Mullet's Metro Project

[Johnny Mullet]

So I totaled everything I have invested in this 1998 Metro including the purchase price.............

Total cost of car and repair/upgrade parts/supplies = $829.50
Total labor time involved for repairs/upgrades = 38 hours

Amount saved by doing own work with estimated $60.00 per hour rate = $2280

Miles driven since purchase in April = 6800
6800 divided by average of 57MPG = 120 gallons of fuel
Average price of fuel would be about $3.50 x 120 gallons = $420.00 estimated

If I were to use my truck as primary vehicle

6800 miles divided by average of 15 MPG = 453 gallons of fuel
453 gallons at $3.50 average = $1585.50 estimated

Amount saved in fuel by driving Metro 4 months = $1165.50
Amount saved when driven 1 full year = $3495.00

Technically, the car is totally repaired and nothing more should go wrong so if I have no issues for the next 5 years, this car would save me a total of $17,475.00 in fuel savings alone. I truly believe I would not sell this car for what it could have been purchased for brand new back in 1998.

[bennelson]

Now if you really want to have fun, take how much money you think you are saving by driving the Metro instead of a truck, and compound that by the average rate of return of the stock market using compounded interest for right now until whenever you plan to retire and see how much a Metro can REALLY be worth!

[trikkonceptz]

Hey Johnny, since you already did the headlight swap, I'm assuming you still have the old ones? If so, take some rubbing compound to them with a machine, Buffer(preffered) or by hand (will take longer) and buff them out. We do that all the time here at the dealership and it brings the headlight covers back to new in no time ...

That way if you want that mileage back its just a swap away ....

[mrmad]

Originally Posted by Johnny Mullet

So I totaled everything I have invested in this 1998 Metro including the purchase price.............

Total cost of car and repair/upgrade parts/supplies = $829.50
Total labor time involved for repairs/upgrades = 38 hours

Amount saved by doing own work with estimated $60.00 per hour rate = $2280

Miles driven since purchase in April = 6800
6800 divided by average of 57MPG = 120 gallons of fuel
Average price of fuel would be about $3.50 x 120 gallons = $420.00 estimated

If I were to use my truck as primary vehicle

6800 miles divided by average of 15 MPG = 453 gallons of fuel
453 gallons at $3.50 average = $1585.50 estimated

Amount saved in fuel by driving Metro 4 months = $1165.50
Amount saved when driven 1 full year = $3495.00

Technically, the car is totally repaired and nothing more should go wrong so if I have no issues for the next 5 years, this car would save me a total of $17,475.00 in fuel savings alone. I truly believe I would not sell this car for what it could have been purchased for brand new back in 1998.

Don't forget to add the cost of savings in tire wear. Don't know how big the tires are on your truck, but four of the 13" metro tires probably cost about the same as one truck tire.

[bbjsw10]

Just like I have been telling the wife about my Metro. The car is going to pay for itself in fuel savings alone. I went from a 83 F150 getting 6-7mpg.

[arnphawk]

Originally Posted by Johnny Mullet

So I totaled everything I have invested in this 1998 Metro including the purchase price.............

Total cost of car and repair/upgrade parts/supplies = $829.50
Total labor time involved for repairs/upgrades = 38 hours

Amount saved by doing own work with estimated $60.00 per hour rate = $2280

Miles driven since purchase in April = 6800
6800 divided by average of 57MPG = 120 gallons of fuel
Average price of fuel would be about $3.50 x 120 gallons = $420.00 estimated

If I were to use my truck as primary vehicle

6800 miles divided by average of 15 MPG = 453 gallons of fuel
453 gallons at $3.50 average = $1585.50 estimated

Amount saved in fuel by driving Metro 4 months = $1165.50
Amount saved when driven 1 full year = $3495.00

Technically, the car is totally repaired and nothing more should go wrong so if I have no issues for the next 5 years, this car would save me a total of $17,475.00 in fuel savings alone. I truly believe I would not sell this car for what it could have been purchased for brand new back in 1998.

when you said that you totaled everything, i thought the car got smashed!` you did a great job restoring the car and with the mods!

[MetroMPG]

Originally Posted by Johnny Mullet

Amount saved in fuel by driving Metro 4 months = $1165.50
Amount saved when driven 1 full year = $3495.00

That's pretty astonishing. Did you factor in the extra insurance & registration too?

[Johnny Mullet]

About the calculation.

Amount saved in fuel by driving Metro 4 months = $1165.50
Total cost of car and repair/upgrade parts/supplies = $829.50

Fuel savings subtracted by purchase/repairs/upgrades = $336.00 actual savings for four months, so basically, I still made out even after having to do a lot of unexpected repairs to the car after purchasing it.
Now I will really start getting paid back!

Registration was swapped from my 1990 Buick (spare car recently junked) and cost $12.00 and insurance went down $8.00 per month.

About the old headlights, they have been trashed. They had some sort of clear coat on them that discolored and could not be saved even after several attempts. I then ruined them using parts cleaner on them. Not only that, the mounting tabs had to be broken off and the bolts extracted to do the swap. I would not even want a new set of composites since nothing compares to the night time visibility I am getting with these Halogen sealed beams. Reminds me of my wife's old 1993 Mercury Capri XR2 that had the same lamps. They were really bright like mine are now.

Tire wear. My truck needs tires actually and probably would not have lasted the 6800 miles. They are P245/75R16 and cost about $87.00 ea for the cheap ones and a tad over $100.00 for decent tires. My tires were new on the car when I got it and still look that way. I think all 4 mounted and balanced would run like $130.00 out the door.

[tasdrouille]

Originally Posted by Johnny Mullet

Here are the pictures.....................

When I saw those pictures I heard nails on a blackboard. That duct is an aeroatrocity. Unless there is high pressure in the passenger side fender, I'm pretty sure you added a great deal of negative boost to your intake.

[rick390]

I have a red 97' Metro with lots of dings. How did you get the door panels off? Are the screws holding it on also holding on the door handles?