3 Cyl Metro Pull Start?
 

I had another crazy idea for my metro. To eliminate the battery and the maintenance that comes along with that, I was thinking I could install a lawnmower style pull start. I'd probably just use a small capacitor in place of the battery for the sake of current flow while running. This would eliminate the issue of of the alternator constantly working to charge a 12v battery to 14v. This also would mean no worrying about a dead frozen battery in winter.

Thoughts?

You would need a destroke lever so you could reduce the kick

You would also need a magneto to run the spark until ecu wakes up

That doesn't solve the problem of losing memory presets, which is among the reasons to have a battery. If you don't care about that, then you could just use a detachable battery or supercap. Heck, if the parasitic drain is extremely low, you could probably just leave the supercap in and it would hold enough charge to start the car even after sitting a couple weeks.

My truck is down to about 5 mA parasitic drain (radio), so it could theoretically run off supercaps alone.

I don't think the ECM runs the spark on these cars? maybe so but I figured they weren't as it has a distributor.

As far as presets....I don't even know how to turn the radio on in this car (very old aftermarket CD player.) I have 4 kids at home, my commute is my time to have quiet, aside from the drone of the 3-cyl.

I'd start by measuring your parasitic drain with a multimeter. If it's low, you could try a 6-series 350 farad supercap bank. Should work fantastic in your cold winters...

Of course, you'd want to disable your dome lights (or go LED) and be careful about anything else that might turn on when you open doors, etc. That will very rapidly drain a supercap.

bettery delete

I'd skip the "pull start" and consider one of the battery pack jump starters
still using a capacitor for your electrical load

https://www.amazon.com/GOOLOO-SuperS...=fsclp_pl_dp_2

Actually the dome lights is what made me think of it. Of all things this car does not turn on the dome light when the door opens, but it does have an idiot light to show the door is open if the key is on.

pocket jump starter
 

I think I like this one even better

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MNKH8PK..._t3_B076PR52Z7

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon....L._SL1024_.jpg
they have larger ones too
800Amps
$49.99
1200Amps
$64.99
1500Amps
$79.94
2200Amps
$129.94

Those guys did a pretty lousy job of actually hooking things up, I just found some other videos of predator swaps in cars where they did things properly. Here is one:

5 speed transmission, centrifugal clutch, and the throttle is hooked up(duh!). You can shift on the fly!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Baey...ge9nX&index=11