1982 miniMetro L

[Micrashed]

I have a proper soft spot for A seies Metros.

[DS20]

Mmm, prosthetic-limb beige My late grandmother had one of these in the 80s, before chopping it in for a white base-model Nova, which was bigger but MUCH less comfortable.

[Stroller133]

(Dons anorak) metros are A+ engines.

But I might be wrong - I used to know!

[The Reverend Bluejeans]

I had two in the colour combo when I used to buy and sell cars in the 80's. Both were 1.0L's on the W plate and both needed new wings. The holy grail is the miniMETRO 1.3S - are there any left?

The early one was much better than the 85 on facelift. They replaced that superb dash with Montego style shit and improved the heater so it was almost completely useless.

Charles Trent scrapyard near Mansfield has a complete A reg 1.0 City.

[mouseflakes]

The holy grail is the miniMETRO 1.3S - are there any left?

 

A couple have gone through ebay recently.

 

This was one of them...

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181484767796

 

Here's another (with AS-themed seats)...

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/austin-metro-1980-1-3s-/111451422017

 

[Angrydicky]

This is definitely my favourite out of your cars Rob, and that Paprika interior is in wonderful condition on this particular example. I definitely prefer that to the Bitter Chocolate (brown) interior I have in my Champagne Maestro. It really brightens the interior up on the Metro!

 

Need to sort out a few jobs on the Maestro so I can tempt you with a shite hire exchange for the Metro!

[Micrashed]

This is winking at me - Some rust, but doesnt look terminal. One of the last A series Metro's as it has the K series rear quarter.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/austin-metro-/181566566619?pt=Automobiles_UK&hash=item2a4635f0db

Jus in case anyone thinks Ive got my head screwed on backwards this is a G plate with the correct rear quarter

[TRW]

http://youtu.be/FWUM2MGMN9Y

 

[Guest Lord Sward]

Those early Metros even had extra front dampers!!!

[RobT]

I'd love a 1.3S. Most people fap over the MGs but they don't interest me really, for rarity value an S is where it's at. SWMBO had an Applejack green HLS for her first car and that must be one of the best BL colours ever.

[RobT]

Those early Metros even had extra front dampers!!!

Mine has the originals so they probably need replacing!

[dollywobbler]

Lovely. The Metro is definitely the thinking man's Mini. My 1.3HLS was an absolute hoot. Sadly, I think all the displacers were knackered as on Fenland roads, it was horrific. The handling was incredible though.

[M'coli]

This is a great wee car!  My second Metro was an X-reg 1.0HLE with this colour combo of paint, trim and dash.  I've had 3 mk1s, my first one was a black 1.3 HLE, they're amazing for interior space for the size of car.  I sold my beige one to my uncle in 1994 who was running a welding business at the time, he managed to get him, his mate and full-size oxy- and acetylene bottles in the back...

 

I've often thought that the early ones were the best at corrosion resistance, probably because the steel was decent and they were painted properly.  I remember the 1986-7 cars (those on C,D, or E plates) rotting like bastards even by 1992.

 

The 1.3S in the eBay advert above is a case in point, there's usually rust on the headlamp mounting panels, but this one doesn't seem to have any.

[mouseflakes]

Wasn't there an issue with the low-down fuel filler on the early cars? I remember a girl in my old sixth form rolled a Metro on a left-hand bend on a country road. She said at the time the worst thing was that fuel was spilling from the filler while she was in the upside-down car. Everyone told her at the time she must have been driving too fast. But then, years later and after several very similar incidents which, I seem to recall, included at least one police panda car, it was found that those early filler caps allowed fuel to spill onto the o/s rear wheel when turning to the left. I'm guessing, for the girl in my old 6th form, the fuel-soaked wheel lost grip and the car swerved left and mounted the verge, causing it to roll.

 

Just found a reference on AROnline - there was indeed a recall for the early (leaky) fuel caps.

[Micrashed]

I'd love a 1.3S.

1.3L in diamond white would be my weapon of choice, if only so I could be like I was in 1989...

[RobT]

Front wings must be one of the weakest areas on these, almost a service item, as even though mine was garaged all it's life and only had 28,000 miles, it needed wobbing up where they meet the sill. The sills themselves are fine thankfully.

