http://xwebforums.org Xweb Forums 2.0 Fiat Bertone X1/9 Forum en Sat, 19 May 2012 02:29:29 GMT vBulletin 30 http://www.xwebforums.org/images/misc/rss.jpg http://xwebforums.org http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17636&goto=newpost Fri, 18 May 2012 23:45:53 GMT Hi guys, I was hoping someone could tell me the distance between the front firewall and the centerline of the rear axles. Thanks Hi guys, I was hoping someone could tell me the distance between the front firewall and the centerline of the rear axles.

Thanks ]]> Workshop Forum nucleus http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17636 http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17635&goto=newpost Fri, 18 May 2012 22:13:16 GMT Several days ago the cheap(?) Redline MTL showed up, and what a difference it made for me! Don't know what was in my transmission before, maybe 140wt or a 90wt with grease mixed in, (according to Tony N., who is good company for breakfast or anytime). Out with the old and in with the new (confirmed - 3.5qts ) and easier, faster more precise shifts (hot and cold). I wouldn't beat a dead horse, but guys, you could have clued me in.



Anyone know the torque for the transmissions' plugs? I did not want to over tighten and have one small drip from the top or bottom plug.



Thanks,


Vincent dba enzo mac ]]> Workshop Forum enzo mac http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17635 http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17634&goto=newpost Fri, 18 May 2012 20:02:08 GMT I recently had new struts put on my X and everything was fine but today I noticed a cluncking sound while going over relatively small bumps. It seems... I recently had new struts put on my X and everything was fine but today I noticed a cluncking sound while going over relatively small bumps. It seems my rear driver side strut is loose at the top. When I push the bumper down, I can see the top of the strut hit the perch, like maybe an eight of an inch. Looked like an easy deal but the bolt, plate, and thread all turn together. There is a quarter inch of thread on top of both struts. The struts, mounts and perch springs are all brand new and purchased from Midwest-Bayless. I sure appreciate any help. OH, and while I can now bleed a clutch, I am not a mechanic and I don't have specialized tools. Thanks again in advance for any advise or refrences if I missed a post on the subject..... ]]> Workshop Forum Randy Gulli http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17634 http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17633&goto=newpost Fri, 18 May 2012 17:17:46 GMT I went out to wash the X for Carlisle last night and (HORRORS!) saw a puddle of coolant. I couldn't see the source of the leak after poking around until late. Snugged up all of the hoses in that area in the hope that would do it. Washed it this morning and went for a test drive to the post office. When I gat back, it was dripping again. Now I could see the source: overflow tank. It was dribbling out the hole in the side. The car has never overheated which is usually the kiss of death for it. Plastic fatigue I imagine. Now, is repair possible (last resort)? What vendor has for purchase? Is a used one a good idea? I have lusted after the metal tanks, but I've never been quick enough to score one.

Any thoughts, gang? ]]> Workshop Forum HazN http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17633 http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17632&goto=newpost Fri, 18 May 2012 15:52:21 GMT I had another "thumbs up" from a new Fiat 500 driver yesterday. This time a cute blonde in what I think was one of the coveted pre-ordered specials.

Don't see many C's but weather here is still not quite there yet. Supposed to be a very warm summer this year in NorCal so the convertibles will be out in force in a month or so and we shall see.

Also (for you local folks) Putnam finally got the green light to sell Fiat's so there is a Fiat studio in Burlingame, CA. Putnam is a major player in car dealerships in the SF Bay Area and I believe sold Fiat's back in the day as well so this was a big deal for them. Hopefully we start seeing more 500's around here soon.

A dealership in Berkeley, CA was advertising $100/month lease options for some models. Very tempting if you are looking to get a commuter cheap. I also heard that a Fiat America member works there so maybe even better deals to be had.... ]]> Discussion Forum fiatmonkey http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17632 http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17631&goto=newpost Fri, 18 May 2012 14:17:41 GMT I know the purists out there will call this blasphemy but I was curious if anyone tried doing the big carbon fiber vinyl stickers on their x? If so,... I know the purists out there will call this blasphemy but I was curious if anyone tried doing the big carbon fiber vinyl stickers on their x? If so, do you have any pictures?

My red 86 is only in decent shape so I am wanting to spice it up a little. I am figuring on making the roof & front and back trunk hoods black glossy carbon fiber. I also picked up some red and I am going to highlight the door handle stripe and a little on the dash.

