1985 Austin Metro 1275 Auto
Discussion
Morning 
Seeing as my E28 5 Series has decided to relieve itself of most of its compression I figured I better get myself another 80's classic to run around in while I strip the BMW engine.
Enter stage left......... A Metro!
My parents had a 998 Metro when I was a kid and we used to go everywhere in it. When my Brother and Sister came along they had to get something bigger so the Metro was passed on to my Grandad who proceeded to use it for another 10-15 years until it was just a pile of rust. Now realistically I was too young to really remember much about it, but I definitely remember sitting in the back of it.
Anyway, after thinking about what I might fancy as a run around and dismissing a classic Mini because they're extortionately expensive, I settled on a Metro. It had to be an Austin or an early Rover, I didn't want the Rover 100 shape. Plenty of searching ensued and all I was coming up with was rather crusty examples. I know that generally they're all rusty these days but I just didn't want something that was going to have to be welded back together before I could use it.
Eventually I spotted a little silver Metro on Facebook. The ad said it was solid with no signs of rust anywhere, had only 7000 miles from new and drove like a dream (it's a Metro, so possibly a nightmare!). I contacted the owner, got plenty more pictures and had a chat with him over the phone. The car is up north and I don't have the time to go up there and look at it, so based on a "good feeling" I left him a deposit for it.
This is said Metro.
The current owner transports cars for a living so is very kindly delivering it to me next week. Once it arrives I'll get it on a ramp at work, give it a check over and then press it into daily service I'm actually quite excited!
Seeing as my E28 5 Series has decided to relieve itself of most of its compression I figured I better get myself another 80's classic to run around in while I strip the BMW engine.
Enter stage left......... A Metro!
My parents had a 998 Metro when I was a kid and we used to go everywhere in it. When my Brother and Sister came along they had to get something bigger so the Metro was passed on to my Grandad who proceeded to use it for another 10-15 years until it was just a pile of rust. Now realistically I was too young to really remember much about it, but I definitely remember sitting in the back of it.
Anyway, after thinking about what I might fancy as a run around and dismissing a classic Mini because they're extortionately expensive, I settled on a Metro. It had to be an Austin or an early Rover, I didn't want the Rover 100 shape. Plenty of searching ensued and all I was coming up with was rather crusty examples. I know that generally they're all rusty these days but I just didn't want something that was going to have to be welded back together before I could use it.
Eventually I spotted a little silver Metro on Facebook. The ad said it was solid with no signs of rust anywhere, had only 7000 miles from new and drove like a dream (it's a Metro, so possibly a nightmare!). I contacted the owner, got plenty more pictures and had a chat with him over the phone. The car is up north and I don't have the time to go up there and look at it, so based on a "good feeling" I left him a deposit for it.
This is said Metro.
The current owner transports cars for a living so is very kindly delivering it to me next week. Once it arrives I'll get it on a ramp at work, give it a check over and then press it into daily service
I'm actually quite excited!Superb!
My mum could only drive automatics due to a problem with her right ankle (she used her left foot to drive). Once she left the Mini phase she discovered Metros and had a couple, one of which was like yours (albeit a 5 door).
This looks like a decent, honest car. Don't expect fireball performance but they're not a bad car at all. Ride height looks good on yours so it probably has the right amount of fluid in the hydragas suspension. If not, find a local garage with the right kit and knowledge or buy yourself a pump - makes a world of difference to how they drive.
Enjoy!
My mum could only drive automatics due to a problem with her right ankle (she used her left foot to drive). Once she left the Mini phase she discovered Metros and had a couple, one of which was like yours (albeit a 5 door).
This looks like a decent, honest car. Don't expect fireball performance but they're not a bad car at all. Ride height looks good on yours so it probably has the right amount of fluid in the hydragas suspension. If not, find a local garage with the right kit and knowledge or buy yourself a pump - makes a world of difference to how they drive.
Enjoy!
Sammo123 said:
Zener said:
Good find enjoy 
however expect an interesting shifting/erratic trans 
its a design feature 
You're not the first person to tell me that however expect an interesting shifting/erratic trans its a design feature 
real brain wave that one looks tidy anyway and they dont drive badly a big improvment to the Mini comfort wise Nice. I do like a 'proper' (not a Rover) Metro.
