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Well my Metro Gti still needs more welding on the front valance and the rear arches and it really needs a respray so I decided to cut my losses with it . This is my Gti thread: retrorides.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=readersrides&action=display&thread=59072&page=1Saw this Rio on ebay and got it for £310! Done 45K, had 2 previous owners. The first owner was in his 90's (Yes its one of those stories!) and when he died it was registered to his daughter. It has all the tax discs going back to 94! The guy used it to take stuff to and from his allotment so he took out the rear seats, boarded it out and replaced the rear windows with van panels. It was fitted with some dodgy old peugeot seats that didn't go back far enough for me, I had to drive it back from Milton Keynes with my knees round my ears! It also didn't have much fluid in the suspension! Currently running a 1.1 spi with a 4-speed box! The arches are mint! The only welding needed is in the usual spots but nothing too bad, the rest of the car is in really good condition. The front and rear valances are spotless! The rest of the floor is great Have removed the rear subframe to swap with my Gti one. 1.1 POOOWWEEEEEEERRR!! Nice rust free chassis legs! Gti subframe ready to fit. Had a good look underneath when i removed the subframe, a few crusty bits - mainly surface rust. Will get it sorted at some point. Have gathered most of the parts needed to convert this to run a 1.8vvc engine. Just need the engine, box, bigger radiator, exhaust system and some decent rims! I've already got a modified front subframe with new upper supension arms, polybushed lower suspension arms, mgf hubs and brakes, mgf driveshafts, mgf steering rack, modified gear linkage, mgtf solid subframe mounts, Rover 100 steering column, dashboard, wiring loom and electric windows. Also got some half-leather seats from a Metro Gti Special edition.
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Fungus
Part of things
Posts: 960
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Looks mint! Could you not just put all the gti bits on this one?
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I've taken all the bits from the Gti that I want, I want to sell the gti so i'm not gonna take too much off it. I've only taken the rear ARB and swapped the rear subframes over as the Gti Hydragas units and rear ARB are quite hard to get hold of.
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ive always kinda had a soft spot for these, think they're pretty quirky little cars and the GTi doesnt hang about either! just the rover bit and the hydragas suspension that puts me off! how are they for parts and such?
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Most service parts are still available, things like the rear subframe are unavailable new. The rear subframe I'm fitting on this originally comes from the Rover 100 that belonged to a guy who was an engineer at Rover. He was the first person to fit a VVC-K-series into a Metro/Rover 100. When he bought the car he had the subframe powdercoated so its in really good condition, the original one on my Gti rotted through! Some of the trim items are unavailable as are the Gti rear hydragas units (these have a higher damping rate than standard.) Ther's a lot of bits from the MGF that can be used on the Metro too. I've bought most of my bits from people on the Metropower forum and Egay.
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Last Edit: Nov 6, 2011 22:33:22 GMT by daveaston
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ben1
Part of things
Posts: 340
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will watch this thread looks interesting
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stuboy
Part of things
Posts: 29
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nice fun car
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rust isnt a crime..
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I've replaced the van panels with some windows and sold the van panels on for a decent price! Bought some MGF rear hydragas untis to go on the front. Just need to cut the trumpets down by about 10mm to get it sat right. I'll then be removing the interconnecting pipes for the hydragas and individualising the units with some conversion nuts that the schraeder valves screw into. I've only got enough for 3 units atm, someone is making me another one. Have started cutting out some of the grot: I've bought a set of speedline cross-spokes with worn Yokohama a048r 175/50/13 medium compound fitted, either these or the wheels from my GTI are gonna go on the Rio depending on which wheels I sell with the GTI. I think visually I'd prefer the cross-spokes on this car but the tyres on the GTI rims are a bit more suitable for the road! I've bought a GTI front splitter that I'm going to fit, i've also bought an Austin Metro rear tailgate and spoiler as I'm toying with converting the rear end MG Turbo style!
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Dec 10, 2011 17:31:40 GMT
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While I'm waiting to save up for to get the welding done, I've been doing a few little mods just to keep myself occupied! Fitted some Jaguar XJ6 interior door handles surrounds (direct swap - no mods needed), going to find some black handles to replace the grey ones. I'm gonna change the door cards at some point - possibly when I fit the electric windows. Before: After: Before: After: Changed the sidelights for some LED ones: Also fitted some Xenon front bulbs: I've picked up a Gti front splitter to go on and also an A-series tailgate!
