X1/9 style/design custom modifications

I happened to see a photo online of a X with a interesting front air dam and side skirts. This should follow one of my related design threads about air dams (https://xwebforums.com/forum/index.php?threads/front-air-dam-spoilers.33143/), but I'm combining those into this thread.

Here is the picture I saw:
141.jpg


I don't recall ever seeing this design of air dam before. It is likely something custom made; a "one-off" of sorts, possibly incorporating one from another vehicle. But does anyone recognize it?

The side skirts (rockers) also seem to be custom made. While I'm not a huge fan of them, they are unique. I'd rather see something like this "box rocker" style incorporated with wide rear fender flares, like on some Porsches:
img_1614.jpg


I also like the side mirrors on the X1/9 in the first pic.
 
I think we've mentioned wheel styles in this "custom design" thread. Here's a wheel on a X that I saw pictured online that I've never seen before:

Fiat-X19---Wheel.jpg


Judging by the car I'm guessing it might have been a factory item on a race car? The bolt pattern appears to be custom drilled. They kind of remind me of some classic Lambo wheel styles:

w_Lamborghini Jarama wheel.jpg
 
I came across an interesting design for fender flares on one of the display cars at this year's SEMA Show. Although it is not something that I would do (really not my style preference), I give them credit for their ingenuity. The object was to make the fender flares hug very tightly to the the wide tires on a lowered vehicle, without issues with rubbing as the tires move. Especially on the front, where there is steering going on in addition to the usual suspension movements, getting a nice fitting flare on a heavily lowered vehicle is very difficult. So what they did here was make the fender flare separate from the bodywork and attach it to the suspension. That way it is always at the same location relative to the tire as the wheel/tire moves. The flare will travel with the tire, not sit stationary on the body. The execution here ended up looking like a trailer fender, something you might see on a old school roadster hotrod. But the concept might be designed better with some thought. You can see what's going on with one look:


012.jpg


Naturally the flare does not need to stick out that far in most cases; these wheels and their fitment are more of a lowrider style. And the shape of these flares does not do the body style any justice. But again, the concept is unique. I always applaud a novel approach to something, and this certainly is.
 
Jeff, the air dam on the blue X is one sold by a german company back in the day. So it was fairly common in the 80/90s when body kits where in style.
This one is not very practical because it sticks way forward and is pretty low. Any sort of ramp will trash the spoiler.
(I also think it looks terrible, but that is beside the point).
 
Thanks Ulix. I did not recall ever seeing it before and wondered if it might have been something that someone made from a air dam off another vehicle (e.g. from a RX7 or such). However since I posted that pic I saw another one just like it on another X pictured online. So then I figured it must have been specific to the X. I suppose the fact it was from a German company might be why I had not seen it before, I imagine there weren't many that made it to the US.

As for the style of it, it would not be my favorite either. However there haven't been many true air dams (vs spoilers) ever made specifically for the X. So regardless of it's design I was surprised to see it. The other picture I saw with one like it was painted a lighter color and you could make out the shape/style better. The dark color on the one I posted tends to hide its contours/details.

I think pretty much any air dam on the X will have problems with scraping and impacts. Especially since a car with a air dam is typically lowered as well. And naturally with the X being a low production vehicle, any air dams out there will be fiberglass - not a more resilient/flexible material like polyurethane. I bought one of the dams made here in the US a few years back (sold through Serpent Auto). The style of it isn't exactly what I would have wanted, but I intend to modify it a little. Naturally it is also fiberglass and I'm sure it will have problems with impacts. My original plan was to make the suspension a air system so I could lower the car as much as I want and still be able to raise it to clear obstacles (saving the dam from damage). That's what I've done on most of my other modified street cars and it works well, once you become accustomed to how to use it. But since then I found a new (unused old stock) set of adjustable Konis for the X and converted them to coil-overs. So I haven't continued with the air suspension. But I should because the dam will get ruined in short time with a dropped coil-over ride height. I'm considering making the air units to fit the Konis with the threaded height adjusters (i.e. coil-over style) so I have two methods of adjustment (mechanical and air). We'll see.

Thanks for the info on the air dam.
 
