Series 1 Boot Release Question

So, i have notice that the front boot release on some X1/9 series 1 are under the Australian drivers side left knee.

Also found this information in my X1/9 manual that came with the car. The boot release is meant to be under the left knee, however my series1 has the boot release on Australian passenger side next to door just like my Series 2.

www.x19.com.au

Boot

Mark' never heard of a RH boot release handle.
IMO they are always left knee left seat.

I have only every seen one X1/9 with it,
Seems to be before December 1978 Series Specale

boot release

yes my Australian series 1 , 1978 had the same boy it was a tight fit to get my fingers around it as i remember

Release lever

My current 78 X19 has the release lever under the driver's side, but one that I owned earlier, also a Serie Speciale, had one on the passenger side as the later models.

78 US spec frunk release

The frunk release on my 78 is inside the glove box, so that would be on the driver's side in the RHD models. This location may have been true for all Series-1 Xs, although I have seen at least one 78 with the late model location in the LH foot well.









This location is a little less convenient, but the glove box is lockable and also makes it less convenient for anyone poking around the car with ill intent.

Mark... this issue falls right in line with several others...

Like fuse boxes, front cable runs, carbed and FI engines, tires, and on and on.

I think the quirkiest years were from '79 to '82 with all the changes, smog rules for 49 State and California cars along with Euro spec'ed cars, RH and LH drive, bumper requirements... dealer "upgrades" and Special Editions... major labor issues in Italy, including sabotage of the vehicles, leftover chassis from previous years coming from Bertone... halted production, lack of rust-proofing and Russian steel... and finally the transition of the total production from Fiat to Bertone...

All this just MIGHT have contributed to the problem...

Alas... Studying the electrical diagrams it can be seen that they were not necessarily drawn by the same engineer or at least they were not talking to each other... There are no MOPs available and usually all the switches are in the ON position... where convention here in the US is to have them in the OFF position. Year to year and sometimes in mid year, there were changes made in the overall style of the drawings as well as color codes, routing, and execution.

Hmmmmmm....

Welcome to the Dark Side...

Thanks for all the great picture.
On the Australian version we don't have the glove box at all.

Here is the pictures from the original 1978 Australian manual showing you the boot release is under your knee.
I guess this they did not move it from the glove box location at first.

Also you can see we don't have the glove box as a option.

Interesting

So... you guys don't wear gloves??? :nana:

That is pretty interesting. I guess they got lazy on the dash design for RHD cars? The foot well lever is the same part used in the LHD US cars. I think the one US 78 I saw with that lever was indeed a "Series Speciale" which were the tail end of the run prior to the new interior for the 1500 cars.

What I have found out is the first batch of x1/9 in Australa in 78 had the boot release under the drivers leg then the next batch from then on did not.

We never saw a 'glove box' on any of our X19's in Australia... didn't comply with ADR's at the time to do with leg room and obstructions in the cabin.

Mark, has your research come across the 'first' batch of five speeds that hit our shores...in 1980. They were landed but someone forgot to do the compliancing for the larger engine / different exhaust ... so the batch of 50 cars (I believe) sat around until 1982 when they could finally be sold... I have one of these cars and there are a few little differences to the true 1982 models...chassis numbers give it away too.

Both my 1978's have the boot opener under the steering column.

SteveC

HI Steve,

Thanks for the information i have updated www.x19.com.au with this info.
Also could you message me info on your x1/9 please?
The more info i get on VIN, compliance and years the better the stats.

Whats are the few little differences?

If you could email me info*x19.com.au thanks.

Mark