[RedSparrow]

Metros are fuggin ace. More fun to drive than Minis in my opinion. I'd love another early 1.3 one day.

[AnthonyG]

I had have the pleasure of being driven around Cofton Park in this, it is a very pleasant place to be. 1980s cars are so colourful compared to modern stuff and they actually cared whether you could see out of them or not!

 

This is a lovely early example, and like Rob, I'm glad it exists.

[They_all_do_that_sir]

I had a 1.1 k series rover metro (pre 100)

 

Was an amazing car let down by poor paint and crumbly rear arches.

 

Do miss it but it was rotten and leaked petrol from the seam on the tank for added laughs

[KruJoe]

I too, like Anthony, am glad Rob exists.

[Bamboocarman]

Re. spinning left hand bend Metros; late 90's was driving the XM into Holbeach along the old main Fleet Road into the east side of the town - toward me, at a reasonable pace, was an early Metro driven by a young lad coming along a not too sharp left hand curve; suddenly the car spun off to the left and flipped into the Fenland ditch below onto its roof. We pulled the lad out, thankfully he was OK, no physical harm done. When his Dad arrived, spent some time convincing him that the Metro was being driven at a normal speed when it spun out. An odd accident, has always puzzled me. Maybe it was this fuel spill problem?

[Timewaster]

SWMBO had an Applejack green HLS for her first car and that must be one of the best BL colours ever.

My mates sister tried to stop an articulated lorry by pulling out in front of it in an Applejack Metro.

The result was the car got cut up by the fire brigade,she spent a week in hospital and the innocent lorry driver got prosecuted for completely unrelated issues despite saving her by his avoiding action.

 

On the plus side, she did show me her scars

[RRT22R]

I love a Metro me, and the Champagne/Paprika combo is just fab.

 

Here's mine, sans Paprika.

 

 

[Micrashed]

I had a couple of K series Metro/100's but really didnt like them anywhere near as much as the A series.

 

[Noel Tidybeard]

the low fuel filler made them a twunt to fill as well

[mouseflakes]

Maybe it was this fuel spill problem?

Sounds likely doesn't it? I wonder if anyone ever sought retrospective compensation after the recall went out?

[RobT]

Thought I'd dredge up this old thread with a small update.

 

Back in October I bought a new battery for the Metro, as the old one (10 quid from a scrappy eight years ago) had finally expired. I only got around to fitting it last week...but then I haven't used the car all winter.

 

Turns out it's too big. I always thought the old one was too tall, but this bloody thing is too wide so rocks about on the narrow battery tray. So if anyone local wants an 063 for a tenner let me know (can't be arsed with couriers so is collection only, soz). I've now bought another with the same dimensions as the old one.

 

 

Next up was a new alternator as the old one was on it's way out, so I fitted that last night in about 15 minutes - any other car it'd taken me hours no doubt, but I love the way the Metro is so easy to work on. Shows up the general mankiness of the engine bay, but it's an old car so whatever.

 

 

I was hoping this would cure the mega slow indicators but it didn't. That turns out to be a dodgy flasher unit, so I've just bought one of those for 4 quid. Here's the dinky old one which hasn't done too bad for 34 years I reckon

 

 

Here's a pic of the fuse box. Four fuses and two relays (flasher unit now removed), not much to go wrong really!

 

 

I also cleaned up a few earths this evening and generally just pottered about checking a few things. MoT is due 1st March so hopefully I can get my arse in gear and get that sorted as Austin Morris Day at Brooklands is on the 12th, which is always a nice season opener.

[vonmon]

Ah, what a gorgeous little car. My dear mom used to have one, and my missus had a black GTi when we first got together and it was stonking good fun to drive.

[Eddie Honda]

So if anyone local wants an 063 for a tenner let me know (can't be arsed with couriers so is collection only, soz). 

 

Stick it up in the "Autoshites *official* WANTED/OFFERED thread..." with a location. I would, but you're miles away.

[Zantimisfit]

Missed this first time around (must have been otherwise engaged in 2014). What a fantastic little car.

 

Like everyone else, it seems, I had a Metro and loved it very much.