Matt's Fiat X-1/9

Update!!!! 3/30/2010 Progress!!!!!


Well why not..... I found these pics on photobucket and I'm bored out of my mind at the inlaws here in Gillette so might as well post some pics right?
They are a few years old now I think from about 2007. Soon it will have bigger fenders, it will be blue with slicks and a much more powerful engine.








Here's my civic from the 2008 BTR

Need to get on that Fiat this winter Matt

ZipDriveX wrote:

Need to get on that Fiat this winter Matt

He needs Matt R to paint it already!!

Tell us more about the Fiat!

This is my dream car. It's a Dallara modified X-1/9. This is what I'm building.

I've owned quite a few of the X-1/9's. But this white one is the original one I owned back in high school and sold then just a few years back found it and bought it back.

The short story is the car handles well stock but has lot's of body roll. It has a 40F/60R weight distribution. Weighs about 1920lbs and has about 75Hp at the crank from the 1.3L. It's a gutless pig. It won't get out of it's own way.

I've never driven one with a built engine. all of mine have always had stock engines and they handle very well. but I wanted better than well. It's getting a diet. the goal weight when I'm done is around 1700lbs. I have purchased the Dallara repli-car fiberglass body kit minus the huge rear spoiler. So that should give me all the room in the fenders I need for the 8" and 10" slicks (not installed yet..waiting for body guy). I've totally gone through the suspension. Very little of it is even Fiat anymore. Advance Design shocks (adjustable dampening, separate rebound and compression) with custom fabbed camber plates. Heims, spherical joints everything is adjustable. The Eibach springs are crazy stiff with Ground Control sleeve perches. The springs are so stout and tuned perfect with the shocks and the chassis dynamics that I don't even need sway bars. It has oversize 4 piston Willwood front calipers with aluminum hate racing rotors and over sized calipers in the rear. To wrap it all up this cars chassis and suspension as of the last time I raced it with a stock 75hp engine is just about perfect---- perfect enough to beat Scott Cranston in the Teal Stang. It sticks as well as the tires and asphalt allow it to. It's very predictable being a true mid-engine car. Balance throttle it through the turns. It's just gorgeous. But... gutless.
So I built a 1.5L Fiat engine for it that has forged crank and rods. High compression pistons(11.1:1) and cam and fully balanced. All built just waiting to go in the car. It should be putting out 130-160Hp crank when I'm done tuning. Going to run a standalone EFI on it.
So the last time I raced it was in 2007. So when it's finally back together it will have big fiberglass fenders to make room for the 40% wider more sticky tires with over twice the power and torque and will handle better than it did before because everything will be a more balanced chassis resulting in a great car.... that will look pretty in the RX-8 electric blue with black trim.
What's the hold up? The body guy..... hurry up body buy... you know who you are.LOL.
And I expect that the limit for some time will be the driver....lol. Then after a while the engine won't be powerful any more and I'll have to transplant a Honda B20vtev or a 4A-GE 20valve. But one thing will remain..... the chassis will be exactlty what I want.

And soon to be........

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2Z6wvWxj0Y&feature=related

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7tCm98Q92s&feature=related

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_txgZ5sQQs&feature=related

Minus the big wing..... LOL. can't wait.

Do those X19's have ITB's? If so that is sweet!!!

Stock it just had a crappy 2bbl carb. lol

But in the video's yes you see ITB's. And not just normal ones..... Those ones are special. They are sliding throttle plates. A really cool desighn. No butterflies.

http://www.gforceengineering.net/projects_gallery.htm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_V9IjTuAhc&feature=player_embedded
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qJvT-XJZOQ&feature=related
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m8qvQWn5U8&feature=related
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZ0L4MiCnWY&feature=related
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d816aSB85Z0&feature=related

Sweet!!! Thanks for sharing bud!! Are you going to do a headlight conversion on your car also or keep them flip up lights?

I can't do the Dallara headlights. I have to keep the flip up ones. It's boils down to the minimum headlamp height as deemed by the DOT. I am actually in violation of the minimum headlamp criteria ever since I lowered the car. The American cars were RAISED in the front to meet that DOT criteria. So the body kit was designed with this in mind and retains the flip up headlamps. And I will still be "illegal" by about 4" too low. If I did the Dallara headlamp conversion I would really be illegal.

