Hello and seeking advice on getting my X-1/9 running again

A

alanand marce

Low Mileage
Hello: I’ve just joined with the intention of seeking advice and guidance from others on the forum. I have a 1981 X-1/9 which has been sitting in a barn in British Columbia for the last decade or so. I plan to revive it and would appreciate insight from others on:

1) procedure to get the vehicle running again - I have done nothing since parking it.
2) A specialist (individual or workshop) with experience in servicing X-1/9s - to whom I can go to get help in fixing any leaks, replacing serpentine belt, and any other work necessary to get it running again.

Looking forward to advice - thanks in advance.
 

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Welcome to Xweb!

We have a Best of Xweb page that has a couple "new owner info" linked near the top under General Information. That is a good starting point to get ideas about where to begin your journey.
 
Welcome aboard! Beautiful car you have and it appears in good shape.

After not been driven for 10 years there are a number of things you should do. I bought a car that had not run for 12 years and this was some of the items I ran into.

- Drain the gas and confirm the tank is clean and clear of sediment. I went to drain my car and it only tricked gas out because the bottom of the tank was gunked up with solidified fuel. Had to pull it and clean it.

- New gas filters and check that all fuel lines are solid and not rotting, I replaced all mine to be safe. Cheap and easy to do.

- Put a little oil into each cylinder, through spark plug hole to make sure rings are oiled.

- Flush brake system and confirm you have good pedal pressure.

- Flush coolant system.

- New battery

- New oil and filter

- Make sure the engine turns freely by putting a socket on the crankshaft bolt or put it in 2nd and push the car to get the engine to turn.

- At 10 years you will want to look into new tires.

At that point you can try to fire it up and drive it which may open up a whole new list of items depending what works and how well it works.

This is just a starter but gets you moving in the right direction.
 
Fluids, brakes and tires - like the list above.

Are you good with a wrench? If so, awesome and the list above will get you to a good point. If not, I'd recommend researching a mechanic willing to go through the car within towing distance. Then have the car towed there for review. Once the car is running again there will still be plenty of small tasks to do.

My hobby seems to have evolved into reviving cars (usually free) that have sat for long periods of time. Sometimes it is easy and other times quite a challenge. But I am not afraid to tear a car down to a bare chassis and rebuild it - done that several times. You should at least be comfortable replacing brake calipers, draining the coolant and doing a standard ignition tune up to take on this project yourself.
 
KBabcock said:
Welcome aboard! Beautiful car you have and it appears in good shape.

After not been driven for 10 years there are a number of things you should do. I bought a car that had not run for 12 years and this was some of the items I ran into.

- Drain the gas and confirm the tank is clean and clear of sediment. I went to drain my car and it only tricked gas out because the bottom of the tank was gunked up with solidified fuel. Had to pull it and clean it.

- New gas filters and check that all fuel lines are solid and not rotting, I replaced all mine to be safe. Cheap and easy to do.

- Put a little oil into each cylinder, through spark plug hole to make sure rings are oiled.

- Flush brake system and confirm you have good pedal pressure.

- Flush coolant system.

- New battery

- New oil and filter

- Make sure the engine turns freely by putting a socket on the crankshaft bolt or put it in 2nd and push the car to get the engine to turn.

- At 10 years you will want to look into new tires.

At that point you can try to fire it up and drive it which may open up a whole new list of items depending what works and how well it works.

This is just a starter but gets you moving in the right direction.
Click to expand...
Excellent! Thanks for the advice. I'm building a task list now with these points.
 
Mark_Toro said:
Fluids, brakes and tires - like the list above.

Are you good with a wrench? If so, awesome and the list above will get you to a good point. If not, I'd recommend researching a mechanic willing to go through the car within towing distance. Then have the car towed there for review. Once the car is running again there will still be plenty of small tasks to do.

My hobby seems to have evolved into reviving cars (usually free) that have sat for long periods of time. Sometimes it is easy and other times quite a challenge. But I am not afraid to tear a car down to a bare chassis and rebuild it - done that several times. You should at least be comfortable replacing brake calipers, draining the coolant and doing a standard ignition tune up to take on this project yourself.
Click to expand...
Great! Thanks for the thoughts. I've worked as a mechanic, a long time ago, and can handle some of the tasks, however I do plan on finding (original question 2) a specialist to do some of the work.
 
Do not skimp on the quality of fluids used to replace what was in this exxe as they are the "life blood" of the exxe..