Dr.Jeff said:
Thanks Ulix. I did not recall ever seeing it before and wondered if it might have been something that someone made from a air dam off another vehicle (e.g. from a RX7 or such). However since I posted that pic I saw another one just like it on another X

As for the style of it, it would not be my favorite either. However there haven't been many true air dams (vs spoilers) ever made specifically for the X. So regardless of it's design I was surprised to see it. The other

I think pretty much any air dam on the X will have problems with scraping and impacts. Especially since a car with a air dam is typically lowered as well. And naturally with the X being a low production vehicle, any air dams out there will be fiberglass - not a more resilient/flexible material like polyurethane. I bought one of the dams made here in the US a few years back (sold through Serpent Auto). The style of it isn't exactly what I would have wanted, but I intend to modify it a little. Naturally it is also fiberglass and I'm sure it will have problems with impacts. My original plan was to make the suspension a air system so I could lower the car as much as I want and still be able to raise it to clear obstacles (saving the dam from damage). That's what I've done on most of my other modified street cars and it works well, once you become accustomed to how to use it. But since then I found a new (unused old stock) set of adjustable Konis for the X and converted them to coil-overs. So I haven't continued with the air suspension. But I should because the dam will get ruined in short time with a dropped coil-over ride height. I'm considering making the air units to fit the Konis with the threaded height adjusters (i.e. coil-over style) so I have two methods of adjustment (mechanical and air). We'll see.

Thanks for the info on the air dam.
Click to expand...

The new Corvette has an answer for air dam damage. (And I imagine several others have the same thing).
Anyway, when you see that what you are crossing will hit or drag the air dam you hit a button to raise the front of the car. The computer can/will? store a number of these spots so that when you return to the same place the car will automatically raise the front for clearance. Modern technology......
 
Several cars have that now. It's also available from the aftermarket. They are hydraulic pistons or rams that lift the front suspension. Really the same concept as a air suspension.
 
Never been to the SEMA show but I imagine most of the custom cars there, like that Mini, were never intended to be actually driven on the street. If you are customizing your Fiat and actually plan to drive it on the street then you need to consider your driving environment. That's why a rally replica makes more sense where I live.
 
carl said:
Never been to the SEMA show but I imagine most of the custom cars there, like that Mini, were never intended to be actually driven on the street.
Click to expand...
Very true. As with any "custom" car, it is modified for style, high performance, or other goals that do not necessarily make them good for normal street or commuting use. That is why I only do very mild customization on my daily driver vehicle (which is NOT a old classic car, but a modern reliable economical safe vehicle), and I keep the extreme modifications for my "play" cars - ones that only get occasional use on short fun local drives.

To illustrate the level of SEMA show cars, I offer one from a old Jerry Lewis movie ("Cinderfella", 1960). The "Golden Sahara"** was originally built by George Barris, later modified further by another well know customizer (sorry I forgot who that was), then recently restored and shown in the Goodyear tire display at this year's SEMA. The Goodyear connection is due to the custom tires Goodyear made specifically for this car. They are molded from a opaque urethane with colored lights installed inside to give them a "futuristic" glowing look. The car cannot be driven on the street due to the tires and other mods, but if you saw it in person you had to admire the creativity and craftsmanship - even if you do not like the style (as is the case for me):

002.jpg
004.jpg
003.jpg
005.jpg

** More about this car: https://kustomrama.com/wiki/The_Golden_Sahara


And if you think this is ridiculous (as do I), then you should see what they do to brand new full sized American pickup trucks. I don't have any pics to illustrate (couldn't stand to even look at them, let alone take pics), but they epitomize what is being said about unusable for street driving - with extremely high lifts, gigantic wheels/tires, and so much more (think modern BigFoot). But I shouldn't criticize because any highly customized/modified vehicle (as are all of mine - less my daily driver) may not appreciated by everyone.
 
The Targa Top is another area where custom designs could be done. We've mentioned a couple aspects already, such as the "chopped" one someone illustrated, or various ideas for lightweight versions.

I just saw an article about the Porsche Targa; it's history and development. I posted about it in another thread:

The Targa top; some examples and a brief history

I saw a article that is mostly about the Porsche 911 Targa, but also about Targas in general. It discusses why the overall idea of a Targa came to be, and toward the later part of the article is some interesting historical info on the development of the whole targa top concept prior to Porsche...
xwebforums.com

In the article are examples of variations that Porsche has done which gave me ideas for modifying/restyling the X's top. Many of them would require radical alterations to do, but it would make for a very cool looking X in my opinion. One idea, how about a sloped rear window from the top to make something of a "fastback" style:
Berluti-x-Porsche-911_1-12.jpg


Another idea is how Porsche made the top section folding, with a metal frame and soft cover. That makes it small enough to tuck behind the passenger's seat and opens up the frunk. Plus it would be easier to handle.

