X1/9 Buyers Guide: What to look for... | FIAT X1/9 (2024)

This has always been one of my favorite cars. Currently I drive a Miata and a few years ago I drove a friend's X 1/9 Bertone and thought it was awesome (although his was in horrible condition).

I recently spotted one in the area for sale for $1500 and it looks to be in fair condition from the photos altough I will go down to the dealer to take a look at it myself. I'm aware of the rust issue and perhaps that is exaggerated in some cases-- but was there anything else that was considered a -major- issue with these cars?

Re: Things to check when buying an X 1/9?

Yes RUST,and while checking make sure that RUST is not a big problem!!!!! just for good measure the electrics are usually pretty dismal as well, I would also check very carefully for RUST. need I say any more? but a great fun car all the same apart from the R............... sorry
Tony

Re: Things to check when buying an X 1/9?

digger58 said:

Yes RUST,and while checking make sure that RUST is not a big problem!!!!! just for good measure the electrics are usually pretty dismal as well, I would also check very carefully for RUST. need I say any more? but a great fun car all the same apart from the R............... sorry
Tony

Click to expand...

:yeahthat:

A few places to check for rust:

Open the front boot (trunk) cover and in the corners there are cover plates over where the headlight motors are. Shine a torch down there and look at the bottom inner corners, mine are fairly rusted out - it's not structural though so don't freak out too much. While you're in there, look at the earth points (rather obvious where they are) and have a look at the condition of the cabling and such.

The rear boot, it might just be the ones I have looked at but the drainage seems to fail and the it rusts there too.

The quarter panels.

The wheel arches, shine a light up into the wheel arches and have a look in there. Just behind the front wheel arches there is a little space in there covered by a plastic cover, stick you hand under the car and feel the underside of it, also the vertical plate of the sill is a good indication of how rusty that little gap may be. Since it meets up with the sill that IS structural at least somewhat and you really should ask to take the plastic cover off if you have doubts.

And of course don't forget to check obvious wiring elsewhere in the car, most of that is quite an easy fix and you'll only have to do it once though, so don't let that be a deal breaker.

Good luck and I hope to see you posting pictures of your X very soon

Re: Things to check when buying an X 1/9?

As already said, rust is the big problem - the electrics can be pretty much sorted with generic parts. The mechanicals are still readily available with the exception of some of the suspension parts but body panels are a real pain and not just to obtain.

Start at the front of the car and check the nose panel, the radiator mounting (hidden behind the front grill), the inside of the luggage area, the wings - particularly the inside of the wings, the front suspension turrets and swing arm mountings, the scuttle infront of the windscreen, the windscreen surround, the sills, the underside of the targa bar, the inside of the rear wings, the rear suspension towers, the rear swingarm mountings (these are especially critical), the inside of the rear luggage bay - particularly the lower crossmember between the engine bay and luggage bay and finally the underside of the luggage bay (above the exhaust). Obviously rust could be hidden anywhere but these are the areas that tend to rust - if they are all clean then you've got a good one. The suspension turrets are a bit hard to spot the rust as they are triple skinned and it is the middle skin that rots, the telltale is that the towers are swollen in patches.

A few patches of rust is repairable but more than a few can add up to a really big repair bill.

Re: Things to check when buying an X 1/9?

watch out for the words "It ran when it was parked" PO's say it all the time.

In the UK the early cars are now quite rare. So we don't have as much choice as the 'dry states'...

I personally think the Bertone's VS are nice with leather interior and they are still not too rare. If I was in the US I would definitely go for a car with fuel injection.