RE: Shed Of The Week: Rover Metro
Discussion
I've got a soft spot for the Metro, as I learnt to drive in the MG version (as it was the car my Dad had at the time. By the time I passed, he'd sold it on for an Uno turbo i.e., which was fun, too 
).
What I haven't got a soft spot for was the bar that runs to the left from the brake pedal, which it was quite easy to catch your (size12) toes under when trying to raise the clutch, leading to lots of slip and not much progress. Annoying at any time, scary when you're just trying to nip out into that gap....
).What I haven't got a soft spot for was the bar that runs to the left from the brake pedal, which it was quite easy to catch your (size12) toes under when trying to raise the clutch, leading to lots of slip and not much progress. Annoying at any time, scary when you're just trying to nip out into that gap....
Back in 98, I was looking to upgrade from the grandparent hand-me-down mini city 850. Heart was set on XR2i and when funds were ready, excited I went to test a couple. Came away sad that steering wheel didn't seem to have the same command of vehicle direction as I was used to in the mini and that the CVH engine was almost as rough as the A series...
I ended up in a showroom with a Metro GTi and the test drive was everything I had wanted the Fiesta to be. Smooth and revvy 1.4 mpi "twin cam 16v" (written on the engine no less!), excellent steering (though not much feedback), excellent ride, sports seats etc. Hooned around in it for 2 years before the engine demonstrated it couldn't be neglected quite like an A series could. Roll on a few years of leisurely Diy fitting a 1.8k and hello sub 7 second 0-60 -was about as quick as CTR. Brilliant car for its class, and a weapon with the 1.8 engine.
Life changed and needed a car to munch motorway miles, but couldn't bare to part with it so SORNed it in 2006 and still have it. One day I'll get it back on the road, perhaps in time for the midlife crisis!
I ended up in a showroom with a Metro GTi and the test drive was everything I had wanted the Fiesta to be. Smooth and revvy 1.4 mpi "twin cam 16v" (written on the engine no less!), excellent steering (though not much feedback), excellent ride, sports seats etc. Hooned around in it for 2 years before the engine demonstrated it couldn't be neglected quite like an A series could. Roll on a few years of leisurely Diy fitting a 1.8k and hello sub 7 second 0-60 -was about as quick as CTR. Brilliant car for its class, and a weapon with the 1.8 engine.
Life changed and needed a car to munch motorway miles, but couldn't bare to part with it so SORNed it in 2006 and still have it. One day I'll get it back on the road, perhaps in time for the midlife crisis!
yonex said:
It's is also not what car is 'the best condition for a grand'
Yeah, well.....I roll my eyes nearly every Friday when the same tripe gets thrown about, about the concept and "rules" of SOTW. Some people need to lighten the f
k up and not take SOTW so bloody seriously. For me it's supposed to be a bit of fun, and stir up some debate. To be frank, I actually don't really enjoy the way SOTW is written, it often makes me cringe, and I'll often enjoy reading the forum replies much more (if you chop out the ad-nauseum crap about the rules of SOTW and all the bullstters who claim they would be all over this week's example as "it's only 100 miles away" but in the same breath they can't because "the wife would kill me"). So on that basis, the Metro has been an absolutely resounding success! It's not a car I care for much or have any interest in. But look at the discussion it's stirred up! We've got vitriol on one side, and nostalgia on the other, with a fair share of tea-spitting wise cracks along the way. So I'd much rather spend my FRiday reading this, than yet another SOTW about another German Beige-oh-barge, with 5 pages of dross replies for desert.
PoopahScoopah said:
yonex said:
It's is also not what car is 'the best condition for a grand'
Yeah, well.....I roll my eyes nearly every Friday when the same tripe gets thrown about, about the concept and "rules" of SOTW. Some people need to lighten the fk up and not take SOTW so bloody seriously. For me it's supposed to be a bit of fun, and stir up some debate. To be frank, I actually don't really enjoy the way SOTW is written, it often makes me cringe, and I'll often enjoy reading the forum replies much more (if you chop out the ad-nauseum crap about the rules of SOTW and all the bullstters who claim they would be all over this week's example as "it's only 100 miles away" but in the same breath they can't because "the wife would kill me"). So on that basis, the Metro has been an absolutely resounding success! It's not a car I care for much or have any interest in. But look at the discussion it's stirred up! We've got vitriol on one side, and nostalgia on the other, with a fair share of tea-spitting wise cracks along the way. So I'd much rather spend my FRiday reading this, than yet another SOTW about another German Beige-oh-barge, with 5 pages of dross replies for desert.
And since people are so determined to keep the argument about safety going 
.....
