Christmas came early at my house this year. It started when my friend Matt Brannon of Midwest Bayless Italian Auto shot me a text reading, “Hey Tim, I know we have you scheduled to drive the modded K-swapped X1/9 later this year… but I have an incredible car we built for a client in for just a few days and we’d love for you to drive it!” Say Less!
For those of you who know my YouTube channel, Tim’s Enthusiast Garage…
You may remember I drove Brayden’s super-clean X1/9 early in the series – also from Midwest Bayless. I’ve always been a fan of super lightweight, inexpensive, mid-engine cars. Example include the Porsche 914, Fiat X1/9, Toyota MR2 and even the Pontiac Fiero. While cars like the BRZ/86 are on the light & inexpensive side, nothing can compare to mid-engine vehicle dynamics. The Fiat X1/9 was designed by famed Marcello Gandini, who at the time was at the BERTONE design house. I’ve gone on & on about how much design language it shares with other Gandini greats, like the Lancia Stratos. And generally speaking, I consider the X1/9 a much overlooked classic.
The first Fiat X1/9 debuted in Europe in 1972…
And was then federalized and introduced to North America in 1974. The little belter remained largely unchanged through its 17 year production run. And its diminutive exotic profile made it a real head turner & kept it relevant in the market. Over its lifespan, the drivetrain was improved from a 1.3 carb’d 4-speed, to 1.5 fuel-injected 4-cylinder making 75hp… with a 5-speed. Not a lot of power, but it only had to move 1900-2000lbs depending on spec. Fiat ended production of the X1/9 in 1982, but the popular X1/9 continued for an additional 6-years with full assembly and production handled by BERTONE. From 1983-1988, the car was badged & sold in the states as a BERTONE X1/9.
So, at some point Matt and the team at Midwest Bayless Italian Auto started thinking,
“If this little thing moves with 100hp… what if we swapped in a red top JDM K20 with a close ratio 6 speed?”
Enter my early Christmas surprise.
This X1/9 project started with an immaculate shell…
This car was straight, and still wearing its original yellow & grey paint scheme. From almost any exterior or interior vantage point, this yellow X1/9 looks like a beautifully preserved factory delivered car. It’s got factory Bertone seats, and even the factory-equipped Clarion radio and “X1/9 5-speed” badge on the rear deck – just as it would’ve been delivered decades ago. And after blowing through 10-gallons of high octane, I can confirm that this little X1/9 literally drove like new. That’s IF it had 3.5x the power of the original car. I was genuinely shocked.
The X1/9 suspension…
Is grounded on Koni adjustable coilovers – with 300lb springs out back and 200lb springs at the front. Matt suggested that this is the perfect spring rate for street & light track use. Seems real light – but keep in mind – this X1/9 only weighs 1900lbs… thanks in part to the massive federal bumpers being deleted. All new bushings and a front sway bar keep things flat & predictable. And – braking is handled by a custom system from Midwest Bayless that combines a propriety master cylinder with a Wilwood Series-2 setup. All this works well with the Panasport Z-Lite 15-inch forged wheels shod in Toyo tires measuring 205/50 rear and 195/50 in front. The suspension-tuning is superb, but…
What really sets this X1/9 apart is the VTEC roar of a K20 mounted midship…
It can only be described as pure automotive euphoria. A 2.0 JDM Redtop K20 with revised cams, a Hondata tune, a custom cold-air intake, and in-house exhaust give this X1/9 a sound that’ll have you grinning ear-to-ear. It’s hard to accurately convey the excitement/anticipation of VTEC engaging from right behind your head in an open-top 1,900-pound sports car. But if you have experience with Honda VTEC engines, and if you’ve ever gotten to enjoy the connection/oneness of old/small European sports cars… you can almost envision how great of a combination this is.
The k-swap in this X1/9…
Is paired with a Midwest Bayless clutch pack, lightweight flywheel and 6 ratio box 4.0:1 with a .63.1 6th-gear to keep the highway RPMs reasonable. It’s so perfectly rounded. Putting down 210hp to the wheels – this little Fiat is a power-to-weight ratio screamer.
This k-swapped X1/9 is a driving addict’s dream car…
Super nimble, flat, & controlled. And when VTEC kicks-in with the intake sitting mere inches away from the driver’s head – well – not much is better (at any price-point honestly). This thing is hungry for 8,500 rpms. It wants it.
I hesitate to mention hard performance times…
Because in my experience, they rarely convey how car truly feels. This X1/9 was built to maximize the mid-engine sports car driving experience, and the smile literally never left my face. That being said – I had to at least pull up my GPS-based app to see what was what. As it wasn’t my car I didn’t “launch it”… yet it still clocked a 4.0 0-to-60 and 13.1 quarter mile. This is out of a car that had factory times of 10.8 seconds 0-to-60… and 18.2 seconds to complete the quarter mile. Wow – let that sink in. We’ve become so numb & jaded now with our dual-clutch instant-shift cars. But for a completely analog car and NOT launching it, this kinda blew my mind.
I am a big fan of Italian car design…
This X1/9 shares bits with other Gandini designed cars of the era… including the Countach. If you told a Lamborghini Countach owner, “Pssst, I bet my X1/9 is faster than your raging bull.” suffice to say, they wouldn’t believe you. But this little pasta-rocket isn’t Countach quick… it’s Murcielago quick.
My favorite part of this X1/9?
Besides the VTEC crossover, it was the shifter feel. Somehow, even with the mid-engine swap, Midwest Bayless Italian Auto managed to keep that brilliant Honda shifter feel. Super short throws, positive engagement, and an absolute joy to row.
So now you know what you gotta do lol…
Get on Marketplace, find yourself a blown-up X1/9, K-swap that thing, and give Matt at Midwest Bayless a call. He has all the parts you need. And I promise – your face will literally hurt from smiling so much.
*A full video review of this X1/9 is coming this month as part of Season 6 of Tim’s Enthusiast Garage. Follow Tim at Tim’s Enthusiast Garage. And/or on instagram @timsenthusiastgarage… where Tim posts informative videos on cars from his collection, friends collections and general automotive banter.
Article & Photos by Tim Neely of Tim’s Enthusiast Garage
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