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I don't mean to razz ya about this but although it is fun to splash through big puddles, you can do engine damage.
The current incentive for Metro's is $1250 cash back or 0% financing. This promotion goes through September 30, 1999.
Are you a college grad? You also would qualify for a additional $400 rebate.
I don't know what the sticker is on your Metro that you are considering purchasing. But I would say that if that price is not at least $2000 less than sticker before any application of rebates then you are paying too much.
Chevrolet is awash in Metro's. They don't make any money off of them and they have way too much inventory. It's a buyers market. Good Luck
So now I am again metro'ing along happily for my 121 mile a day commute. If anyone out there is looking for a complete metro for a parts car let me know. I don't want to piece it out, but I'll sell the whole thing super cheap. My email is in my profile.
carlady/host
I just took delivery, Sunday (8/29) of my new
LSi Coupe (5 spd/4 cyl). I think I'm going to
nickname it "The Pocket Rocket". I picked it
up at Nimnicht Chev, in Jacksonville. The people
there are excellent, by the way. The only problem I had was trying to keep it under 85 mph on the Interstate, during the 3 1/2 hour drive home. :-)
I met ANOTHER (go figure) Metro owner, at a rest/soft drink stop, on the highway. They have an '97 and swear they will never part with it, and they just bought their daughter a '95, which she loves, too. I gave the guy the "Chevrolet Racing" hat the salesman at Nimnicht had given me as an inside joke. He collects baseball caps, so he loved it. Another couple happy Metro owners. :-)
I am missing one thing. I need to go to a knick-knack shop, and get a gnome figurine for my dashboard. I'm going to name him "Tick-tock", since he'll be my...
(Are you ready?)
Metro Gnome!
EWWWWWW!!!!
L8ers, folks...
Pat
Patrick E. (Pat) Peters
Tampa, Florida
pat56@freenet.tlh.fl.us
I got two questions to ask here:
first, should I have the engine tuned up on a regular base? I had the oil changed every 3,000 miles, and it gives 37 miles /gallon in summer and 27 miles in winter. Would tuneup improve the milege?
second,the tires for 94 models are of the smallest size on the market. A lot of garages don't have them in stock, even they put larger sizes on sale. Could I used larger tires instead?
Thanks.
As to the tires, your Metro has 145/SR12 tires and there is only one way to upgrade them and that is to also change the wheels. 13" wheels from 1991-1994 Metro convertibles and 1995-current all models of Metro will fit, as will most imported 13" wheels. Then you can use 155/80R13 or 175/70R13 tires. You also have to change out the speedometer gear in the transmission and this could be difficult (I think it is easy though)
However KEEP looking! You should check Wal-Mart, they have these 12" tires and they are Douglas or Michelin and they are dirt cheap! Just keep looking...it is the easiest way to keep from messing with the speedometer.
in the country and except for volunteer work etc.
I would not use the car for anything except a 3-3 hour expressway drive to see my daughter. I want a hatchback have a GM card and will get about $2,700 credit on that plus any incentives. Do I have to round up my 2 diplomas?
Here's my problem --it will be hilly and there is
occasional expressway riding. The people I talk with and CU say its not good or either (?)
I'm not a car person so you guys have helped me somewhat. I spend my $ on books, CD's and charities and just want good transportation..
With that out of the way I'm assuming you do not want to shift a manual transmission. If this is the case look for a LSI with the 1.3L motor and 3 speed automatic transmission. The new Metros come with 13" tires so their stability is better than the older ones with 12" tires.
The Metro is a very good vehicle. Properly maintained it is not a problem to get 175,000+miles out of this vehicle. The best thing that this vehicle has going for it is that it's made by Suzuki for GM. I have owned a couple of Metro's and swear by them for great mileage and reliability. I commute 122 miles round trip a day to work.
If you buy one, don't expect it to hold it's value for longer than about 50 feet from the dealers lot. There just isn't any resale value but if you hold on to it for awhile you should get many years of good service out of it.
You know the new 1.8L 16v engines Suzuki started putting in the Esteem sedans/wagons last year? I wonder if you could fit one of those in a Metro/Swift? 122 hp would definitely propel a metro like a cork out of well-shaken champagne bottle, and if you added a turbocharger and a high-flow exhaust you could probably push 150 hp or more.
Of course the suzuki 1.6 16v wouldn't be so bad either with 95 hp. Anybody know if it would be mechanically possible? Also, would there be any other considerations or problems such as too muc added weight in the front?
I am also sure the 1.6L and 1.8L and V6 engines in the Sidekick/Vitara range won't fit either because they are rear wheel drive.
But the 1.6L/1.8L engines in the Esteem might work. If I get a spare $3000 anytime soon I will grab a salvage titled 1995-1997 Metro and the engine/transmission/axles from a wrecked Esteem and see what comes of it.
