Partial chop top/teardrop on a metro

[Angel And The Wolf]

I saw a custom car tv show where the builder chopped the top of a car, and laid the stock rear window forward at the top to meet the shortened roof.

[me and my metro]

You might look into geometroforum.com I was an active member for 8 years when I was running a series of Metros. I am now into Saturn L series cars as they are a “real” car. I did enjoy the playing with the last Metro I had. So long ago the photos are on a thumb drive.

[Shaneajanderson]

Originally Posted by 2016 Versa

I don't know of such a list, but lots of cars now have optional alloy wheels so if you can find what type cars have wheels that fits you could spend a Saturday in a junk yard seeing if anything they have are aluminum or if they're all steel. With lower profile tires they're putting on cars now it's also a possibility you could use 15" or 16" wheels if there's enough fender clearance. My Versa has 15" rims with a stock tire size 185/65/15. I just bought 2 Kumho Solus TA11 LRR 75,000 mile tires for it and was out the door for around $185. I used to drive an '88 Ford Escort that stock tire size was 165/80/13 but I'd ran tires as large as 185/75/14's an 1 1/2 larger diameter without issues.

I'd like to avoid low profile tires. Anything less than a 60 sidewall rides like a steel wheel, and this car is going to be bad enough as it is I'm sure.

[samwichse]

Originally Posted by Shaneajanderson

$110 a tire is steep, my f150 tires can be had for less than that. I'm probably going to try and find some 13" LSi wheels as I know they'll bolt up right.

Costco has them for $103 each but $312 for a set of 4 right now. $372 with installation/disposal where I am.

[Shaneajanderson]

Originally Posted by skyking

i'd worry less about hubcentric dimensions, more about pattern and offset, and try to get 14". the tire choices and prices tend to be much better; 13" is becoming a rarity. the studs can handle the centering loads and there are cheap plastic centering rings available also.

I did some looking online and it seems like 155/80/13 is still pretty easy to get a hold of, and a lot cheaper than 165/75/14, which is the closest equivalent. Besides, I'd rather not go too much wider than stock size which is 145.

I may end up ordering one set of the stock 12" while I can find them just to put off buying rims for another 60k miles or so.

[IsaacCarlson]

Chop it.

You might be able to cut out the body around the rear window and reuse it. If not, the rear glass from a sunfire is very nice. I know because I have a sunfire and the rear glass screams aero. If you could start rounding the body in behind your front doors and scab in the sunfire window, you would have a near perfect teardrop. Leave the bottom of the car full width and scrunch the whole top for the teardrop(behind the front doors).

[Frank Lee]

It's a four door. Not impossible but certainly a bigger task to chop.

[IsaacCarlson]

Yeah, he's going to have a bit more work to do with the rear doors, but it shouldn't be too hard. If he's reshaping the entire rear half of the body, what's hard about welding in panels in place of the doors, or just welding the doors shut and removing the inner skin to save weight.

[Shaneajanderson]

Originally Posted by IsaacCarlson

Yeah, he's going to have a bit more work to do with the rear doors, but it shouldn't be too hard. If he's reshaping the entire rear half of the body, what's hard about welding in panels in place of the doors, or just welding the doors shut and removing the inner skin to save weight.

I didn't expressly state it, but this was the plan. This is going to be a car for me alone to commute 85 miles a day. I'd like to make the new rear end a hatch so I can have a big cargo area when needed, and I might keep the passenger front seat for those just in case times when I have to take someone with me.

[mpg_numbers_guy]

Take a look at the G1 Insight for inspiration: similar size to the Metro, 2 passenger, aerodynamic rear.

Depending on what your plans are, I'm wondering if the rear hatch of a G1 Insight would be able to be used on the Metro.