Hoses should all be checked very carefully, ideally all replaced before the fluids are changed/replaced. If any of the old hoses fail, replacing/changing the fluids can be all for not due to leaks..

~Coolant system hose failure can instantly over heat the Lampredi SOHC causing a head gasket failure or more.

~Fuel system lean can case a fire burning down the exxe.. Speaking of fuel system, check the pressed in brass fittings on the Weber carb (If your exxe has a carb). These have a habit of working loose, then popping off, then dousing the hot motor with fuel under pressure followed by a very high risk of fire.

~Brake hose failure... brake failure. Suggest Goodridge brake lines as replacements:

Brake Hose Kit for Fiat Bertone X1/9 1.3 - 1.5

Goodridge Brake Hose Kit for Brake Hose Kit for Fiat Bertone X1/9 1.3 & 1.5 Brake Hose Kit for Fiat Bertone X1/9 1.3 & 1.5 - Goodridge zinc plated brake hose kits feature the finest quality hose, consisting of a PTFE inner with a zinc plated outerbrai
camauto.com camauto.com

If there is significant previous experience "wrenching" majority of the work needed on your exxe can be DIY.. these motos are not complex compared to modern motos. As questions and work to be done on your exxe comes up, post here or do a search as virtually any topic regarding the exxe has been previously done or discussed.


Bernice
 
alanand marce said:
Hello: I’ve just joined with the intention of seeking advice and guidance from others on the forum. I have a 1981 X-1/9 which has been sitting in a barn in British Columbia for the last decade or so. I plan to revive it and would appreciate insight from others on:

1) procedure to get the vehicle running again - I have done nothing since parking it.
2) A specialist (individual or workshop) with experience in servicing X-1/9s - to whom I can go to get help in fixing any leaks, replacing serpentine belt, and any other work necessary to get it running again.

Looking forward to advice - thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

Welcome to the forum. But I'm confused :oops:

Your profile says you are in Bogota, Columbia....that is in South America..I think..

Your pic says the X1/9 is in the UK....

Your post says the X is in British Columbia....that is in Canada...

We could help to lead you to someone to work on your X1/9...but might be helpful to at least tell us what continent you are on...:D
 
Rupunzell said:
Do not skimp on the quality of fluids used to replace what was in this exxe as they are the "life blood" of the exxe..

Hoses should all be checked very carefully, ideally all replaced before the fluids are changed/replaced. If any of the old hoses fail, replacing/changing the fluids can be all for not due to leaks..

~Coolant system hose failure can instantly over heat the Lampredi SOHC causing a head gasket failure or more.

~Fuel system lean can case a fire burning down the exxe.. Speaking of fuel system, check the pressed in brass fittings on the Weber carb (If your exxe has a carb). These have a habit of working loose, then popping off, then dousing the hot motor with fuel under pressure followed by a very high risk of fire.

~Brake hose failure... brake failure. Suggest Goodridge brake lines as replacements:

Brake Hose Kit for Fiat Bertone X1/9 1.3 - 1.5

Goodridge Brake Hose Kit for Brake Hose Kit for Fiat Bertone X1/9 1.3 & 1.5 Brake Hose Kit for Fiat Bertone X1/9 1.3 & 1.5 - Goodridge zinc plated brake hose kits feature the finest quality hose, consisting of a PTFE inner with a zinc plated outerbrai
camauto.com camauto.com

If there is significant previous experience "wrenching" majority of the work needed on your exxe can be DIY.. these motos are not complex compared to modern motos. As questions and work to be done on your exxe comes up, post here or do a search as virtually any topic regarding the exxe has been previously done or discussed.


Bernice
Click to expand...
Thank you - good advice. It's injected so no carburetter, however yes I'll check fuel lines.
 
rx1900 said:
Welcome to the forum. But I'm confused :oops:

Your profile says you are in Bogota, Columbia....that is in South America..I think..

Your pic says the X1/9 is in the UK....

Your post says the X is in British Columbia....that is in Canada...

We could help to lead you to someone to work on your X1/9...but might be helpful to at least tell us what continent you are on...:D
Click to expand...
Apologies for the confusion.

I live in Colombia (Bogotá). The car is in Vancouver (actually Abbotsford), we have family in Vancouver and will register it in BC once running. The car was originally bought in Alberta, later shipped to Texas and registered there, later shipped to the UK and registered there, finally shipped to Vancouver, BC and imported to BC but not registered (yet). The photo was taken in the UK.
 
alanand marce said:
Apologies for the confusion.

