Ask the Car People.SM


1958 Nash Metropolitan

51 messages,  Last post on Jan 13, 2013 at 9:06 PM

You are in the Classic Cars Forum.

What is this discussion about? Classic Cars, Coupe

Messages Page 5 of 6

#40 of 51 Re: nash metro interior [acemechanic1] by burdawg

Dec 16, 2008 (9:50 pm)

Replying to: acemechanic1 (Dec 16, 2008 12:06 pm)
What parts?

#41 of 51 More of the same by madbrit427

Jan 18, 2009 (3:17 am)

The Metropolitan was designed by Nash and built by Austin in England. Luckily the French had nothing to do with it.......... LOL.
 
There have been many modified Mets which have had custom built frames put under them and huge V-8s installed.
 
As for a simple power hop-up, I am pirating a motor/trans from a 1965 MGB as it is a simple bolt in into my '59 Met. The rest of the MGB is up for sale if anyone wants it.
 
I also have a '61 Met and intend doing something unusual such as installing a front wheel drive combo or electric motor, haven't made up my mind just yet.
 
After rebuilding the brakes and overcoming the difficult task of getting all the air out as the bleed nipple is at the bottom of the front cylinders!!!! I find that it stops very well. One just has to remember that one has to actually use pedal pressure as there is no booster on these cars.
 
Main problem with using another engine is the steering running across the bottom of the firewall. One of the best things to do is to install a complete front crossmember such as one from Fatman Fabrications, which will give you modern disc brakes, rack & pinion steering and A-arm suspension, all in one package.
 
Btw, does anyone happen to have a spare front passenger side engine to cross member steel bracket they don't need? I have mislaid the one for my Met. Thanks.
 
Peter.

#42 of 51 More of the same (madbrit427) by hpmctorque

Jan 18, 2009 (3:39 am)

Your Met will be a mini muscle car when you're finished with it. Stealthy too!
 
You're dealing with the need to increase stopping power, but how about the suspension? You might be able to dust off a rice rocket at the stop light, but it would be wise to yield to the fart can in the twisties.

#43 of 51 Nash Metro by bluebunneh

Jun 07, 2011 (1:03 pm)

Replying to: hpmctorque (Jan 18, 2009 3:39 am)
I'm so disappointed after reading this A few nights ago I spotted an adorable metro drive by and I was completely amazed by it! I couldn't stop thinking about it so I decided to do some research and was really considering buying one.... until I read this post....
 
I drive a VW rabbit stick shift currently and I love being able to zip around corners and get up to 80+ on the interstate. I would be fine without taking the metro on the interstate however I have a hard time staying content doing any speed under 45 so reading that this car is slow has really put a damper on things.... not to mention everything said about the brakes and suspension.
 
I really want one to drive to and from work ( about 25 miles ) five days a week - is that not possible to do in a Metro? Is there any affordable way to speed it up?

#44 of 51 Re: Nash Metro [bluebunneh] by texases

Jun 07, 2011 (1:56 pm)

Replying to: bluebunneh (Jun 07, 2011 1:03 pm)
Nope, a Metro is not a daily commuter car to zip around in. Could you spend lots of money on everything (suspension, engine, brakes, etc.)? Sure, but then why not just get a good fun car, like a Miata, for half the price?

#45 of 51 Re: Nash Metro [bluebunneh] by madbrit427

Jun 07, 2011 (6:43 pm)

