Team-BHP
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https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/)
a friend and i have long been looking for something a bit special to do trackdays, general fun drives, and have the capacity to be worked on by a pair of enthusiastic amateurs rather than pay garage rates for basic and middling mechanics and bodywork.
criteria were broad, but essentially, fun, easy to drive, some decent chassis ability, retro, upgradable, and of course cool!
after countless marques. models and variants were endlessly discussed, and discarded (porsche 924, bmw e30 and merc cosworth were big front runners) something very unexpected fell into our laps, and as a bonus was a proper italian too.
once upon a time Fiat commissioned design studio Bertone to create a mid engined sports car, with running gar from the 128, and so was born the X1/9, intially with the trusty 1300cc sohc lampredi engine.
time and progress saw numerous improvements to the pretty little targa topped car, most significant was the 1500 soc engine, still on a carb though.
problem was fiat was losing patience with the problems that were cropping up due to a rushed production start, and eventually lost intrest and killed of the X.
only to have Bertone themselves take over production, and try to keep their baby ging. and so towards the end of the lifecycle a champagne 1500 X1/9 left the factory bound for the UK.
23 years later, she popped up for £200, and we just had to have her! mid engined, american bumpers removed for a more aggressive clean look. matt black paint, frayed interior, slightly lumpy engine, and a bit raggedy round th seams. not all the electrics work, and the brakes leave a lot to be desired. but when we went up to see her, in the dark (yes i know, never buy a car you can't see properly) we just had to have her, esp at that price.
within day was serviced and runs a lot smoother, new brake disc and pads all round this weekend. bushes and panels to follow. but already we've done some blasting on back roads, and although very underpowered, the chassis really does allow you to have some serious fun at low speed, low speed drifting is so very new millenium.
over the next month or so, clean up the tatty edges, repaint matt black all over, livery up in club decals, and start putting her to work on the track with a view to running hr at the ring next june.
Wow, this looks like something you can really have fun with. And just 200 pounds!
Wow great purchase, I remember this was one of the first few toy model cars I had as a kid :D please do keep posting updates
Great - does she have an MOT and road usable or strictly track?
DROOL: Some more & closeups of seats, dashboard & specially the engine bay & some more with those headlights in open position.. PLSSSSS. Awesome & simply great price.
Since you are planning to repaint the car, IMO the RED color will really bring the spirit of this car alive.
You can also consider painting those alloys in matt black.
Is it possible to get the bumpers?
Numbers plates have different background colors. (WHY?? WHY???)
Raab Rakha.
this one has an MOT, and we intend to keep her road legal, after all tow cars and trailers costs serious money....
wll def get more photos up of the interior, probably after friday night spanner session, the bumpers are never going back on, they were designed for the american market, and look terrible, really break up the pretty lines.
in the uk, cars have yellow rear plates and white front, just legislation.
we did think of other colours, but matt black just seems right, and maybe motorsport white for the alloys
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