Oh no, not a Rover 100.......

[purplebargeken]

Mate of mine has just bought a very, very tidy Rover Metro 100 thingy in metallic blue. Rio or Trio...... whatever.

 

Tis a 1.1, 5 spd, K plater with just 53K on the clock. Needs a brake check, suspension pump up and some wiper blades.

 

Anything else to look out for? It is rather rust free too.

 

Might tempted to take it off him as a little fun project thingy. Never had one before. Worthwhile or run a mile? Hey, that could be a great title for a car series couldn't it. Better that I want that car perhaps.

[Pillock]

[UmBongo]

I drove these when they were released on an unsuspecting public back in 90/91.

 

The GTA and the GTi were pretty good but they were brand new so can't really advise on what to look for.

 

How about everything?

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

Rio or Trio...... whatever.

 

Aw yeah, Rio supremacy!

 

[brickwall]

Had the GTA and it was  a great we car, but I cartwheeled it.

[Lankytim]

Rust and WTFHGF are the only real issues. Apart from those they're pretty nice motors to own and drive.

[dollywobbler]

Rear arches fall off at the merest hint of moisture. Not bad little cars. I prefer the Metro (what this'll be) to the 100, which was trying a bit hard to mask an aged design.

[Lord Sterling]

I AM NOT DRIVING A miniMETRO.

[overrun]

They've rebadged it, you fool!

[Junkman]

Maybe one could use the engine in a Mini?

[Jim Bell]

I'll just keep talking over you Lynne.

 

I'm not driving a mini metro, I'm not driving a mini metro, I'm not driving a mini metro.

[saucedoctor]

I had several of these, the first being a 1.1S which was brand new, so doesn't tell us a lot. I also had a heavily modded 1991 GTa which as well as being very quick was also very reliable. The rear arches were a bit pebbledashed, but not actually rotten. A few mates had Metros of various model, and ISTR that they can rot under the back seat. I also had a GTi, and the only issue with it was the famously troublesome alarm/ immobiliser of the time. I just got an autospark to remove the whole lot, which took quite some time!
 

What I would suggest to the OP is that you get a Krooklock/disklock, or aftermarket alarm as Metros are stupidly easy to break into. I was advised so to do by the Police, when I had to ask them to open the car for me when I locked the keys in it outside a Chinese takeaway joint.

 

[purplebargeken]

Okay, I will get him to check under the seat and look a bit more closely elsewhere. He did say it looked pretty much rot free. 

 

Not exactly feeling the love coming across for this one, apart from the odd previous owner of the species.

[inconsistant]

I'd have one of these if I was a bit faster at welding, but until then I wouldn't be able to keep up.

 

Fun to drive though, if you can't afford the recent Mini scene tax hikes.

[Jim Bell]

I remember an uncle having one. When I sat in the front passenger side, the whole car leaned over on that corner and he wouldn't drive it. I had to sit dead centre in the back before he would set off.

 

To be fair, I am a fat sack of shit mind.

[purplebargeken]

Okaaaaaay, maybe give this one a miss then. 

[crapcarcollector]

Okay, I will get him to check under the seat and look a bit more closely elsewhere. He did say it looked pretty much rot free.

 

Not exactly feeling the love coming across for this one, apart from the odd previous owner of the species.

Bought a H plater from the local bomb site auctions as a smoker years ago for £75. It was epic. Lasted far longer than it deserved to. I thrashed it to within an inch of its life and no OMGHGFKAOS, in fact I thought the 1.1's were pretty robust compared to the bigger units.

 

Handled like a go-kart, stopped on a sixpence and was a massive improvement ( not hard) on the earlier A SERIES shite.

 

As I recall, I sold that car on via the auctions then promptly got a letter from west midlands police warning me about kerb crawling.....

[brickwall]

Oddly enough, they are great in the snow.

[Albert Ross]

^Ahem.

[retrogeezer]

Oddly enough, they are great in the snow

 

Narrow wheels/tyres FTW..

[M'coli]

Even on 185/55r13s they're great in the snow.

 

What to look out for?  A cheap 1800 K-series engine/manifold/loom with a recent headgasket... :twisted:

[phil_lihp]

They're pretty typical of small cars from that era really, not one of the worst certainly - the 100 was far too ancient a design by 1995 but it wasn't a bad car per se, just from a different era.  1.1i is the one to go for I believe, check the suspension is level and correct and they rust like buggery.  

 

My mum had a brand new 111i on the first day that N registrations came out, it was a charming little car but spots of rust broke out around the boot hinges within 12 months and the suspension needed reinflating for its first MOT.  I suspect now that if you can find a tidy and rust-free one it's a good idea if it's cheap, these seem to attract 0% scene tax so rarely have much value now.

[RichardMoss]

My daughter's 1996 R100 - with a genuine 23,000 miles on it.  These repairs were done some time back now.  Rot cut out, localised repairs to the inner wing, part of an arch repair let in and the repair repainted with Halfords aerosols (quite a good match)







the others show some of the floor damage:

[RichardMoss]

Bottom line - if you own ANY Metro derivative, buy an angle grinder and a mig welder.

 

Mechanically they are just like any other 80s/90s mass produced car and the 8v K-serie is pretty solid.

[londonm]

I had several of these, the first being a 1.1S which was brand new, so doesn't tell us a lot. I also had a heavily modded 1991 GTa which as well as being very quick was also very reliable. The rear arches were a bit pebbledashed, but not actually rotten. A few mates had Metros of various model, and ISTR that they can rot under the back seat. I also had a GTi, and the only issue with it was the famously troublesome alarm/ immobiliser of the time. I just got an autospark to remove the whole lot, which took quite some time!

 

What I would suggest to the OP is that you get a Krooklock/disklock, or aftermarket alarm as Metros are stupidly easy to break into. I was advised so to do by the Police, when I had to ask them to open the car for me when I locked the keys in it outside a Chinese takeaway joint.

 

Did you call the police when you locked yourself out of your car?

[saucedoctor]

Did you call the police when you locked yourself out of your car?

I suspected someone would ask me that. No, the cops were queued up in the Chinese as well.

[Wilko220]

My daughter's 1996 R100 - with a genuine 23,000 miles on it.  These repairs were done some time back now.  Rot cut out, localised repairs to the inner wing, part of an arch repair let in and the repair repainted with Halfords aerosols (quite a good match)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John Terry is obviously shocked by the build quality...

[overrun]

John Terry is obviously shocked by the build quality...

 

I could understand his expression if the primer was dark in colour.

[RichardMoss]

He'll like the fact that the car is blue - and Knightbridge isn't too far from Stamford Bridge.  Mind you, as a Spurs fan I must admit to ****ing hating Chelski