Okay, here is an alternative answer......

This is the text of an article that I wrote for the C. Obert & Co. "CiaoNEWS" newsletter and subsequently published in the "Obert's Fiat Guide" by Genevieve Obert. The article was originally written sometime in the early 90's.

'Fitting In'
or
How Does A Big Guy Fit In That Little Tiny Car

A How-To article by Mark Plaia

X1/9's have been my passion for a long time. I am now driving my third and have had one almost continuously since 1980. I am also a big guy at 6'2" and about 200 pounds. People sometimes ask, "Aren't you uncomfortable driving that tiny car?" My reply, usually, is that I am having too much fun to notice. There are some tricks to help us long, tall Americans fit into the X1/9, which was seemingly designed for 5'4" Italians.

'Fitting In' is dependent on the model year of X1/9 that you have (or are thinking of buying). There is always some leg room available.

The early ones, from 1974 to 1978 models, are not too bad. The seat cushions and backs are thin, though not very supportive. The dashboard is relatively (in such a small car) high, as is the steering wheel.

The principal trick on the early models is to modify the seat track a little bit. Pull the seat all the way forward until it comes off the tracks. You can't be sitting in it, because it slides almost to the steering wheel. Remove the seat from the car. Be careful of the upholstery because some of the works underneath are sharp. The seat tracks are welded to the floor pan. You will find a tab on the side of the seat track between the tracks. This is the stop to prevent the seat from going back too far. Many cars will have this piece either partially or completely bent from cramming the seat back against it. What you want to do, is bend it all the way down flat to the floor. If it is left part way up, it can hook on the seat slide or mechanism and generally make things difficult to move. The very best way to flatten the tab is with a big drift and hammer. If you are careful, you can use hammer alone, but don't bend the seat track. This modification will give about two inches more seat travel. That is usually enough to make the difference.

The 1979 onward Fiat X1/9's are a little more problematic. When the 1500 motor and 5-speed transaxle were added for '79, several changes were made to the interior as well. The dash layout had been changed for the "Signature Edition" late '78 models. This dash design was carried forward with the addition, for '79, of thicker, more contoured bucket seats. Unfortunately, the seats were padded quite thick at the front where your thighs go. The new dash lowered the steering column slightly. These two changes together bring the steering wheel in contact with the thighs of a tall person. This just doesn't work! The later Bertone X1/9's reportedly had thinner seats and slightly changed seating position, but I don't know about those, as I have never sat in one.

The first thing to do is the seat track modification, as explained above. Then there are two modifications that can be done to alleviate the interference with your thighs. These should be done in stages, depending on how much room you need. The first is reversible, the second is not.

The angle of the steering column can be changed quite easily. (If you already have the seat out, this is a little easier to do.) The first step is to take the lower cover off the steering column. This is held on by four Phillips head screws. Once the cover is off, you will see the steering column mounted on a plate, held up under the dash by four bolts. The two nearest you are studs with nuts, the two farther away are bolts. Loosen all four, so that the column is free to move a little bit. Take the two bolts all the way out. These are 6mm bolts, that take a 10mm wrench. Now the steering wheel can be tilted upward. Fit about three or four 6mm flat washers between the steering column mounting plate and the bracket above it and put the bolts back through. This can be tricky, so have patience. Snug everything up and test the fit with the seat in place. It doesn't take much to get a lot of clearance. You can add more washers if you want more tilt, but you may have to change to longer bolts. Once the fit is to your satisfaction, tighten up all four of the bolts holding the steering column and re-install the lower plastic cover. This modification also helps with the "disappearing" tachometer of the '79 onward models.

If that steering wheel is still a little close to your thighs, there is one more modification that can be done to gain some room. Think long and hard on this one, because it is not reversible.

Take the seat out of the car and lay it on its back on a piece of carpet or a blanket. Where the sheet metal bottom of the seat meets the upholstery is a u-shaped lip where the upholstery is tucked in to tighten it. The metal lip may or may not may not be crimped over the upholstery material. Starting at the seat hinge, carefully work the upholstery out of the lip. You will find that the edge of the upholstery has a cardboard strip sewn into it, to stiffen it. Once the edge is worked free, the foam of the seat can be compressed to peel the upholstery material back. The foam of the seat cushion is now exposed. The foam is glued to the sheetmetal seat bottom, so it won't come out. Starting at the front of the seat in about the middle of the thigh cushion, VERY CAREFULLY slice the foam back several inches all the way across the front with something like a large serrated kitchen knife. It is still not irreversible at this point, but the next step is. To gain the clearance you need, carefully cut a wedge out of either the upper or lower portion of the thigh cushion. I would start about one half to one inch thick at the front, tapering to nothing at the back of your cut. Take the wedge all the way across the width of the seat. Try this out before going any further, and yes, I know the foam can be difficult to deal with. Try to keep the cut edges as smooth as you can. This small an amount sectioned out of the foam will give you a lot more clearance, but you also will not be held in the seat quite so well.

After the foam is sectioned and the seat fits the way that you want it to, glue the foam back together at the cut. I used Barge Cement for this, but other adhesives will work too. This step is important, because it stabilizes the foam. Once everything is dry, pull the upholstery back over the foam. You will now notice that it is slightly baggy. The way that I tightened the cover back up was to take an extra fold of the upholstery material over the cardboard stiffening strip. Compress the foam and work the fabric edge back into the sheet metal lip all the way around. The modification to the seat is hardly noticeable, but makes a world of difference for thigh clearance. If you are having a shop re-cover your seat, you can talk to them about doing this modification, as they have all of the tools to do it.

So, you can see that your X1/9 can be custom fitted to you with some combination of these changes. The first two that I outlined can be done by almost anyone and should give enough legroom for most people. The modification to the seat cushion is for the brave of heart (and thick of thigh). I have made all of these modifications to my X1/9 and it fits me like a glove. Happy (and comfortable) motoring.

Ciao,

Mark Plaia
SeaX member #007
74 X1/9 - il mela verde
fiatmarko@comcast.net