I also have a problem with my Metro now. I was run off the road by a water truck and now my right front lower control arm is bent. Is this an easy fix? Has anyone else worked on their suspensions yet? Byers Chevy wants $380 to repair the damage, and the only parts listed on the work order were a lower control arm ($175?!!) and a set of bushings.
The other option is to spend roughly twice as much on a new Metro.
Any advice? Thanks.
I take care of my Metro, but the ATF fluid is not to be changed until 100K. I hit 101K this week and I'm doing it next week. I keep up on my oil changes every 5-6K because I drive 5-6K per month.
What your problem is is that a 1995 Metro is not worth $4400. No matter the mileage. It is a 5-year old subcompact. I wouldn't pay more than $2500 for it.
I paid $3000 for mine last year at 63K and here I am. The cars have zilch for resale. Buying a used one is a better value than a new one, unlike a Civic hatchback, whereas a new $14K Civic is much better than a used $10K Civic...but a used $3000 Metro is a better value than an $11000 new one.
I would continue searching for a Metro for less money or a newer one. If it were a 1997 3-cylinder without air, $3800 would be a good deal. If it were a 1997 3-cylinder with air, $4400 would be fine, but $4400 for the 1995 is too much, unless the car is in showroom new condition (clean underneath and all).
BE wary of the sunroof. The roof is one of the few things on this car that is sturdy and cutting a hole in it does not help. If you want to do without A/C, 2 windows is enough ventilation even at 25mph. The sunroof will leak on you and you won't like that at all.
clutch? I'm taking my '97 in tomorrow for
a sixth clutch in as many months. The first
one was at 30K (3K after I bought the car).
The dealer said it probably wasn't covered by
the warranty, so I took it to a transmission
shop. That one lasted 3k. I took it back to
the transmission shop. They said the problem
was the transmission oil seal, and they should
have caught it the first time. The dealership
agreed to do the transmission repair, but
the transmission shop provided the replacement
clutch disc. It only lasted another 3k miles.
I took it to the dealer that time. He said it
was probably just a bad remanufactured disc,
and put a GM clutch assembly in. The clutch
lasted two days. The dealer did all of the
replacement work free of charge, and said the
clutch disc had a broken spring. I picked the
car up last night, and tonight the clutch is
slipping worse than it did before. FYI, they
replaced the whole clutch assembly yesterday,
plus turned the flywheel because it was glazed
and had some hot-spotting. It'll be back in
the shop in the morning, and I'm sure the
dealership will take care of everything free of
charge, but I'm starting to wonder if I'll ever
be able to drive the car any further than between
my house and the dealership. FYI, I've had
manual transmission vehicles for 30 years, and
have never had any problems, so I don't think
it is my driving. Also, lest I catch grief from
Metro loyalists (and I'd like to be one), the
dealership service manager says that his
experience has been that the Metros are pretty
reliable - he almost never has one come in for
repairs, and there are plenty of them around
here.
problem turned out to be that the clutch cable
was stretched. They replaced it, and will be
replacing the clutch assembly free of charge
(again). Hopefully that will take care of the
problem! I'm just glad that the dealership
service department was responsible enough to
keep after the problem until they (hopefully)
got it resolved. Makes you appreciate having
a reputable outfit to deal with!
Also looked at a new Accent yesterday. 1999 model, 5-speed, no AC, with cassette, defroster, remote mirrors, and delay wipers standard. They offered the car for $8244. AC added now or later would be $1000, tax included, and they were willing to sign to that. The Metro equipped the same way, without AC, but with the same equipment the Accent had, would cost $8800-$9000. Hmm...I might defect, but I would buy a used one first anyway. I see no reason to spend $9000 on a new car when I can get the same car three or four years old for $2500-$3500.
Personal question...why would you buy a new Metro with automatic transmission? They still get 30-34mpg but why not go with the stick? And remember every rental outlet in the country has Metros with automatics. You can add a warranty to a used Metro. Penn warranties can cover you through 125,000 miles if you buy them by 95,000 miles. And that 30K of coverage costs you $360. They really do a nice job. So you could buy, say, a 1998 Chevy Metro LSi hatchback for about $7000, add a 45K warranty for $540, and be done with it. That way you save $5000 over new, and get better warranty coverage. The only thing you can't get with a 1998 that you get with a 1999 is the color silver. Seriously. And no one knows the better!
