RE: Shed Of The Week: Rover Metro

[KTF]

GranCab said:

If you really wanted a small car for a grand ... http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/citroen/c2/u...

Comes pre-crashed as well

[aka_kerrly]

AC43 said:

Excellent sleeper. The perfect combo of colour and spec.

I assume that running a turbo'd A Series of some description?

Yup, it's a mini turbo engine.

I wonder if SHED could have found a MG Metro 1300 or a Metro GTI instead....

[allgonepetetong]

Awful, truly awful. What were you thinking?

I'm amazed its average rating is as high as 3.6!

[bob1179]

My dad had one of these in 1990 as a second car. Metallic blue with blue leather, I remember us driving up from London in it at a steady 90 mph up the M1 and M6, it wasn't a bad little car in its day.

[davel*]

The crumple zones appear to be made entirely of the drivers femur

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUs-h23sp7M

[V8 FOU]

I have here a copy of CCC of some years ago.
They had a challenge to find a track car for £500.
They ended up with a BMW E30 325, Astra GTE, Citroen BX Gti (driven by one Dave Walker!), and a Metro 1.4.

These were taken to Brands and driven by the journos and also by some quick guys from BTCC etc. The Metro won easily. There is a great photo of the Metro overtaking a Scooby!

All reckoned the Metro was a fun car - even though it needed a pot of radweld for the leaky radiator.

I have worked on many of these and driven a lot too. I would suggest that the detractors, as is usual on PH, have absolutely no experience of the car.

Not a bad shed at all. Haggle down the price and it makes a usable car.

First shag? Mine was in a Reliant 3 wheeler. Not a fibreglass thing, oh no. An alloy over ash bodied soft top. Fortunately the passenger seat was removeable....
That car sold for £13 is now worth about £5K.... with or without stains on the back seat....

[Turbobanana]

A raw nerve touched here methinks, Shed.

Personally I think the early A-Series Metros were a good car for their time - the later ones less so, mostly because of BL / ARG / Rover lack of development as usual. This would make an interesting runabout for someone (admittedly not me, at that money).

And crashworthiness? Nobody seems to object to a Mini, 205 GTI or Caterham, none of which I believe would be a lot better.

This sounds like I'm defending it: I'm not, I'm defending Shed's broad motoring taste for which he should be commended.

[GranCab]

Contemporary publicity made them look appealing and crashworthy ... although I can't help but be reminded of Clarkson and Co's "crash test" on Chinese cars ....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgAQ1DgEc7Y

[HorneyMX5]

aka_kerrly said:

AC43 said:

Excellent sleeper. The perfect combo of colour and spec.

I assume that running a turbo'd A Series of some description?

Yup, it's a mini turbo engine.

I wonder if SHED could have found a MG Metro 1300 or a Metro GTI instead....

Actually a Metro Engine originally. The Mini ERA Turbo came after the MG Metro Turbo and used the Metro's engine.

Good luck finding either and MG Metro or Metro GTi for under a bag of sand. They both fetch strong money.

MG: http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C541618

[TobesH]

AC43 said:

HorneyMX5 said:

How about a nice sleeper Metro?

Excellent sleeper. The perfect combo of colour and spec.

I assume that running a turbo'd A Series of some description?

This has got me all nostalgic. I loved my MG Metro back in 1991 and I forgot how much I wanted an Metro Turbo! Am I the only one?

[Axionknight]

Article said:

A reflection of the car's inherently good design

Is that a joke?

Edited by Axionknight on Friday 24th October 13:15

[thiscocks]

Good engine. Mate had the gti with the 1.4mpi. Was pretty nippy, but not as good handling as a 106

[JaguarsportXJR]

AlexHat said:

I believe this is the only car to have the dubious award of a 1 star NCAP result.

I believe the Chrysler Voyager originally got zero...

[j90gta]

Back in the 1980's a former girlfriend bought an ex-press Rover Gta. Both were small and lightweight and went really well!!!

[J4CKO]

GranCab said:

If you really wanted a small car for a grand ...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/citroen/c2/u...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/renault/clio...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/honda/jazz/u...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/fiat/punto/u...

Edited by GranCab on Friday 24th October 11:48

You dont really get SOTW do you ? it isnt real, it is to stimulate debate, we all know you can get a worthy but dull, newer car than this Metro, does anyone have an opinion either way on a black Clio 1.2 ?

Last weeks could have been a grands worth of Mondeo 1.8 LX, but a 740i is much more of a talking point.

[GrizzlyBear]

£995! Well they can ask what they want…

I hope it goes to someone who will look after it rather than run it into the ground, there is probably an enthusiastic owners club out there somewhere.

I really want some examples of this to survive – mainly to remind people of the absolute produced when Politicians waste tax payers money propping up failed companies that should be allowed to go to the wall rather than given endless cheap money.

[Fizpop]

£650 and I'd have that. K series in 1.4 was what the engine was intended for and will be nicely understressed in this. A girlfriend had one of these and it was an absolute hoot.

[JaguarsportXJR]

My girlfriend used to have one of the earlier 1.4 GTas (they made two different ones over the years, plus the A-Series one). Much more comfortable than a Mini and almost as good a laugh down a tight and twisty road.

I'll admit though that a five door in white isn't necessarily what I'd go for though...

[GranCab]

J4CKO said:

You dont really get SOTW do you ? it isnt real, it is to stimulate debate, we all know you can get a worthy but dull, newer car than this Metro, does anyone have an opinion either way on a black Clio 1.2 ?

Last weeks could have been a grands worth of Mondeo 1.8 LX, but a 740i is much more of a talking point.

So an old Metro isn't dull ??? Yes I do get S.O.T.W., sometimes it creates a hornet's nest of activity sometimes not. This week's is just P.O.S.O.T.W.....

[r11co]

Dave Hedgehog said:

its not a maligned car, its a bloody death trap

the crash worthiness was so bad they where pulled just after NCAP tested them

Comical. People here revere Caterhams and Westfields, and admire Citroen AX's and Saxos that are just as 'dangerous'.

Isn't it amazing how the human race was totally wiped out by driving these 'death traps'. We are all now just virtual reality bots and holograms I guess?