Have any of you stopped to think about how the psychological part of driving a tin can on wheels affects the driving experience? As a long time 205 GTI owner, I can say that you certainly stay focussed on your actions behind the wheel, and it makes for a more exciting drive. I'm not about to turn my back on the 205s just because times have moved on and the majority of traffic on the roads is more of a threat. I guess the guys driving their NCAP 5 star cars, with their flappy paddle gearboxes, fly-by-wire numbed throttle, traction control, stability control, ABS, numb power steering and shift lights in the instrument cluster must be having so much more fun
Anyway, got to dash guys. I need to go and register on a base jumping forum so that I can tell them they're all crazy for having fun and they ought to stick to sky diving as it's a bit safer
.....Have any of you stopped to think about how the psychological part of driving a tin can on wheels affects the driving experience? As a long time 205 GTI owner, I can say that you certainly stay focussed on your actions behind the wheel, and it makes for a more exciting drive. I'm not about to turn my back on the 205s just because times have moved on and the majority of traffic on the roads is more of a threat. I guess the guys driving their NCAP 5 star cars, with their flappy paddle gearboxes, fly-by-wire numbed throttle, traction control, stability control, ABS, numb power steering and shift lights in the instrument cluster must be having so much more fun
Anyway, got to dash guys. I need to go and register on a base jumping forum so that I can tell them they're all crazy for having fun and they ought to stick to sky diving as it's a bit safer
FWDRacer said:
Same would happen to an AX GT/Gti, but it doesn't stop people fisting off within PH over them.
It is because it is a Rover.
That sums it up perfectly. If it had a Citroen badge on it or, even worse, a blue oval then the membership of this forum would be fapping themselves into a frenzy. As it is, their ignorance helps keep the purchase and insurance costs down for those of us with open minds.It is because it is a Rover.
My 18 year daughter has a R100 - but the only reason she has that is that the insurance on an MG Metro would be too high! It's a brilliant car - light, nimble, excellent brakes and the 1.1L 8 valve K series engine is a real gem and the car is HUGE fun to drive. In Tahiti blue with the same (genuine) Rover alloys as this shed it looks bloody smart. The nest thing is that because of the car's reputation, we were able to buy a low mileage one that had been properly looked after by its elderly owner rather than being thrashed by some spotty tw@t with huge stereo and a small "self image".
Edited by Richard Moss on Saturday 25th October 08:21
PoopahScoopah said:
I guess the guys driving their NCAP 5 star cars, with their flappy paddle gearboxes, fly-by-wire numbed throttle, traction control, stability control, ABS, numb power steering and shift lights in the instrument cluster must be having so much more fun
These modern innovations do contribute a lot to reducing the risks, especially from the necessity to drive too close to others and to pull-out without indicating in the commuter dual-carriage-way war race campaign or fighting for a parking space (on the kerb) as close as possible to the entrance to the sanitised jungle of The Trafford Centre/Blue Water/Metro Centre.Some of the posters on here must be emotionally traumatised when they see people walking, cycling, motorbiking, riding horses, skiing, not using a hand-rail on a mountain or playing football, hockey, rugby, squash, wrestling, boxing, bowling(very high death rate), using scissors, ironing, home-maintenance of their car etc.
They presumably do a lot of praying whenever they head onto a single-carriageway road (A KILLER ROAD!!!) -with its newly-reduced speed limit "for a reason".
The health and safety,low risk propaganda appears to have become successfully embedded into the public consciousness.
Edited by MC Bodge on Saturday 25th October 08:47
yonex said:
Glowing over a Metro still, well, well. I'll forgive them in the early cars The original 1300 MG was a fun little thing, but when it spawned the frumpy later cars it lost the spirit IMO. We are talking 1990 with this tepid little rot box with a wheezy A Series!! You could have also had...
or
or
Being there at the time these threads make me smile. We all knew the Metro was crap
That did make me laugh. or
or
Being there at the time these threads make me smile. We all knew the Metro was crap
People are knocking a Metro & suggesting things like Novas which had an even worse driving position or french things that fell apart if you farted while driving. Hardly better in any way, just different forms of s
t. I'd take a Metro over any of them as it might still be crap but it's slightly better to drive than a Nova & less likely to fall apart than anything french.So a car designed nearly 40 years ago isn't safe in a crash? Who knew?
DidI have bags of fun in my mates MG Turbo 25 years ago? Did we die? If we'd hit a dry stone wall woud we have died?
Life has sharp edges.
When the Metro was all shiny and new in 1980 would anyone have seriously compared its crash worthiness with a Bull Nose Morrs or whatever from 1940? The safety argument is bks.
Would we be having all these fears if SOTW was an Escort Mexico? I bett that's st In a crash.
The Metro was a make or break car for BL. It helped keep the compnay afloat for a few years. As a car of its time, it was great. But like many things British it's potential was not maximezed and it didn't evolve. It should have been out of production by 1985 with a new generation car building on its good points succeeding it.
Sadly the Metro went a decade beyond it's sell by date. That's not a reason to hate it though.
DidI have bags of fun in my mates MG Turbo 25 years ago? Did we die? If we'd hit a dry stone wall woud we have died?