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Jan 28, 2012 20:28:06 GMT
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Small update: Well as I'm now breaking my Metro Gti, I've decided to swap the Gti engine into the Rio once I've got the welding done. I've transferred the Gti rims onto it. New Gti callipers wating to go on. With Mintex 1166 Pads. These are my accumulated bits to eventually convert it to a VVC k-series with a PG1 gearbox. Modified gearbox and clutch cable mount (mix of Rover 200/25 and MGF), correct flywheel, modified Rover 200/25 gear linkage, MGF gearbox/subframe mount, MGF Driveshafts and MGTF solid subframe mounts. I've got a Rover 114Gsi Body loom, steering column and dashboard that will eventually go in when I do the VVC conversion. Also got electric window motors and door looms but not yet got wiring to the fuse box. Plan is to fit the brakes, get welding done, fit the lowered MGF hydragas units on the front, fit the Gti engine and get the interior back in and drive it!
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Jul 18, 2012 23:42:46 GMT
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Progress has been a bit slow on this really. Have now got Gti callipers painted and fitted, just need bleeding and the car is mobile again and I can get the welding done. Got a VVC to go in and sold the Gti engine instead. I've been sorting out the MGF PG1 gearbox, removing the MGF gear linkage setup and replacing the clutch lever with the correct one for cable operation. Have also got a real nice interior together, have got a blue a-series dash that I'll be modding to take Rover 100 wiring. As the R100 has a hazard switch on the dash instead of the steering column like the metro, I needed to modify the dash somehow to take the switch. Instead of hacking the dash to take the R100 switch, I figured I'd use an Hazard switch from an LDV as it fits in one of the blank spaces in the A-series dash. Also got blue carpets and Gti SE Half leather seats to go in. Need some decent doorcards though. I now have part of the wiring loom I needed for the electric windows and have intergrated it into the loom that I'll be using in the car. Will start prepping the front subframe that I'll be using at the weekend. Have been cleaning it up earlier this evening along with the MGF PG1 gearbox I've got. Will hopefully get all the little bits of prepping done for various parts this weekend and will get some pics up. Callipers painted and fitted with Mintex 1166 pads. Fitted some blue side repeaters with chrome surrounds.
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Aug 11, 2012 11:03:34 GMT
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Sept 19, 2012 18:01:54 GMT
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Well I finally fitted the MGF Rear suspension units on the front, the cones are cut down by 7mm, the rear rods were already cut down by 8mm. I've converted the units so that they have individual valves rather then being linked front to rear and its running about 400psi all round. The stance looks a whole lot better now! Got the welding done and then got it Mot'd....It went straight through with no advisories!! Well chuffed. It's currently my daily driver as I've had to sell my Nissan Primera GT as I'm pretty broke. The VVC conversion is going to have to wait a little while longer! Next job is to fit the MGTF subframe mounts, the front anti-roll bar and the polybushed Gti lower front suspension arms. Also gonna finish modding the new dashboard and get the rest of the interior fitted.
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xjlee
Part of things
Posts: 294
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Sept 19, 2012 19:47:41 GMT
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Great little build going on, i've always admired the metro gti's. Funny back in the 90's they were ridiculed for what they were but they were bloody quick little buggers - remember the first vvc converted metro i came up against, i only saw as much as the rear quarter panel............. Would've been funny to have kept the van panels with the vvc lump ;D Looking forward to seeing the progress on this one
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Sept 19, 2012 22:23:31 GMT
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Cheers!!
The van panels obstructed the view a bit too much so they had to go!
