3rd time lucky! Bought yet ANOTHER cheap, 3-cyl Mirage eco-appliance!

[MetroMPG]

So the first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem?

I just picked up another example of the WORST CAR you can buy!




This one's a no-AC, no-options, appliance-white, Canadian poverty edition icon! AKA the lightest Mirage of this generation sold in North America at ~1950 lbs / 885 kg.

Assuming it checks out, this car will replace Mirage #2, The Even Fancier Metro.

And since I'm rapidly running out of parking spaces, I'm also selling the $800 Honda Fit I just bought last month, which I had originally planned to keep to use as next winter's beatermobile.

Back story:

It's a base model 2014 with manual transmission. Also it's a no-accidents, one-owner car that lived in Ottawa, driven by a friendly & helpful homecare nurse. Visiting patients all over the city & countryside translated into higher than normal kms @ 174k = 108k miles. And thus also the higher than normal battle scars... it's a bit of a scratch 'n' dent special.

The good:

- paid $1800
- runs well, drives straight, clutch doesn't slip
- maintained by the book, mostly at the dealership. Regular documented oil changes. Recalls all done.
- came with a set of 1 year-old Pirelli winter tires on wheels; summers are stock Enasaves with plenty of tread


The bad:

- scratchy 'n' denty
- already has some rust spots coming through
- clutch is twice as stiff as it should be - possibly the pivot shaft, forks or release bearing is binding
- 2nd gear may be slightly worn - first couple of cold shifts feel "chunky", but it doesn't grind
- it was parked (outside) while the owner was on mat leave, so it probably needs rotors & pads
- ??? ... hopefully no surprises when I go through it in more detail soon


Fun fact:

It has power windows up front, but crank windows in the back. I don't know of any other car with that combination.



Next:

I really haven't had a chance go over it with a fine tooth comb because the $800 Fit was occupying my free time until today. But now that it's ready to sell, I'm going to dive into this Appliance Car and will report back with findings.


Next next:

Mods! 75 MPG!


---










(Just a few of its myriad minor scars & blemishes.)

[nemo]

Trying to corner the market?

[jakobnev]

Time for an intervention...

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

It has power windows up front, but crank windows in the back. I don't know of any other car with that combination.

Not unusual in countries such as mine.

[MetroMPG]

Really!

If I had only 2/4 power windows, I'd power both on the passenger side. Opening them together with the others shut sets up a nice swirl of fresh air in the cabin.

Fortunately, the Mirage is small enough that I can reach the passenger rear window crank from the driver's seat. Otherwise I might look at a retrofit.

[COcyclist]

Originally Posted by jakobnev

Time for an intervention...

You do seem to have a strange attraction to bare bones 3 cylinder econoboxes. Metro/Swift/Mirage. Or perhaps you have just stayed true to your values while some of us have embraced bigger, heavier, more powerful and feature laden transportation options.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by COcyclist

You do seem to have a strange attraction to bare bones 3 cylinder econoboxes. Metro/Swift/Mirage. Or perhaps you have just stayed true to your values while some of us have embraced bigger, heavier, more powerful and feature laden transportation options.

What about that Korean-spec 3-cyl version of the Chevy Malibu?

[MetroMPG]

^ Forbidden fruit!

Originally Posted by COcyclist

You do seem to have a strange attraction to bare bones 3 cylinder econoboxes. Metro/Swift/Mirage.

What can I say - I like high performance cars!

The Metro had the best non-hybrid fuel economy performance (per EPA) during its production run (well, no hybrid competition until 1999).

Mirage holds the same title currently.

some of us have embraced bigger, heavier, more powerful and feature laden transportation options.

Honestly, I do try to be conscious of lifestyle inflation. I was only half joking when I said the top trim (loaded) Mirage felt like the lap of luxury compared to what I'm used to.

Plus, let's be honest: these cars are cheap, and that suits my budget! Cheap to buy, cheap to fuel, cheap to maintain/repair. Helps that they're decently reliable too.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

Honestly, I do try to be conscious of lifestyle inflation.

Makes sense, considering what happened in my country where what used to be considered "people's car" became proportionately more expensive.

[MetroMPG]

Now that the $800 beater Fit is up for sale, I had some time to go through the new Mirage with a fine tooth comb.


It needed:




ALL FOUR front parking/side marker lights. What are the odds they'd all burn out - bad batch of bulbs, maybe?




Stopping on a dime! Replaced the rear shoes.


The front brakes needed work too: they were VERY crusty from the car sitting unused for extended periods during COVID. I took everything apart, cleaned & greased the caliper sliders and hit the rotors with an aggressive wire wheel on the grinder.



Annnnnnnnnnd... it passed inspection this morning!


Not bad: 1800 + rear brakes + 4 bulbs = roadworthy performance car.