sok..
I do it numerous times (per post)
Especially if its edgy... lol
Full Version: OT: I've been asked to post a backgrounder on X1/9
Your most recent "yes"
sok..
I do it numerous times (per post)
Especially if its edgy... lol
sok..
I do it numerous times (per post)
Especially if its edgy... lol
| QUOTE (Andyrew @ Mar 15 2006, 01:42 AM) |
| Worst part is being quoted |
Worst part is being quoted
cant change it then
| QUOTE (Andyrew @ Mar 15 2006, 12:42 AM) |
| Your most recent "yes" |
Ah yeah well it was a case of my attempting to reply too quick and forgetting to include the quote...
While a post saying merely "YES" is great for positivity and all, it kind of lacked the punch it would have if anyone could really tell who it was being directed at...
| QUOTE (Mac @ Mar 14 2006, 10:09 PM) |
| Meanwhile this has been floating around X websites for years...  |
I've been racking my brain over this because I KNEW that I knew this thing's origin but just could not recall it
The world may never know who turned it into the image file that propogated across the net, but I did finally remember where the artwork originated...
...it was cover art on a circa '87 Bertone factory issued marketing brochure
Peace, -Mac
did the X1/9 ever suffer from people with bad taste and them putting body kits on them like some 914s or Fieros (ick)???? 
| QUOTE (Mueller @ Mar 15 2006, 07:40 AM) |
| did the X1/9 ever suffer from people with bad taste and them putting body kits on them like some 914s or Fieros (ick)???? |
What are you talking about, mueller?
There is NOTHING that you can do wrong to a fiero. Unless it's one of the rare GT models, in which case there's not a lot that you can do wrong.
I've got one.
| QUOTE (Mueller @ Mar 15 2006, 07:40 AM) |
| did the X1/9 ever suffer from people with bad taste and them putting body kits on them like some 914s or Fieros (ick)???? :D :wacko: |
There are some body kits from all over the world for the X. They range from mild to functional to sexy to downright badass, but in the mix there are some pretty damn ugly ones too...
| QUOTE (Mac @ Mar 15 2006, 11:35 PM) | ||
There are some body kits from all over the world for the X. They range from mild to functional to sexy to downright badass, but in the mix there are some pretty damn ugly ones too... |
pictures!
Great info 1/9 guys. Thanks. 
On the down side, you have made me resume kicking myself. You see, last fall I drove past a pretty clean, running X1/9 on my way home from work most nights. The car was for sale for $500. I wanted to stop and look at it, but never was able to make the time. All I knew about X1/9s was that when I was a kid, there was dealer in town who had a couple 5 year old "new" '83 Bertone's on his lot. Since he couldn't sell the damn things after so long (I'm not kidding about the "5 years" part), he donated them to my high school to raffle off, and they raised a total $2500 for both cars. I always thought they were great looking cars, but took that fiasco to mean they were crappy cars. Adding insult to injury, one of the winners actually declined to claim the car, and so they drew another name.
After edumacatin' myself with this thread, I REALLY wish I had tried to buy that car.
On the down side, you have made me resume kicking myself. You see, last fall I drove past a pretty clean, running X1/9 on my way home from work most nights. The car was for sale for $500. I wanted to stop and look at it, but never was able to make the time. All I knew about X1/9s was that when I was a kid, there was dealer in town who had a couple 5 year old "new" '83 Bertone's on his lot. Since he couldn't sell the damn things after so long (I'm not kidding about the "5 years" part), he donated them to my high school to raffle off, and they raised a total $2500 for both cars. I always thought they were great looking cars, but took that fiasco to mean they were crappy cars. Adding insult to injury, one of the winners actually declined to claim the car, and so they drew another name.
