Featured reader rides ??

Is the picture that appears organized or random ? I keep thinking I might visit this site and see my own submitted photo but never do. I'm now looking at the black X1/9 for the second or third day this week.

Steve

I've been seeing a different car everyday. I'm going to wait a few hours and see if that holds or if it randomizes.

Six or seven hours later and I see a new picture.

I've seen both my race cars.

Maybe they only put up 4 cylinder cars during prime time.

Well, I am once again looking at the same black X1/9.

http://classicmotorsports.net/media/img/readerrides/DSCN4831_t352.JPG

Third or fourth time this week alone. I clicked a link or two and find there is a display of "highest rated reader rides" This X1/9 is for some reason the highest rated by quite a lot 43 votes. In fact it appears there's been some collusion by the Fiat owners in the rating game. Read down the highest rated list, they're all Fiats. X1/9, X1/9, X1/9, Lancia, 124, X1/9, X1/9. They way I remember X1/9's thats a pretty mysterious result considering all the other cars that could have made top in that rating list. The plot thickens.

Steve

X1/9 owners are a truly rabid bunch. I've had a pair myself and consider myself only partially recovered. I may someday have a relapse if the right car comes along at the right time. You should try one on a twisty road...

What a surprise I sign on this morning and see a picture of an X1/9. At least its a different one.

http://classicmotorsports.net/media/img/readerrides/Fiat_April_09_12_t238.jpg

Steve

Well, there is a story behind the highest rating. A while back, the staff had a contest to see who could get the most votes by a specific time. the winner was awarded a t-shirt. There was no collusion, I simply told people I knew about the contest. Everyone else had the same opportunities and I did not force anyone to vote. All this proves is that Fiat owners are very enthusiastic. Maybe it is time for another contest, I am game.

The X1/9 is not black, it is green FYI.

In reply to BrettM:

Thanks for splainin it. Sounds like a bad idea all the way around. Contest ? I've got nothing against X1/9's a friend owned one but if the vote is supposed to indicate "best car" engineering and design wise it would hardly be an X1/9. If the vote were to indicate best car from an originality POV or a quality of restoration POV it certainly could be an X1/9 but there is nothing about your photos that would indicate either way. Certainly all the X1/9's wouldn't be so high in that category.

Best thing for me is to just stop having expectations. Enjoy the car. They are fun to drive.

Steve

In reply to BrettM:

Guess what. It's back in all its green glory

http://classicmotorsports.net/media/img/readerrides/DSCN4831_t352.JPG

Steve

In reply to Sownman:

Hello Steve, Not sure why it was a bad idea, the goal was to get people to participate in the Readers rides section and see what it had to offer. Based on the numbers generated for all cars, it seemed to do that. I realize that the X1/9 is not highly regarded among those who have never owned or driven a nice example. Those who have, share in our little secret, these cars are amazing fun AND can perform way above the level that they were intended to. I would stack the X1/9s engineering up against any British car of the period, especially a Sunbeam. Don't get me wrong, I love the Tiger, almost bought one myself once. Take a well prepared Sunbeam and X1/9 on a twisty road and I know who would be home first.

I am not sure why you have a problem with X1/9s being at the top for once. Maybe we should have another contest, I am game.

Otherwise, I agree with your last statement, go and drive your car. It is always more fun than hitting a keyboard.

As mentioned, the Fiat folks organized and voted their favorites up. A LOT. Some of them also voted some the non-Fiats down, but that's water under the bridge (and the reason you can't vote down cars anymore).

Brett's car was the recipient of a lot of votes because they were voting for their favorites (Fiats) and Brett's is a very nice example.

The Featured Ride is chosen semi-randomly using an algorithm that takes into account the number of votes, the number of comments, the number of updates and a few other factors.

So vote for your favorites.

I bridged the gap...

Own a FIAT and a Triumph.

hehe

I had an Austin Healey once, loved it.

Sownman wrote: to indicate "best car" engineering and design wise it would hardly be an X1/9.

Hi Steve:

I am not sure I agree with you here. The x-1/9 is well engineered to provide a sports car from econo car bits, and it did so well.

How many affordable mid engined cars were available in the 70's? One.

Longest running affordable mid engined cars? x-1/9 at 15 years of continuous production

Why Brett's car, because Brett spend an incredible amount of time making his x one of the niceist in the country.

Feel free to drop by Dixie FiatFest in Winston Salem, NC on teh weekend of June 26-28th to experience the x-1/9 (my 21k mile original example and former #2 car) in its glory....