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Dug the bonnet vents out the shed and refitted them at last. I've started fitting the interior. Have fitted some laminate flooring underlay under the carpet as its cheap and has quite good sound deadening quality. Fitted Rover 100 Knightsbridge doorcards with the Jaguar XJ6 door handle surrounds, aftermarket door pulls and the doorbins with the electric window switches, the electric windows aren't actually fitted yet though and I'm probably gonna fit some alloy window winders till I fit the electric ones. Haven't fitted the front carpet or rear seats yet: Got the front carpet new on ebay! (rare in blue) The dashboard I've got to go in is originally from an Mk2 Austin Metro so it needed some minor mods. Had to cut this bit out as the steering column is in a different position in the Rover Metro. The fusebox cover hides it though. Got a front fog lamp switch from an Austin Ambassador! The wood capping is from a Rover 114gsi dash. To fit the Rover Metro dash surround to the Austin dash I needed to drill some holes in the top of the dash. I used an old dash surround as a guide and drilled the holes on the inside all the way through to the outside and then used that to align the holes in the top of the dash. The finished result: This dash has an unused ashtray! And a Lined glovebox! - Steady on! Next job after the interior is to fit the front anti-roll bar, solid subframe mounts, gti lower suspension arms and maybe fit the mgf steering rack if its not to hard to do with the front subframe still in the car.
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Oct 29, 2012 20:39:29 GMT
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Have now fitted the dash, it needed a bit more hacking about round the steering column and the heater controls to fit but I'm very happy with the results! I even have a lighter now! Tried to fit the Austin 130mph rev counter clocks but found that I neede to re wire the plugs for them as the headlight lamp and the gauges seemed to work the wrong way round! Painted my front anti-roll bar, solid subframe mounts and Gti lower suspension arms. Only got round to fitting the lower arms, the car does feel better with them fitted. The poly bushes do make a difference!
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Well before Christmas I finally got round to fitting the front carpet, tried it with the sound deadening in but in the end I've gone for just carpet as it gives my big feet more space round the pedals! Had to hack it around a bit round the gearstick and steering column as its A-series carpet and they were located slightly differently. While I was in devon at my parents' for Christmas, Richard my brother (Rich606) and I changed my steering rack and arms and fitted my front anti-roll bar. We also fitted solid MGTF subframe mounts but in the end only fitted one as I didn't have enough of the correct bolts! I had one MGTF bolt and the rest were metro ones which don't have enough thread on them for the MGTF mounts! :nono: I made sure I bought some steering arm dowels off ebay before I started as they tend to get corroded into the steering arms or hub when you take the old ones off. Metro steering arm off. New dowels in. MGF steering arms fitted. Disconnected steering column from rack and Unbolted metro steering rack from subframe. Disconnected exhaust system from downpipe, removed old metro subframe mounts and unbolted gearbox mount. We then lowered subframe enough to slide rack out using a trolley jack and a shoddy old car jack!! We had to jack up one of the lower arms to get one of the subframe bolts out as the driveshaft got in the way. Metro rack out, then we fitted the MGF rack. Bolted that in and then had to faff around dropping the gear linkage and exhaust heat sheild to slide the front anti-roll bar in!! Finally in!! Richard's face says it all really!! Re-connected eveything, fitted one MGTF subframe mount on one side and one metro mount on the other and finished at 3AM in the morning! Re-connecting the steering column at nearly 3am started to try my patience a bit but we got there in the end!! Drives real nice now!!
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Just been doing a few little mods: Got some MG flag badges for the front wings: They would look better with these side repeaters I have but they're just not bright enough for me. I am thinking of just wiring the blue repeaters into the side lights and putting some orange repeaters on the door mirrors instead. I bought a set of 130mph rev counter clocks from an A-series metro a while back but have since realised that the although the connectors are the same, they are wired differently. I wanted to use them because they have the low fuel warning led that the later clocks don't have and also because I like the font for the numbers better on the older ones. A while back I bought some K-series 130 mph clocks to nick the 45K speedo from as the A-series one was on 79K. The actual speedo units are the same so I just swapped over the speedo faces and sold on the K-series clocks with the higher mileage speedo replaced in them. If only I'd known that the printed circuit on the back is different I would have kept the K-series unit and just swapped over the rev counter/fuel gauge/temp gauge section from the A-series clocks as that complete unit is interchangeable with K-series rev-counter clocks with horizontal temp and fuel gauges. For now I have just swapped the speedo into my current non-rev counter unit. I wound the speedo on to match my current mileage to keep things legit!! The original clocks had these crappy bulbs illuminating them: Replaced them with blue led bulbs: Much better! Just need to find some more k-series horizontal gauge rev-counter clocks so I can have the A-series gauges and faces with the K-series warning light centre section with clock in the middle!
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