Daves Metro - Your CT result is.....[dramatic pause]....[music intensifies]....[camera zooms in]...its a PASS

[Taff]

can I double oooof?

 

There is something very appealing about a BL car of that era in LHD, it really appeals to the pervert in me.

[saucedoctor]

Excellent buyage there sir.

 

That car should have a Lucas 42664 dizzy, which is electronique.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Very nice!!!! I clocked this on leboncoin and thought it was HOT

[hairnet]

the first pic of junkmans french holiday thread and the renault 4 on page two have black plates inthe old font in the new style reg

[Noel Tidybeard]

iirc a metroid spurt is a GTa without the turbo body kit

[dave21478]

Well, I spoke to my tame CT tester today and he gave me the spec printout that they go by when testing.

The only tyre size homologated for this model is 160/65/315 metric rubbish and no alternative options are allowed.

 

The tyres on it have plenty tread but are pretty perished with decent cracks in between the tread blocks.. I reckon they might just squeak through the test, but I dont want to use them. Buying the right size of replacements is expensive and they are hard to come by so I reckon fitting different wheels and just keeping these for its test.

 

So what wheels? MG Metros rocked 12" wheels, but 12" tyres are getting thin on the ground too and kinda dear. What cars ran 13" 4"pcd wheels? Or more likely, what cars can in find in a French scrapyard that ran 4" wheels?

What about 4x100mm? 4" is 101.something millimeters, so the difference in radius is less than one millimetre. I would wager there is probably 1mm or more wear on a second hand set of rims anyway....will kittens die?

 

on LeBonCoin I have found a set of Metro pepperpots

http://www.leboncoin.fr/equipement_auto/831139145.htm?ca=16_s

 

and a set of mini mayfair alloys....

http://www.leboncoin.fr/equipement_auto/618812322.htm?ca=16_s

 

both 12" though. The mini alloys look similar to the metro wheeltrims, but I seem to remember minis and metros having wildly different offsets?

I quite like the pepperpots, but they are obnoxiously far away and the guy wont post them.

 

Actually now I think about it, I fitted pepperpots to my first mini and had to feck about with spacers....so mini alloys are likely to be troublesome.

[M'coli]

13" Metro Turbo cross-spokes should be fine, also fitted to the Advantage & the GTA. Be aware that later cross-spokes are 3.75" PCD. Turbo race/ rally series used 13" Ronals that are rare but damned sexy...

 

Ignition will be electronic at this age.

 

I like this, very much.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I bet you could get some hubs from a Rover metro and convert it to the later stud pattern, saying that though you'd have to convert it back every year at MOT time, making this a crap idea. FORGET

 

McCauli's idea is the best one i think. i am heading to France in a fortnight if anyone knows a set of these wheels that could come along with me?

[MarvinsMom]

the ignition on this one will be the electonical type, this engine is a 1275cc MG spec  as has already been stated.

the wheels will have the same stud pattern on them as a proper mini, but the metro has a set of locating lugs around the wheel bearings which are thicker than on a mini. these can be cut off to make mini wheels fit or an alternative is to get either some mark one metro 12 inch wheels, in either steel or alloy flavour. i did that with mine...

 

 

i've never had any problems getting new tyres for these, though i know that is here in blighty, not la france, they were around £45 a piece, which i thought was pretty reasonable.

 

or as has been suggested use some 13 inch cross spokes as per the GTA and MG Turbo.

 

care needs to be taken if using these if the 185 section tyres are used then they will rub on the front wings. hence why the turbo has the wheel arches cut back and the body kits fitted. i have seen 165/45/13 (i think) used without modification to the car. if needs must i've got some spare metric wheels, some are almost brand new, both remolds and original courier or michelins, i cannot remember which (maybe both?) be damn expensive to post them though!

 

that is a sweet looking motor, am very jelous it just needs keeping away from mini owners wanting to engine rape it!!!!

[New POD]

We had a metro sport whilst we lived in Yorkshire Dales and I worked in Burnley.

 

Every scrap yard had metric wheels and tyres with loads of tread for £5 a throw. When we moved house I took 6 wheels with baldish tyres to the local tip. 

 

So many rusted to feck metro's in scrap yards back in the 1990's.  

[Jon]

Sounds like a plan - buy MarvinsMom's metric wheels and get bollox to ship them to France for you. Should give you leeway to find some 12/13s and you've a nice set to keep for the CT, however often that comes about. Result!

[warren t claim]

So the cheese eating surrender monkeys will allow a wobbed sill but draw the line at a slight change in tyre size?

[Guest Lord Sward]

This is class personified, well done.

 

When I worked for an ARG dealer I used to regularly drive a Dutch Metro City.  Whats going on with that driving position?  Look at where the choke is!

 

I *may* be able to lay my hands on new some TD tyres and I'm in Calais on Friday evening if that helps?

 

Oh, and the Spurt was also a UK LE - I've got the brochure somewhere.

 

I also think I've got a genuine ARG boxed rear lamp lens amongst other liberated Metro parts.  I've also got some nasty brake pads.

[JohnK]

Sounds like a plan - buy MarvinsMom's metric wheels and get bollox to ship them to France for you. Should give you leeway to find some 12/13s and you've a nice set to keep for the CT, however often that comes about. Result!

I'm fairly sure I live just up the road from MarvinsMom and next Thursday I'm not a million miles from Bo11ox in Lichfield with work, so I can be the go-between if dave needs these ...