After edumacatin' myself with this thread, I REALLY wish I had tried to buy that car.
| QUOTE (Mac @ Mar 15 2006, 10:35 PM) | ||
There are some body kits from all over the world for the X. They range from mild to functional to sexy to downright badass, but in the mix there are some pretty damn ugly ones too... |
Yes but do they have Ferarri or Porsche 959 body kits? The 914 was truly cursed with some of the ugliest kits ever concieved.
Most of the X19 kits seem to be fairly tasteful and dont change the basic form of the car.
| QUOTE (aircooledboy @ Mar 16 2006, 11:01 AM) |
| On the down side, you have made me resume kicking myself. You see, last fall I drove past a pretty clean, running X1/9 on my way home from work most nights. The car was for sale for $500. I wanted to stop and look at it, but never was able to make the time. All I knew about X1/9s was that when I was a kid, there was dealer in town who had a couple 5 year old "new" '83 Bertone's on his lot. Since he couldn't sell the damn things after so long (I'm not kidding about the "5 years" part), he donated them to my high school to raffle off, and they raised a total $2500 for both cars. I always thought they were great looking cars, but took that fiasco to mean they were crappy cars. Adding insult to injury, one of the winners actually declined to claim the car, and so they drew another name. :huh: |
UNfortunately for people who don't know a lot about them, that is a very common story. All most folks know about is the "fix it again tony" stigma and that the cars "must" be junk.
In fact, if you go back to page 1 of this thread and read what "Xhead" (Steve Hoelscher) posted about his impressions of the cars, he is right on the money, and few people would know these cars better than he does. They are fantastic little sportscars, just widely misunderstood, and because of the Fiat stigma, few people ever bother to examine them deeper for themselves to discover what they're really like.
The tale about unsold Bertone models is not uncommon either. As I mentioned in my original post, when the US market went belly up, there were loads of unsold Bertone Xs in dealers' hands all over the country. A lot of them eventually found homes but many also ended up just being shoved into storage in some warehouse someplace, to sit and collect dust for years and years.
In recent times, for the first time ever since, we have been seeing the X1/9s general values climbing again. Some pristine examples are now selling for the same prices they carried when new cars ($10,000+) which just a few years ago would have been totally unheard of even among the hardcore enthusiasts. People are slowly rediscovering the X, and because of the passage of time, their "forgotten classic" status is slowly being confirmed, as there are fewer and fewer left.
One interesting side effect of all those unsold Bertone Xs near the end of the US market is that, for the past several years, about once or twice every few years, a literally "NEW" Bertone X with basically zero or very low miles that's been in storage since the '80s have been surfacing on ebay or at auto auctions. There are a few Xheads in our group who have gotten their hands on them and are now, in the 21s century, owners of a brand new X that hasn't been made for 20 years! So that's pretty cool
| QUOTE (grantsfo @ Mar 16 2006, 11:13 AM) | ||||
Yes but do they have Ferarri body kits? The 914 was truly cursed with some of the ugliest kits ever concieved. Most of the X19 kits seem to be fairly tasteful and dont change the basic form of the car. |
Actually yes there are Ferrari body kits, and even one that converts the whole car into a mini Lambo Countach body double! With scissor doors and everything...
The Countach one was made in England and is actually pretty amazing, but their kit manufacturing plans fell through and only two were ever built - which makes it all the more unusual.
The Ferrari ones look damn hideous if you ask me, awkward looking and poorly executed. And I don't know why this is, but you almost never see those anywhere but in Germany!
You probably couldn't find one to save your life anywhere else, but go to any X meet in Germany and there's always at least a couple of those bizarre looking Testarossa-ish body kits...I'll post some kit pics in a while
Here is a real F Car? 
So I'm going to post a walk-through of some of the range of X1/9 body kits here in a bit, but first, I figure it would be good to post a brief "spotter's guide" to the stock X, since I haven't done that yet, and so when you see the kits, you will have a frame of reference...
