Rare parts and improvements X1/9

jovani

jovani

True Classic
20171205_111027.jpg
Hi everyone, As I have mentioned before, I am making replacements for hard to find or improvements over original parts for X1/9. First is Early style front grill/valance assembly. Carbon fiber. Fit is perfect, no visible hardware, 1 minute installation. All correct curves to match lower front fenders, unlike some other fiberglass replicas, where valance's 45 degree surface is flat. Grill is the closest possible pattern match for the era and car's front end design. Note the curved bottom of the grill and lower wider open area - that's because I tilted my radiator backwards for much better airflow capturing and ducting through the radiator, also air exit is guided smoothly down and out "sliding" on 45 degree "back duct" versus the original parachute-like high drag area behind the radiator. Added are 2 quiet high efficiency sleek fans, one operated by the original temp sensor, the other manually by an original looking switch on the dash. If anyone is interested in grill-valance part as direct replacement on all models, let me know. I can also make the lowest 2 inches of the valance out of rubber blended upwards into carbon grill frame. Now I make improved Euro bumper design, will be made out of carbon or rubber.
 
Well done. Please post additional photos from various views so we can get a better look at it, both installed and alone. And the price? Thanks.
 
jovani said:
View attachment 6892 Hi everyone, As I have mentioned before, I am making replacements for hard to find or improvements over original parts for X1/9. First is Early style front grill/valance assembly. Carbon fiber. Fit is perfect, no visible hardware, 1 minute installation. All correct curves to match lower front fenders, unlike some other fiberglass replicas, where valance's 45 degree surface is flat. Grill is the closest possible pattern match for the era and car's front end design. Note the curved bottom of the grill and lower wider open area - that's because I tilted my radiator backwards for much better airflow capturing and ducting through the radiator, also air exit is guided smoothly down and out "sliding" on 45 degree "back duct" versus the original parachute-like high drag area behind the radiator. Added are 2 quiet high efficiency sleek fans, one operated by the original temp sensor, the other manually by an original looking switch on the dash. If anyone is interested in grill-valance part as direct replacement on all models, let me know. I can also make the lowest 2 inches of the valance out of rubber blended upwards into carbon grill frame. Now I make improved Euro bumper design, will be made out of carbon or rubber.
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You could have saved a lot of time by skipping the redesign of how the radiator is mounted, FIAT engineers already did all of that work in wind tunnel testing in Stuttgart while the X1/9 was being developed. See halfway down the second column of the attached pic of an article from Motor magazine, Dec 1973.
Motor_12_1973_02.jpg​
Motor_12_1973_02.jpg

 
Please make the rear spoiler wing tips. These seem to be easy to break and impossible to find.
 
That grill looks good, must be a lot of work in it.
Dan, that's an interesting magazine article I haven't seen before, is there any more to it or that the full article?
 
I like the grill/valance and am very curious regarding price. Can it be done in fiberglass to save money? X1/9ers tend to be a thrifty lot. Also very interested in the Euro bumpers and wonder what pricing might be there as well, along with the same question regarding whether they can be done in fiberglass, and I would be interested in a nicely done set of carbon or glass Euro bumpers without the reinforcements, as I would like a set that looks fairly stock Euro but as light as possible. I also think the combination grill/valance idea might work very well in the rear, as well, replacing the rear valance and heat vent 'grill' with one lightweight unit. It is always great to see someone innovating and making new parts for these cars!
 
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GregS said:
That grill looks good, must be a lot of work in it.
Dan, that's an interesting magazine article I haven't seen before, is there any more to it or that the full article?
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This is the other page of the two that I have. I does read as if there is a third page, but I have never seen it. It is from a December 1973 issue of the British magazine Motor, which published weekly. There is no indication on the two pages I have of the date of the publication.


Motor_12_1973_01.jpg
 
Austin74 said:
Can it be done in fiberglass to save money?
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Not only for the sake of cost, but the front lower spoiler lip is easily damaged when parking, etc., so replacement would be likely. Perhaps the rubber version would be more practical but frankly I'm not clear on your description of it. Again, pictures will help.

However where real carbon fiber would be a definite advantage is for a replacement top. A light weight CF panel would be very functional. Consider this as a future product.
 
GregS said:
That grill looks good, must be a lot of work in it.
Dan, that's an interesting magazine article I haven't seen before, is there any more to it or that the full article?
Click to expand...
Yes, it took some effort to sculpt the valance/grill combo, as well as the bumpers, mostly because I don't have the original ones and I made everything from scratch. I will soon make carbon replacement fenders and doors.
 
Dr.Jeff said:
Not only for the sake of cost, but the front lower spoiler lip is easily damaged when parking, etc., so replacement would be likely. Perhaps the rubber version would be more practical but frankly I'm not clear on your description of it. Again, pictures will help.

