Twin-Cam's Motoring Maladies: Povvo Rover Metro Restoration, Austin Metro 1.3L, BMW E46 325i

[Twin-Cam]

This isn't really an update as such, but I have absolutely no self-control.

I've just spent £75 on some new hubcaps.

They're becoming really hard to find and my ones are a little tired. I like driving with them on the car so I don't want to feel so scared about losing one.

[ETCHY]

Smart thing to do, if you like  Melvin & plan to keep him that's a good move.

Being a saddo I'd personally be keeping the original Rover packaging too

[Twin-Cam]

26 minutes ago, ETCHY said:

Smart thing to do, if you like  Melvin & plan to keep him that's a good move.

Being a saddo I'd personally be keeping the original Rover packaging too

Of course the packaging is staying!

I'm a bit mad for things like those boxes. I made a replica service book for God's sake! ?

[ETCHY]

I hope you've also bought all the period brochures & road tests... 'cos that's also what I'd do

[Twin-Cam]

20 minutes ago, ETCHY said:

I hope you've also bought all the period brochures & road tests... 'cos that's also what I'd do

I have a copy of car magazine, testing the Metro C against the Citroen AX and Pug 106, as well as all the brochures!

[Twin-Cam]

Apologies everyone, but I forgot to take any pictures of all this so you'll have to put up with the video version.

In this one I fix my rattle, get a few new bits and pieces,, talk about my newly fixed valve cover gasket, and new tyres!

 

[ETCHY]

6 hours ago, Twin-Cam said:

Apologies everyone, but I forgot to take any pictures of all this so you'll have to put up with the video version.

In this one I fix my rattle, get a few new bits and pieces,, talk about my newly fixed valve cover gasket, and new tyres!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPCRSTf1_lA

 

Just watched it , I rather enjoyed it !

I agreed with what you said over the Haynes Manuals the older ones were  definitely better.

[Twin-Cam]

Well, not much has happened to Melvin the Metro recently. Another 1500 miles and no problems.

But considering this is AutoShite... I think you might all be interested in my latest video. It's @OliD-E's CityRover!

 

[ETCHY]

Good video T'C',  It really does illustrate how desperate Rover had become. 

I can remember all the Top Gear stuff. I rarely watched  that programme but I saw  a feature on the City Rover & I can recall that tosser Clarkson & his two pet stooges laughing their heads off about Rover.

All I can remember thinking was that there were lot of  poor sods working  at Rover who will have had mortgages & families to support who'd be watching Top Gear & be reading car mags etc  & be worried sick - you didn't have to be  a rocket scientist to see it was pretty much the end.

Bloody sad.

 

[louiepj]

Loving the white metro and this has just reminded me that years ago my old bosses brother Ray was a driver for Bolloms paint Beckenham and he would pop in and update us on the saga of his brand new white metro.

A few days after purchase he is out shopping and opens the boot and notices that there is no paint on the inside of the hatch or hatchback!!!! The car spent more time with rover than him as they could not match the white paint on the car to any variation they had, but he was stubborn and wanted his white metro he had bought to be perfect. Eventually he was told the car was to be returned to the factory and ICI the paint suppliers were going to come down to test the paint and spray booths etc to find out how this happened. This was over a span of about 9 months in which he had been driving their courtesy cars more than his new white metro.

They replaced his metro with another white one as that is what he wanted. 

 

[Twin-Cam]

While it was on my mind I thought I'd talk about the biggest surprise I got when I started driving Melvin.

The K-Series. Oh wow, the K-Series. Before you ask, no. The head gasket hasn't gone.

But it's just so smoooooooooth. A proper little gem of an engine. Despite this one being a relatively simple, carburettor-fed, eight valve engine, it's remarkable.

Not only does it produce an adequate amount of power (60 bhp), but it delivers that power in such a way that is endearing. It's amazingly rev-happy and a zingy little thing that makes a great high-pitched wail when you even look at the throttle pedal. The character of it perfectly suits the Metro. It's a fun, zippy little engine that feels refined.

As I've mentioned, it's smooth. Like almost six-cylinder smooth. As Melvin only has a four-speed 'box, it does need to rev a bit on a motorway, about 3750 or so. But even at those revs it's quiet, refined, and just buzzes away up front with no dramas. Then at the end of the day I average 52 mpg on the motorway and 45 combined. Beautiful.

