Fiat x-19 and Turbo Uno swap

In my quest to find a suitable classic for my wife I've also thought of the Fiat X-19. I've always thought they were a great little car but were under powered. I was surfing and came across an X-19 forum from the U.K. Apparently a Fiat turbo uno engine swap is quite common over there and solves the problem. From what I'm reading the 1500cc turbo uno drops right in with minimal fuss.

The big question is where would we ever find a turbo uno engine in North America? Were they ever available over here?

Hi,

Yep the uno turbo does bolt in, from what I know they were never available here. For more info you can always go to: The X web Forum

It seems the most popular swap right now on this side of the pond is a Honda K or B series engine. Both are far from a bolt-in arrangement though.

There's a guy who races with us once in a while with this very swap.

I never really felt my 1500 (megasquirted) X1/9 was that down on power. It sure as heck was fun.

Personally, I think a Neon 2.0 motor would be a better swap for North America. 150hp right out of the box with a great power range and loves to rev like the original motor.

Inboard CV joints from the Neon fit onto the Fiat axle shafts.

Cross-flow head fits the engine bay quite nicely.

Engine mounts are in similar locations, engine and transaxle are in the same orientation, etc.

Cable linkage transaxle is easier to adapt to front shift.

Hydraulic clutch options available.

Still some great aftermarket support available.

They are incredibly cheap in the yards still.

Plus, with the recent Chrysler/Fiat partnership, you might convince some local AutoX to let you run in something other than a full-mod class ;)

The biggest drawbacks to the Fiat chassis are simply the lack of performance struts available at a reasonable price and the weight. They weigh nearly 2000lbs and are hell-for-stout. Otherwise, they are a great chassis screaming for a little more power and the targa roof is so much nicer than a traditional soft-top during the non-sunny days :)

You're making me miss my Exxie, and I never got to drive it! LOL

I would think a Uno turbo would be a tough find in Europe these days.

As ArthurDent says, Uno Turbos are not that easy to come by in Europe these days - they've gained some following like most of the sporty Fiats that haven't disintegrated and have been creeping upwards price-wise for a while now.

IIRC the engine is the same basic design as the X1/9 and should just swap in (including gearbox IIRC). Heat management might be a slight problem but it used to be a fairly common swap.

I'm not sure you need to go that route. My old '74 had a European cam, dual webbers, oversized pistons, and a ton of head work. It put out something like 110hp, and the European cam is far from the hottest you can get.

Hoelscher's old DSP car was a rocket. It had programmable injection but a stock cam and internals. The mid range was so much better than mine (and he built my engine) that I was shocked that they were the same car.

My '81 injected X1/9 was all stock, and it was far faster than the earlier carbs and more driveable too. If you can start with a '81 plus you'd be better off.

I had an '85 Bertone with A/C; crappy Auto-Xer, but with poofy red leather, carpets, air and a stereo it was definately a chick's car.

For the same money don't overlook the Fiero.

Dan

Fiero GT is on the list, but wife is leaning more to convertibles. Right now Fiat 124 or 2nd gen RX7 convertible are towards the top of the list. Jensen Healey is another long shot possibility or maybe the right Alfa Spider. MGB or Spitfire are other longshots if they are tricked out right. Even a 914 or 944 could be considered but are less likely.

TR8owner wrote: Even a 914 or 944 could be considered but are less likely.

When a guy that has owned 200+ cars says he regrets selling only a handful and the 914 is one of them, you should listen.

(The guy is me.)

I can tell you the Uno parts are EZ to come by thanks to the w.w.w. When I started my Turbo Yugo it was not so ez.

If you decide you wont a Turbo X. I can help. With all your parts and how to.

Just PM me.

In reply to Junkyard_Dog:

Was that a 914-6 by chance? As a previous two time 356 owner I've never been gollygeewhized by the VW 914's but always appreciated the mid engine design. I assume the VW engined ones are quite reliable? Any problems we should be aware of. Maybe we should also look into these a bit more closely.

TR8owner wrote: Fiero GT is on the list, but wife is leaning more to convertibles. Right now Fiat 124 or 2nd gen RX7 convertible are towards the top of the list. Jensen Healey is another long shot possibility or maybe the right Alfa Spider. MGB or Spitfire are other longshots if they are tricked out right. Even a 914 or 944 could be considered but are less likely.

I approve of the top of the list (as I own one of them, but I love RX7s, and 2nd gens are priced right right now). I dislike Jensen Healey, they are fugly, and can't be un-fuglied.

914Driver wrote: I had an '85 Bertone with A/C; crappy Auto-Xer, but with poofy red leather, carpets, air and a stereo it was definately a chick's car. For the same money don't overlook the Fiero. Dan

Surprised you had problems with the Exxe autocrossing.. I thought they Xcelled there?

Junkyard_Dog wrote:

TR8owner wrote: Even a 914 or 944 could be considered but are less likely.