In reply to Sownman:
Fiats in general and X1/9s in particular have an extremely loyal following. They tend to be enthusiastically represented in any forum where people gather to talk about foreign cars from the sixties and seventies. While a Fiat may not be the "best" of the reader's rides (whatever "best" might mean in any particular case) the poll is not and was never intended to be scientific. People who are more than just casual enthusiasts are more likely to participate in a poll, and therefore, more likely to have their favorites selected. During the sixties, seventies, and eighties, Fiats developed a bad reputation in the US, mostly due to electrical problems and rust issues. As the cars aged, and the Fiats that survived made their way into the hands of enthusiasts seeking driving enjoyment rather than simple transportation, the qualities that make Fiats special, like driving experience, came to the fore, and the problems that caused their bad reputation in the US were made less relevant. Maybe rather than complaining about their overrepresentation, you might want to think about what it is about Fiats that inspires such intense loyalty and commitment among their owners. I did not vote in the pole, but I am a Fiat owner, and suggest that you try driving one. You might be pleasantly surprised.

In reply to bmw327: Hi Rudy.

In reply to Dpvog:

Very well said.

We are all car enthusiasts here and I would never say that any Fiat is superior in every way to other cars. There is simply something about the package that really works and begs to be driven.

Tim: It is a fair point about the same cars showing up multiple times and perhaps you should just cycle through the "readers' rides". The X1/9 is a fine sports car. I do make them back into their parking spots at our shows so we can find the engine.

Cheers Ron

I have yet to see my car under the lime light. Sigh. Maybe I can hack the Tivo and review a few weeks worth of random fixed screen video...

In reply to BrettM:

Lets make this clear. I have no bone to pick with Fiat owners at all. I also have no interest in making an X1/9 to Tiger comparison. There is no comparing. I've driven an X1/9 when it was a new car. I don't imagine you've driven a Tiger. I just wondered how the X1/9's flooded the favorite ride list, you kindly explained it. If I were picking a "favorite ride" it would not be an X1/9 , probably more likely a Ferrari, or Maserati, or Jag, or Astin Martin, Mercedes, Porsche. Most people I know would give a similar answer so why so many X 1/9's on top ?

By bad idea I don't mean Fiat winning the contest I mean having a contest at all, but my point is pretty well made by looking at the result, it's hardly a list of the best cars that this sites members submitted. X 1/9 is 7 of the top ten ? Frankly I don't give a rats ass if my car ever shows up in the pics but I do look at the readers rides from time to time and notice lots of attractive interesting cars that never show up. I asked a question and now I know why. It was over a plan to win a t shirt and continues on and on. If I ran this board I would choose to select daily pics from the entire list of cars submitted by the members, but it's not my website so I'll go back to enjoying the daily X1/9 pics.

Steve

In reply to Sownman:

That is cool with me. It is kinda like a people's choice car show, usually a red convertible wins the show. That is ok, the people that were at the show chose it so no sleep lost there.

You are right that most would pick a more exotic car as the fav but the fact that so many Fiat owners showed up simply shows that we are still here and that we are still driving our cars. The contest was meant to be fun and build awareness, that is all it was.

I have driven Ferraris, Maseratis and Jags and can tell you that a properly prepared X1/9 (not stock) gives just as many smiles per mile than the same exotic from that era. My 91 Alfa S was more entertaining to drive than the Maserati that I drove. They are rolling works of art but lets face it, a model mini van could out run, and out handle most vintage exotics. It is more than numbers and we all have a favorite.

Oh, I have driven a Tiger BTW. It was an nice original 260 model. Very fun car and I would own one in a heartbeat. Not an engineering marvel but hey, that is ok. Brett

Sownman, it's in YOUR hands, and the hands of the other users. There are about a dozen Sunbeams in Readers' Rides, yet none of them have more than a handful of votes. If you like Sunbeams, vote for 'em! See something else you think is worthy? Vote for it, too.

Personally, I see a lot of cars in Readers Rides I think should have more votes than they do. I make sure I give 'em a vote.

Hey Tim:

I did fote for that Yugo!

:)

BrettM wrote: In reply to Sownman: the fact that so many Fiat owners showed up simply shows that we are still here and that we are still driving our cars. The contest was meant to be fun and build awareness, that is all it was.

Actually I think it shows some exchange of emails. I wonder what the couple guys with X 1/9's near the bottom of the vote count did to piss the others off.

And to Tim....

It's all in your hands how you run your website not mine. It's remarkable the several E-Types get few votes. Hard to imagine so many people would prefer to own X 1/9's. Interesting how auction prices don't follow that. At any rate it's all too silly to worry about. I'm done.

Steve