Beater of the Day: 1986 Fiat X1/9
What do you do when you want to experience the joys of mid-ship motoring, but can't afford exotic iron and don't want the reliability of an MR2? Well, have we got a Fiat for you.
The Fiat X1/9 was produced in conjunction with Bertone and deep within the tight confines of the engine bay, beats a heart as athletic as Dick Cheney's. For the U.S. market, the X1/9 came equipped with a 1.5-liter mill, producing around 85 HP, which was a considerable upgrade when compared to its 75 HP European counterpart. Although the Fiat tipped the scales at just over 2,200 pounds, the little motor barely provided enough power to get out of its own way.
This 1986 model is proudly owned by Flickr member Desl, and comes complete with luxurious items like power windows and air conditioning. With 200k on the clock and an engine rebuild at 193k, Desl still manages to get his little runabout to a few track days and autocross meets, and describes it as "a Ferrari 308, scaled back by 95% of the purchase price."
We've posted a few more pics after the jump, including a mildly disastrous encounter with a downed tree that caused us to blurt out a few expletives before chuckling on and off for the better part of ten minutes.
The addition of Desl's Fiat has upped the ante in our Beater of the Week contest, so if you think you can out do either one of our featured rides so far, submit them to our Flickr pool by following the directions after the jump.
How to submit to RR of the Day:
Create a Flickr account if you don't already have one. Search for and join the group called 'Autoblog RR of the Day'. Upload up to three photos of your ride to your own account at a size no larger than 450 pixels wide if possible and include as much information about it and yourself as possible. Even if your ride is sweet, it will not be chosen if there's not a lot of info accompanying it. Click on each photo and just above the picture it will say "Send to group". Click that and select the Autoblog group. You're done, that's it!
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
gkz 10:13AM (2/06/2007)
for some reason i like it... especially the pic where it looks like its beating the boxster
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Joe 10:38AM (2/06/2007)
My friend had two of these, and they were a blast to drive.
A pain to do any engine work on, but always a lot of fun.
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Phil L. 10:53AM (2/06/2007)
Actually, even the US models in the early years of the X1/9 got a 1.3 liter single cam engine - with a carb and only a 4 speed transaxle (the later 1.5 liter had mechanical fuel injection, two cams - and a 5 speed).
My '74 1.3l X1/9 had been sitting at the side of the road for awhile when I picked it up for $350. The previous owner didn't understand the seriousness of Fiat's warnings about checking the cam belt. It had broken, bending 3 valves. The 4th valve broke off, leaving a shiny spot on the piston, and a hole in the head.
Perhaps surprisingly, I was able to get it going again with a used head from a Fiat 128 (which was more common, and shared many mechanicals with the X1/9).
The car was a blast to drive, even in the winter. The bits and pieces seem to fall apart while you look at it, yet it still managed to get down the road.
An out-of-town job forced the sale of my X1/9, but I still think about the car. Lots of fun.
If Fiat had scaled it up in size just a bit, and paid more attention to quality issues and corrosion protection, they might still be in the US...
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chuck goolsbee 10:59AM (2/06/2007)
I LOVE X1/9's! I've loved them since they were new. That 70's zeitgeist! That Lancia Stratos "metoo" styling (styling mind you, not performance!) The go-kart handling. They were so cool.
This one gets my vote for "Beater of the Week!" even if only for sentimental reasons!
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing.
--chuck
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Jeff 11:50AM (2/06/2007)
Somebody out there just HAS to have a '76 Pinto to submit as the ultimate beater?
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PJ 12:43PM (2/06/2007)
The enthusiast-cred-per-dollar ratio here is about as high as it gets.
Just how unreliable *was* this thing? In high school, I was determined to buy a late-'70s X1/9, Porsche 914, or Triumph Spitfire, but fortunately, ended up with some Detroit iron that took a smaller bite out of my paychecks.
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Steve 12:31PM (2/06/2007)
Driving is far too enjoyable for me to subject myself to something like that.
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Doug R 3:39PM (2/06/2007)
I like cars, don't care what they are. Well, I draw the line at Yugos and micro-bubbles. Ah, what the hell, I like them too! This car must have it's own guardian angel. Pintos are cool too, just hop out really fast if you get hit in the rear.
I have a 1985 Mustang LX with a Pinto motor that looks pretty good considering what it's been through. It's like the blues brother's car, needs an everything rebuild but it refuses to quit, although I don't take it very far from the house. I don't want it to do the blues brothers finale on me somewhere. I just couldn't trade it in, wasn't in me. Someday I'm hoping I'll be in the position to restore it with my sons.
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verdegrrl 1:26PM (2/06/2007)
Awesome car! True minimalist design.
I'm sure all the fans will know you can cure the HP shortage and introduce a whole new set of problems by installing the Alfa V6 from a 164 back there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t01A0qQ5cA
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A&W 1:31PM (2/06/2007)
I am looking at Autoblog right now because my car would not start. I have had beaters as my only form of transportation and even though they are unreliable it is hard not to like them. This Skylark in its current condition is actually pretty.
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A&W 1:35PM (2/06/2007)
#9 Sorry that was by accident. This Fiat with its track picture and exotic car lay out will be hard to beat. How bout a four cylinder mustang?
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beken 2:26PM (2/06/2007)
The Fiat X/19 was one of most fun cars I've ever driven. I was just about to buy one when Fiat pulled out of the Canadian market. It's still on my alltime favorites list.
Given its age, this car looks to be in great shape.
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Phil L. 2:52PM (2/06/2007)
Ooops - My bad on #3 above: The 1.5l had electronic fuel injection, not mechanical.
More arcane X1/9 info for fans here:
http://www.mirafiori.com/pbs/pbssohc.html
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BCM 12:42AM (2/08/2007)
Wouldn't a 1986 model have been a Bertone X1/9? Or is this not a USA car?
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Brooksie 10:01AM (2/07/2007)
Damon, you are a kick-ass writer. I love reading your posts.
keep up the great work.
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Todd Hokanson 7:07PM (2/06/2007)
In 1981 I somehow convinced my parents this was going to be the "perfect" college car and traded in my brand new Monza for a 1979 fire-engine red beauty. I loved this car until the day I sold it to another poor unsuspecting college student. I think I would have finished college 3 years earlier if I hadn't spent all of my folks money repairing it. But boy was it fun, even when I had to buy a 10 year old Volkswagen Beetle to transport me when the Fiat was with "Tony's garage". I guess I never got over the thrill of the kart like handling thus my current "crisis" car is a MINI Cooper.
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mike 8:50AM (2/07/2007)
I also had a Red 79 during college. I spent more time trying to wedge myself into the engine compartment to fix things than I did driving it but man O' man did I love that car. someday I'll buy another one in perfect condition. Back then, it was really like having a mini 308 for $3000. It wasn't a speed demon but it handled better than anything I had ever driven at the time. Great car.
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aman 3:51PM (2/07/2007)
looks like someone has a secret online admirer!
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Phil L. 8:26AM (2/08/2007)
Yeah, technically the last few years in the US were Bertone badged. But service info, etc. often referenced the original marque, so most people still used the Fiat name, even for the Bertone cars.
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lavardera 11:52PM (2/10/2007)
I had a 76 in bright yellow with a black Starsky stripe on it. It had the 1.3 motor, and it was a bitch to work on, which of course you had to do all the time! It handled well, but was unforgiving if the rear broke loose - look out. In the snow - it plowed baby. No weight over those front wheels. But it always looked great, and the removable hard top was great fun. One thing that always worked was the pop-up headlights. Never left me with a permanent wink!
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