When a guy that has owned 200+ cars says he regrets selling only a handful and the 914 is one of them, you should listen. (The guy is me.)

Don't want to hijack the thread but now I am interested. What other cars do you regret selling?

Raze wrote:

TR8owner wrote: Fiero GT is on the list, but wife is leaning more to convertibles. Right now Fiat 124 or 2nd gen RX7 convertible are towards the top of the list. Jensen Healey is another long shot possibility or maybe the right Alfa Spider. MGB or Spitfire are other longshots if they are tricked out right. Even a 914 or 944 could be considered but are less likely.

I approve of the top of the list (as I own one of them, but I love RX7s, and 2nd gens are priced right right now). I dislike Jensen Healey, they are fugly, and can't be un-fuglied.

Easy, easy! I likes my J-H's. They're not so fugly IMHO.

The race car's a bit cobby looking but during the sorting process that's to be expected.

My Exxies (a carbed '79 and an FI '81) were both fun cars but underpowered. At the time, spark control with a homebuilt turbo was just a pipe dream so it never got on my radar. I AXed the '81 a couple of times and really liked it, even with cheap crappy 185/60-13 street tires it was tossable and predictable.

I flipped it along with my last MGB to build up cash for my Jensen Healey project. I sometimes wish I still had that car, given the choices of DIY fuel injection stuff.

I also think they would be fine with the original engine. Im not really into hack job engine swaps though, which is what most of them turno out to be without alot more work than most people do. There are penty of interesting things you can build with parts that fit together the way they were made :)

I would never take out the SOHC Fiat engine to replace it with some dopey Neon one. There is nothing wrong with the Fiat engine that careful parts swapping or a turbo can't fix.

When I worked at the ex-Fiat dealer, one of the techs built a turbo X1/9 out of an assortment of parts. I did a story on it for European Car magazine during my brief foray into auto journalism. It used a Subaru 1.8 turbo (quick spool up), a Saab intercooler and a home made exhaust that did take up the rear trunk (not really a big deal on that car; the front trunk is plenty large). The engine was totally stock and never opened. It could run up to about 10lbs of boost before the stock clutch would slip. It was very quick and terrifically balanced and never had a failure during the dozen or so years I was associated with it.

Naturally aspirated you can try to find a FAZA cam (they were the best), 34 Weber, headers and you'll wind up with a pretty decent little car. Won't be as fast as a turbo but won't embarrass you on a back road, either.

The SOHC Fiat engine is pretty bulletproof. You may be able to get a Uno Turbo engine from Chris Obert, but it will cost you as much as just building one from scratch methinks.

Hmm, the fact that the Neons were and are still competitive tells me that the motor isn't that bad.

Also, the Uno Turbo motor isn't really anything special, just a low compression motor with oil squirters on the rods and a turbo manifold.

Find the exhaust manifold overseas and modify your rods, put it all together with some MegaSquirt and enjoy.

The transaxle won't enjoy the power for long, but then that's the way things are in old cars sometimes :)

turboswede wrote: Build the exhaust manifold yourself and modify your rods, put it all together with some MegaSquirt and enjoy.

Fixed that for ya

turboswede wrote: The transaxle won't enjoy the power for long, but then that's the way things are in old cars sometimes :)

Bah! the transaxle will be fine. There is no way the stock clutch can transmit enough power to break it....although I am sure more options exist for X1/9 clutches than the 850 family.

In reply to Curmudgeon:

the J-H would look SOOOOOO much nicer w/o the horrid bumper brick, block, bar, as would/do all 70s/80s American bumper-ed European cars. That's literally the reason I went with an earlier chrome bumper Fiat 124, at least it 'looks' good rusting out...

Aurelio Lampredi designed the motor in the X1/9. He's most famous for drawing up the V12 Ferrari used throughout the 50's and into the '60's. The X1/9 motor really is a great little motor. It can take quite a bit more power than it came with stock.

My 1500 was putting out more than double the stock figure and still used the stock transaxle, with a change in gear rations. I also used the stock 1500 clutch. 4 speed gearboxes are stronger, but the 1500 axles are much better. You need to build a hybrid to take advantage of both. I've seen dyno runs of naturally aspirated X's going over 120hp.

in response to 914Driver come on over to Chicago I'll show you how awesome the handling is on an X1/9. There is not a Fiero or 914 ( without being highly modified and I mean highly mod'd ) in all the Chicago land area that can beat me in Autox. Steve Hoelscher is a 6x national solo2 champion 5 times in a Fiat X1/9 he drove my car at a local SCCA autox event there was a really Cherry first gen MR2 there that day Steve posted a faster time in my car than MR2.

Great, now all y'all have me scouring the local Craigslists for an X1/9: I've already had two and I just love the things.

Plus a running one might actually get me on the track sometime this year, rather than the Celica that'll get me onto the track within the next few years...