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X1/9 Restoring the X

Introduction

So I have a thread on the X1/9 board but bludvl pointed me this way and said I should start a progress thread over here.

Since there was a fair amount to read, I'll just condense it into one post.

So I bought my X1/9 as my first car, probably not the smartest decision ever since I have almost no idea about engines but dad is a home mechanic expert of sorts and owns a Citroen CX, so he knows his way around old, quirky cars.

Part of the reason I bought it was so that I could learn, so I guess I'm succeeding in that department so far.

Anyway, it had been sitting for 3 years when I bought it but it was in decent condition none-the-less. Except for the 3 years of dirt and other crap that collected on it:

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There was more dirt than that photo can describe I'm still cleaning bits of it a month later that never got attention originally.

So there was a bunch of things wrong with it, the usual rust was there but only in small quantities. The brakes didn't/don't work, still working on that one but they're coming along nicely. Naturally the engine didn't start, but it turned over freely. Lately though I uncovered the fact that the coolant tank was empty and the engine oil was furked, so it's probably a good thing we couldn't get it started when I bought it.

So it had an ugly red pinstripe on it, something straight out of the 80's:

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Which I removed, took a couple of hours but its definitely worth it:

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The carpet on the drivers side had been removed in anticipation of a recarpeting but he uncovered rust so I'll take a stab and say that's where the interior make over stopped. The passenger side carpet was terribly shabby so I replaced that after recovering from new years:

Before:
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After:
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It's not the best job, but it's only temporary until redoing the interior moves up on my list. You can buy molded carpets on ebay for them so I'll probably do that when the time comes.

Currently the car is on axle stands, doing the brakes. Pistons are proving to be problematic since we couldn't pump them out with the brake pedal, but the rest is cleaning up nicely, after this weekend we should have the parts needed (master cylinders, pistons maybe and some seal kits) to reassemble, on order so the brakes aren't far from done - a few weeks. Then we can finally replace the fluids and have a go at getting the engine running.

You are now up to speed :D

Running total (AUD): $2994
car: 2700
battery: 109
headlights: 155
other: 30
Please excuse the untidy welding, it cleans up perfectly well and has the strength it needs, considering I'm not having to pay someone 3k+ to do this work for me, I'm quite happy to put in the extra time on smoothing the body work. These are just the patches that have been welded so far, there are 5 more to go which will probably take about 2 days of working on them since none of them are nearly so complex as some of the patches that we had to make to fit these holes.

Passenger side rear wheel well:
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(this got cleaned up more than in this shot)

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Drivers side rear wheel well:
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Rear storage:
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(Cleaned up with seam sealer painted over the seams, there is fish oil in between the plates.)


Passenger side rear sill:
The holes that started off like this:
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Ended up like this:
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(About 90% perfect, there's a few areas that I noticed after spraying it that needed some more bog to bring them level with the rest of the panel. I'm not too concerned as I'll be replacing the ground off anti-chip paint that was there.)


Two other small patches that I've cleaned up, these are ready for body colour:
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I've got plenty to keep me busy on all these, the wheel arches need fish oil, seam sealer and body deadener painted in there over the next few days, the work in the sill needs it's body work done before fish oiling and there's more rust holes to cut out once we get a new locking nut for the angle grinder.

Also found out my shocks are a set of koni's which you can't get anymore, which is quite a big win
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That's what's been happening for the last 2 or 3 weeks apart from some general cleaning and fixing I've done in and around the engine bay. I currently have a list of about $500 worth of parts which I need to get around to ordering to bring the car up to a level where it won't immediately fail as soon as it's on the road. I need a full set of coolant pipes, water pump with housing, brake reservoir to m/c hose, I will also get brake pads and discs as they're cheap and it can't hurt.

I'm quite excited as the welding was the step that would pull the whole project together after a year of minimal work and constant complaints of "I wish my car was on the road".
 
Nice one fella,

Trust me, it will be well worth all the effort once you get it out on the road. When I had my Bertone Grand Finale I used to take the longest routes home from work just for the hell of it :)

Good luck with the restoration ;)
 
Hi, i was wondering, have you had problems with rust down the sides of the rear boot, on the inner wing area?? :cry:
 
That looked like a cracking car. Glad you're sticking with it. When they work they are great. When they don't, they look so pretty :)

By the way glad you lost the side stripes. I did take a sharp breath when I saw them but then I warmed to it. They were awful though.
 
Popsprocket,

I am in the same boat as you are in my X 1/9 adventure. I just bought an 85 that has been sitting for a long time and is my first project car. I too found one that is in good condition, all original, only 1 owner and roughly only 46,000 miles on it. I couldn't resist.

Would you be open to questions as I encounter them? I am not a mechanic but my buddy who turned me onto the car is. so, i am getting some assistance. I only moved it into my garage this past weekend and already know that I will be replacing a master break cylinder, ignition electrical system, and some ugly pin stripping as well. beyond that, it is still a mystery.

Sincerly,

Eppie Calvin
 
Hello this is my first message on the forum a swift sight you guys have and a parade for x19 lovers considering the beuties on show however in sri lanka access to any x19s ate very limited except for 2 and I was wondering whether I could fit a x19 body into a fiat 128 chasis as these are readily available here
 
Hi & Welcome from the UK

They are a unique monocoque body which I don't think shares the floor pan or anything like that.

You may as well ship a good one over to Sri Lanka from Australia? They are often in good shape and don't cost too much in Australia at the moment.
 
I have fond memories of my '80 X1/9 1500, purchased in 1990 and run for 3 very enjoyable years, during which time the ag company I worked for took over the Fiatagri franchise for NZ. The X1/9 was a great "ice breaker" with all the skeptical dealers at our first national dealer meeting! Of course, we always had something mechanical to do at the annual WOF (Warrant of Fitness) check but nothing disastrous.

Real fun to drive but a bit underpowered - I drove a friend's X1/9 with professional Uno Turbo engine transplant and appropriate suspension upgrades, that was a completely different story!

I still have the Haynes Manual (273) and photocopy of the Owners Manual.
 

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