RE: MG Metro Turbo | Spotted
Discussion
A pensioner a few streets away has a modified Maestro turbo that he bought pretty much new, took it to that old MG tuning company that was once on Top Gear and just never sold it. He drives it properly too, I remember last year pulling onto a dual carriage way not far away in my old 205 GTI and just getting walked by him, an incredibly 90's moment that I'll never forget. I'd love to buy it from him but I can't see him ever selling it. Must be pushing 80 years old now, a lot of respect to him.
aaron_2000 said:
A pensioner a few streets away has a modified Maestro turbo that he bought pretty much new, took it to that old MG tuning company that was once on Top Gear and just never sold it. He drives it properly too, I remember last year pulling onto a dual carriage way not far away in my old 205 GTI and just getting walked by him, an incredibly 90's moment that I'll never forget. I'd love to buy it from him but I can't see him ever selling it. Must be pushing 80 years old now, a lot of respect to him.
These were fast cars and in my eyes very good looking in an aggressive kind of way. Is the car you see BRG? I love that colour on these cars.
There was a white Montego "GTI" appeared on Facebook, 22k and immaculate looking but apparently it was going to be scrapped. I had blue GTI, I know it wasnt the best car ever but it drove pretty well and to be honest handled very well for the era. The Montego GTI was Rovers attempt to plonk a GTI badge on anything they had, was just an MG minus the allows, red seatbelts and a few other bits.
Not sure of the actual story but plenty of the usual "Best place for it" thing from bloke, who declare them classic car enthusiasts but actually have an old Ford as their interests basically run to Sierra Cosworth's and the first two generations of Escort, anything else meets with the "Kill it with fire" stuff that was funny for precisely 1 second in 2011, or some Clarkson quote, usually they dont own the Escort or Cosworth however, they tend to drop the C bomb in for added effect as well.
We cant judge classics by modern standards and the standards or the time were generally dire and irrelevant now, its like people feel threatened by old stuff that wasnt that fashionable, like it may detract from their image as a Ford Geyser, nobody is going to make you drive a Metro any more.
Just need to see them as a relic of our automotive past, dont have to ever like them but like it or not, its history and I am so glad folk keep stuff like this going.
Watch Hubnut on YouTube, he reviews stuff like this, objectively and fairly.
Not sure of the actual story but plenty of the usual "Best place for it" thing from bloke, who declare them classic car enthusiasts but actually have an old Ford as their interests basically run to Sierra Cosworth's and the first two generations of Escort, anything else meets with the "Kill it with fire" stuff that was funny for precisely 1 second in 2011, or some Clarkson quote, usually they dont own the Escort or Cosworth however, they tend to drop the C bomb in for added effect as well.
We cant judge classics by modern standards and the standards or the time were generally dire and irrelevant now, its like people feel threatened by old stuff that wasnt that fashionable, like it may detract from their image as a Ford Geyser, nobody is going to make you drive a Metro any more.
Just need to see them as a relic of our automotive past, dont have to ever like them but like it or not, its history and I am so glad folk keep stuff like this going.
Watch Hubnut on YouTube, he reviews stuff like this, objectively and fairly.
mnx42 said:
aaron_2000 said:
A pensioner a few streets away has a modified Maestro turbo that he bought pretty much new, took it to that old MG tuning company that was once on Top Gear and just never sold it. He drives it properly too, I remember last year pulling onto a dual carriage way not far away in my old 205 GTI and just getting walked by him, an incredibly 90's moment that I'll never forget. I'd love to buy it from him but I can't see him ever selling it. Must be pushing 80 years old now, a lot of respect to him.
These were fast cars and in my eyes very good looking in an aggressive kind of way. Is the car you see BRG? I love that colour on these cars.
They handled well too. I did a track day at Donnington and had no problems slaying the 205Gti 1.9s that seemed to be the track weapon of choice at the time.
Mechanically it was robust, but I did suffer a little rust on the screen pillar joint.
It was stolen in Nottingham and was eventually abandoned several days later on the vicarage front garden in Strelley. I asked the Police why they hadn't stopped it over the course of those few days and their response was that they had tried, but it was just too quick for them. Luckily it wasn't torched, but it was badly damaged and although the insurance authorised the repair it was never quite the same car again. The engine was replaced as part of the rebuild, and the 'standard' turbo engine was nowhere near as powerful as the original ( thus confirming my view that the correct engine put out more than the quoted power)
It was ugly, but boy was it fun!
mnx42 said:
aaron_2000 said:
A pensioner a few streets away has a modified Maestro turbo that he bought pretty much new, took it to that old MG tuning company that was once on Top Gear and just never sold it. He drives it properly too, I remember last year pulling onto a dual carriage way not far away in my old 205 GTI and just getting walked by him, an incredibly 90's moment that I'll never forget. I'd love to buy it from him but I can't see him ever selling it. Must be pushing 80 years old now, a lot of respect to him.
