Mark Bowden
RMS Regular
- Messages
- 211
Hello everybody ... anybody ?
I have arrived here because, and only because, as a fanatical and probably die-hard X1/9 enthusiast - of course I periodically type things like 'X1/9 hillclimb, or X1/9 modified, or X1/9 racecar - into YouTube, to see what's going on. The answer is broadly, nothing very much going on in the UK at all.
Very rarely does one see an X1/9 these days. Very rarely are there new uploads. Yesterday, I was pleased to note that a bloke by the name of Gordon Fogarty uploaded a short clip of himself rinsing it along a strip of twisty tarmac at a place called Eagles Rock. Right. Game on.
I guess most of you know about the Singer 911 or the Alfaholics GTA-R which is a limited production special costing around 200k.
I reckon it's time the little FIAT got the same treatment. The good news it's probably way less expensive - say 80k - to do, and I am in the process of getting the spec down to a tee.
Although it is only a paper build at the moment, it is not just a fantasy. For example, the X1/9 uses a unique installation of the FIAT 128, Lampredi iron block SOHC flipped thru 180deg, where its non-crossflow head puts the induction and the exhaust against the rear firewall.
I won't digress too much here about the later versions of the 128 engine which are DOHC, because although yes, people have done it, it's basically a hack-job, it's not the original block, and I'm a purist - but one of the biggest issues is these later variants were designed for front-engined installation, meaning the exhaust is to the front firewall if used in an X1/9 and it has to be brought back under the rear crossmember meaning you cannot lower the car on the struts and/or the tyre sidewall, unless you use a 14'' wheel and a 60 section tyre and believe me that is the wrong way to go.
Anybody with a serious interest in how to modify the X1/9 to make it competitive, needs to take a close look at the Gp5. Dallara Sil which has a unique reverse-crossflow 4V head - induction to the front firewall and exhaust to the rear firewall, and runs fully 3'' lower than stock whilst retaining the original 13'' wheel diameter. Beautiful solution.
I have a price for a fully built up Dallara head, if anyone's interested.
The car I am building at the moment is on a much lower budget - about 30k - based around the orignial gearbox but with close ratios, and a SOHC engine with Jenvey ITB's being built by Auto Engineering in Chard, Somerset. I expect about 150bhp and expect it will be right on the limit of what the original drivetrain can handle. Pictures available if anyone's interested.
One of the very first problems I encountered, was sourcing a modern but competitive 13'' tyre to fit the original 5.5x13 rims. The OE tyre was a 165/70 eg Goodyear Grand Prix S. In the 90's a common upgrade was a 185/60 eg Pirelli P6 or P6000. I looked at the Caterham 250R and the Lotus Elise Mk1 (which still use a 13'' wheel), and decided to use the control tyre for these cars, which Avon developed - the ZZS, which is a road legal wet/dry motorsport tyre, choosing the 185/55, and ordered a set of 6x13 Billet Ultralites from Image Wheels. Although these wheels are zero offset, I retained the original 5mm spacers front and rear and rolled the rear arches. I do not wish to alter the external appearance of the original arches.
The original hub carriers I fitted with SKF bearings. Currently I use EBC braided lines, EBC Yellowstuff linings, Tarox Sport Japan drilled and slotted rotors, and rebuilt the original calipers so nothing too special there, yet.
I have found a supplier of oversize vented/slotted/drilled rotors, Wilwood 4-pot calipers and brackets, Wilwood pedal boxes, double pump brake master cylinders, brake and clutch masters, bias adjusters, rose jointed rear wishbones, copper/aluminium alloy front hub carriers, if anyone's interested.
Regarding spring rates, currently I have 250lb/in on the back, 200 up front - slightly too hard, I reckon 225/175 ideal. I've lowered the car by about 2 1/2'' on Gaz Shocks, fitted Plaia top mounts and turret plates from C. Obert, and have fitted an Addco front ARB. Corners like its on rails. Pics if anyone's interested.
