TeamSwift

I am the proud new owner of a 1992 Geo Metro Convertible!!!!



I was driving up rt. 106 with my bf to go to a bbq and I saw the rear end in the line of cars, and I am like "OMG....a geo metro convertible...on a dealer lot...." and so he says we can stop on the way back. Ok. Cool. So on the way back, we stopped. It was almost 5pm on a Sunday, and the salespeople were still there...so I ask about the car. They say it is $500. Ok. Cool. So I look at it, check the engine bay, check the trunk, check everything pretty much...and it is good to go. Front and rear is solid. Rocker panels are shot....the car starts and runs, a little rough, but still. So yeah. I impulsively buy the car. They prefer cash, so I go to the ATM...out of money, then i go to the gas station ATM cause I am desperate. I pull out $500. Go back and get my paperwork! I own the car!

Today, I have to sit here at work for 3 hours doing NOTHING cause there is no work for me. I then have to race up to the DMV, get plates, and then to my bfs house then to the dealer. Hopefully the car will make it back to his place. I dunno what sort of condition it is in as I didn't drive it.

Luckily my bf (c4boom) has plenty of experience with the Metros. Plus a lot of extra parts...like a swift gti body kit...

I am so excited! It is getting painted Mopar Plum Crazy Purple. (Yes, I am a girl...and i love purple!).

Wish me luck...I'm sure I will be around to get advice!!

That is a nice looking vert you got there and for a good price! I hope you get all the bugs worked out.

Good luck!

Good for you! I'm surprised that a dealer would only charge $500... they either don't realize the market value of these cars or there is something wrong with it. Looks clean though, and has great potential!

This must be national vert day, I am buying one today myself!

I drove it!!! It runs ok...definately needs something because it idles really rough, but runs fine when you get the RPMs up. It needs a new belt....major squealage. Needs brakes...badly. Needs an e-brake cable or something....as it is non existent. But I drove it 50 miles, in the city, on the highway...and it did awesome! So much fun!!!!! I cannot wait to have it ready to go for real!!!! It's going to rock!!

I was just supposed to drive it to c4booms house, but it was driving so nicely, I decided to take it to work to show it off...and then I ended up running errands in it. I had to buy it a cover, so I don't wreck my beautiful top! But I am so excited!!!

YAY!

The car is real nice besides the facts it needs a driver side floor (has one but the repair is crap In my standards) and i need to cut out the rockers and rebuild the inner frame but other than the that the car is about a 8 out of 10 and the idle thing im some what sure it needs a fuel filter and tune up the wires and cap look like hell.

Doesn't look to bad....for $500.00 how can you loose?

post some pics of the rockers, I want to compare rustiness. Mine are so bad that the body has started to flex, and has the telltale signs of the cracked windshield and misaligned doors.

We are supposed to start digging into it today! Well see...I will take pics of the progress...and will share!

Hi there and congratulations from up North.
Concord is a lovely area in the world and real sports car country to boot.
If you need parts, just holler.
Once you get those rockers replaced OIL! OIL! OIL! the Baby.
Advice: stick to the original color, resale is much higher.

Replace all oils, including brake fluids,replace cap, wires and spark plugs.
Polish the headlights with BRASSO or equivalent silver polish with a very soft rag, diaper material is the best. Wash first, then with Brasso on the cloth, polish with muscle. Dry and quick pass to remove haze. You will be surprised. Also works very well for rear lights and rear window.

Bonne route!

Update:

We, well pretty much I, stripped the interior of the car. c4boom helped with the stuck bolts...and he did the removal of the metal plates the previous owner "installed" (using screws....)I took out all the seats (ok, so there is only two...but hey, I am excited). I ripped out the carpet and the sound deadening material (what a PITA that was...). I removed the console around the shifter and the one around the e-brake. c4boom removed the fender. In my stripping (hahaha) I found about a dollar worth of change, and a 3D maglite...and that the previous owner liked french fries, energy drinks, and sprinkles....

