I've got one of my dream motors

[Taff]

Now then folks, I’ve been trying for two days to come up with an amusing thread title but I think ‘m still a little overwhelmed. You see, I have managed to get my hands on one of my dream cars.

In 1981, my dad bought me this set:-

 

 

The top one, the Fiat with the boat. I lost the boat & trailer almost immediately but the X1/9 left a lasting impression and I’ve wanted one from that day on. I actually owned one before, briefly. My post-Bosnia tour bonus got spaffed on a pale green Bertone but the Army being it what it was, I got posted to Hong Kong the day after I bought it and so it got sold on within three weeks of me buying it.

 

Fast forward to about 2 months ago, and I spotted in a fellow ‘Shiters sig block that his X1/9 might be for sale. A cheeky PM got me phone number and I started pestering him.

 

Now, at this point I want to thank fiat4alfa, who was kind enough to sell me the car. F4A put up with two months of me phoning, texting, messaging, setting appointments then missing them, changing them, arriving early/not at all. I even appeared once out of the blue and Mrs fiat4alfa was kind enough to humour me. Mate, thank you once again for letting me buy the car. You’re a gent for putting up with me & I couldn’t be happier with it.

 

So, what have I got? This:-

 

 

A 1983 Bertone X1/9, 1500cc & 5 speed. Very solid with just a few cosmetic scabs, a carb with a mind of it’s own & best of all POP-UP HEADLIGHTS!

No epic collection thread, sorry, I blagged a Transit & trailer of my mate my mate Shag, roped Taff Jr into his first ever car collection jaunt and set off on a 5 hour round trip. The fact that F4A had kept on top of the car means it runs and was a doddle to load.

 

 

When we unloaded, It fired up a treat and we may have taken a slightly longer route than necessary to get it onto my drive, where it now sits.

 

 

 

Apart from my 3 week dalliance with the green one (I only drove that one twice – I  think I have already driven this one further), I’ve waited over 30 years for this car.

 

Cheeky trailer-wollard to finish

 

 

[Guest Breadvan72]

This has made me spunk my dentures through my actual chappy.

[Barry Cade]

Yeah!

 

A reg is a weird one, kinda between Fiat washing their hands of them and Bertone taking over the whole shebang. Looks a good un. Out of interest,what fusebox is in it? blade fuses or the earlier ceramic ones- it has early seats so should be ceramic fuses.82/83/84 had all sorts of differences.

[Station]

They're lovely, it's on my list of cars to buy soon. They do look like little Ferraris, and could only have come from Italy.

They do look much much better without the California spec bumpers though.

[Junkman]

But with Cali spec bumpers you can woolard them much better.

[Magnificent Rustbucket]

Wonderful car.

[Jon]

Nice colour, too - it sort of dates it to the early 80's as the later Bertone ones only seemed to be offered in quite staid, dark shades. Does it have a full set of centre caps for the wheels? Am sure I read years ago in PC mag of a guy asking a paint company for 4 unused lids from their emulsion range, as they were a perfect fit for replacements.

 

Also, I think this:

 

 

Deserves this:

 

[purplebargeken]

There are two of these in the next road. Common as shit in  the local playground. 

 

Nice car. You bastard.

[beko1987]

Nice catch!

[Fabergé Greggs]

Well done! Thoroughly useable, cheap as chips to run and an absolute hoot on twisty stuff.

 

You'll love it.

[DVee8]

RAFFLE!!!

No 12 please.

 

Only joking well played that man.

[Taff]

Yeah!

 

A reg is a weird one, kinda between Fiat washing their hands of them and Bertone taking over the whole shebang. Looks a good un. Out of interest,what fusebox is in it? blade fuses or the earlier ceramic ones- it has early seats so should be ceramic fuses.82/83/84 had all sorts of differences.

 

I don't know, is the honest answer Mr C. I'll have a mooch later. I knew it's the change over year and has a few "last of" & "first of" features.

 

They're lovely, it's on my list of cars to buy soon. They do look like little Ferraris, and could only have come from Italy.

They do look much much better without the California spec bumpers though.

 

Oddly, I don't mind them

 

But with Cali spec bumpers you can woolard them much better.

 

This is true, that's a size ten Cat boot I've balanced on there

 

Nice colour, too - it sort of dates it to the early 80's as the later Bertone ones only seemed to be offered in quite staid, dark shades. Does it have a full set of centre caps for the wheels? Am sure I read years ago in PC mag of a guy asking a paint company for 4 unused lids from their emulsion range, as they were a perfect fit for replacements.

 

Yup, got all four, the car is 100% complete I think, can't see anything missing yet

 

Well done! Thoroughly useable, cheap as chips to run and an absolute hoot on twisty stuff.

 

You'll love it.

 

And an interesting contrast to the F as well.

 

Although I'm no nearer getting my hands on a reliable, practical, sensible, four-door turbo-diesel saloon that I actually need, I do now have a choice of which leaky, two-seater, mid-engine sports car to take to work.