 

 

[Twin-Cam]

Oh dear. It's happened again. For the  t h i r d  time my rocker cover gasket is leaking.

On another note, I've been filming some interesting cars, including a spicy Metro and a glorious E36 BMW.

[overrun]

I have been watching some of your vids, mate. Good stuff and your passion shines through on camera!

You never seem to drive any of the cars? Is it just a liability/insurance thing?

It would be good to see some out on the road.

[Twin-Cam]

Just now, overrun said:

I have been watching some of your vids, mate. Good stuff and your passion shines through on camera!

You never seem to drive any of the cars? Is it just a liability/insurance thing?

It would be good to see some out on the road.

I'd love to be doing road tests on all these cars, but due to my age it's not at all viable to insure any of them. Hopefully within the next 12 months I'll be able to, but for now, static stuff only.

The only road test I have done so far is on my Metro, which you can find on my channel.

[Tenmil Socket]

Have you tried a thin smear of the below on the gasket?

Do the bolts require torquing up in a particular order?

[Twin-Cam]

1 hour ago, Tenmil Socket said:

Have you tried a thin smear of the below on the gasket?

Do the bolts require torquing up in a particular order?

All done in the correct order and to the correct torque, and there is product around the outside edge of the gasket. I'm getting closer to throwing a load of sealant at the bloody thing hahahaha

[Twin-Cam]

 

[beansbeansbeans]

Ah I thought I recognised you from watching that vid on the blue Metro.

Glad to see you're keeping 'yer motor all standard!

[Noel Tidybeard]

"back in the day" "they" always said the 1.1 was much sweeterer than the 1.4

your old wheel caps ned the Edd China treatment- a little  blow over with some satin black spray!

iirc those clips dont actually screw on just push- but they screw off

[Twin-Cam]

7 minutes ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

"back in the day" "they" always said the 1.1 was much sweeterer than the 1.4

your old wheel caps ned the Edd China treatment- a little  blow over with some satin black spray!

iirc those clips dont actually screw on just push- but they screw off

Yes I've got the clip on and sorted now. 

When the weather gets warmer I'll give the hubcaps a blow over, but for now I'm living with them as they are. Of course, I have the fresh ones for shows and the like.

[Noel Tidybeard]

1 minute ago, Twin-Cam said:

When the weather gets warmer I'll give the hubcaps a blow over, but for now I'm living with them as they are. Of course, I have the fresh ones for shows and the like.

i wonder how decadent it would look with wheel centres painted silver ?

[Twin-Cam]

7 hours ago, Noel Tidybeard said:

i wonder how decadent it would look with wheel centres painted silver ?

Blingy I'd assume. That isn't a look I desire to be honest.

[St.Jude]

I'll be quite honest with you, after watching (nearly) ever video you've done, that Metro is crying out for something that's a little bit more hearing aid beige than anything. That's what you should paint the hub caps!

 

[Twin-Cam]

Right lads. MOT tomorrow. Which is amazing considering the current circumstances, but there we go.

It will fail, I'm pretty certain. I'm guessing emissions and something front suspension related. 

Place your bets. What do you lovely lot reckon it'll fail on?

[Cord Fourteener]

The pink fluffy dice that are glued to the windscreen?

[Twin-Cam]

Just now, Tim_E said:

The pink fluffy dice that are glued to the windscreen?

We don't do that here.

Nothing to do with the dice as such, just the inherent distraction of having something dangle in your line of sight.

[Cord Fourteener]

Seriously though, it will be your headlight aim or something stupid like that.

 

[Twin-Cam]

Just now, Tim_E said:

Seriously though, it will be your headlight aim or something stupid like that.

 

I'm pretty sure the aim is fine, but of course it's one of those things you don't really notice unless you're blinding some poor oncoming car.

I am pretty sure the emissions will be wayyyyy too high though.

[Cord Fourteener]

According to your last MOT if you haven't sorted the exhaust leak that could come up again... ?

[Twin-Cam]

That certainly will come up again, but it hasn't got any worse so I'm hoping it won't fail on that.