This will be a "DIY" on purchasing and rebuilding/repairing a used Geo Metro for a budget of $1000 including the purchase price of the used car.
I was hoping to get the wife a really nice Metro since she wants another one, but we found an ad on craigslist for a local Metro for sale and the price was cheap. We visited the guy who was about 4 miles from our house and checked it out. Using my own info from the
Metro Buyer's Guide I was armed with the info I needed. Right away, I noticed the rocker panel rust and rear fender rust. First thing I did was inspect the front control arm mounts and they were actually in better shape then the ones on my other Metro. I inspected and tested all the other items and figured it was worth saving. Here it is when we first got it home.........
The car only has 69,000 miles on it, but surprisingly, the #3 cylinder was dead. I was aware of this when I test drove it. We got the car for the same price we paid for Christine. This car has a decent frame, a good transmission, a decent interior, nice dash and un-molested stereo, and no dents on the body.
After my inspection I got a list of what the car needs.
Head rebuild (bottom end inspection)
Oil pan (repaired at one time with fiberglass)
Front pads and rotors (The front brakes are toast)
Exhaust repairs (cat, resonator)
Tires (2 are bald)
Body work (see pics below)
So the plan is this. I am going to tear down the engine and rebuild the head. The oil pan will get replaced, but I will also inspect the pistons. With 69K, I might get away with just the top end. I am going to fix the exhaust, brakes, tires, and all the other minor mechanical issues. After it's roadworthy, the car will be getting some body work done by a guy I work with who is pretty good at it. We will use factory matching paint. The window tint on the car looks horrible, and all the tint will be removed and professionally installed.
I will keep you all up to date!
Total invested = $450.00 (purchase price)