Oops, I bought another car.

[MetroMPG]

It's a SPORT car!



1999 Pontiac Firefly (Chevy Metro) 1.0L, 5-speed, base trim: manual steering, no AC.

It's been sitting for 5 years in a back yard in a tiny little town I go through regularly.

And it's a runner! Put a battery in and it started right up! Only 176k km on it (109k miles).



I even drove it away, though it had no brakes so I had to go slowly. (Went about 1 km down a gravel road to a friend's house - temporary parking spot.) Good thing the parking brake works.

I won't be putting this one on the road. I got it as a future parts source for my low-km creampuff 1998 Firefly, below...



It's got some good pieces on it: engine runs great - it literally sounds better than my Mirage on a cold start. Clutch & trans are good; entire stainless exhaust was new 5 years ago just before it was parked; body & glass are good (original paint); upholstery is excellent.

But the underbody is rotten. If this thing had been rust-proofed, it could still be on the road.

It's the last Firefly/Metro I've seen in several years, other than my own. They all rusted away from this part of the world a long time ago.

Cost me $375, which is about $275 more than it's worth, but the seller knew I wanted it.

[PityOnU]

You can tell it's fast because of the stripes!

[MetroMPG]

Yup! They easily add 5 hp, which is a 10% power increase on this car.

[Cobrajet]

Anything you can drive away for under $500 is a good deal...even if it won't STOP.

[MetroMPG]

Yeah, and it's theoretically repairable, too. Someone with welding skills, a lot of patience and a masochistic streak could make it roadworthy again.

Been there, done that (my welding skills are highly debatable though). It won't be happening to this car.

R.I.P.

"The needs of the Firefly outweigh the needs of the other, much rustier Firefly."

[MacClyver]

Is that a removable rear tire well plastic edge to prevent rust from rock chips? Never seen that before.

When the frame rail snaps that's when you can be sure it's dead.


Jealous of the seemingly dent and rust free doors :drool .

[Fummins]

When the frame rail snaps that's when you can be sure it's dead.

All that needs is a couple cans of expanding foam and some flex seal.

[MetroMPG]

Wow, that's terrible!!

It's not a removable edge - it's just some primer that a previous owner put on to slow down / touch up the rust.

EDIT: hmmm... your photo makes me wonder if either of the Metro's sway bars will fit the rear of the Mirage...

[7milesout]

That '98 certainly is a cream puff.

[MetroMPG]

A member PM'd me wondering what my feeling is on Mirage vs. Metro these days. I figured I'd post in this recent & relevant thread without ID'ing the member. In case any other Metro owners want to chime in.

I realized last year that I have to consider "Plan B" for my #&$^box future because parts for the Firefly are getting harder to find. EG. last summer I wanted to buy a front exhaust pipe, and none of the 3 national parts stores in my little city could get me one. I would have had to order it online from the States, but I ended up welding some patches into the old pipe instead.

That's what happens when parts demand dries up. My '98 Firefly is the last of its kind I've seen on the road in this part of the world for 4 or 5 years.

I still love the Firefly/Metro. I actually have FIVE of them now, with this parts car acquisition. Two are roadworthy, one is potentially roadworthy (a low-km convertible in storage that needs floors), 2 are parts cars. But I'm planning to cull the herd & get rid of 3 of them in the next year or so. Keeping the low-km, rust-free '98 Firefly and this new parts car.

Plus one Mirage. Plus my #$*%box Miata.

I still like owning & driving the Suzukiclones: I love the simplicity. (The first time my nephew rode in it a few summers ago, he had never seen a wind-up window. And he was shocked to learn there was no AC to turn on.) It's also starting to become entertaining because of its oddball rarity. A kid jumped out of a car at a gas station last year and asked to take a picture of my Metro. I don't think he even knew what it was.

On the topic of fuel economy: my Firefly is a bit more efficient than a Mirage: it's lighter, lower, has a smaller CdA, a smaller engine, taller gearing, and less parasitic (accessory) drag. But I'm also digging the luxury amenities of the Mirage. Acceptible trade-off. Lifestyle inflation!