So let's begin with the '74 X since that was the first US spec model year:
This US-spec '74 X belongs to a great, GREAT guy, a German by the name of Ulix Goettsch, who as it happens, was living in Seattle at the time and was one of the founding members of our organization. He's now back in Germany and took the X with him. It was already a badass car here in the States, but is even more coveted there, he frequently wins awards at shows and autocrosses
Note some of the '74 unique parts such as the Euro-style 1/4-bumperettes
At a German show with yet another trophy
The '74 interior, sparse and strictly business, the way a vintage sports car should be. He's added a couple gauges and a custom wheel but otherwise this is a good representation of stock 1300 interiors
The remainder of the 1300cc model years ('75-'78) underwent some minor changes, cosmetically speaking (most noticably the uglier US-spec 'dual rail' bumpers) but for the most part the body is unchanged
The Fiat badged 1500cc Xs ('79-'82ish) showed the most dramatic change in appearance that happened any time during production, and even these were still based on the same underlying body design. Featured were an all new interior, a taller engine cover to accomodate the 1500, rubberized fascia/spoiler/bumper surrounds and larger one-piece bumpers to try to give the car a more updated appearance.
This Fiat badged 1500 belongs to Mark Freeman, another founding member of our group, and the other moderator of our forum. This gives a clearer view of the new front end treatment
Here's a shot of ME (yep that's me) and my '80 Fiat 1500 X, before I went bumperless (as you can see in my signature line photo). This shot gives a look at the revised rear end of the 1500
The biggest changes in the 1500s were inside. The whole interior was changed. A new dash layout, new center console setup, revised seats, door panels, etc. About the only thing that didn't change much was the steering wheel
Now we reach the end of Fiat production and the beginning of the period where Bertone themselves took over full run. The "early Bertone" Xs like this special edition '83 now boasted leather interiors and some other subtle changes inside, as well as the 2-tone paint jobs. Early cars had a lower waistline for the 2-tone, later the waistline was moved higher
During the transition to Bertone production there were some interesting badging inconsistencies. Both of these cars were, according to historical accounts, manufactured by Bertone, and yet, the first one pictured still bears a Fiat badge where this one has a Bertone badge. Just who built which cars during this transition period can be a subject of recurring debate in Xhead circles.
The "late Bertones" ('84-'87/'88) had additional minor cosmetic revisions. Some came with rear trunk spoilers for example. Formerly chrome pieces are now blacked out on many of these cars. The higher waistline of the paint job can be seen here. The dash controls and instrumentation underwent some minor changes as well, and all cars are now fully badged as Bertones.
Another late Bertone example is shown here at one of our Seattle area get togethers a while back
An interior shot from a late Bertone shows some of the changes such as the new 3-spoke steering wheel and center console pushbuttons
Not all the Bertones were 2-tone. Here is a nice black one from around '87 featuring the "phone dial" wheels and rubberized door strips
That's about it. I was going to also post the Bertone "Corsa" version here since it was a factory offering, but I will save that to kick off the next post about the various body kits
So let's begin with the '74 X since that was the first US spec model year:
This US-spec '74 X belongs to a great, GREAT guy, a German by the name of Ulix Goettsch, who as it happens, was living in Seattle at the time and was one of the founding members of our organization. He's now back in Germany and took the X with him. It was already a badass car here in the States, but is even more coveted there, he frequently wins awards at shows and autocrosses
Note some of the '74 unique parts such as the Euro-style 1/4-bumperettes
At a German show with yet another trophy
The '74 interior, sparse and strictly business, the way a vintage sports car should be. He's added a couple gauges and a custom wheel but otherwise this is a good representation of stock 1300 interiors
The remainder of the 1300cc model years ('75-'78) underwent some minor changes, cosmetically speaking (most noticably the uglier US-spec 'dual rail' bumpers) but for the most part the body is unchanged
The Fiat badged 1500cc Xs ('79-'82ish) showed the most dramatic change in appearance that happened any time during production, and even these were still based on the same underlying body design. Featured were an all new interior, a taller engine cover to accomodate the 1500, rubberized fascia/spoiler/bumper surrounds and larger one-piece bumpers to try to give the car a more updated appearance.