Update!!!! 1/28/2010 Progress!!!!!

Well guys.... I have 15 weeks before the first Lewistown event. Lets see if I can make it with the Dallara.




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And now I have the pellet stove installed in my garage! Time to get my butt in gear!

looks like its coming together. i hope you get it done in time. im getting pumped for lewistown. looks like alot of long nights are in store for you.

ya. Lots of long nights. lol. Maybe I can get it done and still have a happy wife in 15 weeks. lol

that is so sick! attention to detail is top notch and it is something unique. I give you huge props for sticking with something you like and making it through the long haul. Maybe I can convince you to give me a ride at one of the events.

b1r - TS wrote:

that is so sick! attention to detail is top notch and it is something unique. I give you huge props for sticking with something you like and making it through the long haul. Maybe I can convince you to give me a ride at one of the events.

Ya I've always wanted a Dallara. It's coming together finally..... Now if I could just get my body guy to get in a working mood. Jamms turned out well though. At least I can mount the engine in it now and the suspension and run fuel lines and wiring.... and hopefully now that it's in my heated garage my body guy will come over and get to work bonding the fenders on it and blending them in. As long as they are mounted and it's in primer I'll race it. after that point it's just some prep, masking and laying the paint on it. I really hope we can have paint on it in 15 weeks though.

Ride? Sure.... bring a diaper. lol

Not too fast in a straight line but it will make up for it in everything else. And if things go according to plan.... next year it will have about triple the power over a stock power plant.

Looks like its coming along great. As Jake said its very cool to see you do something different and something you love. Can't wait to see more as it all comes together.

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here's the latest development. installing the suspension again. Don't those fenders look a lot smaller now that there are some tires on it that fill them up? lol

What size tires are you stuffing under there? How much is it going to weigh when its all finished? Can't wait to watch you SCCA and at Lewistown. I think I better get some better tires so I can try and keep up in the corners.

Tires look sick fillin up them holes!! Kepp up the good work Matt, I can't wait to see the finished product!

ts4l wrote:

What size tires are you stuffing under there? How much is it going to weigh when its all finished? Can't wait to watch you SCCA and at Lewistown. I think I better get some better tires so I can try and keep up in the corners.

kudos to anyone that can keep up in the corners without a shifter kart or Dwights Avenger. lol... Of coarse.... I'll be in the way in the straights. lol

Those are 8" front slicks and 10" rears on 13" rims. Going out to do some more work on it right now. I'll take some more pics as I go.

Dr.Auto wrote:

ts4l wrote:

What size tires are you stuffing under there? How much is it going to weigh when its all finished? Can't wait to watch you SCCA and at Lewistown. I think I better get some better tires so I can try and keep up in the corners.

kudos to anyone that can keep up in the corners without a shifter kart or Dwights Avenger. lol... Of coarse.... I'll be in the way in the straights. lol

Those are 8" front slicks and 10" rears on 13" rims. Going out to do some more work on it right now. I'll take some more pics as I go.

pretty wide meats on the beast. so are you planning on SCCA with it this year. if all goes as planned getting it back together?

shawnss wrote:

pretty wide meats on the beast. so are you planning on SCCA with it this year. if all goes as planned getting it back together?

Ya I plan on trying to make the May 29th Lewistown event if I can getting it running by then. But I do plan on a few SCCA events too.

Anyways... took a few more picks. Got all the suspension back on. I'm getting fired up. lol

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Ok.... now it's time to make this thing move..... where the heck did I put my trans-axle? Oh wait... I have four of them. Which one is which now? See this is why you don't take a car apart and take three years to put it back together.

But it's time to put the engine in it. This is all the easy stuff. pretty soon all the hard stuff. Making a wiring harness for the EFI on a car that never had it..... which means new fuel pump and lines too. Coolant pipes under car are still jacked up. I'll need gauges in this thing.... But Thursday Matt is coming over for a night of body work. yay!

