My x19 is currently sitting in my drive out of use. The last time I had it out for a run when I accelerated hard the engine would cut out and only start after sitting for a few minutes. Cutting out happened suddenly, there was a complete loss of power, no coughing or spluttering, just sudden death !

Because the car is not getting used I am getting concerned that this might be the start of problems. Is there anything I should do, in terms of maintainence if the car is off the road for a length of time ? It has not been used regularly since April 2004, I start it every few weeks and it sits with handbrake off.

Aside from some cosmetic rust it is in great shape with only 56,000 on the clock, the engine sounds and runs fantastic, I'd love to put it back on the road but christmas re-routes my cash flow at the minute!
It has big ugly black bumpers and whilst looking though the folder that came with the car I noticed some mags with pictures of older x19's with small black bumpers, to me these look much more suited to styling of the car. Would these fit my E-reg 1988 vs sports, where could I get them and how much do they cost ? I live near Glasgow, Scotland anywhere local ? Thanks ag

I don't have any info on the cutting out problem, sorry (sounds like the second choke on the weber carb could be a possibility though).
You can change your 1500 bumpers for the type fitted to the 1300, lots of people do, however, removing the 1500 bumpers leaves lots of ugly holes that have then to be welded, filled and painted. Quite a big job. There are specialists who can do the job for you. These guys are one of the best at it http://www.p1x-2000.co.uk/

have a look here to see how nice a completely de-bumpered X1/9 can look
http://www.directcon.net/mrawlings/85.htm

In my opinion that is the best looking Exxy I have ever seen

I checked out your links ,like the de-bumper look, i've seen it before on e-bay months ago, looks smart. I might think about 1300 bumpers, does sound like alot of prep work. I'll need to look into it more to find out the amount of time and skill involved. thanks for the info, cheers ag

ag,
You probably have gunk in the carburettor that has caused blocked jets - or the contact points need servicing or replacing. These things are not really related to being 'off the road' - you just need to attend to both those things, change the oil, and flush the cooling system. Then the X1/9 should be quite content to sit for long periods and be ready to go at a moment's notice. I recommend the Airflow battery conditioner, switched on once a month or so (or you can leave it on all the time).

As for the bumpers, well. Not having them certainly makes the car look much older, and leaves the lights and bumper sticking out at odd angles. I think the car looks better with them than without - if you disagree, why not get a pre-'78 X1/9 instead?

I don't like the anodised aluminium finish of the bumpers on my X1/9 - it makes me think of window frames when I see them - but the shape is more satisfactory with the long, curved bumpers than it is with the clipped-on rubber blocks that the earlier cars have.

The best looking X1/9? I still think it's the one I posted in the 'what year to buy' thread.



-Alex