1983 Fiat X1/9 review from North America

Water pump replaced twice.

Master cylinder replaced.

Slave cylinder replaced.

Front rotors replaced.

Driver's window fell off track.

Exhaust manifold gasket blew and needed replacement.

Windshield de-laminated.

A/C not working.

This is a love/hate car. I bought it for $1000US, and immediately needed to put close to another $1000 into repairing stuff. It is frustrating as heck, as something went wrong at least once a month. Not too bad, considering I bought it with over 100,000 miles and at almost 20 years old. It is a california car, so there is no rust.

As frustrating as the car is, I truly love the little thing, and although it is in a state of disassembly in my back yard, I always look forward to getting it running again.

While the engine lacks power (85 hp in stock trim), it loves to rev, and because it is so light weight, the lack of power isn't as noticeable as one would think.

The handling is simply fantastic. No, it's no Porsche GT2, but for $1000 bux, it is REALLY fun to drive. I've taken 90 degree turns at 50mph and there was zero tire squeal! The tiny little thing is completely toss-able, and on warm California spring days, it's is very fun and satisfying to drive around in.

At 6'1" and a little over 200lbs, the car lacks the room that would make it a comfortable car, but I've done 3 or 4 hour drives and it was manageable. For those of smaller stature, the car is quite comfortable.

Yeah, the car has issues. Yeah, it breaks down a lot. Yeah, the anemic motor won't win any races. But, and this is a big, but, the car is just darn fun to drive and own when it decides to behave. While there aren't very many resources for info on the car, there are a few places filled with enthusiast that know how to fix things and how to make the things faster, so look around and spend some money on go-fast goodies and you'll have a great car.

I'll never get rid of mine, and as soon as I find the time to put mine back together, I'll take the top off, fill the tank, and head to the beach via the Southern California mountains. I suggest you do the same.