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Looking good Matt!!! Keep up the good work and let me know if you need any help.

Looks like Thursdays are the designated body work days for now. Matt will be over this Thursday if you want to come hang with us.

Looks like we have similar brakes! Looking very good Matt. Keep the updates coming. Any thoughts on switching to a two piece rotor with a floating hat?

ts4l wrote:

Looks like we have similar brakes! Looking very good Matt. Keep the updates coming. Any thoughts on switching to a two piece rotor with a floating hat?

Already done. Thats what those willwoods are riding on. Two piece rotor.... aluminum hat. They just have a little surface rust on them from condensation. The rear brakes are still stock rotors however.

Whoops guess i should have looked better its pretty obvious after looking back at it.

I dont no much about these cars. but im assuming this is a rear( mid) engine car???

shawnss wrote:

I dont no much about these cars. but im assuming this is a rear( mid) engine car???

This would be considered a true mid-engine car. Transverse mounted engine/trans-axle just in front of the rear wheels. It's a 60%rear 40% front weight bias. And by moving a few things like the fuel tank to the front I hope to get it closer to 55/45. The last time I raced this car was a few years back on this suspension/brake setup. But at that point it was equipped with 185/50/13" tires (yoka a048) and the stock engine with an amazing 70hp at the crank. Tires just weren't enough and the engine was a joke. But it still did well.
http://www.yellowstonescca.com/events/2007/070903/results.htm
http://www.yellowstonescca.com/events/2007/070506/results.htm
at least I thought it did well.

Dr.Auto wrote:

shawnss wrote:

I dont no much about these cars. but im assuming this is a rear( mid) engine car???

This would be considered a true mid-engine car. Transverse mounted engine/trans-axle just in front of the rear wheels. It's a 60%rear 40% front weight bias. And by moving a few things like the fuel tank to the front I hope to get it closer to 55/45. The last time I raced this car was a few years back on this suspension/brake setup. But at that point it was equipped with 185/50/13" tires (yoka a048) and the stock engine with an amazing 70hp at the crank. Tires just weren't enough and the engine was a joke. But it still did well.
http://www.yellowstonescca.com/events/2007/070903/results.htm
http://www.yellowstonescca.com/events/2007/070506/results.htm
at least I thought it did well.

Oh damn that little thing got with it. pretty crazy. my father inlaw was always telling me he had a fiat and how good it handled. i didnt think they were that good in mostly stock form.

^^^^^ I don't think it was mostly stock... he already had all the suspension/brakes done to it and A048 tires are a far stretch from stock.... Not hating on Matt's car, just don't go buy some old fiat and expect it to be an SCCA monster.

b1r - TS wrote:

^^^^^ I don't think it was mostly stock... he already had all the suspension/brakes done to it and A048 tires are a far stretch from stock.... Not hating on Matt's car, just don't go buy some old fiat and expect it to be an SCCA monster.

Well said. lol.

Ya, if you look at that one time sheet there was another X-1/9 there too. you might notice it didn't do as well. It was completely stock.



This was from back in the day when it was completely stock except for the tires..... but they were still just street tires nothing special.
http://yellowstonescca.com/events/2004/52amo.htm
http://yellowstonescca.com/events/2004/531sky.htm
http://yellowstonescca.com/events/2004/711mett.htm
http://yellowstonescca.com/events/2004/906sky.htm
too bad they don't have the pics up from these events still. lol. you would see a stock fiat mostly on two wheels because it had so much body roll.

hey I found pics of my red X-1/9 I was racing in 2004 from this event.
http://yellowstonescca.com/events/2004/52amo.htm

lol I forgot how much body roll that thing had lol. wow. This is a completely stock one just nice rims.

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Wow... the good old days right? lol

So last night was a good night getting stuff done on the Dallara X-1/9.

Matt Ruckstad showed up and did fiberglass work on the fenders. Ben Steiner brought over his plasma cutter and while Matt fussed with fiberglass we cat metal off the car that didn't need to be there. Ended up cutting a lot of metal off the car. But the wheels aren't going to hit anything any more. lol
Matt should be coming over tomorrow to finish up the last little bit of fiberglass. I'm going to weld this and that for to reinforce whatever needs it because all the metal that was cut off. Matt even said that if all goes well we might even bond the rear fenders on the car..... yay!

