Rear suspension and driveshafts now removed, gearbox will be out tomorrow and engine early next week, unfortunately one of my underfloor coolant pipes has had a repair where it exits the box section at the rear, looks like the pipes will need to be replaced.
Has anybody replaced with copper? I am a refrigeration engineer by trade so have all the tools to bend copper of all sizes up to 42mm 16swg and can braze drain points.
I have seen new stainless pipes for £500+, I can get copper pipes for less than £50 and form the bends myself, my only concern is damage form stones etc to the exposed sections front and rear of the tunnel as copper is softer then steel.
Depends in my opinion on what car, if it is a 1300 do stainless steel but if it is going to be your not so concours weekly driver can't see the problem with copper. I had this dilemma with my 1300 resto because they came with copper replacements but went with stainless because while i was at this point a 1300 should have proper ones. I had too sit down when handing the money over.
It's a 1300 and £500+ is a bitter pill to swallow when I can do the same job for a 1/10 of that. You are right though, it's not going to be my daily drive so looks like stainless steel is the way to go.
I bought mine off the guy who makes them on eBay, they are top quality. Plus it will add £500 quid to the car because it would give big it brownie points.
Those S/S ones on ebay where made from two original sets I supplied as patterns. They are a spot on replica for the original parts, albeit in stainless steel. I have a set fitted to my nut-and-bolt 1300 restoration.
I know that you can replace them with copper, but as you say, copper is softer and it just doesn't look right: it sounds to me like you're going to a lot of hard work to restore a car, so why skimp on one of the most important parts of the car?
Yes I know that £500 is a big bill to swallow, but when you consider the set-up costs borne by the seller (jigs, special tools and time) you can appreciate why they cost so much.
Another consideration is that these cars are FINALLY starting to receive the attention (and monetary value) that they deserve: I can imagine that a freshly restored X1/9 which has been fitted with copper pipes would attract less of a sale figure than one that had been updated with S/S ones.
I put copper sleeves into my coolant pipes 15 years ago and the car's been in regular use with trips to Ireland and Italy in the meantime with no problems. It works well but is obviously not original; however stainless pipes are not original either!
The real problem is in the fitting of new pipes, you'll have to unstitch the spot welds on the cover under the car and reweld afterwards, that's not easy! I cut the original pipes at each end and slid copper pipe into the remains of the old pipe, then concocted connecting pipes to suit - much easier.
Plus if anyone ever wanted to return the car to the original pipes, that would be possible. No brainer in my book.
True 'stainless pipes are not original either' but I don't see the point of reusing mild steel pipes - they are a point of weakness and using S/S ensure you won't have to do the job again in 10 years time! It is a time consuming job but as long as you do it right (use spot weld rills to remove the 54 spot welds) its not an overly difficult task.
I think that had Fiat known they had a cult classic on their hands (and had anticipated the coolant pipe rust issues) they too would have used S/S.
Unless you refit new mild steel pipes the car wont be "as built"
If you put copper pipes in and a good coating of underseal around them it should protect them from road damage.
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Check my restoration out I went to a plumb agent local to me told him my problem and purchased 28mm copper pipe, and fitted it under my car. I didn't want to butcher the channel under the car so I inserted the pipe through the existing ones. See what you think I'm happy with the result.
It comes down to what money you have available...
The stainless pipes are a thing of beauty, no doubt. But, once fitted, you'll only ever see them again at the annual MOT test...
Fit the copper. Sleeve the extruded sections in rubber tube and you've got a pipe system that will last forever for less than a fifth of the price of the stainless.
No brainer for me...
These cars are meant to be enjoyed, not to suck the life out of your finances... Don't spend money that you don't have to.
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It is a time consuming job but as long as you do it right (use spot weld rills to remove the 54 spot welds) its not an overly difficult task.
