I just got a free '81 X1/9

I haven't seen it yet but here is what i do know. 1981 X1/9 has a good running engine but has a bad transmission (supposedly) Interior is decent needs some TLC. I'm getting it home tommorrow around noon. I'll post pics when I get it here, but it runs and is free is always a good start!

I had one of those.. and it was a total rust bucket... damn thing wanted to live forever though

Cool! I have always liked Exxies. 90% chance the 'bad transmission' is a graunched reverse idler gear, seen a bunch of them.

just went and looked at it. The shift coupling feels like its missing as the shifter feels as though its disconnected.

Ain't no such thing as a free Fiat, son...

Congrats anyways. They look like fun!

dansxr2 where are you from ( city and state ) ? I'm a big time X head I have an 82 and autox it just went to one last Saturday came in 14 out of 64.look underneath right at the trans input shaft to the shift rod there should be a kind of popsicle looking coupler if not you can get a new one for $15 at Vick Autosports.Also an awesome resource for info is Xweb . http://www.vickauto.com/

http://xwebforums.org/

First a free E30 and now a free X1/9. When is a free cool car going to drop into my lap?! Seriously though, great luck for you. Looking forward to pics.

What's the deal with the free cars around here lately? Share the love already........

I loved my '81. I miss it alot already.

A separated coupling is very possible. It's also an easy fix.

May just need to find another body to swap the engine and trans into... We'ee see how bad it it once it cleaned up and i can check the floorboards, but still its free!!!

Heh, heh...

Last X1/9 I saw `round my neck of the woods was pretty solid...but had been hit really hard. Nice score!

My first reaction seeing the photo was "nice parts car", but after thinking about it awhile I decided it looked like an okay project. If the floors and engine crossmember aren't rotted through, just mess with it. Some grinding, POR-15 and a Rustoleum roller paint job will have that looking presentable in short order. It's an X1/9, so nobody of any significance is going to ever care what you do to it. These are fun driver's cars, but have very little value as a collector car. The FI 5 speed was the best of the bunch IMO, so beat the snot out of it. They like that.

Wasn't there an article in GRM about a Honda swap into an X1/9?

I'm just saying.....

What rust? That's how they looked on the showroom floor.

914Driver wrote: I'm just saying.....

Probably 7 years ago, when I was more deep into the challenge, I saw an EP X19 on Fleabay that looked similar in layout to this (this ISN'T the car- it had the same look). The cost was WELL under challenge budget....

BTW, challege. there are lots of FWD choices, all of them will be hard. Isn't there a good webpage on the guy who did a Honda swap?

Have fun.

E-

what would be fun is stuffing that supercharged VW G60 engine in the corrado that has a bad trans in the back of this.....

Nice freebie! I like those wheels the best of all stock ones. Make sure you become well acquainted with your MIG welder.

Check out the xweb forum for almost everything you need to know about these.

Also for parts Matt over at Midwest X19 is the man. Unbelievable customer service and good prices.

I have a '74 that has lived most of it's life indoors and had to replace both floorpans. So, this one probably needs at least that and more. They are really fun, cheap little cars. Some parts are a bit tough to find, but there are work-arounds for almost everything. The biggest snafu to me seems to be the unavailability of decent struts. You can get KYB GR-2's for $250/set but they aren't exactly high-end. The other end are these G-Force Coilovers that run about $2500/set. Kinda pricey for a free car.

As far as engine swaps go the knowledgeable folks over at Xweb say that a 4age and C52 from an AW11 MR2 fits really, really well. Personally I've been considering a 20 valve for my car once I'm able to drive well enough to merit more power than the 1300 can supply.

Good luck with this project and keep us updated.

jwdmotorsports wrote: What's the deal with the free cars around here lately? Share the love already........

I'm working on one, too. Going to pick it up next week.

A friend of mine put a Dodge 2.2 turbo in the X1/9 man that car is fast it was origenly built for the GRM challenge. He sold the car the guy that bought it said that he is going to take it to the challenge.

Ddavidv is right from the looks of it it’s not bad like he said as long as it’s structurally sound you will be fine as far as floor boards isn’t that what stop signs are for?

dansxrt what town do you live in?

He's in Chipley, FL.

Wow that's too nice to turn into a track kart, you gotta restore it...you might need to sandblast through the bird crap though

GameboyRMH wrote: Wow that's too nice to turn into a track kart, you gotta restore it...you might need to sandblast through the bird crap though

Huh? I would respectfully disagree. There's nothing that that car is too nice for. It deserves more use, however the new owner decides to implement!

Looks like a perfect candidate for "clean it up, strip it down, have fun!" to me ;)

It'd just seem kind of sad to sawzall this up when there are far more "ratty" X1/9s out there...that X1/9 "kart" is awesome but I'd rather see that done to a car that at least has see-through rust holes and a trashed interior.