Replying to: bluebunneh (Jun 07, 2011 1:03 pm)
A Met is perfectly usable for a day to day ride to work of 25 miles providing you don't want to sit in the fast lane at 80mph. Remember they are 40 to 50 years old. It should be able to zip along with most rush hour traffic as they are quite able to run at 65+mph. Don't forget these little motors were designed to rev, not like the small American motors of the time which had more torque and were designed to rev lower.
If you want better freeway speeds then find a diff from a late model Midget or Sprite as they had a 3.9 and some had a 3.7 gear instead of the Met's 4.22 or higher, depending upon the year of the car.
I ended up not using the MGB unit I mentioned previously. Instead, I installed a 153 ci 4 cylinder Chevy motor (came from a boat - Mercruiser) and married it to a TH 200-4R overdrive trans. The Met now climbs steep hills at over 70mph with ease. Of course it was the easiest way to go from the original 55hp to the Mercruiser' 140hp.
The next step is to add a Mustang II type front suspension and rack and pinion steering which will also give me front disc brakes too.
The MGB conversion with the MGB 4 speed along with the 3.9 diff does make a great up grade for a Met and is pretty much a bolt in too when compared to the mods I did to fit the Chevy in there. But that was not too difficult if you can do basic fabrication or have a buddy who can....

#46 of 51 Re: Nash Metro [madbrit427] by texases

Jun 07, 2011 (9:12 pm)

Replying to: madbrit427 (Jun 07, 2011 6:43 pm)
madbrit, you sound like a true enthusiast, able to get your Metro into tip top shape, make needed modifications, and keep it there. Bluebunneh will have to decide if they have those skills.

#47 of 51 Re: Nash Metro [bluebunneh] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Jun 08, 2011 (11:17 am)

Replying to: bluebunneh (Jun 07, 2011 1:03 pm)
If you want a British car that's pretty cute and much more capable of driving on modern roads, get an MGB. Otherwise, you'll end up having to turn your Met into an MGB or as least a major part of an MGB.
 
Mets are great for little back country roads--you know, just like in the English countryside--which is where they belong.
 
I think a daily commute is too hard on a Met--they are kinda fragile cars.

#48 of 51 Re: Nash Metro [texases] by madbrit427

Jun 08, 2011 (12:13 pm)

Replying to: texases (Jun 07, 2011 9:12 pm)
Thanks. The Met is not my first rodeo as they say. Restored quite a few old cars in my years. Biggest achievement was converting a semi-truck (artic in the UK) into a 34ft motorhome. Even if one does not have the ability to do all the mods to one's vehicles, often friends have skills that one can harness in exchange for labor or even cash...... LOL.
 
With the Met, people seem to think that just because it's small that it is fragile. Well I grew up with these old cars and they are pretty robust. We thrashed them all over the country lanes and freeways in the UK. Sure they are older now and deserve more respect, but they will survive modern day driving especially if one does a few upgrades such as the rear end gear change. The one mod that does make things better especially if one lives in hilly terrain, is the 4 speed from an MBG as the original 3 speed has too much seperation when one comes to downshifting for hills. The MGB did come with an overdrive option, but I have heard this Laycock unit is a bit unreliable so be aware of this if one decides to go this route and do some serious research of your own before committing to it.
 
Btw, the Met's running gear (lower front suspension, rear axle, etc.) closely resembles the Midget/Sprite but the motor/trans is MGB series. Some of the Midget parts are interchangeable such as the front disc brakes can be adapted fairlly easily. The engine is the same "B" series BMC unit used in many Austin, Morris, MGB, etc cars of that era, even including the 1800cc Marina motors. Automatics were not an option for the Met but apparently the Marina 3 speed auto will fit along with the Datsun B1800 trans. Datsun bought the blu-prints for the "B" series motor and apparently some of the Datsun motor parts are interchangeable but I don't know exactly which ones, do your own research if you need to go that route.

#49 of 51 Re: Nash Metro [madbrit427] by Mr_Shiftright HOST

Jun 08, 2011 (12:53 pm)

Replying to: madbrit427 (Jun 08, 2011 12:13 pm)
The Met's cooling system, braking, etc just aren't up to American highway speeds or climate. They aren't fragile in the UK but they are here, because the conditions are so much different. It's just hard for Americans to justify buying a nice Met coupe for $10K--$12K and then having to re-invent it. The mods you mention are really good ideas, but they don't come cheap to the average person.
 
I guess it really depends on what a person's expectations are with a stock Metropolitan. The person who posted about daily commuting seemed to suggest that he wanted to do this with a stock Met and this seems optimistic without interventions of the type you mentioned.

Messages Page 5 of 6

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement