Technical Make my 1500 more Growlier

[gserghiou]

Hi all,

I have just bought a 1979 X1/9. The first ones to go the 1500cc way.

My question is this ?
What should i do to beef up my engine up and make it sound more growlier as well ???

I am after some cheap upgrades (maybe a carb setup).

It the Fiat Uno turbo engine the easiest upgrade to do ?? Do i just drop it in (well....the mechanic i mean ) or does it require any alterations ????

Any ideas are welcome.

Also please give me some ideas on making my engine bay more respectable looking than the original state its in.


Thanks,
:worship: :devil:
George

 

[murcielagoGTR]

well it depends on how much $ you want to drop. are you state side or across the pond? if you live in the states finding a uno turbo, will probably only be found in Canada, So unless you want to make a road trip,the shipping would be outragous. i would check w/ Matt Brannon,@ midwest X1/9.com real nice guy,been a racer for many years, has build many race and steet cars, and could posibly come up w/ a set up that fits your needs......good prices too, im having a top end built by him as we speak. if you live in UK or somewhere, the prob wont be finding a motor as they are like cocroarches over there, but coming up w/ the exspense...you have to buy the engine, find a mechanic familliar w/ the set up & willing to do it, then comes labor and all the other nigling details that go w/ an engine swap. it would probably be wiser and cheaper to build what you have, you can get lots of power from a built X1/9 motor. upwards of 120-130 isnt that hard. im on a pretty linited budget, so im going w/ just some simple stuff ( weber DCNF intake bored to 30mm) (single 34 DCNF carb)( 1300 cc head on 1500cc block) ( ported & polished) ( isky racing valve springs) ( adjustable cam gear) ( Faza 35/75 cam ) and (a PBS style header from ebay, running into a sport-pipe from a Susuki GSXR 1000-1300 motorcycle) and while these mods probably wont net 120-130HP all this can be done, at a reasonable price and give much needed performance. hope this helps as for the engine bay if you find out let me know i want the same engine bays should only have engines,

 

[gserghiou]

Hi,

Thanks for yoru reply.

I must state again what i would like for the x1/9.
I am not worried about how much HP it develops and neither do i want it to be blinding fast.
I just would like it to sound like better (like a mean car).
I was actually wondering something in the lines of the double weber carburettors. I know you need to get the correct inlet manifold but i am not an expert on mechanice. What should i be asking for and who is the right person to offer such set up ???
Is it easy for me to install ??? ( I have a few spanners and sockets )
Will double Weber make the x1.9 sound a bit more angry ???? or do i need something else with it ???? I would not like to change the engine by no means...
I would like to keep it as it was, just to alter some items on it .


Thanks again,

George

 

[jimbro1000]

If it is purely to give the engine a sharper edge you need only change the standard air filter for high-flow design and replace the exhaust system for an aftermarket design.

The air filter will allow the induction noise to really come through while the exhaust will do the same at the other end.

Changing the carburettor over for a twin carb setup would be the next step for getting that wailing noise you only get from a real racing setup.

The rest of the noise is down to just how well the engine has been assembled. If any of the valve seats are leaking then you'll find the engine sounds a bit fluffy. Get all 8 seated perfectly and the noise becomes much crisper. The camshaft profile plays a big part in the noises you get too. With the engine properly blueprinted and balanced that crispness becomes quite amazing.

Any modifications along these lines are going to give improvements in performance but some are more expensive than others. Swapping the air filter is probably one of the cheapest you can do though. The exhaust is somewhat more expensive but is likely to make a big difference.

 

[gserghiou]

Ok....
I think i have found the first ingredient of your recipy to make the x1/9 sound mean.

It is a K&N Filter (dont know much about them) . i am attaching a photo (if a manage to do it) so you can tell me what your thoughts are about it...Is it what i am looking for or do i look for something different. I can get it for around 51 pounds UK ... is this a good price ???

Your second ingredient is an exhaust. I think i have seen an exhaust system on ebay for x1/9 which had 2 pipes coming out the rear...i think it was called ANSA . Is this any good, or what should i be looking for . I dont want the exhaust to sound like a boy racer car... I hate that..it has to sound a bit mean, but at the same time not boy racing exhaust. What would you reccomend and where do i get one ???

And lastly about the twin carb set up. As i have said i am not an expert mechanic, but i understand a bit about porting etc. I am not worried too much about HP increase. Is it a bad think to install the twin carbs without porting-poishing etc. Won't they still sound mean and huff and puff louder ???
Also, any ideas as to petrol consumption when installing the twin carbs ???


I hope you give me some advice and sorry if my questions sound stupid.....


Thanks again,

George

 

[jimbro1000]

The air filter seems ok pricewise - but I haven't checked in ages as to what the correct fitting would cost...

The ANSA exhaust systems were *all* about making the right noise. None of them really gave any extra power but they did sound good. The only problem is that ANSA haven't made an exhaust for an X1/9 in about ten years (at least). Anything you buy now is likely to be either old stock somone has tucked away in a back room somewhere or second hand in which case you need to be very careful indeed.

Ideally you do need to port match the head to the inlet manifold if you go for a twin-carb setup but if you aren't going for power it isn't 100% necessary. Fuel economy is going to depend on what size the carbs are and how they are jetted.

 

[murcielagoGTR]

check ebay or somtimes even local classifides have the items you need. i just seen some hot cams on ebay i think the one is a 70/30 30/70 grind that will give more power and a more cammy sound to the car (naturally) about the carbs i just found several twin setups w/ manifold on ebay i think one was twin 40 DCNF's, w/a sprint manifold for no reserve? and 0 bids at like $50 US, which is outstanding, especilly considering that sprint is out of production, as for the K&N filter, figure on $75- 100 as kinda rule of thumb for the X's also im not sure if a lightened flywheel would help w the sound much, but it always a good idea to have it done anyway, it lets the car rev quicker bec there is less rotating mass, and for like $35 you can have any machine shop do it.it will give that quick "vroom" vs the stock's "vvvvrroom" ANSA's are good for sound, and CSC's give a different sound and might help alittle performance wise too. or ive heard of people using strait pipes into a Magna Flow exhaust. send me your email and i'll send the ebay listings to you, as i dont know how to post pics on here yet [email protected]