1981 Austin miniMetro poverty edition in bright snot
Discussion
I’ve known this car for a while - a mate bought it in 2019, had it restored, sold it to another mate, who I’ve just purchased it from.
It’s delightfully terrible - slow (998cc with 42bhp, maybe), noisy, it makes my right leg go numb and the radio is MW/LW only. It’s a step away from having to go outside to change gear.
And yet, I’m utterly charmed by it. 60mph feels like 140, it makes every journey feel like an event and loads of people wave, beep and want to talk to you.
It needed setting up properly, a wheel alignment and a proper service, but now that’s all done it sings up the road.
It’s delightfully terrible - slow (998cc with 42bhp, maybe), noisy, it makes my right leg go numb and the radio is MW/LW only. It’s a step away from having to go outside to change gear.
And yet, I’m utterly charmed by it. 60mph feels like 140, it makes every journey feel like an event and loads of people wave, beep and want to talk to you.
It needed setting up properly, a wheel alignment and a proper service, but now that’s all done it sings up the road.
tty') had no radio or ciggy lighter. That didn't make it go any faster, though fond memories. 
When i got my first mortgage back in 1987, a rather nice Metro 1.3 HLS was all I could afford as transport. I say afford but someone gave it to me as they were going to scrap it. I did 42k miles in that car after good service and some new brakes. Mind it was proper tatty, duck tape over holes in the wings and paint peeling off. My friendly MOT tester even wrote "surface rust almost everywhere except windows and tyres" in the comments on one MOT. The engine lived on to power a mk1 mini.
Loved those old Metros, I had a few as cheap transport, even a Turbo at one point. They did all rust away though in the end.
Loved those old Metros, I had a few as cheap transport, even a Turbo at one point. They did all rust away though in the end.
That’s absolutely fabulous.
I had a 1.0L HLE Metro for 5 years. We bought it at 3 years old as my wife had just passed her driving test and she’d done all her lessons in a BSM Metro. It seemed a good idea to help her build up her confidence and experience in a car she was familiar with. We sold my Golf GLS to buy the Metro which was depressing.
However, over 5 years and 60K miles it proved to be utterly reliable, cheap as chips to run and quite good fun to drive down hill on a twisty B road. I’ve never recovered from the driving position and to this day still sit at an odd angle to the steering wheel.
I had a 1.0L HLE Metro for 5 years. We bought it at 3 years old as my wife had just passed her driving test and she’d done all her lessons in a BSM Metro. It seemed a good idea to help her build up her confidence and experience in a car she was familiar with. We sold my Golf GLS to buy the Metro which was depressing.
However, over 5 years and 60K miles it proved to be utterly reliable, cheap as chips to run and quite good fun to drive down hill on a twisty B road. I’ve never recovered from the driving position and to this day still sit at an odd angle to the steering wheel.
Superb. Growing up in the 80s, my mate kept telling me how his parents were going to buy him a Golf GTI when he passed his test. He did, and they bought him one of these instead, same spec, but blue. He fitted rally spotlights to the front of it and drove it flat out everywhere. Hilarious fun. Well done!
LightweightLouisDanvers said:
That's a great example. Applejack green is a fantastic colour.
Ideal for car shows or just a nice weekend drive.
Was thinking "Snapdragon" but likely wrong.Ideal for car shows or just a nice weekend drive.
Bought my first Metro, a 1980, 998, ex NHS, at an auction in Birtley.
Followed that up with a Primrose one, a silver one, a 1.3HLE, an MG, a Turbo. And I seem to think at least one more.
Front wings rotted out but were bolt on and cheap. People criticise them now but they were so much better built than the mini.
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