Do you like it?
#1
Thread Starter
Do you like it?
I'm a natural born tinkerer. For me part of the fun of owning a sports car is tinkering with it. The problem with the S2000 is that it's engineered and built so well that there is nothing to do. I change the oil every 1,000 miles and all of the other fluids (and sparkplugs) every 10,000 miles, but I only put about 2,500 miles on each year so there really isn't much for me to tinker with. So, I've been looking for an older sports car to play with. I started by looking for an MG-B or an MG-A, but all of the cars that I found in the price range that I wanted required much too much work. I want to tinker, not restore.
About 2 months ago I noticed that a house around the corner was up for sale and there was a Bertone X 1/9 in the driveway. I asked Liz about it. She had heard that the man of the house had died, and because of the circumstances of his death the family had moved out and put the house up for sale. There was an open house that Sunday. I went and asked the realtor, who turned out to be a family friend, if the car was for sale. He contacted the widow, she said yes, and we made the deal.
I had a 1979 Fiat X 1/9, bought new in 1979. It was an awful lot of fun, but the quality and reliability was awful. Aside from my Triumph TR6, it was the least reliable car I'd ever owned. Shortly after, sometime in the early 1980s, because of the poor quality control and sagging sales Fiat stopped bringing cars into America. Because Bertone, the body designer thought they had something special, they bought the rights to make the car and import it into America. They continued to produce it and import it until 1988. The Bertone version of the car is supposed to be much better than the old Fiat version.
My Bertone is a 1987. It was bought new by the deceased man whose estate I bought it from. The odometer only has 14,000 miles on it. It is possible that that is all of the miles, or that the car really has 114,000 miles (not likely because being of Fiat genes, it wouldn't start that often), or that the speedometer cable broke somewhere along the line. The car does look, however, like a 25 year old car with 14,000 miles. I know it was cared for as I have the original owner's manual, shop manual, receipts and bill of sale.
I couldn't get the car when I first made the deal. The family has a 16 year old son who was devoted to his father. This car was something that they shared and the son is broken hearted as it is. Knowing the feeling because of my relationship with my son and the fact that we shared so many adventures with my S2000, when the widow asked me to wait until she could get the son to understand, I agreed. As long as she needed was fine with me. Some things are more important than having a car.
Anyway, the house was sold this week, and the widow called me on Friday. We agreed to meet and settle the deal. I got a bank check, met the widow, we exchanged the check and the title and she gave me the keys. The car has been sitting since March and because it's gotten so cold here it wouldn't start. My two sons and I left it on the widow's driveway and went back for it today. It wouldn't start today even with a different battery so we towed it home (with a tow rope behind Adam's Si, it's only around the corner). Now it's sleeping on my driveway, the battery is on a charger in my basement. I suspect that I've got a lot of work to do to get it in running order, but my two sons and I will have a fun car once its done.
Footnote.
I told the widow that anytime her son wants to see the car or even help me work on it I'd be more than glad to have him come by. I might even help to teach him to drive now that he's got his permit. My hours spent with Adam in the S are priceless to me, and I think it would be a good thing to do with this kid. If history really does repeat itself, I'll probably enjoy his company and get as much out of it as much as he does. At least I hope so.
No, I'm not selling the S2000. It is still going to live in the garage. It's still my favorite all time car. The Bertone is going to live on the driveway and probably most of the miles will be put on by my two sons.
#2
It definitely looks right out of the 1970s, but I do like it. Not a classic like the S, but if you have the time and money for this ongoing project, I hope that you enjoy it. Keep us posted,
#4
Happy wrenching Rob.
#5
BTW, it can't be as hard to figure out as the new stuff. Being a car guy I sometimes get requests from neighbor's for assistance. Two weeks ago a neighbor's 2000 BMW Z3 would not start, although it was running fine when she drove it into the garage. After checking several things I gave up. She had it towed into a BMW shop, spent $350 and they still could not figure out what's draining the battery. These new cars are more computer than car.
#6
Have fun with it Rob. A couple of guys on this forum owned and raced X1/9s and can probably give you a lot of advice. Back in the day I autocrossed against the X1/9 in my Bugeye Sprite. It seemed every time I got the Sprite competitive with the X1/9, Fiat would upgrade the car. It felt like me against the factory.
#7
Thread Starter
I read the stats on the car and they make me laugh. For example:
0 to 60 mph 11.8 seconds
Standing 1/4 mile 18.7 seconds at 72 mph
Top speed 97 mph
Braking 70-0 mph 183 ft.
Curb weight 2100 lbs
1498 cc engine
67 bhp @ 5250 rpm
76 lbs torque @ 3000 rpm
Pretty dismal by today's standards, yet in its day it was a pretty nice car. As a matter of fact, in the standing 1/4 mile and acceleration 0-60 it was faster than an MGB.
I do remember that my 1979 X 1/9 was a fun car when I could get it started. Frustrating when it didn't, which was all too often.
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#9
Looks like a fun project...I can't see the pics though.
#10
Wow! That is an exact twin to the car I sold to buy my S2000.
Check out Mirafiori.com, anything you need to know is available there. Great group of helpful people on the forums.
Knowing how well you care for your cars, I would be interested if you should decide to sell it someday. (Assuming your boys don't want it.)
Check out Mirafiori.com, anything you need to know is available there. Great group of helpful people on the forums.
Knowing how well you care for your cars, I would be interested if you should decide to sell it someday. (Assuming your boys don't want it.)