Just added another vehicle to my collection. A 1992 Geo Metro convertible. It's red. 5-speed. 180k KMs (112k miles). It's mechanically good, body is rust free, new tires and brakes. Could use a new roof and a few minor things need fixing, plus it needs one hell of a cleaning...but hey, it was only $250.
I've wanted a Geo Metro (for next to nothing) for a while now. I have a fondness for small cars. The smaller the better. Can't get much smaller than this without going to an old Austin Mini. I love these things.
Is the the 3cly or 4 cly version? Iv always wanted the old Turbo fierflys. thos look like a blast to drive. I used to own an 96 hatch back Firefly. it was a good little car. parts were cheap. easy to fix. light as heck to.
I always wanted a Geo Storm, they sold a zillion of them so their still around. The DOHC is about comparable to a Integra I think.
Bought one brand new in '91. 100 HP and near 40 mpg, 1.6 liter, cruised easily at any speed. It was sold with 228K on the ticker carrying the original clutch. All we ever did was an alternator belt, front struts and the occasional brake work. One of the best cars I've ever owned. It was a reskinned Isuzu Impulse. Mine had the standard 12 valve 4 banger, but they had an upgrade model that added 30 HP with a 16 valve engine.
Originally posted by joshh44: Is the the 3cly or 4 cly version? Iv always wanted the old Turbo fierflys. thos look like a blast to drive. I used to own an 96 hatch back Firefly. it was a good little car. parts were cheap. easy to fix. light as heck to.
3 cylinder, just as I wanted. Thinking of trying for stupidly insane MPG as per EcoModder.com just because. Most vehicles I wouldn't want to, it'd be aesthetically displeasing, but a Geo Metro isn't going to win any beauty awards anyway, so why not. I'd love to play with a turbo or the DOHC 1.3l from the GTi's, but since they're hard to come by, I'd rather have the 3 cylidner over the regular 4.
And heck yeah, parts are stupidly cheap. $5 for a wheel cylinder. $12 for good brake pads. $10 spark plug wire sets(on rockauto). Dirt cheap.
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Originally posted by weaselbeak: It was a reskinned Isuzu Impulse. Mine had the standard 12 valve 4 banger, but they had an upgrade model that added 30 HP with a 16 valve engine.
The one you want to play around with was the 1.6L DOHC turbo. Never tried one, but have been told they go like stink. They did a 1.8L DOHC as well. As you say, they're an Isuzu product, dispite selling under the same brand name as the Metro.
I could cram a 1.8L DOHC from a Suzuki Esteem in this, they're supposed to fit. Sounds like fun, but not the direction I think I'll go. I want to see if I can hit something like 70MPG on the ICE and then maybe add an electric motor(which I have everything for already) to extend it even farther. We'll see. First I'll need to add a 3rd seat in the back to convince the wife to let me keep it.
On a side note: I thought I was getting a Canadian built vehicle. Turns out the convertibles were all made in Japan. Wonder if that's a good thing or not... at least it's not like a chrysler that would have been turned into a convertible down in mexico!
[This message has been edited by Stubby79 (edited 01-01-2013).]
Ok, I should have realized the half daft woman(wouldn't stop talking, forgot the keys for it and had to go back, had her drivers license revoked, etc) I bought the car off of wouldn't have taken care of it. Thankfully she only owned itfor 6 months, or it'd probably be scrap by now. It almost was. The mildew on the inside from being parked for 2 months with a leaky roof, I expected. She warned me it burns a bit of oil. There was practically no oil on the dipstick when I picked it up. The battery was too weak to turn it over. Okay, okay...whatever. As long as it ran and the tires were near new as stated, I was going to take it home. Which I did, of course.
However, I found the spark plugs worn out and mismatched(two covered in ash from burning oil, of course), not one lock on the vehicle working properly and quite the pile of garbage behind the seats, in the trunk and beneath where the roof folds down. Missing the wingnut that holds the air filter down, letting air directly in through the top. Apparently it started burning oil when she let her father do an oil change on it and he put the wrong grade of oil in it. She didn't bother checking it, just dumped a litre in it every couple of fillups.
I doubt that's the reason it started burning oil, unless he put really heavy weight oil in it. It probably sprung a leak and she ran it low. Looked like the oil pan was leaking when I got under there to do an oilchange, and I wasn't actually looking for leaks. Odd that one cylinder isn't burning oil, but what do I know. I soaked down the cylinders in seafoam for 24 hrs. It leaked down past the two that're burning oil but not the good one. Hopefully that and other such treatments will free up the rings. If not, re-ringing it won't be difficult or expensive. I could probably do it for under $50. Still, I'd rather not if I don't have to.
I've fixed the locks and latches, just needed lubing and/or adjusting. Oddly enough everything electrical seems to work properly on it.
Edit: Someone took good care of it before the PO. I found a timing belt, turtle wax, spare headlight bulb and a few other parts hiding under where the roof folds into. Probably the same person who put new tires on it.
[This message has been edited by Stubby79 (edited 01-02-2013).]
I've hooked up an MPGuino (instant/trip/average MPG computer) up to it. From my own calculations, I avereage 40MPG mixed and got 52MPG on an hour and a bit highway trip up and down a mountain or two. Now that I've got this in there, I can start fiddling with things to see what works and what doesn't to improve my MPG.
[This message has been edited by Stubby79 (edited 02-04-2013).]
Put a low-mileage engine in it, and, more recently, a different cam. Getting 50mpg for my fairly short drive to work (8 miles each way) and back every day. Going to tinker with it more and see how far I can take it.
I have a 88 Honda CRX Si also a very small light car. Si is the performance version, I've never checked gas mileage but I'm sure its around 30 MPG. I got it for its sportscar, go cart handling and revy little engine makes it feel fast. It isn't fast compared to a V8 car but it isn't slow either. It feels light as you drive it.
You could try some home brew high test in it. That lil guy might like it and after its said and done its like 280/gal. from what I have read tolulene works best and cheap as crap
Hmm...I wonder how much they'd give me for it...
That was fun.
