenum thingy.

 

[Rupunzell]

The story appears to be FIAT management requested a replacement for the 850 spider. Bertone answered with the runabout_x1/9 and small mid-engine design. This was the second mid-engine car Bertone designed after the Lambo Miura or basically the same group of design folks that learned something post Miura poured their knowledge gained into the x1/9 and made it a great chassis at a price.

When Mr. Bertone presented the proto to FIAT management, the frowned, snickered and was extremely critical of the design. This was precisely the car FIAT management did NOT want, they wanted a FWD two seater convertible based on the 128 mechanicals. Or, basically, FIAT managment said NO, we are not going to produce a, "poor man's Miura!" Met with strong resistance from FIAT, Mr. Bertone went directly to Mr. Agnelli (Or over FIAT management's heads) who liked the design.. even owned one for a time..

Now you see why FIAT stunted the x1/9 since it's birth.. Bertone had much greater plans for this chassis.. they were never allowed to happen.
Years later FIAT got their wish in the Barchetta.

If Bertone got their way, we would have 2.0 liter variants of the X and a very significant race history and they would not be so affordable... which is both a blessing and a curse.

Don't be too down on FIAT and what happened to the X1/9. They did bless it with that great SOHC engine, their engineering expertise and resources to allow the X1/9 to become a production car. If not for FIAT and Mr. Agnelli, this design would have never come off the drawing board.

Regardless, FIAT continues to offer very good value for the $ spent. I have owned a good number of FIATs over the years, like them all. Each had their quirks and individual personalities. What continues to draw me to FIAT is their Italian design and personality along with their good overall engineering at a price point.

Bernice

This is why my "loyalty" to Fiat is thin. I'm not sure they deserve credit for the X. Without them it wouldn't exist (most likely) but they sure seemed to drag their heels, maybe I'll rebadge mine as a Bertone. All I need is a non-Fiat horn push and cover the FIAT on the FI plenum thingy.