What did you do to your X1/9 today ?

Installed LED headlight bulbs. If the spots on the garage door in the day light is any indication I think I am going to like them.
Going to take a late night top off run tonight and check the lights out. On a downer note, noticed the start of a crack around the front strut tower.
Sure it will hold for tonight but I guess it is next on my to do list.
 
Alain - The Red Scorpion said:
Installed the Midwest-Bayless front antiroll bar. Expect it to reduce the snap oversteer on track . Also switching to 13 in. x 6 in. wheels on all four, instead of 13x7 in front and 13x8 View attachment 64013in the rear, with 185x60 all around. Will report on results.
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You may want to investigate the alternative mounting of the front bar, I believe Chris Obert at Fiat Plus sells a kit which removes the radius rod attachment engineered by Mark Plaia.

That setup makes me cringe everytime I see it.
 
Alain - The Red Scorpion said:
Also switching to 13 in. x 6 in. wheels on all four, instead of 13x7 in front and 13x8 in the rear, with 185x60 all around. Will report on results.
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Looking forward to your report. I am running 13x6 and 185/60 13 Nankang semislicks all over but been thinking about going wider in the rear with 13x8 and 205/60 13. Maybe a bad idea? I don't have the anti-roll bar but I do have rather stiff D2 race coil-overs. I find the car very neutral with current setup.
 
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Bjorn Nilson said:
Looking forward to your report. I am running 13x6 and 185/60 13 Nankang semislicks all over but been thinking about going wider in the rear with 13x8 and 205/60 13. Maybe a bad idea? I don't have the anti-roll bar but I do have rather stiff D2 race coil-overs. I find the car very neutral with current setup.
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13x8 and 205/60 13 in the rear may be too large and too heavy. I had a couple of spins with this set up and Toyo Proxes R888R. Could be that they take time to warm up or add some unwanted weight at the rear. Or may be it's the driver... still trying to get used to the X after 20 years racing a rear-engined Fiat Abarth 1000TC? One thing I now know: do not lift the gas pedal in a turn and do not downshift while turning. Very different from the Abarth.
 
kmead said:
Working on my cooling system.

I personally nominate the heater system and its associated parts as a more unpleasant job overall than the master cylinders.
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It’s close but brake fluid is just horrible to work with so I stick with the master cylinders . I desperately need to do my clutch🙄
 
Got this stuff squared away. Have a bunch of detail to finish, but getting close.


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Dr.Jeff said:
35* C is only 95* F! You cold climate guys are pu$$ys. :p:D But I can't stand when it gets below 50* F (10* C) so I'm no better. :rolleyes:

It will be interesting to hear what the extent of the brake damage is. Must have been more than a hose if there's no brakes at all now? Great excuse for a brake upgrade though!

Sounds like the intake and engine temps stayed good, that's great to hear. :)
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Back to normal temps here and the pu$$ys survived the heat 😃.. On the news they tell we haven't seen such temps since 1933 but they blame the climate change anyway.
Stock pads are back on the car while waiting for delivery on new racing pads. New break hoses at the rear mounted and fresh DOT4 break fluid filled up. I will replace the front hoses with steel braided hoses as well later. Got used breaks sealants for the rear left break that got BBQed from @TomasL while waiting for delivery of new parts. It is so nice to have a helping X1/9 friend in the area.
I cannot really tell what happened, but I think i didn't release the parking break properly because the release knob was sunken in to the handle. I had to hammer the handle back 10mm to be able to release the break with the thumb. The break warning light was malfunctioning due to oxidation on the parking break warning light switch so probably my error.
The second break circuit did actually work during the incident, but only if pressing the break pedal almost to the bottom, maybe just 30-20mm from bottom out.
Actually it feels nice with stock break pads in daily driving, the car breaks much better now. But it is a pity the stock pads don't work more than two laps on the race track before overheating.
 