I live in Colombia (Bogotá). The car is in Vancouver (actually Abbotsford), we have family in Vancouver and will register it in BC once running. The car was originally bought in Alberta, later shipped to Texas and registered there, later shipped to the UK and registered there, finally shipped to Vancouver, BC and imported to BC but not registered (yet). The photo was taken in the UK.
Click to expand...
ahah...okay that makes sense......

Actually....you might be in luck. I recall there is a shop quite near Abbotsford that works quite a bit on X1/9s. Note even the racing X1/9 on their home page:

Bent Wrenches Auto Service

full service auto repair and restoration shop. Specializing in: vintage sports cars; Hyundai, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, alfa romeo, fiat, lancia, ferrari, lamborghini,
www.bentwrenchesautoservice.com

I've even heard there are a dozen or so X1/9s..in various degrees of disrepair....sitting behind the shop...

I think.....a member here - from Abbotsford - works there...or maybe used to work there.....

I know nothing myself - about the shop - good or bad - but have heard good things.

at least maybe a good lead for you.....
 
After 10 years of non running, I would guess there are strong chances you will need bott master cylinder, probably the slave and I'm unsure about the calipers. It would make sense you do everything at the same time, nclundind changing brake hoses, fluid and check the shape of you brake fluid reservoir. I would also change the brake fluid hoses from the reservoirs to the masters.

Honestly, these are probably the worst job to do on a x19. If you want a mechanic to do that, expect to pay good money. Or start learning to do it yourself. You will get a lot of help from this forum.
 
rx1900 said:
ahah...okay that makes sense......

Actually....you might be in luck. I recall there is a shop quite near Abbotsford that works quite a bit on X1/9s. Note even the racing X1/9 on their home page:

Bent Wrenches Auto Service

full service auto repair and restoration shop. Specializing in: vintage sports cars; Hyundai, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, alfa romeo, fiat, lancia, ferrari, lamborghini,
www.bentwrenchesautoservice.com

I've even heard there are a dozen or so X1/9s..in various degrees of disrepair....sitting behind the shop...

I think.....a member here - from Abbotsford - works there...or maybe used to work there.....

I know nothing myself - about the shop - good or bad - but have heard good things.

at least maybe a good lead for you.....
Click to expand...
Excellent lead! Thank you. I'll contact them.
 
DanielForest said:
After 10 years of non running, I would guess there are strong chances you will need bott master cylinder, probably the slave and I'm unsure about the calipers. It would make sense you do everything at the same time, nclundind changing brake hoses, fluid and check the shape of you brake fluid reservoir. I would also change the brake fluid hoses from the reservoirs to the masters.

Honestly, these are probably the worst job to do on a x19. If you want a mechanic to do that, expect to pay good money. Or start learning to do it yourself. You will get a lot of help from this forum.
Click to expand...
Excellent advice thank you.

If the vehicle and I were on the same continent I could handle these without much trouble, and could take however long is needed to do things over several weeks, however time is limited, so my thought at present is to figure out tasks which could be done working with a workshop and additional items which could be done later. I realise that there are probably few things in the latter category.

So option one is to work with a workshop on a "punch list" and get the vehicle running.

Option two is to fly to BC for a fortnight and do it all (or most of it) myself. This means sourcing all of the spares ahead of time, obviously.
 
alanand marce said:
Excellent advice thank you.

If the vehicle and I were on the same continent I could handle these without much trouble, and could take however long is needed to do things over several weeks, however time is limited, so my thought at present is to figure out tasks which could be done working with a workshop and additional items which could be done later. I realise that there are probably few things in the latter category.

So option one is to work with a workshop on a "punch list" and get the vehicle running.

Option two is to fly to BC for a fortnight and do it all (or most of it) myself. This means sourcing all of the spares ahead of time, obviously.
Click to expand...
That makes sense. Since you may planning ordering a set of brake line, the shop will have to bleed to system afterward and they may realize you need new master(s). So they will probably have to do it at the same time. I would be really surprised if your 10 years old-without moving master cylinder will still do their job. And if they'll do, that would be a short while.
 
alanand marce said:
Excellent lead! Thank you. I'll contact them.
Click to expand...

Yeah....looks like a decent lead. The owner of the place races an X1/9 himself !! And just google the place...the google pics show a Scorpion, a couple of 124 Spiders, and an old 600 parked out front. A limited pic out back looks like a Fiat graveyard....

and looks like to be only a few miles from Abbotsford....
 
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