Very happy to discuss.
Mark.
I have arrived here because, and only because, as a fanatical and probably die-hard X1/9 enthusiast - of course I periodically type things like 'X1/9 hillclimb, or X1/9 modified, or X1/9 racecar - into YouTube, to see what's going on. The answer is broadly, nothing very much going on in the UK at all.
Very rarely does one see an X1/9 these days. Very rarely are there new uploads. Yesterday, I was pleased to note that a bloke by the name of Gordon Fogarty uploaded a short clip of himself rinsing it along a strip of twisty tarmac at a place called Eagles Rock. Right. Game on.
I guess most of you know about the Singer 911 or the Alfaholics GTA-R which is a limited production special costing around 200k.
I reckon it's time the little FIAT got the same treatment. The good news it's probably way less expensive - say 80k - to do, and I am in the process of getting the spec down to a tee.
Although it is only a paper build at the moment, it is not just a fantasy. For example, the X1/9 uses a unique installation of the FIAT 128, Lampredi iron block SOHC flipped thru 180deg, where its non-crossflow head puts the induction and the exhaust against the rear firewall.
I won't digress too much here about the later versions of the 128 engine which are DOHC, because although yes, people have done it, it's basically a hack-job, it's not the original block, and I'm a purist - but one of the biggest issues is these later variants were designed for front-engined installation, meaning the exhaust is to the front firewall if used in an X1/9 and it has to be brought back under the rear crossmember meaning you cannot lower the car on the struts and/or the tyre sidewall, unless you use a 14'' wheel and a 60 section tyre and believe me that is the wrong way to go.
Anybody with a serious interest in how to modify the X1/9 to make it competitive, needs to take a close look at the Gp5. Dallara Sil which has a unique reverse-crossflow 4V head - induction to the front firewall and exhaust to the rear firewall, and runs fully 3'' lower than stock whilst retaining the original 13'' wheel diameter. Beautiful solution.
I have a price for a fully built up Dallara head, if anyone's interested.
The car I am building at the moment is on a much lower budget - about 30k - based around the orignial gearbox but with close ratios, and a SOHC engine with Jenvey ITB's being built by Auto Engineering in Chard, Somerset. I expect about 150bhp and expect it will be right on the limit of what the original drivetrain can handle. Pictures available if anyone's interested.
One of the very first problems I encountered, was sourcing a modern but competitive 13'' tyre to fit the original 5.5x13 rims. The OE tyre was a 165/70 eg Goodyear Grand Prix S. In the 90's a common upgrade was a 185/60 eg Pirelli P6 or P6000. I looked at the Caterham 250R and the Lotus Elise Mk1 (which still use a 13'' wheel), and decided to use the control tyre for these cars, which Avon developed - the ZZS, which is a road legal wet/dry motorsport tyre, choosing the 185/55, and ordered a set of 6x13 Billet Ultralites from Image Wheels. Although these wheels are zero offset, I retained the original 5mm spacers front and rear and rolled the rear arches. I do not wish to alter the external appearance of the original arches.
The original hub carriers I fitted with SKF bearings. Currently I use EBC braided lines, EBC Yellowstuff linings, Tarox Sport Japan drilled and slotted rotors, and rebuilt the original calipers so nothing too special there, yet.
I have found a supplier of oversize vented/slotted/drilled rotors, Wilwood 4-pot calipers and brackets, Wilwood pedal boxes, double pump brake master cylinders, brake and clutch masters, bias adjusters, rose jointed rear wishbones, copper/aluminium alloy front hub carriers, if anyone's interested.
Regarding spring rates, currently I have 250lb/in on the back, 200 up front - slightly too hard, I reckon 225/175 ideal. I've lowered the car by about 2 1/2'' on Gaz Shocks, fitted Plaia top mounts and turret plates from C. Obert, and have fitted an Addco front ARB. Corners like its on rails. Pics if anyone's interested.
Very happy to discuss.
Mark.