This Fiat badged 1500 belongs to Mark Freeman, another founding member of our group, and the other moderator of our forum. This gives a clearer view of the new front end treatment
Here's a shot of ME (yep that's me) and my '80 Fiat 1500 X, before I went bumperless (as you can see in my signature line photo). This shot gives a look at the revised rear end of the 1500
The biggest changes in the 1500s were inside. The whole interior was changed. A new dash layout, new center console setup, revised seats, door panels, etc. About the only thing that didn't change much was the steering wheel
Now we reach the end of Fiat production and the beginning of the period where Bertone themselves took over full run. The "early Bertone" Xs like this special edition '83 now boasted leather interiors and some other subtle changes inside, as well as the 2-tone paint jobs. Early cars had a lower waistline for the 2-tone, later the waistline was moved higher
During the transition to Bertone production there were some interesting badging inconsistencies. Both of these cars were, according to historical accounts, manufactured by Bertone, and yet, the first one pictured still bears a Fiat badge where this one has a Bertone badge. Just who built which cars during this transition period can be a subject of recurring debate in Xhead circles.
The "late Bertones" ('84-'87/'88) had additional minor cosmetic revisions. Some came with rear trunk spoilers for example. Formerly chrome pieces are now blacked out on many of these cars. The higher waistline of the paint job can be seen here. The dash controls and instrumentation underwent some minor changes as well, and all cars are now fully badged as Bertones.
Another late Bertone example is shown here at one of our Seattle area get togethers a while back
An interior shot from a late Bertone shows some of the changes such as the new 3-spoke steering wheel and center console pushbuttons
Not all the Bertones were 2-tone. Here is a nice black one from around '87 featuring the "phone dial" wheels and rubberized door strips
That's about it. I was going to also post the Bertone "Corsa" version here since it was a factory offering, but I will save that to kick off the next post about the various body kits
I feel like Chris, I always wanted one to do a Dallara version but seemed to never get one. Forza Faza had great catalogs! Two of my best friends in jr. college had them, 75 and 78. One of them discovered his keys matched the other and would fool around with the other's seat for jokes. 
Another friend at Art Center was big on the Ferrari relationship and badged his X as such. Maybe he stole it off his parents 308. He ran Cromodoras, it was painted Ferrari red and had it serviced at an independant Ferrari shop in Glendale.
I ended up with the Scorpion cousin for awhile. Wished I kept that one but even my Maserati Sebring fell victim to the car purges.
Another friend at Art Center was big on the Ferrari relationship and badged his X as such. Maybe he stole it off his parents 308. He ran Cromodoras, it was painted Ferrari red and had it serviced at an independant Ferrari shop in Glendale. I ended up with the Scorpion cousin for awhile. Wished I kept that one but even my Maserati Sebring fell victim to the car purges.
| QUOTE |
| I always wanted one to do a Dallara version but seemed to never get one. |
You know, it's never too late to mend your broken ways....
(BTW, I'm not really a body kit guy, but if I were ever to do one, I'd probably go with the Dallara too)
Another reason why I like the 914. No intrusive center hump/console.
Mac,
I'd probably do a my own modern "neuvox1/9" version 
As I get older I enjoy reliability, amenities, and technology...
I'd probably do a my own modern "neuvox1/9" version
As I get older I enjoy reliability, amenities, and technology...| QUOTE (neo914-6 @ Mar 16 2006, 03:45 PM) |
| I'd probably do a my own modern "neuvox1/9" version As I get older I enjoy reliability, amenities, and technology... |
Well what's stopping you?