We found out the passenger side isn't too bad...just some rocker panel repair. There is surface rust on the floorboards, but nothing that needs to be cut out. The driver's side is a different story....we need to fix the floorboards...aka a HUGE hole...expected...but a LOT worse than expected. The rocker panel is shot...nothing left really besides the outside skin. There is rot just in front of the rocker panel...between the panel and the fender on the inside. It's going to be interesting...guess I am learning how to cut out metal this week...

Before you say anything...I do have pics! They just are still on the camera, hopefully when I get home I can at least give you all a link to a photobucket album!

OH YEAH....my car has a name....SQUISHY!!!!!! Cause he is squishy....

PICTURES!!!

Lots and lots of pics....look in the DayOne sub album too, as that will show a lot of pics of the dreaded rust! Poor Squishy needs a major operation...and now you know why I named him Squishy! And this site looks really good on a 23" monitor....

Oh yeah...I guess I should actually post the link to the album...d'oh...I think the rust dust got to my brain...

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v392/avwjeep/Vehicles/Metrovertible/

you've shown me yours...
now i'll show you mine...
gallery/album.php?id=147&sort_method=image_time&sort_order=DESC&start=40
same problems, mild rust passenger side
fred flintstone floor on drivers side..
just hope that wasn't great stuff foam in the rocker.

ummm ya it is that thing is going to be all rotted out when i cut it open

looks very mild... what about the drivers floor, post a pic of the huge hole

Hole on drivers side near pedals


Hole on driver side behind seat


Hole on driver side near fender/rocker panel join...


BIG HOLE! My poor little car!

had to look twice to make sure you
didn't upload my pics
i have so been there ...done that
hope either you or c4 can weld 'cause thats what
it's going to take to give "squishy" a happy ending

NOW... to find that parts vert .......

lol... yeah it looks just like mine too! My passenger side hole is bigger than my driver hole though except it just reminded me that I should check the floor behind the seats. I hadn't thought about that area... What about the guts of the rockers, anything left there?

This is my biggest floor hole.


So how do your doors close? Do they "bump" against the jamb as you latch them? That's how mine are, indicating minor body flex. Welding is definitely the answer.

Ooh, check the control arm mounts too...

the entire rest of the car is rust free the passenger side floor is real nice and the rockers are even not that bad. the drives side rotted out because of winter slush on the floor i think. then they hacked it up with the repair. the doors close real nice and the gaps are all even. I am a metal worker and welder so its not a big deal just alot of work LOL. I will save this one then i will start on the white one so consider 2 virts rescued.

looks like they are in good hands!

As a metalworker, what is your hourly charge, and what time would you estimate it would take to fix the rust? I'm curious because I talked to a local welder around here who quoted $45/hour and said it would take about 3 hours to weld the rockers on mine. I'm trying to get a realistic idea of whether that is plausible or not...

@c4boom....you are a thread hijacker!!

At least he can do the work! I would be lost without him! I will keep posting pics of the progress...hopefully we can help save more Verts!

thats rediculasly cheap its 65-80 an hour out this way and if its as bad as ambers 6 hours would be my geuse

Did you ever get a chance to start on the white one?

ya i striped it down an started cutting on it but her ride comes first for the metros so its on the back burner for a bit

We got some more work done on Squishy...got the evil great stuff out of the rocker...there was nothing there except a LOT of particles. Grinded off some of the rust...cut spot welds. Chris welded two support braces into the door frame so we can...well probably he can...cut out the floor and rocker panel..

Ok, baby chicks are the cutest thing...except when they poo...which it did...and they go cheep cheep...OMG, they are too cute for words...and are interested in the keys...yes, there is a chicken on my keyboard right now....

Chicken gone...back to car. Sorry, I am easily distracted by cute baby animals! They are 3 days old...so cute!

But yeah...we still have a lot of work to do. I also got bored and decided to buff the trunk lid to see how the paint shined up...it did pretty good.

Yes, I have pics, I will post a link when I get them uploaded!

NEW PICS!!!

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v392/ ... le/DayTwo/
http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v392/ ... /DayThree/