Life has sharp edges.
When the Metro was all shiny and new in 1980 would anyone have seriously compared its crash worthiness with a Bull Nose Morrs or whatever from 1940? The safety argument is b
ks.Would we be having all these fears if SOTW was an Escort Mexico? I bett that's s
t In a crash. The Metro was a make or break car for BL. It helped keep the compnay afloat for a few years. As a car of its time, it was great. But like many things British it's potential was not maximezed and it didn't evolve. It should have been out of production by 1985 with a new generation car building on its good points succeeding it.
Sadly the Metro went a decade beyond it's sell by date. That's not a reason to hate it though.
Edited by wildcat45 on Saturday 25th October 21:23
Well, it's certainly stimulated debate, hasn't it?
I think the Metro/100's biggest crime is the same as for many Rover products- it remained on sale well past its use-by-date. It was a clever, innovative machine when it was launched... and relatively rubbish and a (relative) deathtrap by the ends of it. It was by far not the worst offender though- Rover had the naivety to allow it to be tested.
If new car buyers was wondering between a Renault 5 and this in 1987, they could make a case for the Metro.
If new car buyers chose a Rover 100 over a comparable Renault Clio in 1994 then they had rocks in their heads, even if it was cheaper. The Clio was quite fun to drive too.
I can appreciate the love for these things, though they're not my cup of tea. Even for the leather and low miles which make it a rarity, you'd have to really love it for £995. I would rather try elsewhere for a fun/interesting hatch for under £1000 (though it wouldn't be for me at any price). Even those who would be interested are unlikely to pay much over £500, I would think- if the seller reads this, I'd be interested to know if I turn out to be wrong!
EDIT: Out of interest I did a search for Clios for under £1000. They may not be on a lot of people's radar but I had fun driving my then girlfriend's Mk1 Clio and I'd put my money there for an older hatch. They fall apart less than other French cars of the period too, though admittedly that's like arguing that low tar cigarettes are healthier than full tar ones...
I think the Metro/100's biggest crime is the same as for many Rover products- it remained on sale well past its use-by-date. It was a clever, innovative machine when it was launched... and relatively rubbish and a (relative) deathtrap by the ends of it. It was by far not the worst offender though- Rover had the naivety to allow it to be tested.
If new car buyers was wondering between a Renault 5 and this in 1987, they could make a case for the Metro.
If new car buyers chose a Rover 100 over a comparable Renault Clio in 1994 then they had rocks in their heads, even if it was cheaper. The Clio was quite fun to drive too.
I can appreciate the love for these things, though they're not my cup of tea. Even for the leather and low miles which make it a rarity, you'd have to really love it for £995. I would rather try elsewhere for a fun/interesting hatch for under £1000 (though it wouldn't be for me at any price). Even those who would be interested are unlikely to pay much over £500, I would think- if the seller reads this, I'd be interested to know if I turn out to be wrong!
EDIT: Out of interest I did a search for Clios for under £1000. They may not be on a lot of people's radar but I had fun driving my then girlfriend's Mk1 Clio and I'd put my money there for an older hatch. They fall apart less than other French cars of the period too, though admittedly that's like arguing that low tar cigarettes are healthier than full tar ones...
Edited by blearyeyedboy on Saturday 25th October 12:30
We had one when I was 18 or 19 - I owned an Ital I couldn't afford to run at university, so mum had it as a runaround and I used it when I was home. She traded it in for a Metro while I was away. The Metro was a fun little thing, on MG Metro alloys, but it turned out to be rotten as a pear. She took it back to the trader and came back with a Maestro, which was less fun but a much better car.
There are old everyday cars which are worth a grand, and old cars which are interesting enough to overlook that they are deathtraps, but I'm not sure this is one of them.
There are old everyday cars which are worth a grand, and old cars which are interesting enough to overlook that they are deathtraps, but I'm not sure this is one of them.
EPIC FAIL
I struggle to see the point of SOTW if the financial limit remains at £1,000. Have you seen how few cars now appear at this price in your classifieds.
We have seen rampant inflation in the last 5 years. £40k for a BMW 420 Diesel with a few "mandatory" extras should prove this point.
Perhaps Pistonheads should increase the price limit to £2,000. We could then see some unusual cars that we may actually want to purchase if circumstances allow.
Finally, you should hang your head in shame at this weeks choice. A "metro" for Gods sake!!
I struggle to see the point of SOTW if the financial limit remains at £1,000. Have you seen how few cars now appear at this price in your classifieds.
We have seen rampant inflation in the last 5 years. £40k for a BMW 420 Diesel with a few "mandatory" extras should prove this point.
Perhaps Pistonheads should increase the price limit to £2,000. We could then see some unusual cars that we may actually want to purchase if circumstances allow.
Finally, you should hang your head in shame at this weeks choice. A "metro" for Gods sake!!
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