RE: MG Metro Turbo | Spotted
Discussion
I bought one in 1986 for £2000. I remember the fun in dropping it into 3rd at 60-70mph and it would accelerate like a stabbed rat. Then there was the turbo lag at below 2k that was frighteningly slow before it all went crazy. There was also the feeling of not quite being safe if you hit anything (but probably true of a lot of cars back then). Overall with those rose tinted specs on, it was fun. Not sure I’d spend that kind of money to shatter my memories to find it slow by today’s standards but I understand it.
mwstewart said:
Ahh, photos in a studio with a white background guarantee that the car will be expensive 
KGF Classic Cars, all their cars are listed like that, and mostly laughable prices (IMHO). I often see them at classic car auctions. OK, they want to make a living but their mark up is eye watering.
I had a NA MG Metro (white, natch) for a bit whilst I was a student in Nottingham. Those who know the city will be unsurprised to hear I was in the Lenton area. I kept the white wheel trims in the boot because they would be nicked immediately if left on the car, and had to chase off some scrotes trying to break in to it several times. Luckily for me I didn't have it long enough for it to be finally stolen - I rolled it off an M40 junction before anyone managed, almost killing myself in the process. I had just brimmed it with petrol and it aquaplaned as I was leaving a roundabout to join the motorway slip - I left the road, hit a lamppost side on and rolled down the embankment, finishing on the roof. Doors bent and wouldn't open, a passer by in a van stopped and ran down to me, opened the boot and dragged me out that way.
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.
The replacement car, a Ford Orion 1.6L (purple, natch), was stolen one night and used as a getaway car in an armed robbery.
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.
The replacement car, a Ford Orion 1.6L (purple, natch), was stolen one night and used as a getaway car in an armed robbery.
Had one new whilst is Cyprus, loads of starting issues. It went back to the dealer who had difficulty finding fault. Popped in to see it and they had the engine/gearbox separated on the floor. Thought it would never go back together again, but it did with no leaks!
Ended up kissing a telegraph pole .. driver error! Replaced with Honda CRX 1.5 12v. Build quality was leap years ahead, but MG was more fun.
Ended up kissing a telegraph pole .. driver error! Replaced with Honda CRX 1.5 12v. Build quality was leap years ahead, but MG was more fun.
Who doesn't yearn for the simpler times....Look at that interior, simple, spacious, airy, and still roughly the same MPG as cars today..progress meh!!!
Yeah, ok, you wouldn't want to crash in one, but if we all drove lighter simpler cars, perhaps we would drive more carefully rather than feeling invulnerable in our 2 tonne auto emergency brake stability traction control hatch cum SUVs!
Yeah, ok, you wouldn't want to crash in one, but if we all drove lighter simpler cars, perhaps we would drive more carefully rather than feeling invulnerable in our 2 tonne auto emergency brake stability traction control hatch cum SUVs!
I started out in racing with one of these back in 2001
Once fully race tuned it was actually pretty good; the handling was lovely. The full race turbos used to spit fire on the over-run
I should add that I never drove a road standard car.
Once fully race tuned it was actually pretty good; the handling was lovely. The full race turbos used to spit fire on the over-run
I should add that I never drove a road standard car.
Edited by RobM77 on Tuesday 5th November 09:21
The closest I got to one of these was a 1275 Sport in white and it was the first car I had with a rev counter(which I was chuffed about at the time).
I always liked the Turbo because it was fast(well it wasn't but at the time I thought it was). The Metro was never that great to drive for me though, so although I like this I don't see it as being that special(especially at that money) in fairness.
I always liked the Turbo because it was fast(well it wasn't but at the time I thought it was). The Metro was never that great to drive for me though, so although I like this I don't see it as being that special(especially at that money) in fairness.
Dave Hedgehog said:
NCAP 1 starThe BMW 3 series of the same era scored 1.5 stars...
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.
What he said ^^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.The gearboxes are fixable these days. Real fun thing.
Baldchap said:
sidesauce said:
Kill it with fire.
The Maestro Turbos used to do this themselves, was the Metro the same? 
cookie1600 said:
"Mr Wickham-Lamont collected the Mini in 21st March 1984"
I thought it was an MG Metro Turbo. These were never called a Mini?
I'd still watch out for rust under that chin spoiler and elsewhere. They went faster as they got older, because they got lighter.
They were originally sold as the Austin Mini Metro as it was designed initially to complement the Mini range, but eventually to replace it. I thought it was an MG Metro Turbo. These were never called a Mini?
I'd still watch out for rust under that chin spoiler and elsewhere. They went faster as they got older, because they got lighter.
A bit of a stretch though to say "collected the Mini"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Austin_Metro
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