What did you do to your X1/9 today ?

Drove the X 500 miles yesterday & today, to & from Carlisle PA. Car ran without issue :)

How did you like the little green thing Mr Ranney dragged down from Vermont?

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How did you like the little green thing Mr Ranney dragged down from Vermont?

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I didn't actually look at it very closely or ask what it's connection to Fiat/Bertone is :D Says OATAS (or something like that on the back?) I think there were two that color at the show, but one was a kit car? Maybe I'm conflating that with another though...
 
Drove the X 500 miles yesterday & today, to & from Carlisle PA. Car ran without issue :)

Forgot to include a driving pic. Can stay 65-75 in 5th all day long, sits there at light throttle on level/slight grades needs only slight throttle increase to accelerate for passing. I'd be happier with a lower cruising rpm. Got about 250miles on a full tank. Oil temp stayed at 185-190f when maintaining highway speeds. Dropped to 140 during the heavy rain period. Coolant temp stays as pictured except for sustained heavy throttle when it approaches the underside of the 190 marker.

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This was the light rain, which rapidly became a deluge. I kept driving with the targa off until we had to slow to about 50, at which speed too much water came in over the door glass & spat at me. Found an overpass & took care of that promptly. No water ingress with the modded canvas targa.

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Went to a Cars''n'Coffee yesterday. A local photographer took a decent picture of my car, so I saved it. :) It was in a group of 110 other pictures, so I don't feel too special.
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Having extensive driving experience in stock form and now in semi-Dallara/widebody configuration, can you say a few words comparing/contrasting steering feel, directional stability, and overall highway behavior between stock and Dallara?
 
between stock and Dallara?
Good question Dan. It will be interesting to hear if the widebody feels much different. I suspect the wider wheels and tires would make the most difference. I don't recall how much difference there is between the two versions suspension wise...is it the same?

Dan, naturally you are opening the door to possibly hearing the modified X1/9 drives better than a stock one. Are you ready for that? :D

I'm reminded of this:
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Though I'm sure the two versions are quite different in many ways that are not really better or worse, just different.
 
Good question Dan. It will be interesting to hear if the widebody feels much different. I suspect the wider wheels and tires would make the most difference. I don't recall how much difference there is between the two versions suspension wise...is it the same?

Dan, naturally you are opening the door to possibly hearing the modified X1/9 drives better than a stock one. Are you ready for that? :D

I'm reminded of this:
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Though I'm sure the two versions are quite different in many ways that are not really better or worse, just different.

I think it's a slam dunk that a widebody X with significantly larger tires would have better numbers in cornering, braking, etc. I guess I'm looking to get a feel for, well, the feel.;)
 
I guess I'm looking to get a feel for, well, the feel.
I've always thought a stock vehicle with narrow/high sidewall tires, soft springs/shocks, full rubber bushings/mounts, etc, rides much better than all of the modified hacking I always do to mine. I'm just one of those that puts more interest in "looks" than ride quality. But that only means I haven't matured since I was a teenager, now doesn't it. :oops:
 
Having extensive driving experience in stock form and now in semi-Dallara/widebody configuration, can you say a few words comparing/contrasting steering feel, directional stability, and overall highway behavior between stock and Dallara?

I've always thought a stock vehicle with narrow/high sidewall tires, soft springs/shocks, full rubber bushings/mounts, etc, rides much better than all of the modified hacking I always do to mine. I'm just one of those that puts more interest in "looks" than ride quality. But that only means I haven't matured since I was a teenager, now doesn't it. :oops:

Dan - I'm assuming the question was directed at me? The handling at speed is awesome, steering response is very crisp. The others I drove with (Volvos) were very impressed with the way the car stayed completely flat lane changing / banking, on ramps at the typical 65-85 highway speed range we were running. I do have coilovers and stiffer springs, but all bushings/mounts are stock rubber/composite besides the caster rod end which are poly, and the Focus upper rear strut mounts.

As far as riding much better, that is rather subjective. Around town, mine is significantly harsher/bumpier than stock. The trade off for speed/highway stability is worth it, for me.
 
Everything is plumbed back in, can’t believe how long it took to get the rubber hoses to lay correctly and not kink. Couldn’t get the plastic cover back on in the frunk and it cracked in the end so ended up in the trash! Replaced the butchered pipe union and remade the end, next job is to pressure bleed it all!



 
Finally got it out of the garage. I have been driving the Miata for over a month which with the hardtop is a pretty nice car it tightens the structure up a good bit but it is still a flexible flyer.

Just a few miles in the X and I don’t have any interest in driving the Miata again anytime soon. Amazing difference between them. The X is far and away the easier and more enjoyable car to drive for me.

Glad to have it out, now to do all the things it needs. One of the reasons I have been waiting is due to the state of the roads here and with perished upper strut mounts would have the the struts banging into the steel strut towers. Not good.

Anyway glad to be driving it again.
 
It's amazing how quickly you get "sucked back in"......in only a few miles. That is how it felt, getting behind the wheel of an X, even after many years. An addiction you can enjoy....
 
Just when I thought I was doing ok the car threw a curve ball. Pumped the brakes to test them and my right foot got a good soaking in brake fluid. The culprit was the union in the pic below, to the back on the left. I’d made sure it was tight on the bench and cant work out why it was leaking. Tried to tighten it in the car but access is tight and I couldn’t move it and ended up rounding it off. Luckily I was able to remove it and make a copper replacement pipe and install in the car.







Brakes are good now but the clutch is proving resistant to bleeding!
 
Perhaps you are beginning to see why your brakes were so buggered up from prior repairs. They can be difficult to work with.
 
The clutch can be a bit of a pain to bleed after changing the master. The outlet is tilted down facing the back of the car leaving a bubble trapped in it toward the front of the car. (Envision a water bottle half full in the same attitude.) I found the easiest way to pull the bubble out is to use a MightyVac type vacuum pump and a bathtub stopper over the reservoir opening. A couple of tugs at 10 psi will get a good burp and Bobs your uncle mate!
 
Just when I thought I was doing ok the car threw a curve ball. Pumped the brakes to test them and my right foot got a good soaking in brake fluid. The culprit was the union in the pic below, to the back on the left. I’d made sure it was tight on the bench and cant work out why it was leaking. Tried to tighten it in the car but access is tight and I couldn’t move it and ended up rounding it off. Luckily I was able to remove it and make a copper replacement pipe and install in the car.







Brakes are good now but the clutch is proving resistant to bleeding!

Will copper hold up under that pressure?
 
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