[dave21478]

Thanks for the offers, but I am sacking off the metric tyres - The ones on it are good enough to pass CT, and I will look into a set of 12 or 13 inch wheels for it later.

[dave21478]

The suspension was sitting very low, which is fine of you like stanceYO, but those of us who like to drive cars on real roads need some ride height and ground clearance.

 

So I built a basic hydragas pump which is more than adequate for pumping up a slightly saggy car, but I wouldnt want to be trying to purge a new unit or anything with it.

 

I had a brand new grease gun lying around so it wasnt clagged up with grease. I then got a metal valve cap, drilled a 5mm hole in the end and tapped it to M6 threads. A wee blob of araldite to help seal things and I screwed a grease nipple into the end of it.

 

This fits onto the displacers, which have a schraeder style valve for filling, and then you hold the grease gun nose down and pour the fluid into the open end and start pumping.

Be careful as there is a fair dose of pressure in the system, so make sure your eyeballs arent near the unions in case something pops. It only took about a mug-full of fluid to pump up the Metro to normal height. The fronts are done separately and the rears are linked with the valve in front of the left rear wheel.

 

As for the fluid - the internet suggests that antifreeze with a dash of methylated spirits is a perfectly suitable alternative, so thats what I used.

 

new grease gun.

 

a close up of my nipple (insert joke here)

 

Rear ride height before and after

 

Ride height is measured from the centre of the wheel up the the arch and should be 330mm front and 320mm rear.

 

I then took it for an illicit wee blast locally and it seems to run ok, a little lumpy, but there are still the air leaks to deal with. I flushed out the coolant system and refilled, finding that the weeping hose was a loose jubilee clip on the rad bottom hose, so a nice easy fix.

 

I will hit a couple of scrapyards this afternoon and see what I can find for it.

 

[vulgalour]

BON, Monsieur, tres BON!

[oldcars]

As for the fluid - the internet suggests that antifreeze with a dash of methylated spirits is a perfectly suitable alternative, so thats what I used.

 

Is this not how Stella lager is made??

[Pillock]

If you're quick enough with the grease gun, you can make it bounce. 

Or just install it on the centre console for a Range-Rover style adaptive suspension system.

[Christine]

Internet suggests after a coolant flush ,refilling with Hydrolastic fluid and a dash of water is  a perfectly suitable alternative   Oops maybe this is the wrong thread !

[Guest Lord Sward]

As for the fluid - the internet suggests that antifreeze with a dash of methylated spirits is a perfectly suitable alternative, so thats what I used.

 

Is this not how Stella lager is made??

 

I once popped into see Alex Moulton CBE one Saturday afternoon (such a gent).  Anyway, we stayed way too long chatting and his house maid made us sandwiches and Earl Grey and left the Good Doctor his supper for later.  Part of his supper was a can of Stella.  My mate says to me 'Whats he drinking Stella for?  He's not got a wife to beat"  True story.

 

Anyway, I digress; I've used OAT antifreeze in older Hydragas systems as I felt there was less specific gravity to cause damage to a previously undisturbed system.  Does that make sense as I'm not a Doctor of suspension?  Don't forget to grease front and back arms now the ride height has been trimmed.

[Mr_Bo11ox]

I've used ordinary oldskool antifreeze & water in the past with no problems. Chuck a bit of Robinsons Barley Water in if you think you might wanna stop and drain a bit into a cup for an impromptu aperitif.

[Skut]

I miss Metros with crazy ride heights a rotten front wings. When they did get pumped up in the old days they always seemed too high. Presumably done to delay having to pump it up again

[dollywobbler]

When I pumped my Metro up, the ride was absolutely appalling! Especially over sharp bumps - the sort Fenland roads are full of. I had to change my commute to find smoother roads. I suspect there was naff all gas left in the displacers. Not as easy to fix as ride height adjustment.

[Guest Lord Sward]

A higher ride height should have the opposite effect?

[dollywobbler]

That's what I thought. It still rode better than our Mini.

[dave21478]

Today I insured it (120€ fully comp!) and went for a longer blezz this evening, putting about 20km on it.

It seems to run very hot indeed. While the temp gauge behaves as it should and never went much over halfway, when stopped the rad fan was running pretty much constantly and the whole thing was giving off that "too hot" smell.

When switched off the coolant could be heard gurgling , churning and I assume boiling at various points around the engine bay, and loosening the header tank cap let out a geyser of hot coolant.

 

hmmm.... granted the weather here is hot as balls, with the temp this evening at 28 degrees, but still, something doesnt seem quite right.

 

The coolant leak is back with water seeping from the lower rad hose despite putting a decent quality jubilee clip in place of the original wire thing. I wonder if its over-pressuring? I wonder if the previous owner ran it low of coolant and OMGHGF'd it?

[Mr_Bo11ox]

try whipping the thermostat out and flushing the rad first. Saying that, a head gasket is probably easier on one of these so do that first actually.

 

Do the hoses feel like thay have got 500PSi in them?

[MarvinsMom]

more likely its not had any antifreeze in it and the rad and block are chocked up with gunk.

 

taking the bottom hose and the wash plug on the back of the engine out and giving it a damn good flush out will help no end.

 

when i got mine, the coolant was the same colour as tea, and it took 2 or 3 good goes with the hose pipe and rad flush before things were working quiet as they should.

 

i'd do that first before thinking about lifting off the cylinder head.

[dave21478]

The hoses feel weird - kinda crispy when squeezed, so I think they are probably lined with rusty crud.

I think tomorrow I will take off the rad and all the hoses I can get at and flush everything out.