These were fast cars and in my eyes very good looking in an aggressive kind of way. Is the car you see BRG? I love that colour on these cars.
A lot of Maestros ended up doing this,
https://media.gettyimages.com/videos/joyride-riots...
My own Montego GTI was broken into in a pub car park in Stockport, a simple kill switch saved it, well apart from the bent steering column, mullered door lock and broken cowl, remember in the ninesties when loads of cars had a stick on thing round the key hole as so many had been broken into ?
Worked in Stockport and had to park on the road, always some scratters casing the cars, used to open the window and shout at them, or play a siren noise through PC speakers
https://media.gettyimages.com/videos/joyride-riots...
My own Montego GTI was broken into in a pub car park in Stockport, a simple kill switch saved it, well apart from the bent steering column, mullered door lock and broken cowl, remember in the ninesties when loads of cars had a stick on thing round the key hole as so many had been broken into ?
Worked in Stockport and had to park on the road, always some scratters casing the cars, used to open the window and shout at them, or play a siren noise through PC speakers
Edited by J4CKO on Friday 8th November 13:31
J4CKO said:
A lot of Maestros ended up doing this,
https://media.gettyimages.com/videos/joyride-riots...
My own Montego GTI was broken into in a pub car park in Stockport, a simple kill switch saved it, well apart from the bent steering column, mullered door lock and broken cowl, remember in the ninesties when loads of cars had a stick on thing round the key hole as so many had been broken into ?
Worked in Stockport and had to park on the road, always some scratters casing the cars, used to open the window and shout at them, or play a siren noise through PC speakers
My 87 E 205 GTI had been stolen 3 times in 1989, I had a receipt for an immobiliser fitting which was still operational when I bought it. Is it safe to say if you had a remotely interesting car in the 90's it was probably gonna be stolen? https://media.gettyimages.com/videos/joyride-riots...
My own Montego GTI was broken into in a pub car park in Stockport, a simple kill switch saved it, well apart from the bent steering column, mullered door lock and broken cowl, remember in the ninesties when loads of cars had a stick on thing round the key hole as so many had been broken into ?
Worked in Stockport and had to park on the road, always some scratters casing the cars, used to open the window and shout at them, or play a siren noise through PC speakers
Edited by J4CKO on Friday 8th November 13:31
1st car Mini Metro "L" - UGS486W 998cc 39hp. (err when new)
2ND car MK2 Escort 1.1 Popular DNU751T (with a 1.3 fitted. All round drum brakes, rusty sills. But chrome spotlights)
then the insurance came down..
.
Metro, matt black at 7 years old when I paid £1200 for it. Rust hole you could put your hand through in the front.
Fitted a turbo plastic front to cover the rot.
A Mounty steering wheel replaced the bus sized standard wheel, and the breakers car produced a passenger side door mirror (not standard on the L version)
And frilly front wings. (but cheaper than a mk1 fiesta) £650 third party insurance. 1987-8
Took me to college and back for 12 months (learnt how to use isopon filler and fiberglass…) and topped up with 1litre of oil weekly..
A series engines loved to use oil and drip the rest out….(they all do that sir) stops the floors rusting...
Covered 12k miles. Felt like it would explode at 70mph. oh 135x70 tyres on the early ones…my mum had a 1.3 with the newer plastic bumpers and 160 wide expensive tyres….driving school BSM also ran a fleet of metros. The previous gearbox comments made me laugh as the day of the my test in Berkhampsted the driving school car had a replacement gearbox fitted (about 35k miles) and the new clutch and gearbox took a bit of work..compared to the 45 degree changes you could do before.
.
Petrol filler cap. I seem to remember my mums 1.3 C reg. having a recall due to not having a breather hole in the cap, which causes the fuel leaks
my mothers metro died of rust at approx. year 7. also dripping and burning oil. only 40k on the clock she had owned in from new. she then purchased a Fiesta. like so many others after Metro ownership
2ND car MK2 Escort 1.1 Popular DNU751T (with a 1.3 fitted. All round drum brakes, rusty sills. But chrome spotlights)
then the insurance came down..
.
Metro, matt black at 7 years old when I paid £1200 for it. Rust hole you could put your hand through in the front.
Fitted a turbo plastic front to cover the rot.
