HMC- Return of the Cheeky 500

[HMC]

OK so @egg ‘s metro thread got me reminiscing about “Britain’s car to beat the world” or whatever the tag line was.

My first was a VP500 bought for £300 off e bay in 2007. That was a nice little car, sadly rear ended by a HGV. I lived; NCAP I hope you are taking notes over in the corner.

VP500- posh!

Next came a 115d that was registered N——VOA and was a 3 door in white. That sadly was mega rotten and was bridged.

 

Finally in 2017 (I think?) I had this little 22k miler. An ascot se that had been giffer owned. That was sold to @twosmoke300 or maybe his dad.

Enough of my metro cv; here’s what I’m expecting to arrive next weekend.....

It’s a 114sli; perhaps in need of the ministrations of a suspension pump and a good clean. It’s done about 40k and I suspect some were put off by an mot said to be running out in a month - a quick check online revealed it runs until September. It’s still clinging to its dealer sticker (just about!) and the plates still have that wierd font factory registered cars had around that time.

What separates it out from the others is that it’s an auto- which on these (and the mgf?) is a Continuously variable jobbie. Go kart tastic.

It apparently was originally a motability car and strangely enough is white and N-VOA just like the 115d I owned over a decade ago!

 

 

[Kiltox]

Guess this is the same CVT gearbox that’s in my 216 Cabriolet ?

[HMC]

@Kiltox could be, whats it like to drive ?

[LightBulbFun]

15 minutes ago, HMC said:

It apparently was originally a motability car and strangely enough is white and N-VOA just like the 115d I owned over a decade ago!

the amusing thing is if it was a motability car it may have replaced someones Model 70 which itself is also a CVT automatic  

[Kiltox]

3 minutes ago, HMC said:

@Kiltox could be, whats it like to drive ?

Meh, it’s okay. I think mine is a bit broken though. 

Well, it’s a lot broken, it has HGF, but I think the gearbox is in dire need of some attention. 

[ETCHY]

I recall reading an Autocar road test on the Metro CVT & it was said to be pretty brisk.

We had a CVT K11 Micra  & that was hoot so I reckon you'll enjoy the Metro.

[skattrd]

Is that the tri-fecta there?

CVT, K series and hydra-gas?

Thats what I call wining.

[Marm Toastsmith]

I love that. Dibs* when you get bored? Speaking of which have you still got the r8?

[holbeck]

CVT Metro was Rover's first go at at it. The CVT in the MGF / 216 was a slightly uprated box.

My employers had a 114 as an engineering loan car as we offered an ECU for the CVT.

One thing I do remember about visiting Rover to meet the CVT engineers was that one of them was a proper shitter in that he was running around in a base 827i explaining that he liked to lease the most obscure vehicle on the list!

[HMC]

10 minutes ago, marm said:

I love that. Dibs* when you get bored? Speaking of which have you still got the r8?

Yes r8 still here (live shot)

[montytom]

I honestly dont know where you find them.

For the last 2 weeks ive been hunting gumtree,facebook and ebay but havent found anything I want yet. Cannot wait to see the thread when you get this car Matt

[Marm Toastsmith]

7 minutes ago, montytom said:

I honestly dont know where you find them.

For the last 2 weeks ive been hunting gumtree,facebook and ebay but havent found anything I want yet. Cannot wait to see the thread when you get this car Matt

I see hundreds of cars that I want. You’re not looking nearly hard enough. I just don’t have HMC’s balls of steel when it comes to actually buying them. At some point the impulse is usually (but not always) overcome by the urge to have fewer problems, not more,

e.g. I’m not going to bid on this:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F352985859518

[montytom]

7 minutes ago, marm said:

I see hundreds of cars that I want. You’re not looking nearly hard enough. I just don’t have HMC’s balls of steel when it comes to actually buying them. At some point the impulse is usually (but not always) overcome by the urge to have fewer problems, not more,

e.g. I’m not going to bid on this:

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F352985859518

The thing is trust me im lookinh lng and hard-Actually went to see a couple of cars but they were beyond saving but im hoping something will jum out at me but unfortunately nothing yet. Ive saved a healthy amount £2500 but still nothing jumps at me

[HMC]

I suppose I just have low budget and low standards! Metro was £300, and these days that doesn’t buy you much in the metro market.

