Comments: 1-15, 16
The exhaust on the car easily rots out. It currently needs to be replaced.
These cars are rust buckets. I have, and continue to battle the rust with a dremel and automotive primer + paint; but it is a loosing battle.
The brakes on Geo's are scary. They are OK once you put new ones on, but if you do a lot of city driving, say bye-bye to the old one and hello to new brakes again; in about 20,000 kms.
I live in Toronto, Canada, so it gets cold in the winter sometimes. This car takes a long-long time to warm up. I'll be driving about 10 minutes, and the car still hasn't reached operating temperature. The heating inside also take a while to get warm too.
I bought this car strictly for one reason: to save on gas. Boy oh boy, does it ever do that. On the highway, I will get 60 + mpg, and 50+ mpg in the city. I commute to work and this thing saves me sooo much money. 110km a day, for 5 days a week is $25 CAD at the pump/week. Not too bad. You would only get better mpg if you went to a hybrid; but even then you would only get a marginally higher mpg.
Another thing that is great about this car is the insurance. I pay $70 CAD a month for insurance. Really good.
I've no major problems with this car: since purchasing back in Feb. 2005. But some problems are starting to arise; the exhaust, brakes, + and an engine hesitation problem.
The car shifts nicely (manual) and it handles quite well. Awesome to park, will fit in the smallest of parking spots. It also has a very tight turning radius.
The interior is alright, nothing really special about it. The rear seat folds down, and allow me to carry my hockey equipment to the rink with ease; and I'm a goalie so I have a bigger hockey bag.
Very reliable car, starts up every time. I think as long as you maintain the oil changes regularly, the engine could go for a long time.
My only complaint is the rust on these cars. They were built to last about 5-6 years and after that, they fall apart.
Well its most likely were you live you see because I have 3 Metros 89, 97, and a 01 and not one of them have a spec of rust, not had any issues with brakes or exhaust either.
I have a 1993 with 60,000 miles. I also have rust on mine, but you could try to undercoat the bottom of the car. Also keep the car waxed and hose off any road salt ASAP. Someone also told me he mixes four quarts of used motor oil with one quart of kerosene. He puts the mix in a garden type sprayer and sprays the entire bottom of the car twice a year. I never tried it, but the bottom of his car is like new!
You're kidding, right?
Why would you want to turn your car into a torch ready to be lit?
You DO realize that if your car bottoms out or even if your undercarriage gets hit with a rock you might ignite the whole car.
Sounds like a Darwin award to me.
Well, Darwin, this is common practice up north. And NO, you won't ingnite the entire block if you bottom out.
Yeah, the previous poster is right. People "up north" where they use salt on the roads do spray used motor oil onto their undercarriage to keep the floorboards from rusting out. I've never heard of a car catching on fire because it bottomed out, though. It really does help keep the rust off.
Um, okay. I lived "up north" for 26 years and lived through some of the worst winter storms ever and I never heard of such a thing.
But whatever floats your boat.
Looks like your "undercarriages sprayed with an oil mixture will burst into huge fireballs" theory just went up in smoke. Don't pardon the pun.
It's nothing that helps you in any way to survive a winter storm, it's a long-term maintenance routine. The oil spray simply forms a barrier to water that is laden with dissolved salt from the road crews, so it prevents the electrochemical reaction that causes rust. It's something that some people do in the Fall to get prepared for the winter. I have seen it done in the upper Midwest, like Minnesota and Wisconsin. I had never heard of diluting the oil with kerosene, though, so I guess everybody does things a little differently.
Has anyone heard of replacing the steering wheel and/or steering column of the 93 Metro with a later model that contains a driver's air bag?
I have a 1993 Geo Metro that I received from my great, great aunt. I love it. I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota area and I've never heard of anyone using the motor oil method of keeping salt from rusting the under side of the car. When I read that I didn't think of flammability issues, but I sure thought of the EPA.
Things have rusted under the car, but I didn't think that it was too much faster than anything else. I have a little rust starting at the bottom of the passenger door, but not much more than that.
As far as the airbag question goes, no I haven't heard anything on that. Probably pretty hard to set up correctly though.
At a guess the kerosene is there to allow the mixture to be sprayed more wasily (I doubt if you could spray engine oil, it's too viscous).
It will evaporate off very rapidly though so it's not likely to cause a fire.
OK... I have a 93 metro automatic. It is the smallest car I've ever owned. I only bought it to chop up and make something cool out of. I also have an awsome F_250 4x4 king ranch jacked up with 22's. When I get out of the truck and into the car it's like being in a toy. Kinda fun to drive actually. I think I have a blown head gasket right now. I'm hoping to tear into that real soon.
No, kerosene is about as flammable as diesel. You really have to try to light it (its difficult); usually it needs a wick. I live in Minnesota and will have to try that; however, I imagine it smokes like hell if you get any near the exhaust / catalytic converter.
Cut out a piece of card board,put it agaist the radiator on the outside part it blocks the cold air. It helps it keep the engine area warm and your heater. Just remember to take it off after winter. Works for me.
The card board trick is a great idea!!
These engines (the 3 bangers) are aircraft approved by the FAA, one of the things they have to deal with is loss of heat.
There is a mod for the air craft to adjust the radiator up and down to reduce air flow and increase temp. This is also done on BIG trucks ever notice the fancy flaps out front in the winter? Other rigs use a shutter system in front of the radiator. Never thought much about it myself (I'm in Florida).