Automotive Blogger

One of the perks of having car-type friends is about once a week you get emails full of whacky car stories or strange vehicles for sale. Yesterday one of my friends struck gold with this eBay find.

I know it doesn’t look like it, but this vehicle started out as a 1979 Fiat X1/9. As if the smog era Fiat wasn’t terrible enough the owner hand made this special metal body and transplanted in a giant Chevy V8 and Olds Toronado transaxle. At first I was hesitant to poke fun at this vehicle and its creator because deep down inside I am all for attempting crazy projects. If you want to shoe horn a giant motor into a flimsy Italian car I say go for it, unless it is some rare 1 of 5 Ferrari who cares. It’s your time and money not mine, and it may give me fodder for another blog. But after reading the vehicle description I realized that this one needed a good roasting.

If you run up the front you can dunk.

Description:
“ONLY ONE OF ONE
400 SMALL BLOCK CHEVY OLDSMOBILE TORONADO TRANSAXLE ASSEMBLY.
ALL HAND BUILT BODY ALL METAL (NOT A KIT CAR).
VEHICLE HAS NO POWER STEERING OR BRAKES, IS LICENSED AND STREETABLE BUT SELDOM DRIVEN AND IS HARD TO DRIVE. (AUTO TRANS BIG CAM) BUT LOOKS LIKE A MILLION BUCKS.

NEEDS TO BE IN A MUSEUM SOMEWHERE.

IT IS EXPENSIVE AND SERIOUS INQUIRES ONLY.

THIS IS THE TRUE MEANING OF HOTROD.”

No garage door needed. Just drive straight in and the back of the car becomes the garage door.

There are a couple statements in this description that are telling.
First statement: “needs to be in a museum somewhere.” Now I’m not sure if there is any museum that would take this car, and if there was who would want to pay to get in?


The true meaning of hot rod!

Second statement: “This is the true meaning of Hotrod.” Really? When I think of hot rod I usually imagine a Deuce Coupe, or a Model T Ford with a flathead in it, but what do I know?

Third statement: “Vehicle has no power steering or brakes, is licensed and streetable but seldom driven and is hard to drive. (auto trans big cam) But looks like a million bucks.” I have the pleasure of working on plenty of Italian cars with hand made metal bodies and I’ll be the first to admit that few if any are ever perfect; especially Zagato bodied cars they can be downright sloppy. But this car makes a Zagato look like Michelangelo sculpture, the fender cutouts aren’t even round! This creation looks more like a million pesos than bucks. I can understand having a car that isn’t drivable but looks great or vice a versa, but what good is car that looks bad, drives bad, and costs $40,000 plus? Maybe Disneyland can buy it and stick it in future world right next Star Tours, at least it might look the part there.

Note the angular fender cutouts.

Actual auction: www.ebay.com

-Bill Mertz

ebay, Fiat X1/9, kit car, hot rod, auction, for sale, engine swap, car