My first proper car was a mini metro. I managed to write it off after 3 miserable years. We used to count the things that were wrong with it. There were 13 in total! The worst was the speedo stopped working so I didn't know how fast, or more likely, how slow it went.
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Rover/mg metros
- Thread starter bazamancity3
- Start date
bluethrunthru
Well-Known Member
Count Quentulla was spot on with this old TG report - these things fucking rotted for fun. I had a couple of Fiat Uno's in this period. Fiats were known for rusting - that however was the old Fiat. They had upped their game and whilst I had several years good non-rusting service from my Fiat's my brother in law had two Metro's - an MG and a VDP I think - rust away around him. And whisper it but Fiesta's from this era were often victims to aggressive tin worm too.
Trevor Morley's Tache
Well-Known Member
My first proper car was a mini metro. I managed to write it off after 3 miserable years. We used to count the things that were wrong with it. There were 13 in total! The worst was the speedo stopped working so I didn't know how fast, or more likely, how slow it went.
I had a Leyland Mini Clubman for a few of years. I wish I still had it now. Cars with character that you had to work hard to even keep running. Every month or so adjusting the points and tappets, and clearing out the carb jet and float chamber. A unique sense of satisfaction if you could go more than a couple of months without having to lift the bonnet, other than for checking the oil and water. Drivers a so spoiled these days ;-)
Early Metro's had the old A-Series engine block form the Mini days, but for some reason they were a lot less reliable. The 1l (low compression version) boasted 41bhp.
There was a 1.3l (1275cc) in the MG Turbo version which hit the dizzy heights of 93bhp at 6130rpm.
There was even a rally version, the MG Metro 6R4, which was limited to a road production run under the Clubman variant of around 200 cars. The 6R4 Clubman was a semi-monocoque tubular chassis, mid engine (non-turbo) 3l V6, 4-wheel drive beast at 250bhp. The full on rally spec version was @410bhp, but only around 20 of these were made.
I saw one at Silverstone during the Mini 35th Weekend back in 94; amazing car.
Edit: Just had a look online; there was a 1987 6R4 for sale by auction in Monaco on 2nd July. Estimated price around £97000. No Idea what it sold for.
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bluethrunthru
Well-Known Member
in the 80's I lived next door to David May's aunt ( or uncle can't remember which of them was the relly ) on Grimshaw Lane in Middleton so I saw him fairly regularly. At Blackburn as a yoof team player he used to get a lift too the ground then later on had a wanked out Fiesta I seem to recall. When he either signed pro or even signed for the rags he got a club car. A hearing aid beige Austin Montego - he had hit the big time lol !!!
andyhinch
Well-Known Member
Think that was the maestroWas that the one where they lined them up on the White Cliffs and had the Mercs and Volkswagens cowering in anticipation of a bad time?
bluethrunthru
Well-Known Member
maccieblue
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 12 Dec 2008
- Messages
- 1,408
yes sorry I do apologise for that night ,if possible can you please return my two 5p chip forks as I'm a bit short of dosh at the moment,oh yeah i could have warned you that your rear suspension was going to fail the mI had not one but two Maestro's when i was a student. They were so shit it was funny and got broken into so often I couldnt lock them. I got in one of them, I think the first one I had, one Saturday morning and while waiting for the tsunami of condensation to clear off the inside of the windscreen I smelled chips. Looked around and there were 2 empty chip trays on the back seat and paper, with a used johnny on the floor beneath. Someone had sat in my car out of the rain to eat their chips and banged his bird after theyd finished them. Respect.
Was driving along one day and the accelerator pedal stuck down. I couldnt hook my toe under it to stop the car driving itself into the approaching line of cars at a red light and had to hit it out of gear and slam on. Rust had seized it up and it stuck.
I actually closed the drivers door once and the passenger door sprung open, much to the amusement of Kwik Save car park.
.o.t
Bill Walker
Well-Known Member
Back in the 80's my mrs was sat a traffic lights, when they turned green she went to put it in 1st and the gear lever came off in her hand, this was in rush hour twenty or so angry drivers behind her, fucking bedlam, pile of shit from the day she got it.