21 replies to this topic

[Mini-Mad-Craig]

Hello !
Been wanting a mini for a while now, my mum and dad have said theyl get me a car to work on but i just cant find a decent cheapish mini anywhere, and have been looking for a good few months now.
Anyway, more to the point. Ive found a 1990 Rover metro for sale quite cheap and wanted your opinions on it as a car, i like it as it remindes me a little bit of a mini, but obviously its alot uglier !
Ill always be a mini person but on i really want a car and this is the only cheap solution i have found

Thanks
Craig

Linky there she is !

Edited by Jammy_basturd, 01 December 2007 - 11:06 AM.
Make Link work

[Ethel]

I quite like Metros but the K Series has a reputation for blowing head gaskets and this one is over heating. Assume that's the problem and if it turns out to be less it'll be a bonus.

[Purple Tom]

Link doesn't seem to work...

Rover Metro's are cool, although not as cool as Mk1's! They're very prone to rust in the rear arches amongst other places, and the suspension tends to lower itself over time.

However the thing about the Rover Metro is that the 1.8 VVC 160 lump from a MGF or BRM Rover 25 drops in with only a few modifications to the wiring and fuel system I believe. I think you can even run an R65U gearbox from a Metro GTi!

There's a couple of websites, Metro Power and Torque Metro (can't remember the link). Have a look on there for more info!

Tom

[THE ANORAK]

they say "if you dont have anything nice to say, dont say anything at all", so......

[THE ANORAK]

and a quick photo, just for those people who like to link the metro to the Mini....


the Metro Prototype, complete with mini logo



and the world famous metro cooper

Edited by THE ANORAK, 30 November 2007 - 05:08 PM.

[Mini_Magic]

Wow, that prototype is actually rather cool!

[Bungle]

and a quick photo, just for those people who like to link the metro to the Mini....


the Metro Prototype, complete with mini logo



and the world famous metro cooper

in the end they just changed the grill and bumpers a bit and sold it at BMW dealerships

[taffy1967]

This old Top Gear report really puts the Metro in its place too: -

You Tube link

[Dan]

Perhaps you are unaware that the reason Rover stopped production of the Rover 100 less than six months after a very comprehensive and expensive facelift program was that it scored the absolute lowest score possible in Euro N-cap safety testing. It, and Metros alike are very dangerous cars to crash in. If you're buying it because you think it's something like the Mini that you really want, forget it. It really, really isn't.

Edited by Dan, 30 November 2007 - 09:19 PM.

[panelbeaterpeter]

This old Top Gear report really puts the Metro in its place too: -

You Tube link

Bloody hell top gear has changed!!

[Phaeton]

Perhaps you are unaware that the reason Rover stopped production of the Rover 100 less than six months after a very comprehensive and expensive facelift program was that it scored the absolute lowest score possible in Euro N-cap safety testing. It, and Metros alike are very dangerous cars to crash in. If you're buying it because you think it's something like the Mini that you really want, forget it. It really, really isn't.

It would be interesting to see what a Mini scored in the same test, can they give out minus numbers?

Alan...

[wolfys_mini]

Perhaps you are unaware that the reason Rover stopped production of the Rover 100 less than six months after a very comprehensive and expensive facelift program was that it scored the absolute lowest score possible in Euro N-cap safety testing. It, and Metros alike are very dangerous cars to crash in. If you're buying it because you think it's something like the Mini that you really want, forget it. It really, really isn't.

didnt hurt me one bit when i launched my diesel metro into the local abortium

[Racer_Pete]

I like metros.. Especially if it has the VVC Engine..

Edited by Racer_Pete, 30 November 2007 - 10:35 PM.

[taffy1967]

Perhaps you are unaware that the reason Rover stopped production of the Rover 100 less than six months after a very comprehensive and expensive facelift program was that it scored the absolute lowest score possible in Euro N-cap safety testing. It, and Metros alike are very dangerous cars to crash in. If you're buying it because you think it's something like the Mini that you really want, forget it. It really, really isn't.

It would be interesting to see what a Mini scored in the same test, can they give out minus numbers?

Alan...

Minis are a lot tougher than people give them credit for and here's photographic evidence of a 1990 Rover Mini Cooper after a head on smash with a larger car. Both cars were doing around 50-55mph and the Mini driver (Ade from Cardiff and no we've never met) survived: -

Crashed Cooper Images link

The crash occurred because the driver of the other car was overtaking on a blind bend.

Okay he had a fractured skull, a few broken ribs and some bruising. But he said that if he hadn't have been rendered unconscious, then he could have easily opened the door and got out because he wasn't trapped at all.

The fire brigade only removed the roof as a matter of course because they feared he may have had spinal damage as his ears were bleeding.

Anyway after making a full recovery Ade is back in a Mini again, although he now owns a later model with a drivers air-bag. There was a thread all about this on Minifinity a while back (when I used to be a member before seeing the light here) and Ade gave all the gory details there: -

Minifinity link

[taffy1967]

I like metros.. Especially if it has the VVC Engine..

I like them too, because they make great donor vehicles as their engines generally work well in Minis too.