I'd love to hear some feedback

MM ]]> Discussion Forum MaddMatt http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17631 http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17630&goto=newpost Fri, 18 May 2012 03:45:52 GMT I am ready to install my euro bumpers. Can someone provide me with the link to installation I saw on this site a few years ago. Thanks much. ... I am ready to install my euro bumpers. Can someone provide me with the link to installation I saw on this site a few years ago. Thanks much.

Errol in Oz ]]> Workshop Forum ausfiat http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17630 http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17629&goto=newpost Fri, 18 May 2012 00:20:58 GMT I've personally never heard that term before... but apparently its common nomenclature for the "motorhome set".

My good friend in Palm Desert just bought a 31 footer and saw this article in a recent publication. He goes on to say that the 500 is gaining in popularity with this crowd as well!

Below are 4 pages and the towbar adapter, as well as the towbar itself could be used for almost any application.








]]> Discussion Forum Black-Tooth http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17629 http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17628&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 21:45:29 GMT whats the reliabilty on this transmissions?....any good or real bad?... I know the best would be to go with a manual stick.Im just... whats the reliabilty on this transmissions?....any good or real bad?...
I know the best would be to go with a manual stick.Im just curious......anyone with first hand experience on this matter?....and how easy or bad would it be to retrofit a manual trans on an automatic car?......thanks! ]]> Discussion Forum Karfrik http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17628 http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17627&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 17:25:26 GMT Anyone have a link to that thermostat housing flow diagram someone created? It shows the water flow path with the thermostat closed, opening, and... Anyone have a link to that thermostat housing flow diagram someone created? It shows the water flow path with the thermostat closed, opening, and fully open. ]]> Workshop Forum sdlsaginaw http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17627 http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17626&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 16:40:54 GMT As some of you may remember... Our home FLOODED back in January because an angle-stop failed in an upstairs bath. Down came half the walls and... As some of you may remember... Our home FLOODED back in January because an angle-stop failed in an upstairs bath. Down came half the walls and ceilings...

While rebuilding the garage I decided to REWARD myself by purchasing a lift so that I could park all three cars in a two car garage. Great price, great deal and if my measurements are correct... the Fiat and Vette should stack nicely. There would be a 6 week wait and that was fine with me. Turned out to be 12 weeks and actually, the timing was perfect as all the other construction took twice as long as well.

FIRST OFF... THANKS TO Anthony Giangrande (Anthony G.), my son Joseph and my good friend Dr. George Suel for helping me wrestle 1730 pounds of a 12'x2'x2' long metal crate off the back of a delivery truck! I am honored to have friends and family that I can pick up the phone and call, and they are there for me!

Here are some fotos and my labor to date... with more to come for those that are interested.




This foto is the result of about 20 minutes of ingenious thinking... and would have rivaled Laurel & Hardy trying to move a piano upstairs. We were too busy to photograph our efforts but thanks also go to the driver, Cesar McDonald, who of course could NOT lend any assistance with his pallet jack...

I had enough forethought to have him park on the level to off load... but it was the SLOPE of the street I had not considered when trying to cross it!



The trucking company and the vender both recommend a big forklift and a commercial location to off load the lift... but then most of us would haveta un-crate and re-transport all the material to our home or shop. I was able to have the residential delivery charges "waived" and thought long and hard about how I would get this offloaded. I also considered using a Rental Liftgate Truck... back to back... but would have needed to use the same equipment that I used here anyway. In this case, RoadRunner Trucking said I had 30 - 40 minutes to unload, and didn't seem to be an issue to them or a problem for us, even if we had to un-band and un-bolt the crate to do it. But in actuality, I don't think we could have done it in 90 minutes without the use of power tools. My compressor and air wrench and electricity would need to be involved as well.

So... a $99.00 1-Ton hoist, a $14.99 dolly, and a $25.00 (2000 lb.) towrope all sourced from Harbor Freight and Lowes did the job almost effortlessly. Especially if you are level land.



So the process didn't exactly go this simply, but could have... Here is what I would do next time.

1. Load the hoist, towrope, and dolly on the delivery truck lift-gate take it up and to the far end of the "crate". With the towrope as a sling, lift the crate and set it on the dolly.

2. Release the load and take the hoist and towrope back down to ground level... and then sling or hook the other end of the crate to the hoist and lift.

