Started getting worried the Spit might not be ready for Europpomeet in March...

"BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires" (biturbo228) 02/02/2018 at 05:57 • Filed to: InadvisableFinancialDecisions, x1/9

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May have bought something else...

pip bip - choose Corrour > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 02/02/2018 at 06:01

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awesome!

1300cc or 1500cc?

Tareim - V8 powered > pip bip - choose Corrour 02/02/2018 at 06:26

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1498 cc

pip bip - choose Corrour > Tareim - V8 powered 02/02/2018 at 06:27

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thank you.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 02/02/2018 at 06:39

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You are officially my friend now. :D

Cé hé sin > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 02/02/2018 at 06:56

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How earth did that survive? Sealed in an airtight environment for the past thirty years?

AuthiCooper1300 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 02/02/2018 at 06:56

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That’s funny. When I saw the picture I thought I should remind you how nice these turn out when you fit an Uno Turbo engine in them.

You say it’s a 1.5... so a previous owner put the Uno bits on a 1.5 block? (Uno Turbo engines were either 1.3 or 1.4.)

Edit: sorry, I thought it was you who mentioned the displacement but it was Tareim. So, Uno Turbo engine Mk1 or Mk2? Mk1s were designed by Abarth for 150 hp, but “detuned” by Fiat.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Cé hé sin 02/02/2018 at 08:50

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Apparently it was restored by a man in Scotland, which does beg the question how it survived in Scotland long enough to be restored...

Some things man was not meant to know...

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > AuthiCooper1300 02/02/2018 at 08:58

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Yeah I’ve always wanted a turbo one :)

I don’t know a great deal about it unfortunately as the chap I bought it from wasn’t the one who built it.

I do know that it’s a wholesale swap from a Mk2 1.4 Uno Turbo though. Spangly exhaust and an external wastegate so it makes some cracking noises :)

I did hear that the Mk1 engines were built a little stouter, although from what I gather you start to get into head flow problems before the bottom end on mk2s give up.

If you’ve got any knowledge on them I’m all ears!

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars 02/02/2018 at 09:02

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BFFs (Best Fiat Friends) ;)

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > pip bip - choose Corrour 02/02/2018 at 09:12

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It really is!

Whole Mk2 Uno Turbo drivetrain swap so 1400 :)

AuthiCooper1300 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 02/02/2018 at 09:24

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Sadly not. I am interested in the Turbo engine because I want to put an Mk1 one into an Mk2 Uno 60s four-door. (I have too many unfinished projects – otherwise I’d be also looking for an Mk 1 Uno four door in black or navy blue and find bliss).

If you don’t plan to crank up the boost [too much] I am certain you won’t have any problems with the 1.4. (I just like the idea of the 1.3 being so overengineered). Being a mid-engined car I’d really be mindful of cooling but you live in cool Britannia so you shouldn’t worry too much about hot days, I should imagine.

The Fiat forum https://www.fiatforum.com/ seems to have a bunch of knowledgeable people about Uno Turbos and weird combinations of Fiat cars and engines not originally designed for them

https://www.fiatforum.com/

I suppose an even more perfect alternative for an Icsunonuove would be a FIRE engine, which are quite lighter than the old Lampredi-designed SOHC.

Also: some guy Stateside fitted a 500 Abarth engine. Quite impressive: look it up in YouTube:

'Wägen, EPA LOL > AuthiCooper1300 02/02/2018 at 09:47

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500 Abarth engine has nothing on this swap...

http://www.midwest-bayless.com/p-1029-acura-honda-k20-engine-swap-kit-for-fiat-bertone-x19-stage-1.aspx

Got to see one when I dropped off my ‘78 124 spider engine to have it built by the shop next to these guys. Sadly, one year later its still sitting next to the car because I need to weld a new floor into the passenger side.

LiterallyStuckIn1987 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 02/02/2018 at 09:47

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This is the best car in Fiat’s current lineup.

Even if it’s called a ‘Bertone’ nowadays.

AuthiCooper1300 > 'Wägen, EPA LOL 02/02/2018 at 09:56

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How heavy are K20 engines in general? For an X1/9 you want something light. People used to fit the old Fiat twin cam in them but what you’d gain in nice torque you would lose in agility (and a higher CoG).

Sounds intriguing. On the other hand, it is not a Fiat engine and that may be important to some people.

Hey, get that floorpan ready...!

'Wägen, EPA LOL > AuthiCooper1300 02/02/2018 at 10:31

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K20 only weighs 405 lbs. and is good for about 215hp stock. A far cry from the 85 that the car had originally!

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > AuthiCooper1300 02/02/2018 at 10:48

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Yeah I can appreciate enjoying the overbuiltness ;) I know what you mean about the too many projects thing...

Thanks for the links to the forums, and that Abarth 500-engined one is mental!