Start eyeballing Xs now, take your time, learn some things about what to look for, and by the time you've finished your neo914 you'll have your sights on the perfect X for your next project
| QUOTE (grantsfo @ Mar 16 2006, 03:42 PM) |
| Another reason why I like the 914. No intrusive center hump/console. |
We need that console to keep us from flying sideways across the cockpit when the car bites into a corner
I lived in Naples Italy from 1989 to 1992 and I bought a 1983 Bertone model, with AC. It was water cooled with an cooling fan.
It was an awesome little car and was in immaculate shape. It only had 3K miles on it.
As i was getting ready to leave Naples, it was stolen from my front garden. It was american specs too!!
The only issue i had was every now and then i would get "vapor lock" in the fuel system and my car would die.
I also had to replace the "filo del accelertori" (throttle cable), which was so much easier than the 914!!!
As far as reliablity i'd go with the X19!!! Our cars are cooler though!
Infact the "yellow" photos below look just like my car, except I had "suedo leather interior" with black plasitc dash and components with a rocking Cassette Deck!
It was an awesome little car and was in immaculate shape. It only had 3K miles on it.
As i was getting ready to leave Naples, it was stolen from my front garden. It was american specs too!!
The only issue i had was every now and then i would get "vapor lock" in the fuel system and my car would die.
I also had to replace the "filo del accelertori" (throttle cable), which was so much easier than the 914!!!
As far as reliablity i'd go with the X19!!! Our cars are cooler though!
Infact the "yellow" photos below look just like my car, except I had "suedo leather interior" with black plasitc dash and components with a rocking Cassette Deck!
So folks, here's an X1/9 Body Kit Spotter's Guide
This is not an "all inclusive" list, there are a lot of oddballs, one-offs and derivatives but as far as the major players go here's a rundown (in no particular order):
First let's start with the Corsa (aka Socar) body kit that was offered direct from the Bertone factory in the late '80s...
It consisted of fiberglass fascia/front spoiler, side skirts, and rear end
Some folks think it looks a bit dated now but it is still very much a desired kit for enthusiasts because it is factory and rare.
Next there's ABARTH X1/9 and/or related, FAZA:
FAZA was/is run by an 'eccentric' fellow named Al Cosentino in California. Used to race Fiats and along with engine and exaust things sold all kinds of kit parts, fender flares, engine cover snorkels, mostly based from the original ABARTH X1/9 RALLY car (the legendary Carlo Abarth developed the X into a world class rally car as mentioned earlier in this thread by Duane). Al is still around but mostly only sells literature now as far as I know, but there are many other Abarth replica suppliers out there too, this Abarth kit is from Belgium:
Next and of equal enthusiast awe to the Abarth would be the DALLARA X1/9. If you are a fan of very fast race cars you will recognize the Dallara name...
That's actually one of the original Dallara built racers, the Dallara style panels are, like the Abarths, often found from various different sources. Very popular for racing...
...but also popular for street. These two are basic Dallara panels slightly modified up front (lighting) for street app...
Abarth & Dallara kits can still be found but usually not cheap!
Next we have, from Eurosport UK, the (surprisingly) "Eurosport" kit:
These are popular in the UK and Europe. You don't see many in the USA but there are a few around.
Another from England that is no longer made but still out there would be the Faran Eliminator. This was more properly a "conversion" than a kit, as these cars also got outfitted with a Twin-cam engine by Faran. Not too many remain, but no body kit conversation about Xs should leave them out...
Moving Stateside, we have the "Performance Fiberglass" kit, from company of same name. Meant primarily for racing, could be adapted for street but would probably require significant panel reinforcement...
As far as the big ones that's the lineup for the most part.
SO with your education now (more or less) complete, here is your BONUS KIT:
YES THAT IS REALLY AN X1/9, YES THE DOORS FLIP UP, YES THE TOP COMES OFF. This was a kit the creator was hoping to make into a marketable package but never got off the ground. Only two were ever built, a red one and this purple one
The red one as far as we know is still in the hands of the creator, the purple one was sold and vanished for years only to resurface on ebay recently in very poor shape (accident damage), and is now in the hands of an enthusiast who plans to restore the kit.