However where real carbon fiber would be a definite advantage is for a replacement top. A light weight CF panel would be very functional. Consider this as a future product.
Click to expand...
Sorry if my description is not clear. One of the ideas was to make one piece valance/grill part, but the lowest section of it, the lip, about 2 inches (the forward protruding and easily damaged lip) , to be rubber, which is not detachable from the whole grill "frame",
 
Austin74 said:
I like the grill/valance and am very curious regarding price. Can it be done in fiberglass to save money? X1/9ers tend to be a thrifty lot. Also very interested in the Euro bumpers and wonder what pricing might be there as well, along with the same question regarding whether they can be done in fiberglass, and I would be interested in a nicely done set of carbon or glass Euro bumpers without the reinforcements, as I would like a set that looks fairly stock Euro but as light as possible. I also think the combination grill/valance idea might work very well in the rear, as well, replacing the rear valance and heat vent 'grill' with one lightweight unit. It is always great to see someone innovating and making new parts for these cars!
Click to expand...
Fiberglass will not be cheaper. First, I hate to work with it. Second, it's much much easier to work with carbon. The price difference in material cost is about $80 in favor to fiberglass, but work effort, quality, finish and look equals the price in my case. Also, I use epoxy resin, not cheap polyester like all others, polyester does not wet (thus not bond) to CF. Like water and oil, mix them as much as you like, they stay stay separate. And yes, I can make carbon Euro bumpers as skin only as you suggest, but mounting will be your challenge. My front bumper Euro version has options, !. One piece across the width of the car, similar to the famous Niki Lauda X1/9. 2. Bumper blocks for it, my pick. 3. Just two corners, like the early stock front bumper. 4. Corners with blocks. 5. Full length with or without blocks, but made out of three separate sections, i.e. you can choose to install or not the center section. All this can be made out of CF as hollow skin; light flexible foam filled skins (for light impact absorption); or made out of rubber. Also, to complete the front bumper set, I offer brand new pair of turn signals (see previous photos) with special carbon one inch "spacers" for better visibility of the turn signals, as they are underneath the bumper. Pictures will be posted soon.
 
Dan Sarandrea (Phila) said:
You could have saved a lot of time by skipping the redesign of how the radiator is mounted, FIAT engineers already did all of that work in wind tunnel testing in Stuttgart while the X1/9 was being developed. See halfway down the second column of the attached pic of an article from Motor magazine, Dec 1973.
View attachment 6899
Click to expand...
I could not have saved time of redesigning my radiator mounting, because the result of the 1973 study is either not put in practice, badly studied, not the best option or at least not available. Fact is the production X1/9 has a high drag and high turbulence parachute section behind the radiator. My design took 2 days from idea to finished product and I am done with overheating problems, noisy fan and no option for additional cooling without second fan. In addition, I designed my cooling duct in a way that if I sell the car and someone insists on originality, it can be put back as stock reusing all parts and no traces of the conversion will be left.
 
Really spectacular work in the pics!

What I am most interested in however, are details / pics of your revised radiator mounting / shrouding :D
 
Thanks for all of the added feedback. I'd love to see lots of photos to go with it...you know, 1 picture is worth a 1000 words.
 
Hi GregS, If the red car on your profile photo is yours, I have it as a desktop wallpaper. I found it on google images and have read about all transformations you have done to it. A lot and great work! Love the headlight clear covers no pop-up look. For long time I wanted to make I wanted to make permanently attached headlights with polycarbonate covers conversion, but for completely different reasons than you. My attempt is to have a nice looking everyday car, not a racer, and eventhough I love the X overall design, some details are overlooked by Bertone. Like the rear Euro bumper, it is unproportionally small and fit is poor. My version is slightly bulkier, follows the body lines perfectly and I can make it out of carbon or rubber. Same about front bumper, stock one looks unfinished without center section. And the headlights, under the clear cover I found perfect stock and available modern reflectors that match the era of the X. As I said, goal is to make daily driver. I don't know if you are interested in what I am saying, but will post it anyway.
GregS said:
That grill looks good, must be a lot of work in it.
Dan, that's an interesting magazine article I haven't seen before, is there any more to it or that the full article?
Click to expand...
 

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I found by tilting the radiator rearward like this, it allows for a taller unit to be used. Comparing the VW radiator options, the smaller versions are about 12" tall...which is about the maximum that can be fit is the stock "forward tilt" position (and even then it sits a little low on the bottom). But with the "rearward tilt" position a 13-14" tall unit will easily fit and puts the bottom of it higher up for added ground clearance. This allows use of the much larger capacity 2-row rads from some Dasher/Passat models.

Seems like your modification to the air duct behind the radiator ("45 degree outlet") would work well with this rearward tilted mounting position. Any photos of that panel behind the rad?
 
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