NB: Pikey Thread

I'm going to be a proud Metro driver for a couple of weeks before the new Octavia comes. Unfortunately the thing has to get through an MOT first. Its a P reg, 50k miles but been through the wars a bit. Went through the obvious pre-MOT checks today, mostly all okay underbody rust hopefully won't be classed as excessive. One mjor problem though...

The thing has a slow leak on the front offisde displacer unit and because its been sitting unused for a couple of months its lowered itself to a very cool looking sporty level...unfortunately it wouldn't steer in either direction like this - probably good reason to fail it.

Its a common problem with Metros / original Minis / MGFs that all share the same suspension setup.

Wasn't wanting to be spending money, and certainly not the

Genius!

Done that many a time on my old Mini

That's what mine needed too - never got round to it (it wasnt as bad as yours though :eek: ) and the car (still) needs to be scrapped

Good bit of DIY info though

Am I the only one that actually likes Metros? I prefer the original 80s ones though!!

Am I the only one that actually likes Metros? I prefer the original 80s ones though!!

They were great in there day, and the handling is still fantastic - good fun to drive and enspire loads of confidence for new drivers. When I drove one the first time around I thought it was the best car on the road, wouldn't swap anyone their BMW or Merc for it!!

Another thing thats got to be good about them though is the simplicity of them, its nice and easy for an amature mechanic to have a go at most jobs with them.

On the downside they rust like buggery and are a tad unsafe by todays standards.

Now I've driven a Skoda, I now know that Skodas are in fact the best cars on the road and wouldn't swap....etc etc

Am I the only one that actually likes Metros? I prefer the original 80s ones though!!

I had the turbo one in the 1980s It was truly the most sh!te car I ever owned. Reliability was appalling, handling was fine if you liked high speed instability under braking (all the ones I tried weaved about like drunkards when braking from any decent speed), the performance was slow to middling at best, the stupid euro size wheels only took Dunlop sport tyres that seemed to incorporate nail magnets, the gearchange was amusing in a baulky long thow and nowhere near linear kind of way. The interior was bad even by 1980s standards.

I had it three months, three months too long.

Chris

I chopped my Metro Turbo in after jacking up the back end to change a wheel one day. The car went up but the wheel stayed on the ground. I thought at first the subframe moutings had bust. No they were fine, its just the bit of the body they bolted to had rotted away leaving only the straps around the rear displacers actually holding the rear subframe on...eeeek.

My father in law bought a 1982 Metro which my wife used from about 1990. It was the most evil car I have ever driven. It was the 1 litre HLE version. The gearbox was screaming for mercy at about 60. It wouldn't pull the skin off the proverbial rice pudding. Noisy cramped, horrible driving position, illogically placed switchgear, vague gears, rusted badly the list is endless.

Andy

My first car was a 1.0 Metro City with extras (rear wiper and passenger side mirror)

I loved it - but it was a rustbucket And I managed to blow a valve doing 90 (indicated) on the M1

Dad and I fixed it though, using a Haynes Manual!!!

Am I the only one that actually likes Metros? I prefer the original 80s ones though!!

We had a machine to pump the suspension, but always used antifreeze because the fluid was so expensive! 12 3/4" from arch to wheel centre for the front and 12 1/2" for the rear.

I had two. The first was an orignal w reg 1.0 with vinyl seats. Was one of the first made as it had the original stainless steel exhaust on it along with 135 tyres Snapped it in half going over a speed bump and spent a whole day welding the rear subframe back into it.

The second was an A reg 1.3 hle auto with the metric tyres :thumbdwn:. It was like driving a go-kart it was sooooo quick up to 83mph which is where it stopped, there was a problem with the autobox that I was never bothered to fix (Bit of a nightmare). It used to jump out of gear when you went over a pothole or speedbump and you had to restart the engine in N ot get going again

Both cars rotted away.

Ahhhh, memories...

My second car was a metro, A 1986 1.0 Metro City. One of the the first facelift with the revised interior. Had part cloth/vinyl seats, bought the car brand new and in 18 months put more than 25K miles on it (mostly motorway miles(A1M, M25)). The only problems I had were ignition related, it would never start in the damp until the battery was almost flat, and the slightest of puddles left you spluttering down the road. As I was only 17, the car sported a tiny steering wheel, front spoiler with integrated fog lights, and wheel spacers to improve cornering. My old car was still on the in 1997 which is when it was last taxed. RIP C935 GBH.

I have some pictures at home somewhere, I wonder if I can find them.

Apparently out of the 100,000's of Metros/100 built by BL/Rover etc less that 500 are still registered and used on UK's roads, says a lot dont it..lol.

Apparently out of the 100,000's of Metros/100 built by BL/Rover etc less that 500 are still registered and used on UK's roads, says a lot dont it..lol.

I see at least one of them every day driving to work, going in the other direction, a nice early one. X Reg, in yellow.

Apparently out of the 100,000's of Metros/100 built by BL/Rover etc less that 500 are still registered and used on UK's roads, says a lot dont it..lol.

Thats can't be true at all! I see loads of them still... but few of the original Mk1 austins ('81-'85 ish)

I learnt to drive in a Rover 100 GTI

I Passed my test in a Rover Metro..... hang on ive just typed this in another thread lol

hang on ive just typed this in another thread lol

Thought i've just read that somewhere else

Apparently out of the 100,000's of Metros/100 built by BL/Rover etc less that 500 are still registered and used on UK's roads, says a lot dont it..lol.

I know of a guy locally who has 3 Metros! As well a Hillman Imp

He must feel like saving endangered species

Steve

Some Early Metro porn.....heheh!

Ahh the good old days........

I love the 'A British car to beat the world' bit

Comedy....

Steve

I love the 'A British car to beat the world' bit

*cough*

*cough*

And don't knock the Hillman Imp - seen some very quick ones on track

Chris

I love the 'A British car to beat the world' bit

Comedy....

Steve

A bit like the Autsin Allegro being described as 'a car for Europe' - just before it was destroyed by the Golf.

Andy

I do have a soft spot for the Metro.

I worked for Austin Rover as a yoof. Every weekend the branch manager would let us choose a car from the hire fleet to take home. Well by the time teenage oiks like myself got a look in there was nothing left but Metros. All the top bods had gone home in the Rover 800s and I had to plod home in a 1.0 Metro automatic:rofl:

Still cant complain, I was the only kid on the block with a nice new E reg car for the weekend:D Ahh I can hear the handbrake turns even now:rofl: :rofl:

Found some tv ads.

YouTube - Austin metro advert with Michael barrymore

YouTube - Austin Metro advert, with Billy Connolly

I'd love a 6R4.

You can keep the City though.