So that's what I brought to share today. There are definitely more kits than these out there for the X that have been produced at one time or another, but most are long long gone now. These are the ones you most often still hear about today.
I have sometimes thought of building a wild bodykitted X1/9 - maybe a Dallara/PF hybrid...
But then I stop and look at the X1/9 in its original factory bodystyle...
...and I think to myself, "they got it right the first time!"
So that's the kitcar slideshow folks! Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
.....
...
OK! I know you were waiting for the damn Ferrari one, so here!
This is not an "all inclusive" list, there are a lot of oddballs, one-offs and derivatives but as far as the major players go here's a rundown (in no particular order):
First let's start with the Corsa (aka Socar) body kit that was offered direct from the Bertone factory in the late '80s...
It consisted of fiberglass fascia/front spoiler, side skirts, and rear end
Some folks think it looks a bit dated now but it is still very much a desired kit for enthusiasts because it is factory and rare.
Next there's ABARTH X1/9 and/or related, FAZA:
FAZA was/is run by an 'eccentric' fellow named Al Cosentino in California. Used to race Fiats and along with engine and exaust things sold all kinds of kit parts, fender flares, engine cover snorkels, mostly based from the original ABARTH X1/9 RALLY car (the legendary Carlo Abarth developed the X into a world class rally car as mentioned earlier in this thread by Duane). Al is still around but mostly only sells literature now as far as I know, but there are many other Abarth replica suppliers out there too, this Abarth kit is from Belgium:
Next and of equal enthusiast awe to the Abarth would be the DALLARA X1/9. If you are a fan of very fast race cars you will recognize the Dallara name...
That's actually one of the original Dallara built racers, the Dallara style panels are, like the Abarths, often found from various different sources. Very popular for racing...
...but also popular for street. These two are basic Dallara panels slightly modified up front (lighting) for street app...
Abarth & Dallara kits can still be found but usually not cheap!
Next we have, from Eurosport UK, the (surprisingly) "Eurosport" kit:
These are popular in the UK and Europe. You don't see many in the USA but there are a few around.
Another from England that is no longer made but still out there would be the Faran Eliminator. This was more properly a "conversion" than a kit, as these cars also got outfitted with a Twin-cam engine by Faran. Not too many remain, but no body kit conversation about Xs should leave them out...
Moving Stateside, we have the "Performance Fiberglass" kit, from company of same name. Meant primarily for racing, could be adapted for street but would probably require significant panel reinforcement...
As far as the big ones that's the lineup for the most part.
SO with your education now (more or less) complete, here is your BONUS KIT:
YES THAT IS REALLY AN X1/9, YES THE DOORS FLIP UP, YES THE TOP COMES OFF. This was a kit the creator was hoping to make into a marketable package but never got off the ground. Only two were ever built, a red one and this purple one
The red one as far as we know is still in the hands of the creator, the purple one was sold and vanished for years only to resurface on ebay recently in very poor shape (accident damage), and is now in the hands of an enthusiast who plans to restore the kit.
So that's what I brought to share today. There are definitely more kits than these out there for the X that have been produced at one time or another, but most are long long gone now. These are the ones you most often still hear about today.
I have sometimes thought of building a wild bodykitted X1/9 - maybe a Dallara/PF hybrid...
But then I stop and look at the X1/9 in its original factory bodystyle...
...and I think to myself, "they got it right the first time!"
So that's the kitcar slideshow folks! Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.
.....
...
OK! I know you were waiting for the damn Ferrari one, so here!
I like the faran 
| QUOTE (Mac @ Mar 16 2006, 04:08 PM) | ||
Well what's stopping you? Start eyeballing Xs now, take your time, learn some things about what to look for, and by the time you've finished your neo914 you'll have your sights on the perfect X for your next project |
uh, a neo914 and 914 V8 resurrection (see my links)
...after of course family and "the job"
I hear ya!
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