Birmingham Newbie

Hi everyone!

Just joined the club yesterday in preparation for the x1/9 I'm hoping to pick up on Saturday.

I don't know a hell of a lot about the x1/9 and I haven't seen one in the flesh since I was a kid so I'm probably taking a bit of a risk with buying something I don't really know.

My knowledge of cars is still fairly limited but I think I'm getting better at it. I also have a 1972 mark one Capri that I did a fair bit of work on last year and now I'm ready for a new challenge!

So then guys, about this car that I'm buying...

It's a 1989 gran finale model. It hasnt been driven for a couple of years but prior to that I think it's had a full service history. The faults that I know about are:

1) brakes need freeing off
2) rust on the rear arch - it might have even got to the sill
3) some rust around the windscreen

The engine and gearbox will probably be in okay nick but the bodywork I'm not sure about.
Am I a fool for considering this?!!! The guy I'm buying it off seems to think it'll be an easy restoration but then again, people can get quite imaginative when it comes to selling cars.

Any advice, tips on what I should look for or indeed what I should expect when restoring would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks

Hi Rezam, a big welcome to the Club - you must be dead excited about picking up your new car.

Hope you manage to get the technical help you need - our Faults and Fixes forum which is open to club members has a wealth of stuff on it; I'm sure you'll find useful information on there and our tech advisers and other members will help you out with anything you can't find.

If you'd like to meet fellow club members to share tips and generally have a good time, we have our big National Event next month. You'll find details elsewhere on the website. Hope to see you there?

Hi and welcome Rezam!

The sticking brakes are nothing to worry about, this is typical of an X1/9 that has been left standing for a while - replacement discs/pads are very cheap if the originals are past their best.
The arches and windscreen are one of the first places to rust, repair sections are readily available if a localised repair is not possible. These sort of jobs are standard fare on cheap X1/9 projects, if you want a perfect car to begin with then you need to spend at least a couple of thousand...

If you have worked on a MK1 Capri, you'll have no problem getting stuck into the X1/9! Hopefully you'll get the car up and running and on the road by the summer and you will see that you have made a wise choice of classic car....

Jim.

Hi guys!

Thanks for the warm welcome.

I think I'm free for the event in May but I couldn't tell from the post on the homepage where it actually is. Maybe I'm just being a little slow...

Can someone fill me in please?

Ta

Rezam

On the notice on the front page, click on the link where it says 'full details can be found here'. This takes you to an article called 'National Event - have you booked yet?'. If you look above here, you can get to the same article from the 'Event Updates' section.

Here's the link www.x1-9ownersclub.org.uk/events/event-n...-you-booked-yet.html

Anyway, to cut a long story short, it's in North Yorkshire! Hope you can make it.

Hi Rezam and welcome - I look after the West Midlands/Warwickshire region and will be organising a local meet once we approach late spring/early summer and good weather runners have their cars back on the road. Look out for a post on here sometime soon........

Hi Rezam, I'm local to you also. I live in Nuneaton and work in Birmingham. I'll try and attend any local events that Neil arranges.
Regards,
Stewart

Hi Rezam,
Welcome to the Club.
I'm the organiser for the National which is in the Yorkshire Dales 18-20 May.
If you want any info just email me on ene@x1-9ownersclub.org.uk
Cheers
Juliet

Thanks everyone!

Neil, I'd definitely be up for the local meet if I can get my car working by then. Hope to see you there as well Steve.

Juliet, I'd love to come to the yorkshire dales this month but I think I might have other commitments that weekend. And as I mentioned I don't think the car is going to be ready by then. Thanks for the offer though, i'll let you know if I change my mind.