Yes I know this has been asked and I'm pretty sure in was in the mag but with no search yet I will ask again:-)
Which do you prefer if you were going to make it a fun weekend road car with a possible path to great performance.
Thank you for your thoughts and if I could see the old threads that would be awesome......
I'm in for the X 1/9! I've had like 5 of them, 2-'81, 1-'79, and 2-'87's. Parts are usually cheap and there are plenty of sources for parts. Here is a pic of the '87's I had. The red car had been sitting for 3 years untouched in the top of a used car dealers warehouse, I sold the blue one to buy the red '87 and an '81 parts car both for $1200. If I ever get rid of the Corrado, I'll def look for another!!! Regardless of what others say, they can be reliable if they are simply maintenced, and lookout for rust.
...but, you CAN view the old threads. 
See that link up top that says "Archive"...that leads to here:
http://archive.grassrootsmotorsports.com/
Pretty cool, huh?!?
Bryce
The Fiat is a better design in most ways. The handling is better, the body packaging is superior (I loathe the high center console of the MR2) and I think the styling ages much better on the Fiat.
The MR2 has a vastly superior drivetrain though. The Fiat will always be struggling to keep up, even with a warmed over engine. The Fiat 5 speed can be weak.
Some jobs on the X1/9 can be a real PITA. But I've never worked on an MR2 to compare. Fiat parts are cheap, though trying to 'restore' one with an original interior or needing body panels will be expensive and frustrating.
If you like a momentum car with razor sharp reflexes, pick the Fiat. If you prefer power over driving prowess, go Toyota.
Big ol' goobers like me fit better in the Exxie, my head sticks out of the MR2 roof if wearing a helmet but I fit fine in the Fiat. I like Toyota's reliability etc but like Dwight et al say, the Exxie gets the handling nod, even though it has no sway bars. 
Hell, just buy an Exxie with a bad tranny (not terribly hard to do, they were real hard on reverse idlers) and stuff an MR2 drivetrain in it. Best of both worlds. 
Jensenman wrote: Hell, just buy an Exxie with a bad tranny (not terribly hard to do, they were real hard on reverse idlers) and stuff an MR2 drivetrain in it. Best of both worlds.
Beat me to it
that or drop a lancia transmission and engine from the coupe' into it. Instant power and reliability... but still italian.
I had bad experiences taking care of my Dad's X1/9. The life of the car culminated with th engine bursting into flame at a stoplight 1 block from the brewpub my dad and I had been hanging out at. That was a funny series of voicemails.
The Fiat is gutless. I believe the Fiat will do 0-60 just faster than my Miata will get through the 1/4.
That said, it is the only car I've ever had a girl shout me her phone number while I was driving.
Salanis wrote: That said, it is the only car I've ever had a girl shout me her phone number while I was driving.
And that's something you won't get in any old Toyota :(
mad_machine wrote: that or drop a lancia transmission and engine from the coupe' into it. Instant power and reliability... but still italian.
Even better idea
I have a Mk1 MR2 and no, girls do not shout their phone numbers at me. They do however flash their breasts and throw their panties FWIW.
As for the rust isssue, the MR2 is not less rusty. Either one will be a rustbucket unless you get lucky. The MR2 has Japanese reliability, but the X-19 has some Italian flare. The X-19 is very 70's, and the MR2 is very 80's. At their age, it is probably down to personal preference over reliability or performance. Let's face it, a beater Neon ACR can probably spank either of them at the track.
i'd do the fiat thing if i knew i'd fit in one... i can squeese into a mkI...
i realy dit the tagara on the fiat :)...
Well, thanks. Now I'd like to drive an X-19. I know that I like the MR-2s, but have never had the chance to try a Fiat of any flavor.
MiatarPower:
Hit up Xweb to find some local Fiatsi. I know for a fact that there are some local X-1/9's to you, drop a line on the message boards and you should get some hits.
Be sure to check out the article in Classic Motorsports about the X-1/9 versus the Ferrari 308.
Also like some have said, power is relatively easy to come by since there are tons of FWD drivetrains to choose from. All you need is some fabrication skills and tools to pull it off. The MR2 solution is a great one since the shift linkage is a non-issue, etc.
Good luck! Stefan
I'm 5'11", 220 pounds and I fit easily in an Exxie.
GameboyRMH wrote: And that's something you won't get in any old Toyota :(
Speak for yourself....
Of course, most of the girls impressed by an AE86 hatchback are A) way too young for me and B) don't know what to think when I tell them I am not really a "drifter." 
Back to the topic at hand, I think it is tough to go wrong either way, as long as you are aware of the potential problems with whichever car you end up choosing. Sure, neither one is fast in modern terms, but then again, either one will be an absolute blast to drive compared to most modern appliances.
Looky what I found on fleabay
Looks like it's ready to go and the price is right,(atleast now it is)
there is something just so cool to have an X without bumpers,
Yeah, I like the MR2 but the styling is such a poor rip-off of Bertone's work with the Exxie that I'd rather have the X. Now the second-gen MR2 is much prettier and of course heavier and the NA motor is sooooo bloody boring.
I love that X on eBay. The gutted interior is cool!
I love the MkII MR2 but after driving one.........they drive like a Camary. That is why I have a Miata as a DD:-)
86 Exxie with 76k original miles: http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/car/715048998.html
I never had an X1/9 but had more than my share of Fiats and Lancia/Fiats. Having owned a MKII and now a MKI MR I cannot believe anyone would be able to compare the two. The Toy is cheaper, more reliable, has a better performance parts network and doesn't rust as fast. Neither one is that pretty, but from the driver's seat they are beautiful.
MiatarPowar wrote: Well, thanks. Now I'd like to drive an X-19. I know that I like the MR-2s, but have never had the chance to try a Fiat of any flavor.
If you need to free up some space, I'll buy Garfield back
Per Schroeder wrote:MiatarPowar wrote: Well, thanks. Now I'd like to drive an X-19. I know that I like the MR-2s, but have never had the chance to try a Fiat of any flavor.If you need to free up some space, I'll buy Garfield back
Hell, if I could get out of it what I have in it, including travel costs, I probably would let it go today.... But I don't see that happening.
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