[UltraWomble]

Very nice, but where is the speedboat?

[Essex V6]

I bought a B reg 1500 VS from Stevie Millar of this parish some years ago. Loved it but ran it over winter and got sick of having to pour boiling water into the door lock every morning to unfreeze it - chopped it in for a 1983 RS1600i in the end

[Tamworthbay]

Very nice, but where is the speedboat?

he is going on bullseye next week

[stripped fred]

That's a nice looking car. Love the colour.

[Barry Cade]

The list of things that go missing are as follows.

 

Hubcaps.

Battery cover

Alternator and under engine covers

Ashtray

Headlamp motor covers

Carb cooling fan

Jack retaining strap

 

 

 

If you have a full house here, you have a VERY rare car. I've had 16, and never had a full house yet.

[flat4alfa]

Good news!  Sold off this very forum - the real Internet is alive and well

 

It's got the best of both worlds, as it has the interim dash with buttons as on a MK1 Strada, the cream vinyl seats and not the later daft spotty blue fabric, best steering and road wheel style, the weird mix of Bertone and Fiat badging. To me, anyhow.

 

I owned this car twice! The first time (2008) it was in great condition and sold on after 8 months of hooting about.

 

 

The next time (2013), it was rescued from that buyer who had used it as his daily but it had been in the wars with a post, a fence sprayer and decay. When I fetched it from Naaaarfolk, brake pedal was on the floor and it just about ran.

 

New front callipers, brake master, ignition gubbins and it was ticket for the year, no welding needed and nothing ferrously-related was advised either. Hurrah! Ran around with it for a bit but ultimately did sitting most of the time.  The Wife had no interest, it was in the way and the ticket lapsed itself a while back. So it made itself available again as what I really need is a Matra Murena with a sunroof

 

 

Hubcaps.

Battery cover

Alternator and under engine covers

Ashtray

Headlamp motor covers

Carb cooling fan

Jack retaining strap

 

It has all those, bar the engine covers

 

 

It now lives with a '59 Fairlane - can that diversity be beaten?

 

[Taff]

It now lives with a '59 Fairlane - can that diversity be beaten?

 

 

I need a picture of the two of them together, don't I?

[Bren]

Never had an x/19 except a blue corgi one like yours.

 

I would imagine all the rotten death traps have gone by now?

[eddyramrod]

I need a picture of the two of them together, don't I?

Whether you do or not, WE certainly do!

Here's the one I had in Cyprus...

More fun than you'd think possible in a car!

[xtriple]

I bought one identical (I think) to this back in about 87. BUD...V. Same colour (which is gorgeous) etc and my wife used it to ferry Kyle around in his baby seat!

 

I took it in P/X and it was mint as it had just been restored... it would have been 7 years old at the time!

 

It was a cracking thing to drive but the place to put the hard roof panel was... silly! Oh, and working on the motor through a hatch behind the drivers seat, whoever thought that was a good idea?

 

It got moved on far to early as we all agreed that it wasn't practical with a baby in a car seat, but it was a wrench as it was bloody lovely.

[flat4alfa]

Very nice, but where is the speedboat?

 

Good point

 

 

I can haz found this one on Taff's doorstep.  Whole kit and caboodle.

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Yamaha-80hp-outboard-engine-racing-gearbox-fletcher-floating-shell-trailer-/281730420430

[Taff]

/\ it's on the watch list, mate...

[NorfolkNWeigh]

Whether you do or not, WE certainly do!

Here's the one I had in Cyprus...

100_1926.jpg

More fun than you'd think possible in a car!

Many years ago I tried to have more fun in an X1/9, very difficult . From memory the engine lid was a nice height though, these days I'd probably do myself a mischief just trying to get in one( the car ,not.....)

The lady who's car it was ordered a brand new one in 1983/4 as a company car but it got written off by the delivery driver , she got a Scirocco Storm instead, I was out of favour by then (discarded toy boy/ bit of rough)though and she was shagging one of the directors.

[Taff]

after my antics with the F exhaust, I played a bit of garage tetris and managed to get the X under cover

 

[BorniteIdentity]

^Tighter than a nun's chuff.

 

Nice work.

[Guest Breadvan72]

Looks like the WD40 came in handy to squeeze in there!  I now challenge you to park on your driveway, have seventeen lagers, and then say "looks like rain, I'll just put the Fiat in the garage".  

[Sloth in a bowl]

after my antics with the F exhaust, I played a bit of garage tetris and managed to get the X under cover

 

 

 

It's good, but I'm still awarding my points to Chaseracer's Citroen

 

[Taff]

Looks like the WD40 came in handy to squeeze in ther!  I now challenge you to park on your driveway, have seventeen lagers, and then say "looks like rain, I'll just put the Fiat in the garage".  

 

four Buds in the sun yesterday with my petrolhead neighbour, and that's exactly what happened!