Restoring a 1989 Geo Metro - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

IheartGeos · 12-23-2008, 02:41 AM

Hello all!

Well, I have been lurking around here off and on for quite a while, and now I finally got down to it and signed up.

My first travel into the ecomodding way was my first car at age 17: I got 35 consistently, and modified my driving when I realized certain driving habits were knocking the mpg's down to 32.

Anyway, recently I had a 1994 Geo Metro, automatic, and got 42 mpg driving reasonably. I sold it because I needed the money, and soon after I got a 1994 GMC Sonoma which barely gets 20! The engine runs so rough, and the thing is not aerodynamic at all. Towards the end of my owning the '94 Geo, I bought a junker with a manual tranny to do a swap, but the "junker" body was in such good shape that I decided to rebuild the engine instead.

So, in rebuilding it and eventually modding the body hardcore, I decided to put up a blog about it: Restoring a 1989 Geo Metro I also have a flickr account with lots more pictures: Flickr: Tobias Davis' Photostream

So far I am still rebuilding the engine, but this week I should have it up and running. It is a real blast to work on a Geo, they are so simple! I bought the *real* owners manual online, so that helps a lot.

I have lots of plans that I want to do on my Geo, but I am a full-time college student so I don't get much time. I am squeezing in lots of work between semesters, so hopefully I can get something done.

Anyway, just saying hello, glad to be here!

I don't have a picture of the car yet, so here is a picture of the detail work I did to the engine today (click on it for a full size version at flickr):

Johnny Mullet · 12-23-2008, 07:41 AM

Glad to see someone restoring another Metro! Welcome to the site.

IheartGeos · 12-24-2008, 03:47 AM

Thanks for the welcome!

I pulled the Geo around today with the GMC Sonoma, and painted some more parts. Unfortunately, the GMC ruined it's water pump

so now I will be fixing even more things... I finally took a picture of the actual car today, the interior will need some work but I will postpone most of that until it warms up:

Johnny Mullet · 12-24-2008, 02:16 PM

I really like that color! Nice car man.

MetroMPG · 12-27-2008, 05:36 PM

I had a look through your photo stream. You're going to beat the ForkenSwift for most colourful Metro engine compartment!

Welcome to the site.

Bicycle Bob · 12-28-2008, 12:36 AM

Welcome,

I've been driving an automatic 4-door while getting into rebuilding the engine on a '91 coupe. I hope to be making some pretty nice wheel skirts and front end parts after that.

Christ · 07-02-2009, 06:45 PM

I wish I could find a half decent Geo for the price that I find many other vehicles for... I'd so do a 3-wheel (rear drive) EV.

Johnny Mullet · 07-02-2009, 11:41 PM

It's hard to find a clean, rust free Metro in Ohio, Pa, NY, etc. You could always get a crusty one, fix it up, and drive it for 2-3 years. That can still add up on fuel savings and money while you search for the good one. Then you got all kinds of spare parts!

Christ · 07-03-2009, 12:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny Mullet

It's hard to find a clean, rust free Metro in Ohio, Pa, NY, etc. You could always get a crusty one, fix it up, and drive it for 2-3 years. That can still add up on fuel savings and money while you search for the good one. Then you got all kinds of spare parts!

I've found a couple decent ones, but not for sale, or they wanted some outrageous amount for it, thinking it was built from solid gold or something.

I've got a rat-picked CRX HF in my dad's barn, and I'm actually considering doing a 3-wheel with it. I could probably shave enough weight off it to drive it with a 10 horsepower utility engine, honestly.

Maybe when we go to pull the thing out of the barn, I'll just cut it in half, and keep the front of it?

The most rust/damage was in the back, so I'll just remove that section, fix what I can in the front, and that will be one neat-o ride! LOL.

(Disclaimer: This, like so many other projects, may end up being a non-starter, depending on how I feel when it comes time to actually do something on it. While it's nice to dream, reality does check in from time to time to really splay one's ideas.)

IheartGeos · 07-03-2009, 03:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny Mullet

It's hard to find a clean, rust free Metro in Ohio, Pa, NY, etc. You could always get a crusty one, fix it up, and drive it for 2-3 years. That can still add up on fuel savings and money while you search for the good one. Then you got all kinds of spare parts!

Is that because they salt the roads? I was just under the hood of my '89, swapping the transmission, and had the chance to check the passenger side arm very thoroughly. I even smacked at it with a screwdriver thing and it has a good feel, and sounds perfectly solid. I will be looking at it this weekend to see if I can drop oil down into it to prevent rusting.

I agree: If you can find one for cheap, so long as that control arm is in reasonable shape (not likely to leave you dangerously stranded) than it is a real money saver!