Many more concepts as well. Ideas?
 
Dr.Jeff said:
The Targa Top is another area where custom designs could be done. We've mentioned a couple aspects already, such as the "chopped" one someone illustrated, or various ideas for lightweight versions.

I just saw an article about the Porsche Targa; it's history and development. I posted about it in another thread:

The Targa top; some examples and a brief history

I saw a article that is mostly about the Porsche 911 Targa, but also about Targas in general. It discusses why the overall idea of a Targa came to be, and toward the later part of the article is some interesting historical info on the development of the whole targa top concept prior to Porsche...
xwebforums.com

In the article are examples of variations that Porsche has done which gave me ideas for modifying/restyling the X's top. Many of them would require radical alterations to do, but it would make for a very cool looking X in my opinion. One idea, how about a sloped rear window from the top to make something of a "fastback" style:
View attachment 32422

Another idea is how Porsche made the top section folding, with a metal frame and soft cover. That makes it small enough to tuck behind the passenger's seat and opens up the frunk. Plus it would be easier to handle.

Many more concepts as well. Ideas?
Click to expand...
Having had a 911 Targa, a 914 and a couple of X1/9s, I thought I would let you know that while the 911's top is foldable and therefore easier to stow in small spaces, it really isn't any easier to use. You have to fold and unfold it everytime you use it, at least if you store it in the frunk. With the metal frame it is nearly as heavy as the fiberglass tops used on the 914 or X1/9 (which are similar in weight, materials and function), and while it has an inner liner it isn't as soundproof as the fiberglass. In fact, I imagine that Porsche (for the 914) and FIAT went with Fiberglass over aluminium for the roof panel specifically because it would be cheaper to manufacture while also having better soundproofing and as good or better durability than an aluminum top. The Targa top is also more fragile, and requires replacement of the vinyl every few years, particularly if the car spends any time in the sun. Mine cost $800 to rebuild in 2012.

Many targa owners got a Saratoga top back in the day. It lets in more light while being more durable than the targa top. The only problem is that the only place you can store one in a 911 is in the back seat, where it takes up all the space behind the driver and front passenger.

Of all the tops I thought the 914s was the easiest to use, if only because it fits in the rear trunk with a larger and more accessible opening to fit it in.
 
Air at high speed acts very much like a fluid. With that you can actually get a good read from a model car immersed in flowing water. Myth Busters did a show with an oval trough and a pickup to see if the tailgate up or down would be more aerodynamic and it was a great visual.
underwater.jpg
 
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ricar said:
Air at high speed acts very much like a fluid. With that you can actually get a good read from a model car immersed in flowing water. Myth Busters did a show with an oval trough and a pickup to see if the tailgate up or down would be more aerodynamic and it was a great visual.
Click to expand...

There's and app for that. There are a lot of great CFD software our there even some online apps that will do air flow simulations. The trick is getting a good model of the car. Simscale is a cloud based one. I use Autodesk CDF but do not have and accurate X model.
 
Some time back in this thread, or one of the related "style" threads I started, we were discussing front air dams. A member had posted the following pic of his X elsewhere and I asked about the air dam on it. Sorry I don't recall off hand whose car it is (one of the long time regular members):
blackx.jpg


The response was the dam had been on the car a long time and he wasn't sure what it was. But suspected it was intended for a RX7.

Well today I happened to see another picture of the car (during a Google Image search for something else X related) with a much better view of the air dam (below), and I'm quite certain it is indeed a RX7 air dam. I recall this exact dam on RX7's back in the day:
OR02-4.jpg


It actually fits the X well and I like the style.
 
It was Mike Mittelstead (olerascal). He hasn't posted anything in the last 6 months.

Zender, Kamei, Foha, BBS, others?

Back when the X1/9 was still relatively new there were several European companies (examples in the title) making all sorts of aftermarket "styling" components for many makes/models of vehicles. What was ever offered for the X1/9? I vaguely recall there have been a couple of rather rare items...
xwebforums.com
 
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