I still rather miss mine, a 1.3L 5-door which I bought somewhat reluctantly because I wanted a Mini but they'd gone way beyond my budget for a third superfluous old car. But I had it for two and a half years and grew very fond of it. They have 80% of the character and driving style of a Mini but are immensely more practical, comfortable and refined. I moved house with mine, took it on long trips to see family in Cornwall (from the East Midlands) and even took it on a track day around Brands Hatch. It was faultlessly reliable and everyone who drove it came away impressed by how fun it was to scoot about in, even the ones who still said they wouldn't be seen dead in a Metro!
It was so desirable that it ended up being stolen and getting into a 'high speed pursuit' with a Northants Police Hyundai i10 panda car before meeting its end in a ditch.
Yours looks like it could do with a bit of a pump-up on the Hydragas - there should be a bit more of a gap between the tyres and the arches. It should be something like 34cm from the centre of the wheel hub to the underside of the arch, IIRC. If your units are tired and are all 'Hydra' and no 'Gas' they can be rebuilt and re-pressurised now, which wasn't the case a few years ago.
I still rather miss mine, a 1.3L 5-door which I bought somewhat reluctantly because I wanted a Mini but they'd gone way beyond my budget for a third superfluous old car. But I had it for two and a half years and grew very fond of it. They have 80% of the character and driving style of a Mini but are immensely more practical, comfortable and refined. I moved house with mine, took it on long trips to see family in Cornwall (from the East Midlands) and even took it on a track day around Brands Hatch. It was faultlessly reliable and everyone who drove it came away impressed by how fun it was to scoot about in, even the ones who still said they wouldn't be seen dead in a Metro!
It was so desirable that it ended up being stolen and getting into a 'high speed pursuit' with a Northants Police Hyundai i10 panda car before meeting its end in a ditch.
Yours looks like it could do with a bit of a pump-up on the Hydragas - there should be a bit more of a gap between the tyres and the arches. It should be something like 34cm from the centre of the wheel hub to the underside of the arch, IIRC. If your units are tired and are all 'Hydra' and no 'Gas' they can be rebuilt and re-pressurised now, which wasn't the case a few years ago.
I had a 1983 one up until a few months ago, it was a charming, quirky little thing.
The gearbox performance is noticeably improved if the carb & idle speeds are all set up right-get the fuelling and ignition timing cock on (I went for a couple of degrees more advance than book to take advantage of the 99 octane I ran it on) and they trundle along quite merrily.
Be aware the auto takes a different oil filter to the regular A-Series and you’d be well advised to halve the book intervals-20w50 Millers Mini Oil is the way to go with them. Don’t stick 10w40 in-it’ll piss out from every seal on the engine and affect the gearbox change/performance.
The gearbox performance is noticeably improved if the carb & idle speeds are all set up right-get the fuelling and ignition timing cock on (I went for a couple of degrees more advance than book to take advantage of the 99 octane I ran it on) and they trundle along quite merrily.
Be aware the auto takes a different oil filter to the regular A-Series and you’d be well advised to halve the book intervals-20w50 Millers Mini Oil is the way to go with them. Don’t stick 10w40 in-it’ll piss out from every seal on the engine and affect the gearbox change/performance.
Turbobanana said:
Superb!
My mum could only drive automatics due to a problem with her right ankle (she used her left foot to drive). Once she left the Mini phase she discovered Metros and had a couple, one of which was like yours (albeit a 5 door).
This looks like a decent, honest car. Don't expect fireball performance but they're not a bad car at all. Ride height looks good on yours so it probably has the right amount of fluid in the hydragas suspension. If not, find a local garage with the right kit and knowledge or buy yourself a pump - makes a world of difference to how they drive.
Enjoy!
Luckily the garage I did my apprenticeship at many moons ago has a hydragas pump so I'll be heading over there to give it a pump up.My mum could only drive automatics due to a problem with her right ankle (she used her left foot to drive). Once she left the Mini phase she discovered Metros and had a couple, one of which was like yours (albeit a 5 door).
This looks like a decent, honest car. Don't expect fireball performance but they're not a bad car at all. Ride height looks good on yours so it probably has the right amount of fluid in the hydragas suspension. If not, find a local garage with the right kit and knowledge or buy yourself a pump - makes a world of difference to how they drive.
Enjoy!
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