Earlier this year, I went to a SCCA autocross with my buddy Alex. I was lucky enough to be his Tire Warmer. While at the event I meet the Nationally famous, "Fiat Charlie."
Charlie and Alex ribbing each other about who is faster
Charlie has a collection of Fiats that are in various states of build. From his Testaronne Bertone that he uses to autocross in SCCA Solo events, an 850 hard top that is due for restoration, and one of the most exciting X1/9 that I have seen, a turbo 2000 DOHC car. I'd like to do a full write up on the 2000CC Turbo, but that car is a story into itself, so, I hope this pic of the engine bay suffices.
This is the Turbo 2000 CC X1/9 engine bay
The first time I meet Charlie, I had finished my first of three runs in Alex's Solo prepared X1/9. Alex's X runs in the unlimited class, and is a suspension marvel. Four corner coil overs with a 1500 motor running FI. The car is taught, and feels like a missile when you steering through the course. There is so much grip in the car, that when you drive, you literally feel like you are going to be pulled out of the five point harness. That feeling of being pulled came when I had only litely opened the car up on the course. At the end of my first run, I was shaking so badly from excitement and nerves that when I got my time slip, I couldn't reengage the $10,000 Alquati transmission. Charlie chuckled and kindly told me, "The clutch is on the left."
After that day, I got a call from Alex, who told me about a X1/9 that was available. Seems Charlie wanted to downsize a bit, and had a X available. There was no catch, there was only a huge generosity. The car was free. However, the car did have a story.
Seems the X belonged to a couple that shared a love of cars. The X was originally driven by the wife to and from work. While an X1/9 may not be the car you think of when you consider a AARP carrying wife, it was her connection to her husband in a mechanical way.
One night upon waking to the sounds of auto repair, the wife came to the garage to find that her husband was taking apart the Fiat unnecessarily. That early morning intervention marked the sign of aging, and unfortunately it only got worse. Her ownership of the car ended when she found him sanding away at invisible rust. Seems the brain can change, you can't take the car crazy away. Sadly, shortly after this late night sanding session, her husband went to live out the rest of his years in a more secure environment.
Charlie got the car, and knowing the risk of rust, painted the car with Spray Can Yellow. This kept the rust away, but left the car looking the part of the typical Fiat, as opposed to the well maintained X that the car really was.
When Alex and I first saw the car, It had sat for some time. Charlie had a number of car projects and home improvement projects going on, and luckily for me, the little Fiat needed a new home.
Side view
Front view
Rear view
I actually am proceeding with work on the car. I am installing my Big Valve Head from Zanardi on the car, and rebuilding the top end of the engine. The injectors have already been cleaned and balanced by RC Engineering, and I need to find a exhaust manifold as the original is cracked.
I'll get going on this blog again, and I hope you'll come along for the ride. Charlie, I owe you big my friend.