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > AuthiCooper1300 02/02/2018 at 10:49

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Yeah I can appreciate enjoying the overbuiltness ;) I know what you mean about the too many projects thing...

Thanks for the links to the forums, and that Abarth 500-engined one is mental!

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > 'Wägen, EPA LOL 02/02/2018 at 10:50

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A K20 would make a monster X1/9!

You can get the Uno Turbo up to about 200-220bhp reliably before needing to sort internals and stuff, but a K20 starts at that.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > AuthiCooper1300 02/02/2018 at 10:54

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I’ve got a big ol’ database of engine specs including dressed weights which is perfect for this :)

The standard X1/9 SOHC is around 123kg. With all the turbo gubbins it’s around 143kg in the Uno. I’ve got a K20 at 150kg so it’s not significantly different to a turbo X1/9.

Fiat Twincams are 145kg so they’re all pretty comparable really :) 20kg here or there isn’t a great deal really so it’s probably more psychosomatic than anything else.

I am one of those people who prefer in-house engine swaps though. Or at least ones with a connection like Rover V8s in MGBs and such.

AuthiCooper1300 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 02/02/2018 at 11:06

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I knew that the Uno Turbo engine was no lightweight but never imagined it was as heavy as the old twincam. That’s great info. Nice database you have!

LJK Setright greatly admired (and enjoyed) the X1/9. I remember him mentioning in passing that just changing the cam, adding some decent carburettors, bigger discs at the front, and 13" x 6" (or maybe 7"?) wheels shod with 175/50 tyres they went like a dream.

I suppose it would be good not to overtyre it so that once it wants to spin you get a bit of warning.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 02/02/2018 at 12:03

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I see what you did there. :P

pip bip - choose Corrour > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 02/02/2018 at 15:44

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Interesting

CaptDale - is secretly British > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 02/02/2018 at 18:12

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I am jealous of that car and the trip!

Kanaric > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 02/03/2018 at 01:10

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There is a great video on youtube of someone with this engine in this car wiping the floor of all compeitition in Danish Touring Car vs new porsches 370zs, everything.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Kanaric 02/03/2018 at 02:29

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Awesome :) I’ll try and find that.

Not sure this will just yet, but tuned with some standalone management should work nicely!

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > CaptDale - is secretly British 02/03/2018 at 02:39

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Yeah both are going to be great fun!

I’m sure we’ll post stuff up about the trip so you can live vicariously ;)

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > AuthiCooper1300 02/03/2018 at 03:12

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Yeah you’d be surprised how much extra weight turbos add. People use it as an alternative to heavier engine swaps, yet forget about the extra 20kg in hardware you’re bolting to your engine.

Yeah I remember reading that :) anything recommended by Setright is good by me :)

Agreed on the over-tyring stuff. Makes it snappy when it does let go which wouldn’t be great on a very-short-wheelbase car with a turbo...

CaptDale - is secretly British > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 02/03/2018 at 11:01

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But I’d rather live in the moment, there, in something ridiculous, like a TVR Tuscan S mk1!

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > CaptDale - is secretly British 02/03/2018 at 16:00

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Oh hell yeah :) great choice ;)

davedave1111 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 02/05/2018 at 23:21

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F me, business must be good... Aren’t those running into real grown-up car money now?

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > davedave1111 02/08/2018 at 08:26

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Bit of an alignment of the planets to get this yeah. Just paid off a big loan so had £180 a month spare, and it sold to the previous guy for £5500 (about what it’s actually worth). Previous guy was a timewaster, and the guy selling was moving house so it came up for £3500 (right at the top end of what I could swing loan-wise).

So yeah, bankrupted myself but it will only go up in value so I can console my poor bank account ;)

davedave1111 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 02/08/2018 at 21:05

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“but it will only go up in value”

I keep telling the wife that. At least I only have two ‘appreciating assets’.

Talking of which, do you know anyone who knows classic Ford prices in the UK? Any idea what these two would be worth?

http://www.trinicarsforsale.com/database/featuredcarsDetails.php?129764-98777

http://www.trinicarsforsale.com/database/featuredcarsDetails.php?124311-96284

£1=~9TTD, so that Escort’s asking price is around £7250. I’m hoping it’s worth enough more than that to be worth shipping over.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > davedave1111 02/10/2018 at 09:48

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Haha yeah most of mine are of the ‘can’t possibly drop any lower’ sort of appreciating assetts ;)

Alas I don’t know much about classic Ford prices, but I would guess that Mk1 Escorts are getting on for big money nowadays, and that one looks mint :)

davedave1111 > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 02/11/2018 at 00:35

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Oh fuck. I read your comment and was all ‘uhuh, respond to that later’. And then about six hours afterwards I suddenly thought ‘shit, he said “looks mint”’...

I may have done it to myself, but as a slow burner that’s even worse :)