Spotted a cache (gaggle? posse?) of Suzukiclone parts cars. Interest piqued. Sanity questioned.

[MetroMPG]

But it was a mixed cache: Fireflies & Metros! Suzukis of a feather... something something.

[Gasoline Fumes]

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

But it was a mixed cache: Fireflies & Metros! Suzukis of a feather... something something.

rust together!

[MetroMPG]

Guess what I bought today??!

A SPORT CAR!!



The hoarder (introduced in earlier posts) contacted me 2 days ago and said: "You want it? I'm cleaning up the yard." He must have gotten into a spring cleaning frenzy. Maybe a Marie Kondo Netflix binge.

I said, SURE!

Then he said: "Come get it within 48 hours or it's going to the wreckers. "It's already on the tow bar and hooked up to my truck."

And he wasn't joking. It was.



Only 176k km on it (109k miles).

And it's a runner!



Sitting 5 years -- I just dropped a battery in and it started right up. Drove it out of its own grave, just like an episode of Vice Grip Garage. It runs really well too. It literally sounds better than my Mirage on a cold start.

ZERO hydraulic brakes, though - luckily the parking brake works.


I drove it (carefully) about one km down a gravel road to a friend's place - temporary parking spot.




The floors & rockers are rusted in the usual spots, already repaired once. Same thing with the front control arm mounts (a practiced eye can spot the patches in that pic). I suppose a motivated masochist with a welder might be able to save it (again), but that's not the plan. This is a parts car only.



I think I overpaid a bit @ $375.

The seller himself only paid $300 for it 5 years ago. But he also bought a bunch of parts after he got it home, which I now get to use. Like: new exhaust front to back (the good, stainless kind - that alone is worth more than I paid); brake pads; a good used alternator. The glass & body panels are all good too (original paint). Interior is above average clean.

And now I get to sell the Metro! Maybe I'll break even on that? It was always too nice to be a parts car.

[Cd]

Wait - which Metro are you selling ?
Not the 'Flea' ( Batman Jr. ) right ?

You must mean the convertible ? Or...

[freebeard]

Too far, too bad. I could use a parking light and the carpeting.

Same question. This ones a not-Metro?

[Piotrsko]

Did you get the tow bar?

[MetroMPG]

^ No, but I already have one! My buddy Ivan and I made one to tow the ForkenSwift to a couple of car shows back in the day:



I'm making an assumption that the tie down hooks on that generation Metro are the same width as the next-gen Firefly. I think the odds are good, but I'll have to measure it to be sure.

I think that tow bar is still beside my garage... hopefully. I haven't actually laid eyes on it in several years.

[MetroMPG]

Cd & freebeard:

This latest Firefly parts car acquisition frees me to get rid of my winter beater 2000 Metro (silver) pictured below with the Flea/Blackfly/Firefly:




I originally bought the beater Metro to serve as a parts car for the Flea, but really it's too nice to rob parts from and render un-driveable. I don't need two roadworthy Suzukiclones, so now I can put it up for sale.

[Piotrsko]

YKYAEM: when you get a parts car in DIY condition then sell the nicer car because it's less efficient