A Mounty steering wheel replaced the bus sized standard wheel, and the breakers car produced a passenger side door mirror (not standard on the L version)
And frilly front wings. (but cheaper than a mk1 fiesta) £650 third party insurance. 1987-8
Took me to college and back for 12 months (learnt how to use isopon filler and fiberglass…) and topped up with 1litre of oil weekly..
A series engines loved to use oil and drip the rest out….(they all do that sir) stops the floors rusting...
Covered 12k miles. Felt like it would explode at 70mph. oh 135x70 tyres on the early ones…my mum had a 1.3 with the newer plastic bumpers and 160 wide expensive tyres….driving school BSM also ran a fleet of metros. The previous gearbox comments made me laugh as the day of the my test in Berkhampsted the driving school car had a replacement gearbox fitted (about 35k miles) and the new clutch and gearbox took a bit of work..compared to the 45 degree changes you could do before.
.
Petrol filler cap. I seem to remember my mums 1.3 C reg. having a recall due to not having a breather hole in the cap, which causes the fuel leaks
my mothers metro died of rust at approx. year 7. also dripping and burning oil. only 40k on the clock she had owned in from new. she then purchased a Fiesta. like so many others after Metro ownership
Edited by PAUL RUN on Friday 8th November 15:16
The Crack Fox said:
Stick your supercars, your DSG gearboxes, your EVs, your MPowerAMG dullness. Stick your AWD, your willy-waving BHP and your future classic garage queens. Stick ‘ring times. This is what it’s about. Buy it and drive it like a t
t. Like the good old days. By any metric, it’s crap. But my head still contains enough of the 17 year old me, my heart thumps at the thought of that screaming old engine, and my wallet is fooled by the white backdrop pricing. I fking love this. £17k? Pah! It’s a small price to pay to being transported back to my spotty, lairy youth.
Can pick good examples up for around 5k t. Like the good old days. By any metric, it’s crap. But my head still contains enough of the 17 year old me, my heart thumps at the thought of that screaming old engine, and my wallet is fooled by the white backdrop pricing. I fking love this. £17k? Pah! It’s a small price to pay to being transported back to my spotty, lairy youth.
Rich Boy Spanner said:
The Metro was very good at dealing with becoming airborne over humped back bridges, must have been the hydro-pneumatic suspension giving the soft landing.
You say that but in the B-reg metro my mate had back in the day the light switch was a big toggle switch on the side of the column. If you were lanky it was easy to turn the lights completely off on landing with your knee. Didn't effect me TBH as I'm a short arse but did rather amusingly catch my mate out.It wasn't that funny at the time as I genuinely thought I was going to die but very amusing after the time.
mnx42 said:
aaron_2000 said:
A pensioner a few streets away has a modified Maestro turbo that he bought pretty much new, took it to that old MG tuning company that was once on Top Gear and just never sold it. He drives it properly too, I remember last year pulling onto a dual carriage way not far away in my old 205 GTI and just getting walked by him, an incredibly 90's moment that I'll never forget. I'd love to buy it from him but I can't see him ever selling it. Must be pushing 80 years old now, a lot of respect to him.
These were fast cars and in my eyes very good looking in an aggressive kind of way. Is the car you see BRG? I love that colour on these cars.
Caddyshack said:
mnx42 said:
aaron_2000 said:
A pensioner a few streets away has a modified Maestro turbo that he bought pretty much new, took it to that old MG tuning company that was once on Top Gear and just never sold it. He drives it properly too, I remember last year pulling onto a dual carriage way not far away in my old 205 GTI and just getting walked by him, an incredibly 90's moment that I'll never forget. I'd love to buy it from him but I can't see him ever selling it. Must be pushing 80 years old now, a lot of respect to him.
These were fast cars and in my eyes very good looking in an aggressive kind of way. Is the car you see BRG? I love that colour on these cars.
21st Century Man said:
ElectricSoup said:
I found out years later that a design fault on the fuel filler meant that if you over filled it, it would dump the excess petrol on to the back wheel. Evidently this is what happened, and in combination with heavy rain on the road I was toast.
Not a design fault as such. If the original filler cap was replaced with a non OEM filler cap of the wrong type then leakage was possible. Fires. I had a '86 Metro catch fire whilst parked in the street back in 1991. Electrical fire. I then saw a Maestro on fire at a M6 services whilst pulling in driving in my AA 3 day courtesy car I got due to the Metro fire. Again this is the mists of time and could be total BS but I think I remember BL/Austin Rover didn't fit fused links on the battery leads and some after some short circuit occurred, no fuse to break the circuit and electrical fire. Sure someone will remember more specifics of it.
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