the "X" mentality?

wannabfast

wannabfast

Thai with a 78 in MN
well ive been thinking about this for a little while now, and i have been thinking of what happens to the way you think after owning an x

big things ive noticed for me:
-if it dont fit make it fit
-hording parts(wheels, i have 3 or 4 sets in my garage, i only drive on 1)
-buy real x1/9 parts whenever possible
-ebay score shot up
-patience, like waiting on parts, trying to figure out problems, or finding help wherever available, and putting off work until the last minute
-trusting other members more, i have to admit, this site is way more mature than the civic board i used to go to regularly, the advice given on this board should always be taken under advisement
-willingness to let other x-heads drive your car... its not just your baby, but you feel pity on those whos x's arent running, so you allow them to revel in your handywork and put a big ear to ear grin on their faces so they dont go through withdrawl of driving an x

thats all that i can think of off the top of my head, any more?
 
X Mentality cont...

For me it is the appriciation of the simpler things in life.

Our cars are the definition of basic auto transportation that just happens to be a blast to drive.

No power steering or brakes. No complcated convertable/hardtop mechanisms. No built-in GPS, in seat DVD.

No "paddle shifters"!!!

(for most) No turbo, no twin supercharging, no variable valve timing.

Being simple keeps the owner involved in the X-sperience.

I have to believe that most modern sports car owners do not benefit from this aspect of their cars. Sure a Boxter will run circles around a stock X, but, for a $2K investment, I know I get more smiles per mile that the Boxter owner gets.

All that said, it can be summed up in one term:

X mentality = "Simple fun".
 
Sometimes having a ten-minute commute to work is a blessing, like when I am driving the 2002 Buick to work on a crappy winter morning. HOWEVER, that "commute" is unsatisfactorily short when it's warm and sunny outside and I am driving the X1/9 home with the targa top off and Dire Straits on the radio. Unfortunately right now the colored leaves are falling, but I am still freshening up the brake and fuel systems on the X.
When I am driving either of my Fiats, perhaps ten minutes into the drive, a trance envelopes me, an insipid grin spreads across my face and I enter the NO-BS zone of tranquility and joy. THAT, my friends, is the X-perience! :nod:
 
Well, yeah...

You can never have too many wheels. I boubt I could count up all of the wheels I had. I had four sets just for the racecar. Then various other sets I accumulated over the years. If I saw a cool set of Fiat wheels, I snagged them. Sadly, I am down to only three sets now.

Parts? I had an entire 10x10 store room full of X parts when I moved to florida. And that didn't include well over 1000 lbs of transmission parts.

And in keeping with the theme of the car, form follows fuction and less is more.

As for this forum. By far the most capable membership I have seen anywhere. Seldom do I see an answer that would lead the OP astray. Almost any question one might have gets answered accurately, courtiously and promptly. A rare commodity indeed.
 
I find I like not being one of the horde of other car drivers. I decided about 10 years ago never to drive a car just because I need car. No more SUVs or other normal cars. I would find cars I want to drive.

The X1/9 fits this idea perfectly. Great top off car that makes me happy.
If the weather turns bad,the defroster and top work great.

Cars I have owned in the last 10 years;
1972 Fiat 124 Spider (still own and I have for 28 years)
1974 Porsche 914 gone
1991 Alfa 164L gone
1993 Alfa 164S gone
1988 Alfa Quadrifolio spider gone
1995 Mitsubishi 3000GT spider gone
2004 Jaguar X-type Still own
1987 Bertone/Fiat X1/9 driving today

The pattern I see is Fiats stay and all other cars go away.
 
My X mentality...

1. If it don't fit, I've got the wrong part!
2. Buy only new, looks like new, or re-plated parts (from Matt!)
3. Covet thy neighbors X, even if they live hours away.
4. If someone has something really special for his X, I'll need it too.
5. Owning 1 X is never enough. Owning 2 only means less space for a third.
6. Spare parts: Definitely too many!
7. If it requires modification, don't use it.
8. If it can be replaced with an LED, replace it.
9. 93 octane is the new "regular"

and #10... Store it in the sealed chamber for the winter. Don't forget the blanket! Ha!
 
if you were to ask me this question 6 years ago it would have been a different answer.....:shock:


"Are you a Mechanic?"
 
for me things really have changed, when i was younger the first car i bought brand new was an 86 fiero v6 at age 16, then went faster with a grand national, then a 62 vette. played aroung with some trucks that my dad had built 454 big blocks for. then i bought my first fiat about 6 years ago, a 124 spyder project, my son was 5 and fell in love with the car and was heart broken when i traded it for my buell. i evrn played around with a few porschas but thoes were junk. now i have my x19 that i always wanted, still not running, but i dont care. the help that i get from this site has just been great, way better than the opel and porscha sites that i have been on. my son and i have a blast working on the car, and he is always first in the garage saturday morning. our deal is that when we finish this car we will look for an 850 or 124 project for him.
 
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