lol i love you dude:D. i understand what you're doing but can't imagine actually being that extreme about it. soon i'm going to have to adopt some of your ideals as we're thinking about starting a family sometime maybe next year so i'll probably get rid of the miata and my bike to help get a kid carrier, but sadly i don't think it would be a good idea to get a metro. i also gotta ask, with no kids, what are your plans for all your money? retiring soon?

I saw a very well maintained one with perfect original paint and nice interior for $1900 on Craigslist in Tampa a few months ago. Nobody wanted it because it didn't have A/C. 120k miles, 5 speed, hatch. I was helping my nephew find a cheap car.

For the following reasons.
1. We support your strange Geo Metro Fetish.
2. We like hearing stories about your boomstick's.
3. You give out sage like financial advice on how to live comfortably.
4. You miss miss actually being able to go fast, and can live through us.

I'd sell you mine for half that. ;)

I bought it in 1995 w/ 80K on it for $5950. It has 248K on it now and I have never had to do any repairs on it other than preventative maintenance except for replacing the alternator. Heck, it even has the original clutch in it. Right now it needs a passenger side axle due to a torn boot and new front pads and rotors, but I'd drive it anywhere. I have seen upwards of 50 mpg on interstate trips and it gets around 44-46 mpg around town. This picture is a from a few years ago, but it pretty much looks the same with the exception that some of the clearcoat started peeling off the hood.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3142/...3f0b55e3_o.jpg

I'm going in the same direction (kind of) with my OTM, selling the SRT4 and getting a TDi wagon. Going from 26 mpg highway to 41+ while using cheaper fuel.

You know, this whole thread is actually making me want to buy another Metro. I really did kinda like that car.

I'd likely paint it pink.

You need this!

http://thegarageblog.com/garage/wp-c...ge-500x333.jpg


FYI they are still pretty cheap around the NW. Just did a quick Craigslist look. Lots of them from $600 to $1500. Don't know about miles or condition but plenty of them advertised.

Ohh first gen 3cyl turbo sprint. I guy who worked for my dad had two and I almost bought one before going with a newer 4cyl suzuki swift. FYI, the suzuki's had 4cyls, metro's had 3cyls. The Swift GT's had twin cam 4cyls @100hp NA. That's what you put the turbo on! Turbonectics even had a cast T3 manifold (that's what we used on our shop car). There were even AWD versions in australia and europe, as the Suzuki Cultus and Subaru Justy.

Me likey!

Attachment 201671

Is that a Metro or a CRX? If that is a metro, and you own it, I will track you down this coming week when I am in Charleston and give you $25 just to get my picture taken next to it.

Metro. Built by one of the guys on my Geo forum for his daughter. I think they live in the Ohio area.

That swift gt is the one my buddy at work turbod, didn't know a dual overhead cam 1.5 4 cyl. was such a step up from the standard geo motor. My sisters '97 chevy metro had a 4 cyl. with an intake manifold made out of a Rock Star energy drink can.

I'm on gassavers.org under the same name... when gas was high I spent $12 modding my intake on my Saturn SL2 auto and went from 32mpg all-time high interstate mileage to 46mpg interstate.

Now that gas is cheap I don't mess w/ modding for fuel economy or hypermiling (never did any of that anyway) though I'm still looking for an '01-'02 Saturn SC1 5sp to replace my '96 SL2 auto. I still manage 36-38mpg interstate just driving w/ this modded intake.

I test drove a 5sp 3cyl metro and was 10x more disgusted w/ the "power" than I was with my Saturn and decided I couldn't make the sacrifice.... even if I was able to brag about 50+mpg. I did the math and only driving 8,000 miles per year the savings wasn't much.

any idea how to get that kind of milage out of a Fit? I honestly expected better out of my wife's 08 Fit when she got it. she gets roughly 30mpg combined.

Also don't the late 90s tdi VWs get 50+ mpg on the highway?

Yeah, remove all the modern convienence and safety BS and you'll be at least partially there. A 3-cylinder metro weighs in the 1700 pound range, the Fit is in the 2500-2600 range. So shave off about a third of the weight and that should help- airbags, extra speakers, sound deadening, all that plastic in the engine bay, etc.

I know of a guy who has a 3cyl suzuki swift. It's a Canadian market car so maybe they had different engines available there?

Which Swift GT?

Actually it all depends on the years. I'm talkin 89-94 USDM? The red chevy sprint turbo 3cyl is the early first gen boxy ones (1988 I think), then there was the 89-94's, then in the usa the geo metro went to a more roundy shape in 95 with a 4cyl but the rest of the world got the 94 body style still. They were also called chevy sprints, pontiac firefly's or subaru justy's depending on your country and the year.

In the usa, the 89-94 metros were 3cyl NA at like 55hp. The base model swifts were 4cyls at ~80hp with bigger front brakes and composite headlights, and the Swift GT(i) was 100hp and disc brakes all around, rear sway bar, body moldings & foglights, recardo seats, rear wiper & spoiler, dash with a tach (ha!), center console, fancy steering wheel, etc.

It was very easy to crank the boost up in the early turbo sprints and get yourself a very fun car.

I'm eventually gonna build a ford festiva with a 1.8L BP motor, turbo'd of course ;) RWD and everything. The 1992 model has a curb weight of 1540LBS IIRC, stripped I reckon it would be less than 1300lbs. If I make custom fenders/wells I think I could stuff some 255's all around. Might make for a decent auto-x car.