Introducing myself....a newbie

I found this website the other night and I must say I'm impressed with the amount of posts every day. Shows to me there is still a very strong interest in these cars.

A little history....I had an uncle that had a '78 blue X that when he was in town would give me and my sister rides in his car. That is where the love affair began. Sadly, this uncle was killed in a car accident in that same X but it didn't deter from my desire to own one.

Fast forward many, many years, about 1998, and I just happened to catch a glimpse of a black/grey '86 X sitting in some used car lot when I lived in Dallas. I swore I would own it so $1500 later I was the proud owner of it. Drove the hell out of it, made cross country trips in it, used it as collateral in a bail bond, etc. When I worked as an auto mechanic, one of my coworkers also had an X and through him, I learned of Vick Auto Sports, which became my second home.

When my sister visited me one year, just for giggles, we looked in the paper (this was before the net became really popular) we saw a woman who was getting rid of hers so my sister bought it. 1986 red/grey that was almost showroom condition. My sister went back to Florida and now I had two of them to play with (thanks Laurie!!). I was in heaven, drove those cars every where, friends made fun of me, refusing to ride with me but ironically they managed to get me a few dates.

I accepted an overseas job so Vick's kept my black/grey one and I delivered my sister car to her. After sitting overseas for almost 6 years and not knowing where I was going when I got stateside, I really didn't need another car so I signed over the title to Vick for $0 since he kept my car for me free for all those years but damned I missed that car.

I kept bugging my sister to let me buy her car from her but she had an intense emotional attachment to it and always said no. But my sisters health kept her from drivng it (back problems....couldn't get in/out of the car) and her finances kept her from keeping up with the maintenance so her car has sat under a car cover in her carport in Naples, FL for almost the last 5 years without being started/run. She finally called me up a few months back and said she couldn't afford to keep it anymore and if I wanted it to come and get it.

So I'm waiting for the transport hauler to come get it, searched the web for all things X1/9 and discovered this site. Last time I visited my sister, I spent the day going over the car. It doesn't run right now but I think that is because the fuel tank if plugged up. Pulled the main line out and gas just dripped slowly out. So first step will be a tank cleaning....beyod that, who knows?!? The amount of knowledge her is inspiring and eased a lot of my fears about getting this car, specifically the availability of parts. So here I am about to make the plunge but I have a few nagging questions....

1. What is the general availability of body parts?
2. How hard is it to get the transmission completely rebuilt?
3. I know this is sacrilege to some, but I "hear" of some people transplanting Honda or Toyota drivetrains but I've yet to see anyting solid from someone who actually did it....anyone here do something similiar? And I know of the Uno turbo transplant there aren't any Uno's in the US.
4. Whatever happend to Vick Auto Sports? Is Robert and gang still doing business?

Anyways, greetings from Phoenix, AZ and counting the days until my X returns.