But as to the invoice versus retail thing...retail on a Metro LSi coupe, AT AC, defogger, wiper, mats, and cassette, is $12,425. Invoice is $11,510. The automatic transmission option is $595 retail, $530 invoice. If he is offering you the car for $11,500 out the door inlcuding tax and title and everything, then he still has $300-$400 to work with. Figure $10,260 is his cost after the rebate, add $200 profit and then add tax and title and you are at a fair price. The 1999 Metros are too plentiful and he doesn't want it on his lot any longer. If you want other colors, ask him to do a dealer search in three to five adjacent states to you. If you want a silver base coupe, 5-speed, with air, cassette, defogger, and tach, Blossom Chevrolet in Indianapolis has five. The list on that car is $11,372 and the sale price is $9623, after rebate and $499 discount. Or check the classifieds. A 1998 Metro sells for around $6000-$8000 depending on model. You could save yourself a big chunk of change finding a low mileage '98 or older. My 1995 Metro has 102K, drives fine, has auto and air (it was cheap so I didn't bother searching for a stick), and I only need $2500 to pay it off. It needs nothing. You want it?
"Metro Gnome" guy here again. Working for GM in repurchase gives me some definite advantages. :-)
GOOD NEWS: The GM recovery people were down here a couple days ago. Since they've been doing recovery on repurchased GM vehicles (years), they've done over 2,700 vehicles...and...out of 2,700, only ONE was a Metro!!! AWESOME record for our little pregnant rollerskates.
WHAT NOT TO BUY ON A METRO:
Automatic Transmission (unless you absolutely need it) - The car is too sluggish without the manual transmission
RADIO (OF ANY KIND) - GM Charges over $100 for "radio provision installation" which is four cheap speakers and an antenna. Then they charge over $600 for a radio/cassette - For a couple hundred, you can buy a good aftermarket setup and have it professionally installed.
*****UPDATE*****
I've been speaking with other Metro owners I meet in shopping centers and parking lots. EVERY SINGLE ONE I have spoken to (20-25, so far) loves their vehicle and reports no problems with it. One guy has an '89(?) convertible with beaucoup miles and refuses to give it up. He says the only way he'll part with it is if Chevy starts making convertibles again. :-) He says his only repair has been a starter, a few years ago.
Yes, I'm a Metro fan...more and more, the more I find out about them. If anyone has spare time, do a Yahoo! search for +Ford +Aspire, and check out the one couple's web page about Aspire problems. Everything the Metro is good, the Aspire is bad. Ford is coming out with a new sub-compact this year, but it's substantially bigger than the Metro and the milage sucks weeds comparatively.
If you have any good (or bad) Metro stories, feel free to drop a note to pat56@freenet.tlh.fl.us. And, if you're driving in or near Tampa, Florida, and see a Metallic Green '99 LSi Coupe with white pinstripes and "Merry Meet..." and "Blessed Be" bumper stickers, give a shout and a wave.
See if they will measure everything (rotor runout, warpage, check tire balance, check calipers for free operation...).
And I forgot one other major thing...have them see if one of the brake hose lines is kinked...that would cause the brakes to stay on a little all the time because all the fluid does not return the the master cylinder. Then the caliper acts like it is sticking when it is in fact fine.
Things to Check
and this is a test to see if HTML works on here so if it looks funky I am sorry...
one more thing that could cause your brakes to stick is an improperly adjusted brake pedal. If when the pedal is released, the brakes are still touching, that causes excessive heat to build up and there is your cause of your warpage.
occupant1
carlady/host
I need a right headlight composite capsule, a hood, a hood latch, and I need to straighten my radiator support. Chevy estimated the damage at $4700-plus. I thought that to be ridiculous, then I saw the parts prices. Need a headlight? $297! Need a hood? $462! Need a bumper cover? $328! Need an electric fan? $260! Need an A/C condenser? $657! Crazy! I picked out what I needed and discovered to get the car safe again (get the hood to shut securely and change the one headlight) the new parts would cost me $1050 alone. Time to look for an undamaged 1995-1999 Metro in a yard. I have located the hood latch ($15) so far, but the headlight used is $65 (if I can find one) and the hood (if I can find a red one) will be $150. Seems the yards know the ridiculous new prices and take advantage. No fair. But I can get away with a $250 repair if I can get that support straightened with a chain and a tree and find those two parts.
carlady/host
carlady/host
The '89 does not require 'religion' - I was very negligent: oil changed 1ce/yr or longer? - tune up (once in 10 yrs?) + She ran on cheap reg gas without a 'hiccup' ...
She was a DREAM to own and a TREASURE to possess! Sigh!
I feel u'r pain, and share it, fozzy2!
Thanks
about how reliable Geo Metros are. I
really want to buy one. Does anyone have a
cheap good working Geo Metro they would like
to sell for under $1500? I have no
experience with fixing cars at all such
as changing oils, etc. With the reliability
of Metros discussed here, that won't be
much of a problem. Please email me if you
are in San Diego and maybe we can negotiate a
price? Thanks.
Thanks
Al