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Hoping to buy a Metro next year, super excited. Here I am!
Topic Started: Nov 14 2014, 08:53 PM (1,310 Views)
HStark
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I'm about to turn 18 and I believe a Geo Metro will get me far and away the most miles-per-dollar of any car I might be able to afford (hopefully I can afford a Metro). Decided I'd make an account here ahead of time because I'm pretty anxious to get the thing and I read stuff on this forum frequently anyway. Nice to meet you all!
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Akagi
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The Genius Who Descended Into the Metro

Yeah, get ready to put in work. You're getting a used car, so expect to have to fix things.
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Rondawg
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Welcome to the forum..upstate NY....burrrrrrr! Lots of road salt up there. Finding a good one with not much rust will be a challenge. Find a good one and it will be an excellent 1st car to learn basic mechanic skills on, good cheap and fun transportation.
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Car Nut
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Welcome HStark,
When budgeting for your Metro, KNOW THIS... That $400-$600 Metro is gonna cost you three times that to get it right. These cars are usually neglected, (until found by us) & usually need all sorts of repairs. Repairs equal $$$. The more you can do yourself, the more you can save. The saying, you get what you pay for is very true with these cars. The older models, (94 down) are getting harder to find parts for. Out my way anyways. Even the later models don't show up much in the boneyards here now. Keep that in mind when you go shopping.
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havent ben there
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Hope you find what you are looking for and farther south they are easier to find but like has already been said be prepared to get your hands dirty. Just buy the manuals for your car and read and ask questions and you should do great. And enjoy!!
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HStark
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Akagi
Nov 14 2014, 08:59 PM
Yeah, get ready to put in work. You're getting a used car, so expect to have to fix things.
I was expecting to have to fix things, which is fine with me. My main goal is to get something rust-free or as close as possible, since I've heard about Geos having horrible rust issues. Other than that I don't mind a fixer-upper. I'm pretty good at reading directions and I have people to borrow tools and assistance from when needed :thumb
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HStark
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Metronomicon
Nov 14 2014, 09:02 PM
Oh and... be prepared to learn how to drive a stick. If you don't know how, it's a good car to learn with.

The automatics are significantly less... desirable.
I'm decent at driving a stick, the main car I learned on was my mom's 5-speed Ford Escort which is actually a pretty damn difficult one to learn on in my opinion. 67 Chevy truck with a four-on-the-floor has been my favorite to drive, but I get the feeling I might be able to squeeze a few more mpgs out of a Metro
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HStark
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Rondawg
Nov 14 2014, 09:26 PM
Welcome to the forum..upstate NY....burrrrrrr! Lots of road salt up there. Finding a good one with not much rust will be a challenge. Find a good one and it will be an excellent 1st car to learn basic mechanic skills on, good cheap and fun transportation.
I'm willing to go a pretty long distance to get one rust-free. I will definitely be making a post here once I have it asking to know EVERYTHING there is in my power to keep it that way! I'm sure it will come off as unrealistic but I want to keep this car for a very very long time, possibly for life. I'll do the work to make sure the frame doesn't get eaten by rust. I am curious though, is it even possible to repair a frame/chassis that's rusted out?
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HStark
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Car Nut
Nov 14 2014, 09:36 PM
Welcome HStark,
When budgeting for your Metro, KNOW THIS... That $400-$600 Metro is gonna cost you three times that to get it right. These cars are usually neglected, (until found by us) & usually need all sorts of repairs. Repairs equal $$$. The more you can do yourself, the more you can save. The saying, you get what you pay for is very true with these cars. The older models, (94 down) are getting harder to find parts for. Out my way anyways. Even the later models don't show up much in the boneyards here now. Keep that in mind when you go shopping.
I'm probably going to buy one at around the $1500 price point, when I referred to "miles per dollar" in my original post I was referring to the savings on fuel and maintenance moreso than the buying cost :P I am certainly prepared to do work on one though, and am considering just buying two or three of the cheapest ones I can find so that I have a decent well of spare parts, rather than one that's in decent shape.

edit:
oh, and I'm planning to do ALL the work myself for sure. Well, myself and some of my more experienced friends :cheers and the advice of you fine people!
edit 2:
hang on, one more thing I forgot. When you say finding parts for the pre-95 models is difficult, how difficult are we talking? I need one from that year range because the 5-doors weren't available on the 1995+ models and I hate 4-door sedans (plus there's a weight difference). One of the biggest draws of this car for me was I heard parts are cheap... this does push me a little bit more towards the side of buying a few parts cars and putting them together, rather than just starting with a decent one. I also was planning to use mostly aftermarket parts though, anything I can do to boost the power and economy, so it being hard to find OEM parts isn't a huge hurdle.
Edited by HStark, Nov 15 2014, 10:37 PM.
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brsja
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Welcome, they are fun cars to tinker with...enjoy...
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gbreadman
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Tinkerer

Black holes are less of a time-suck than a rust-bucket metro. Hope you can find a good solid one that needs simpler repairs...like a new engine or transmission.

That being said, the only reason I have money in the bank is because of the metros. You're choosing a great car if you purchase one that's had a reliable upkeep.
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punkozuna
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Welcome!Since you haven't bought one yet, take your time and wait to get a good one. A $2500 metro in good shape can be a better deal than a $1500 metro in so-so shape. Cheaper in the long run.
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Car Nut
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punkozuna
Nov 16 2014, 02:15 PM
Welcome!Since you haven't bought one yet, take your time and wait to get a good one. A $2500 metro in good shape can be a better deal than a $1500 metro in so-so shape. Cheaper in the long run.
My point exactly.
As for parts. I haven't been able to find any aftermarket body parts for a 94 I was working on. Like I said, I hardly see any older Metros in the JY & very few 95 up. Might be better where you're at. If you really want one for long term & have a place to keep them, a couple parts cars wouldn't be a bad idea.
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HStark
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Metronomicon
Nov 16 2014, 12:58 PM
Why would you want a 5 door but not a 3 door? The differences are not huge, and a more modern 3 door is much easier to find parts for.
It's annoying as hell getting in the back seats of a 3-door, and I'll very often have more than one friend riding with me
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HStark
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punkozuna
Nov 16 2014, 02:15 PM
Welcome!Since you haven't bought one yet, take your time and wait to get a good one. A $2500 metro in good shape can be a better deal than a $1500 metro in so-so shape. Cheaper in the long run.
I need one ASAP because I'll rely on it for work... anything with shittier gas mileage will be costing me more money to deliver pizzas in and my financial situation is fucked as it is... and I have no realistic way to make the extra money for a $2500 piece. That's the problem with being poor, you don't always have the option of spending money up-front to save in the long run
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