Early unmolested MG Metro has appeared outside my office

[ypsilandra]

I work opposite the workshop and office of a track day experience business and amongst the usual supercars and rally cars, the occasional old gem appears. Currently there's a lovely white BX 16V and now this, an early (Feb 83) MG Metro. Excluding the welsh flag painted on the roof, it's pretty unmolested.

 

 

with bonus VW Caddy scene shite in the background

 

[Split_Pin]

Now THAT is a top-shelf shite spot

 

I do hope it stays as is.

[RedSparrow]

Oof! Just like my (then alexg's) old one. In about the same condition too. Still miss that car.

[406V6]

Lovely. And like all early MG Metros it's lost one of its central alloy wheel motifs. They fixed the problem of them falling out with later models. I bought an A reg one new. Fantastic little cars to drive, though with regrettable and justified reputation for reliability / trouble / rust

[Angrydicky]

Essex reg, probably came from the same dealer as my dad's old Ambassador, HWC 295Y. I can't make out the writing on the plates sadly, could it be Eddy Grimstead - Romford?

[RichardMoss]

Looks just like the 1983 one I used to have. I had to do some serious rust repairs on that in 1994 - typical Metro!

[ypsilandra]

Essex reg, probably came from the same dealer as my dad's old Ambassador, HWC 295Y. I can't make out the writing on the plates sadly, could it be Eddy Grimstead - Romford?

 

I'll have a look at the plates and faded dealer sticker for you tomorrow

[ypsilandra]

Both plates are marked Cyril J Deal Ltd, Kelvedon 70031 as does the faded sticker in the rear window. I've checked on the net and Deal's still trading, with the original (almost) number.

[Angrydicky]

Ah cool, not a dealer I'm familiar with I must admit.

[phil_lihp]

Given how rust-prone these cars are*, it's amazing to see a tidy unrestored example, I guess a lot of giffer-garaged examples are gradually being dug out of hibernation. Hopefully it's being looked after. There's a young guy driving around my local patch in a late eighties rover-era Metro, it's got some slightly odd little wire wheel-type alloys on it but it's otherwise really original and he does seem to be looking after it.

 

*There's an old early 90's Top Gear episode on youtube somewhere about metros, the state of the bodywork on some 5-6 year old models was horrifying.

[RedSparrow]

*There's an old early 90's Top Gear episode on youtube somewhere about metros, the state of the bodywork on some 5-6 year old models was horrifying.

 

Here it is for those interested. Well worth a watch.

[andrew e]

Deal are by Kelvedon station, they were a Rover dealer till the end. Proton dealers too for added shite bonus!

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Given how rust-prone these cars are*, it's amazing to see a tidy unrestored example, I guess a lot of giffer-garaged examples are gradually being dug out of hibernation. Hopefully it's being looked after. There's a young guy driving around my local patch in a late eighties rover-era Metro, it's got some slightly odd little wire wheel-type alloys on it but it's otherwise really original and he does seem to be looking after it.

 

*There's an old early 90's Top Gear episode on youtube somewhere about metros, the state of the bodywork on some 5-6 year old models was horrifying.

 

In 1989 I bought a C plate 1.0 City from Witney car auctions with a hole in the wing at the top. Not quite four years old.

 

I used to buy and sell these, but almost every one had an issue such as a shagged gearbox, radius arm, rot etc. So I gave up, paid more and did Fiestas and Novas instead, much better. The Metro was nicer to drive, but just a pile of shit as an ownership proposition.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

Given how rust-prone these cars are*, it's amazing to see a tidy unrestored example, I guess a lot of giffer-garaged examples are gradually being dug out of hibernation. Hopefully it's being looked after. There's a young guy driving around my local patch in a late eighties rover-era Metro, it's got some slightly odd little wire wheel-type alloys on it but it's otherwise really original and he does seem to be looking after it.

 

*There's an old early 90's Top Gear episode on youtube somewhere about metros, the state of the bodywork on some 5-6 year old models was horrifying.

 

In 1989 I bought a C plate 1.0 City from Witney car auctions with a hole in the wing at the top. Not quite four years old.

 

I used to buy and sell these, but almost every one had an issue such as a shagged gearbox, radius arm, rot etc. So I gave up, paid more and did Fiestas and Novas instead, much better. The Metro was nicer to drive, but just a pile of shit as an ownership proposition.

[dollywobbler]

The Metro was nicer to drive, but just a pile of shit as an ownership proposition.

 

Sadly I can only back this up. My miniMetro 1.3HLS was an absolutely hoot to drive on a smooth road. Huge fun. However, the clutch was a continual problem (no wonder they changed to cable later) and it later dropped a valve. That was the end of that. (especially as my wife drove it 20 miles like that...)

[dollywobbler]

The Metro was nicer to drive, but just a pile of shit as an ownership proposition.

 

Sadly I can only back this up. My miniMetro 1.3HLS was an absolutely hoot to drive on a smooth road. Huge fun. However, the clutch was a continual problem (no wonder they changed to cable later) and it later dropped a valve. That was the end of that. (especially as my wife drove it 20 miles like that...)

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

My miniMetro 1.3HLS

 

An early one! The problem with the Metro was that it showed that BL had learned nothing from the previous ten years. Hydragas, great when it worked but rusty pipes meant a suspension collapse that you didn't get on anything from Ford, GM or Nissan. The gearbox where they replaced a perfectly okay brass cage mainshaft bearing with one with a plastic cage. This used to break up, leading to the death rattle in 4th gear. The original clutch wasn't too bad but the 'vertigo' clutch was lighter.

Build quality was diabolical. Despite the 8 trillion quid Longbridge paint shop, they still couldn't manage to paint the bottom edge of the front valance despite managing to get some primer on there. The guys who owned my Dad's old garage before bought a new white 1.3L Metro in 1989. Up on the ramp, you could see areas where there was no paint - bottoms of the doors, front and rear valance etc. Sent it back to Hartwells who repainted it from the waist down. Sadly, everything else BL built was the same.

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

My miniMetro 1.3HLS

 

An early one! The problem with the Metro was that it showed that BL had learned nothing from the previous ten years. Hydragas, great when it worked but rusty pipes meant a suspension collapse that you didn't get on anything from Ford, GM or Nissan. The gearbox where they replaced a perfectly okay brass cage mainshaft bearing with one with a plastic cage. This used to break up, leading to the death rattle in 4th gear. The original clutch wasn't too bad but the 'vertigo' clutch was lighter.

Build quality was diabolical. Despite the 8 trillion quid Longbridge paint shop, they still couldn't manage to paint the bottom edge of the front valance despite managing to get some primer on there. The guys who owned my Dad's old garage before bought a new white 1.3L Metro in 1989. Up on the ramp, you could see areas where there was no paint - bottoms of the doors, front and rear valance etc. Sent it back to Hartwells who repainted it from the waist down. Sadly, everything else BL built was the same.

[e287yba]

*There's an old early 90's Top Gear episode on youtube somewhere about metros, the state of the bodywork on some 5-6 year old models was horrifying.

 

Here it is for those interested. Well worth a watch.

 

Buying Cars magazine's TV spinoff? Well, two of the original BC contributors are on that clip - QW and also their tame AA Vehicle Inspector from memory...

 

Definitely well worth a watch .

[e287yba]

*There's an old early 90's Top Gear episode on youtube somewhere about metros, the state of the bodywork on some 5-6 year old models was horrifying.

 

Here it is for those interested. Well worth a watch.

 

Buying Cars magazine's TV spinoff? Well, two of the original BC contributors are on that clip - QW and also their tame AA Vehicle Inspector from memory...

 

Definitely well worth a watch .