[egg]

Bargain. Cheaper than mine.

[montytom]

27 minutes ago, HMC said:

I suppose I just have low budget and low standards! Metro was £300, and these days that doesn’t buy you much in the metro market.

That's a healthy budget. I originally wanted a civic type r sort of having a hot hatch appealed to me but then having seen the state of it ie no arches for my budget I thought I want something old from when I was growing up that I used to see. Theres an sd3 in torquay that I might have a look at but now you have planted metros in my mind again. I'm not sure I'll git in a metro anymore but it's worth a try.

[BorniteIdentity]

3 hours ago, LightBulbFun said:

 Model 70 

(*waves dabber furiously)

BINGO!!!1!

[Fabergé Greggs]

Bloody lovely!
 

I take it a 1.8vvc swap would render the gearbox dead in seconds? I dream of a VVC metro, and an auto would really be the icing on the cake 

[LightBulbFun]

3 minutes ago, BorniteIdentity said:

(*waves dabber furiously)

BINGO!!!1!

oh common now, Iv not matched any registration series's (yet...)  

(or would that be a full house rather then bingo? LOL)

[Matty]

18 minutes ago, BorniteIdentity said:

(*waves dabber furiously)

BINGO!!!1!

Twat ??

[wuvvum]

Chodwin's Law:  As an Autoshite thread gets longer, the probability of Inv*c*rs being mentioned approaches 1.

[wuvvum]

I've been keeping half an eye out for a small auto myself actually - I'm almost at the top of the 9-year waiting list for a car parking space at work so I will shortly no longer need a daily that can fit a pushbike in the back.  Something like this (perhaps a little closer to Norfolk) would be perfect.

[Matty]

Uncle has a fusion which he swears by. Seem to be a lot around in auto. Worth bearing in mind?

[wuvvum]

I don't think a Fusion would suit me - I am less than 112 years old and I sometimes like to drive at more than 37 mph.

[Fumbler]

11 minutes ago, wuvvum said:

I don't think a Fusion would suit me - I am less than 112 years old and I sometimes like to drive at more than 37 mph.

Brother Fumbler passed his test in a diesel Fusion. Basically a hatchback with the Transit engine in it. He hated it but liked the amount of torque it had.

[Ghosty]

I actually wouldn't mind a 114 CVT as a rollerskate. 

[RobT]

Good to see you're living up to your name again HMC.

114 CVTs are a hoot, guaranteed traffic light grand prix winners.  We went all over the country in ours (it was Mrs T's car).  I spent £400 getting the HG replaced as it had been a good car up to that point.  But then the gearbox shat itself, so it was goodnight Vienna.  Main bearing went, which manifested itself in a buzzing sound first off.

[HMC]

 

[dollywobbler]

On 3/2/2020 at 8:12 AM, Fabergé Greggs said:

Bloody lovely!
 

I take it a 1.8vvc swap would render the gearbox dead in seconds? I dream of a VVC metro, and an auto would really be the icing on the cake 

I assume the Steptronic CVT in the MGF was beefier, though also annoying, as it has pronounced change points to try and make it feel more normal, which kind of ruins the point of being CVT...

[HMC]

The gearless metro orphan arrived today........

Filthy, mud caked and sagged on its suspension. Dr Moulton avert your gaze. It looked sorry for itself.

A £4 car wash later and still a bit grubby, and still a bit dragsterish in its stance....

 

I Dug out a little hand pump I bought when I last had a rover 100 and commenced pumping.....

Almost there!

Thats better!

Time for some fuel

 

And a quick shot next to its younger half Japanese  relative

Verdict
Metro+ CVT auto = FUN