With 2022 drawing to a close and Christmas just over a month away I realised I've not posted anything at all this year...so whats been going on?
Back in April I was asked by the UK owners club if I would like my car featured in Classic Car magazine as part of the 50 years since launch celebrations of the Fiat x1/9, of course I said yes!
Contact was made with the Journalist and I spent a very enjoyable day with her and the photographer driving BART to the limit and chatting about cars!
Other magazines reviewed other versions of the x1/9 and came out all within a few months of each other. Myself and BART appeared in the July edition of Classic Car Magazine...and yes thats a face of utter concentration!
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| On test, following inches behind the camera car! |
In late August the UK owners club held their national event at the Silverstone Classics event, it was a three day event but we only attended the Friday mainly due to the cost, however, the benefit of attending the Friday was we got to drive the full Silverstone race circuit in convoy! I think we had 15 cars on the day and drove a lap with the Ferrari Owners club following behind.
The pace car upfront kept the speed down but we still managed to drop back a few times and gave BART the beans around a few corners for a bit of fun. It was all over too soon but a great memory to take away.
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| Waiting to be let onto the track |
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| X1/9s at Silverstone! |
In October I got a message from Andy Rowley, Chairman of the owners club, if I'd like to display BART again at the NEC Classic car show in November, of course I would. BART was in good health (or so I thought) I had been driving him a lot on many sunny weekends we enjoyed during this years summer...
...with about 6 weeks to go to the show on one trip out I was giving BART the beans again up a local lane used for hill climbs when he started to run rough. I felt the engine change in feel and note just as I got to the top of the climb. The idle was bit rough and there was a mild vibration when pulling away...hmmmm.
We where some miles from home so I gently eased him home noting the symptoms where getting worse. When home I did a bit of fault finding and ruled out carburation and ignition...I removed the plugs and checked the colour, all seemed OK.
Suspecting the worst I then did a compression test and...oh dear Cylinder 2 and 3 where well down on 1 & 4. BART had blown a head gasket, darn it. Realistically their was no way I would be able to attend the NEC, I had too much going on and not enough time to devote to getting BART ready in time.
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| Gasket blown between 2 and 3 |
So, at the time of writing BART is still in bits, the cylinder head has had a cleanup 4 thou skim (it didn't really need it but was done as a precaution), I'm replacing all the valves, one was oddly bent by a small amount, and will be fitting new springs. The guides are fine, I had them checked by an engineering shop but I do need to get the alternator refurbished, oh and I'll replace the water pump as well whiles I'm at it!
There's always something to do! I'll update the blog as I slowly work my way through the rebuild...Merry Xmas!