I purchased a 96 Metro out of necessity to save money on fuel. I did not research the subject first so I ended up with an automatic. 1.3L
Here is a list of what I have found so far that seem to be in need of repair/replacement.
What would you do first?
The front and rear shake and rattle going over the smallest of bumps. No Rust to speak of.
13" steel rims, I have been told (by tire shop) two of which will not balance correctly because of damage.
13" tires, two of which are not completely round.
Alignment is off, pulls to the right a little. This would seem to be partly from a bushing on the control arm that looks crushed.
Passenger side tire sits further to the rear than the driver side tire.
Wheel Bearings, I have no hard evidence yet, other than a hunch they need to be replaced.
Shocks, appear to be original.
Oil leaks from Distributor.
Spark Plug Wires, Distributor cap & Rotor.
Aero Mods I am thinking about.
Tire spats/Air Dam
Boat Tailing behind tires.
Rear Wheel Skirts
Smooth Wheel Covers
Kammback similar to MetroMPG, probably longer.
Partial Guppy block
Belly Pan.
What I have done so far.
Unclogged EGR & roto-rootered the passage.
Changed oil & filter, spark plugs, air filter. Hooked up Vacuum gauge on dash & installed cruise control but not working yet.
Hooked up Scanguage II
Deleted passenger side mirror.
Changing oil again this weekend, going to synthetic.
My situation:
Daily commute of 262 miles (minimum) round trip to work. With almost 5 hours a day on the road, time & money are in short supply. I live in FloridDUH so A/C runs most of the time.
I would rather spend time with my family on weekends than working on the car but I need to increase the mileage. Already spending time changing oil every other weekend.
Currently averaging 29 mpg.