|
This is the place to come if you want to buy a metro! This page will help you on your search for a metro, and tell you when to snap the sellers hand off for the car, or when to make your excuses and run off.
There are a lot of poor examples of metro's around at the moment, and there are also a lot of nice tidy examples around, you just need to look.
All the AustinMG models suffered from what is known as metro rust which is usually visable, but is also hidden on some cars and the hidden stuff is what you have to be aware of because it will 9 out of 10 times fail your MOT.
Look at the sills either side of the car for rust and holes, also look for bad repairs and "bodge" jobs.
Other points to look at on the austin models are near the petrol cap, open it and see if the rust has eaten into the metalwork as this can be a problem in years to come if it is not already!
Open the tailgate and look inside the boot, lift the carpet and check that the spare tyre is good, and that the wheel matches the other 4 on the car already, also check the floorpan of the boot for rust and holes as this is an expensive job to repair usually.
Check the 4 tyres on the car, all the Turbo models came factory fitted with alloy wheels after 1985 so if they are not on the car, then ask why not.
They are BBS cross spoke alloys fitted with low profile tyres to give the best performance for the metro. These wheels were also fitted to the GTA and as an optional extra on the MG1300 models but rarely chosen because at the time alloys were not seen as much as a fashionable item as they are today.
Engine bays can also suffer from rust, and its best to make sure that the suspension supporting brackets are all firm and not about to leave the chassis as this can be dangerous and will also fail an MOT. Check that the car idles properly, and that all gears work, take it out on a test drive, and do not be afraid to put your foot down, after all you are looking to buy it from them.
Engines are very rev happy, and they do not have a rev limiter which means you can plough your foot to the floor and keep going, the a-series engines take some beating and go on forever. They also offer great fuel economy and are easy and cheap to repair in most cases, and can be handled by any body competent with a spanner and some common sense.
On a test drive make sure the engine feels lively and check for response times as well. Check that the gear change is relativly smooth, and that it goes into each gear as it should.
Check that all the lights and switches work, as well as the heater as its a common thing for people to by-pass the interior heater in order to stop the car from overheating on longer journeys.
At the top of the bulk head there should be two rubber pipes going into the car chassis, make sure they are both connected otherwise new hosing may be required.
Rover Metro's are practically the same, but they offer a different engine to that in the austin models. The K-Series engine comes in either carb or injection, but be warned early injection models suffer from problems and are expensive to put right.
The best rover metro's to go for are the GTA and the GTi as well as the 1.4 Si as well.
The GTi engine is best in multi point injection as it offers better performance then the single point model, you can find out which the car has by looking at the fuel rail that runs just below the air filter housing at the top of the engine block, and you will see small jets going into the block of the engine, these are the injectors.
For value for money, fuel economy and cheap insurance the best bet without doubt is the 1.4 GTa and if you can, get it in 16valve form but this puts the insurance up a bit over the 8 valve model.
All other points are the same as the car is pretty much identical to the older austin models just with a newer look.
Overall make sure the car looks good, and goes well, do not be afraid to ask questions and make sure that the car is what you want, dont just get it for the sake of having a car, wait for the best one you can find for the budget you have got.
Here are the performance and insurance figures for the austin and rover models:
Austin 1.0 L 39bhp 0-60 17sec 76mph
Austin 1.3 L 59bhp 0-60 15sec 85mph
Austin 1.3JetBlack 62bhp 0-60 14sec 85mph
AustinMG 1.3GTA 73bhp 0-60 11sec 107mph
MG 1.3 73bhp 0-60 11sec 107mph
MG 1.3Turbo 92bhp 0-60 7 sec 125mph
MG 6R4 410bhp 0-60 5 sec 146mph
Rover 1.1c 62bhp 0-60 16sec
98mph
Rover 1.1s 65bhp 0-60 14sec
102mph
Rover 1.4s 70bhp 0-60 12sec
107mph
Rover 1.4si 70bhp 0-60 12sec
107mph
Rover 1.4gta 75bhp 0-60 11sec
112mph
Rover 1.4gta 16v 88bhp 0-60 9.5sec
118mph
Rover 1.4gti spi 95bhp 0-60 8.9sec
120mph
Rover 1.4gti mpi 107bhp 0-60 8.5sec
126mph
|
 |
