Progess on the 77X

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I have 2 X1/9s that exit through the grille vs the body opening.

Here Is an example of the regarded (seriously, I often get compliments) door panels on Carl's old 124...
 
I like the two-section design of those door panels, with the padded top half and aluminum lower half. Not sure if it is just the way it looks in the picture, but having a "brushed" grain to the aluminum creates a more 'finished' appearance than the raw "race car" look of plain aluminum ones. This has sort of a classic Italian sports car look rather than track look.

Wonder if something like that (half padded and half skinned) idea could be done with the X's panels?
 
The padded top is the basic design of the 79-up 124s so it's a pretty direct thing with those cars (i.e. the top is usually OK when the panel is trashed) Suppose you could do the same on an X.
 
It would be more of a custom build to do it on the X, but I think it would look great. How close is that top section (from the 124) to fitting the X door? I seriously doubt it is anywhere close enough to try and make it fit, but it would save a lot of work.
 
I could measure, but I'd guess nowhere close enough to be viable...on the other hand, it would probably be way to make such a top with a little foam padding & upholstery vinyl. The X has the top trim metal to more or less hold the panel in place, so maybe this would be replicating that piece & function?
 
Good news on the drivetrain, finally got the clutch bled so I could see what's in the four speed gear box, apparently I have four forward speeds and reverse! Throttle response is terrible, I think the carb is too lean. Also think the cam is not helping matters at the moment so much like I did with the Bertone's motor with had a cam in it, I'm going to install a stock cam for now. Also just ordered a wide band air/fuel gauge from Summit so I can actually verify fueling. Today I'll hook up the emergency brake cable and get that adjusted and then start working on electrics which at this point means the headlights. Can't put the dash back on until I get a complete heater box which I want to install first. Solved an oil leak I had when the motor was running, thinking a bad filter since that's where it appeared to come from, replacing the filter made no difference so the fuel pump blank off plate, just above the filter was the next "person of interest", especially since I had removed the mechanical pump and put this plate on. Yep, the gasket I had installed was for a spider and didn't properly cover the opening. Proper gasket installed and no leaks from the car.
 
When I first got my '79 running again, it had the same terrible throttle response. The engine was very healthy, completely stock, and mechanically everything was working well. I discovered two things; the advance on the distributor wasn't advancing, and the stock carb (although freshly rebuilt and calibrated) wasn't functioning correctly (I'm of the opinion they are pretty much garbage carbs anyway). Although I believe you have a different carb on yours?
 
The air/fuel gauge will help with the jetting, car acts like it's terribly lean Advance works. Gonna put a stock cam in anyway, hated the way my Bertone rand with a 40/80 cam in it. Once the car is really on the road with a properly jetted carb and running good I may go back and try the cam.
 
I'll be really curious to hear what you find with the 40/80 cam vs stock. Just speaking generally, I tend to think a 40/80 cam is a bit radical for a street driven car. But I am sort of conservative with respect to cams; I prefer more low end torque than top end HP.
 
The motor for the Bertone had a FAZA 40/80 cam and I could not get the idle circuit to work at all on the 34 DATRA that also came with the car. In frustration I removed that cam and put a stock one in and the idle circuit came into play, idle was nice an smooth and street driving was fine.
The 77 has a similar motor and exhibits the same symptoms of not being really happy with the idle circuit unless I really crank up the static timing. I may try to make my Fiats have an aggressive look but I want them to run and drive nice and smooth. I will sorely miss the sound of the funky idle but if your car is hard to drive then you won't enjoy it and won't drive it. I have come to the conclusion that a 1500 with a 34 carb upgrade, header an free flow muffler makes for a really nice real world motor.
 
if your car is hard to drive then you won't enjoy it and won't drive it. I have come to the conclusion that a 1500 with a 34 carb upgrade, header an free flow muffler makes for a really nice real world motor.
Completely agree.
 
So yesterday (pet peeve is people starting a sentence with "so") I pulled out the Abarth cam and installed a stock cam. Easy, done it a million times. Without the belt on I tried turning the cam, it is a non-interference 1500 and it only turns a few degrees. Loosened the cam box bolts a bunch and then tested the can and it turned freely. Made sure the buckets and shims were in properly and retightened the cam box bolts. Again cam will only turn a few degrees in either direction. This motor was allegedly a 1600 conversion but no evidence of that with the oil pan off. I'm wondering if there were mods done and this is now an interference motor. Today I will put on the cam belt so the crank and cam are properly indexed with each other and see if everything turns OK.

Retired guys with another Fiat to drive love crap like this.
 
Having internal mods (high compression pistons?) might correspond with the existence of the Abarth cam. At least as far as what the mindset of the original builder's perspective might have been.
 
I got the top end back together with a now stock cam and a stock cam wheel. Installed the belt, held my breath and slowly cranked the motor with a ratchet on the crank....motor turns just fine through many revolutions. Apparently I have an interference motor! Hope I didn't bend any valves. I took a compression test last week with the Abarth cam and it was 157/165/130/160. Clearly higher than stock and with a cam that would give a lower reading. Can't wait to do a compression check with a stock cam. Next step is to readjust the valves, I'll do that tomorrow. The crank and rods appear stock from when I had the pan off. Pistons remain a mystery since I have never had the head off. Lot's of receipts for work done but they are in a storage box and won't be accessible from the guy who sold me the car till this fall. Don't you love mysteries.
 
As noted in my valve spring coil bind thread, I took a compression reading with the stock cam today and its 180/175/180/190 so it's clearly not stock inside as normal compression on a good motor is about 155. AEM air/fuel gauge kit came yesterday so I will hook that up to check the jetting (the headers already have a bung for the O2 sensor.

Time to start on the electrics as in the dreaded headlights.
Got some low mileage KYBs (the black ones) and some "sport" springs but the car sits much higher than the stock struts and springs. What's with that?
 
The "sport" springs might be stiffer (which holds the car weight up with less sag) but not shorter (like most sport-lowering springs)?
 
At some point when it's actually ready for the road I'll sort this out even if it means putting on cut down stock springs. Actually I have the stock springs that came off the car, will be interesting to see how it sits with those springs on. Just something else to play around with.
 
The old type KYB's (the high pressure Dr. DeCarbon design, like Bilsteins) that used to be available for the X actually do lift a light car like the X. Same with Bilsteins, they have enough pressure inside to act like the gas struts that hold a trunk lid open (on other vehicles) and raise the car a little. I had a race prepped VW Rabbit back in the day with Bilstein Cup struts and the car was so light the struts lifted it about 2 inches. But for many years now KYB's has only offered the standard hydraulic (non high pressure) type struts for the X, so that won't be the case with these black ones.
 
@carl I have no idea what is going on with those KYBs.. If you look at my photo <<<<, that is how high my car sat with them.. Are you using my springs or your cut ones?
 
Ed, I put them on just as you gave them to me. I don't know how much effect it would have but my interior is currently gutted with only the driver seat and steering wheel in there and the bumpers removed. I'll take some measurements and then compare to the car when everything is back in the car. Later today I'll take some pics of the current stance and post here.
 
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