Bjorn Nilson said:
Back to normal temps here and the pu$$ys survived the heat 😃.. On the news they tell we haven't seen such temps since 1933 but they blame the climate change anyway.
Stock pads are back on the car while waiting for delivery on new racing pads. New break hoses at the rear mounted and fresh DOT4 break fluid filled up. I will replace the front hoses with steel braided hoses as well later. Got used breaks sealants for the rear left break that got BBQed from @TomasL while waiting for delivery of new parts. It is so nice to have a helping X1/9 friend in the area.
I cannot really tell what happened, but I think i didn't release the parking break properly because the release knob was sunken in to the handle. I had to hammer the handle back 10mm to be able to release the break with the thumb. The break warning light was malfunctioning due to oxidation on the parking break warning light switch so probably my error.
The second break circuit did actually work during the incident, but only if pressing the break pedal almost to the bottom, maybe just 30-20mm from bottom out.
Actually it feels nice with stock break pads in daily driving, the car breaks much better now. But it is a pity the stock pads don't work more than two laps on the race track before overheating.
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At my property it was 120* F (49* C) the last couple of days. 🥵
If it was that hot there way back in 1933 then it cannot be due to climate change. :)

Often the parking brake does not do much to hold the car from rolling. :p But if it was just enough to cause the calipers to drag on the rotors then they would get really hot.
 
Bjorn Nilson said:
Back to normal temps here and the pu$$ys survived the heat 😃.. On the news they tell we haven't seen such temps since 1933 but they blame the climate change anyway.
Stock pads are back on the car while waiting for delivery on new racing pads. New break hoses at the rear mounted and fresh DOT4 break fluid filled up. I will replace the front hoses with steel braided hoses as well later. Got used breaks sealants for the rear left break that got BBQed from @TomasL while waiting for delivery of new parts. It is so nice to have a helping X1/9 friend in the area.
I cannot really tell what happened, but I think i didn't release the parking break properly because the release knob was sunken in to the handle. I had to hammer the handle back 10mm to be able to release the break with the thumb. The break warning light was malfunctioning due to oxidation on the parking break warning light switch so probably my error.
The second break circuit did actually work during the incident, but only if pressing the break pedal almost to the bottom, maybe just 30-20mm from bottom out.
Actually it feels nice with stock break pads in daily driving, the car breaks much better now. But it is a pity the stock pads don't work more than two laps on the race track before overheating.
Click to expand...
I have replaced the stock pads with Porterfield pads provided by MWB. Much better braking once they heat up a little. For street driving, you have to remember to keep your foot on the pedal for a short while after you start rolling.
 
Not X1/9 related. But I finally took apart the replacement Abarth engine that had zero compression. I see why.

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The cam timing was a good 30deg out. I don't have time to do the bottom end this summer, so I'm considering just throwing the known good head on it and letting it rip.

Hoping the rod bearings weren't trashed when it happened. Every cylinder has at least one bent exhaust valve. I think the pistons look okay.
 
I did a detailed cleaning of my X in prep for the Tutto Italiano show on Sunday. It hasn't been this clean in 30 years. Didn't want to be too embarrassed to be seen with the other cars at the event...
 

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Brought my X to the Tutto Italiano at the Lars Anderson museum today. Met members 79X19 & JoeF. The blue car next to mine was a K swap, but I can't remember his name. Enjoyed being at the bottom of the hill with the Fiats, Alfas, & Lancias more then up top where the Ferrari, Lambo & Maseratis were. I'll be back in the fall for the Japanese show with my 280z.
 

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Took my X1/9 on a 1,000 mile excursion from Austin Texas to Carlsbad New Mexico to see a big hole in the ground.

Made my first pit stop 130 miles from home and starter just clicked. Hmm. Another X1/9 enthusiast helped me jump start it from his gigantic truck. Must be a bad battery? Drove a mile to NAPA. Replaced battery. Starter just clicked. Nice NAPA people push started me on my way - back home.

I'm determined to see that big hole in New Mexico some day. But obviously not today...
 
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