This next week I'll be working on the engine putting the last little bits on it and bolting it to the transaxle after adjusting the valves. Hopefully I'll have the engine/transaxle mounted in the car before next Thursday.

Still on the uphill side of getting this thing done. No easy sailing as of yet. More pictures when we get a little farther.

Well I am glad the X-19 is coming together!!

heeb101 wrote:

Well I am glad the X-19 is coming together!!

Thanks Brandon. Matt should be showing up this after noon to do more stuff if you want to come hand for a few. Maybe today I'll take more pictures of all the metal I cut off the car that is in the way of the wheels under the fiberglass fenders. Stayed tuned.

Well Brandon, you missed a good time today. Fiberglass work and lots of itchiness. lol

Just about have the rear fenders ready to bond to the car, but not quite yet.

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So Matt and I decided that spending alot of time on the rear of the car would be a good idea. Make it look really good and the rest of the car can look like crap. As long as the back end looks great..... because our story is..... thats the part of the car that everyone will get to see the most of.
It's our story

ok... yes I'm finally posting an update.

So Matt is still slacking like a dead man.... working on it about once or twice a week.... But good news is his car is done getting repainted as of yesturdayand looks awesome.... so now maybe my car that was supposed to be done by halloween 2009 will get done now and look awesome..... 6 months behind schedule.... but as long as it looks awesome right?

So all the fiberglass is perminately attached to the car and the lines are coming together.... realistically the paint could be done in less than a week if it just got done.

Engine is in..... and I just fired it up this last weekend and now starting on building the map. It's basic map is built for about 1000-2500rpm.... couple little things I need to do like finish bleed ing the front brakes fix the messed up shifter and a few more wiring issues and I'll take it for a test drive and start working on the map under load and higher rpms. So the good news is there is a good chance I'll have it running for the May29th Lewistown meet.... might not have all the bugs worked out but with luck it will be a good chance to work out most of the bugs I have..... should be fun even though car will probably not be at it's full potential.

On a side note.... I'll be taking it to Lewistown with or without paint..... who does graphics/sticker design? I'm thinking I'll be more apt to advertise for my body guy with very large stickers if the paint is not done by then. Or is that being too much of a jerk? just wondering.....

Exciting Matt! I bet you'll be stoked when this thing is finally finished up!! Hope to see this itty-bitty car huggin the turns of Lewistown

it'll be there man..... question right now is with paint or not? lol Matt Does Awesome work..... when he works. lol

Who needs paint!

it makes the car look faster than it really is. lol

I'm not sure if Eric mentioned to you but I have a few extra flat dimple died gussets. He thought you may want them. I think I've got two that I won't be using. They are about 2.5" wide by 12" long i'd guess. Meant for gusseting the A pillar but could be used for a lot of things. Anyways when Eric welds up my door gussets I'll see if he checked with you. You can see pictures on www.cagethis.com If you don't need any sorry for the post. Your car is coming along nicely. As others have said can't wait to see it go around the corners.

ts4l wrote:

I'm not sure if Eric mentioned to you but I have a few extra flat dimple died gussets. He thought you may want them. I think I've got two that I won't be using. They are about 2.5" wide by 12" long i'd guess. Meant for gusseting the A pillar but could be used for a lot of things. Anyways when Eric welds up my door gussets I'll see if he checked with you. You can see pictures on www.cagethis.com If you don't need any sorry for the post. Your car is coming along nicely. As others have said can't wait to see it go around the corners.

Actually I might need a couple.... all I have is a harness bar right now but I do need to reinforce it and finish it up. PM me a price for them or something. Thanks.

ok.... I drove down to the end of my driveway tonight. lol

here's some pics

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so... why do you need to paint it?

nice mirror by the way... I have one as well!

hey ya know i saw one similar to that but drabb green in vegas when i was there, it sounded pretty beefy, turboed for sure, and HUGE rims and tires on it. i thought it was cool.