This Fiat X-1/9 represents a great opportunity for its new owner. You will find it listed for sale here on eBay. Located in Elkhart, Indiana, it is offered with a clear title. The seller has set an opening bid at $2,000, but there is also a BIN option of $3,495. Why does it represent a great opportunity? Well, the seller has just spent $3,200 on servicing and maintenance on this little Fiat. So even at the BIN price it could represent a bargain.

This Fiat is by no means perfect, but it seems to have survived the worst of the dreaded rust that can affect them quite badly. The car has spent almost its entire life in either Arizona or Texas, and these are probably the ideal locations to thwart the onset of rust. It only moved to its current location about three years ago, but the sun has certainly taken its toll on the paint. On the bright side, rectifying this is a whole lot easier than having to cut pounds of rust out of a car.

The underside of the car looks surprisingly good for a Fiat of this vintage. There is a bit of surface corrosion present, but overall it looks quite solid. This is really the only spot that causes me concern, so it probably warrants further examination. The seller states that there are a couple of other small spots (including under the battery, which is no surprise) but the car is solid.

The interior has certainly borne the brunt of the UV rays. The dash is cracked, although the seller does say that since he conditioned the pad, these cracks have started to close. The seat covers are also badly fried, but replacement ones are available. The carpet is also looking quite second hand and while it’s difficult to ascertain the condition of the door trims, the remaining interior plastic appears to have held up quite well.

The Fiat is powered by the 1,498cc engine which is mated to a 5-speed transmission. It is the mechanical aspects of this car that have received so much of the recent TLC. The engine has received attention with a new timing belt and belt tensioner bearing (Italian sourced), a new battery, spark plugs and wires, distributor cap and rotor along with fresh oil and a new thermostat. The brakes were also subjected to some work, receiving new rotors on all four wheels, new pads, all new rubber hoses, the calipers have all been rebuilt and a new master cylinder has also been fitted. While the steering column was swung out of the way to replace the brake master cylinder, the seller took the opportunity to fit a new clutch master cylinder, new slave cylinder and replacement flexible hose. The original carburetor has also been consigned to the bin and been replaced by a new, genuine Fiat/Webber carburetor.

There is some work to be undertaken to bring this Fiat X-1/9 back to pristine condition, but the huge bonus with this car is that it does appear to be virtually rust-free. The sheer scope of the mechanical work undertaken by the seller would seem to have addressed most of the known mechanical weaknesses and long-term needs of the car. I can’t decide whether I’d restore it or if I’d just enjoy driving it as it is.