3. Roll the entire crate out, with one end on the dolly up in the truck, and the other end supported by the hoist on the ground. Roll it out ONLY AS FAR AS the dolly is on the lift gate, and the load clears the truck bed. (Cesar helped reposition the load several times with his pallet jack... and also used the pallet jack to lift the load initially to place it on the dolly. I'm not sure all delivery folks will have a jack or be willing to assist. We were fortunate, but it can be done without, just not as easy.)

4. Once positioned and with 5 sets of eyes, we lowered the hoist and lift gate almost at the same time... HA! In any case, even with extreme angles, everything stayed in place.

Lastly, we then took a towrope and hooked it to George's truck and then the four of us steadied the load as we drug this thing across the sloped street and up into the driveway... with his truck ending up in the garage! It was the street that was the biggie, as hoist and the dolly has wheels that swivel 360 degrees on all four corners. Makes it easy to load, but if this thing wanted to go for a ride, we wouldn't be able to stop it... The truck was our anchor!



Yesterday I got the pallet broken down with the help of a FREE hose reel and hose that came with the lift because I had to wait another 6 weeks. A 19mm and 21mm socket, wrench and impact wrench easily took the crate apart... but most of the components are 200 and 400 pounds apiece! I was still using the hoist and dolly to move things around... and it was about 90 degrees yesterday. This is all I accomplished... BTW, I'm old too...



Here are just some of the components to assemble and the 4 hours that they say it can be done in will most certainly take me 4 days. It really requires TWO people also whether its 4 hours or 4 days. Secondly... NO ASSEMBLY MANUAL could be found in the load but an e-mail to the vender got one in PDF format this morning.

Here is a video link that helps as well:

http://www.americanautomotiveequipme...ts.asp?Cat=105

As far as the Assembly Manual goes... I think they hired the same folks that wrote the Haynes Manuals... HA! I'm sure the SECOND lift I assemble will be a piece of cake... but this will be trial and error as none of the hardware bags are marked and there really are no step-by-step instructions with photos.

Lastly... I'm having fun with this and will (hopefully) enlist the help of my son again... but I believe JJ struck a deal with his supplier that enabled him to WATCH and DRINK BEER as they unloaded and assembled it for him. Something to weigh and consider if you have the option. Wasn't provided in my case.

More to come... ]]> Discussion Forum Black-Tooth http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17626 http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17625&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 15:22:15 GMT Anyone done this? A friend of mine suggested (and he was taking the p*ss out of my X1/9) replacing the engine cover with a plexiglass one so... Anyone done this?

A friend of mine suggested (and he was taking the p*ss out of my X1/9) replacing the engine cover with a plexiglass one so that you could see the engine. I know some of you guys paint your engines and keep them so clean that you could eat your dinner off of them.

I thought this was a great way to show your engine off - also it would save weight. You could have air holes to let heat out and the design would not have to reflect the metal counterpart. The plastic could be bent and shaped.

I don't think heat would be an issue and you could use the existing hinges and lock.

It would look really cool a plexiglass engine cover and a plexiglass targa top (which I know was once sold commercially 'Saragosa top').

Anyway I know one of our number made a replica 'Saragosa targa' (Rudy?) so has an engine cover been done before and if so a picture would be great.

Regards


Duncan

Fiat x1/9 Euro Spec ]]> Workshop Forum Duncan http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17625 http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17624&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 07:28:31 GMT I had these up in the other section under EF but no one seems to see them there so I decided to post these here.. I am going to start going to this... I had these up in the other section under EF but no one seems to see them there so I decided to post these here.. I am going to start going to this show more often so you will see many more pics in the future. These pics are in the reverse order I took them.... Enjoy.. JJ



































]]> Discussion Forum jjay911 http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17624 http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17623&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 06:57:41 GMT A very nice gentleman called me today to discuss the possiblity of buying my Fiat thats up on eBay and we spoke for about a half hour. He is a very... A very nice gentleman called me today to discuss the possiblity of buying my Fiat thats up on eBay and we spoke for about a half hour. He is a very nice guy but admited to me that he had actually never driven or ridden in an X. So I wonder if anyone in the Houston area would be willing to take this guy out and show him some Xweb hospitality. Post here and if we have some takers I will email him... Thanks. JJ ]]> Discussion Forum jjay911 http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17623 http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17622&goto=newpost Thu, 17 May 2012 02:07:14 GMT http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technology-blog/fiat-pulls-epic-prank-volkswagen-rivals-using-google-164409656.html http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/technolo...164409656.html ]]> Discussion Forum fastx19 http://xwebforums.org/showthread.php?t=17622