Mini vs Metro, what do you reckon
Turbo Mini Forums

Hi there,

The more I try to squeeze things in my Mini engine bay, the more I think about Metros.

What about them (appart from trying to replace an icon was not up to reach) ?

Handling, weight, rot, maintenability ?

Well, to sum it all how is anything but style and compacity compared to Minis ?

Do Mini wheels fit ?
I think I heard the offset is very different so you can't really fit Mini wheels.

The reason I ask is because Mini are expensive and Metros are dirt cheap but maybe it is not very rationnal.

Rusty by nature

Handling, weight and rot are on a par wit the mini. Obviously they are a bit heavier, but they handle and can be made very good.

I don't know but I suspect that parts are harder to get than for the mini.

And you're right about the wheels, but if you have a Metro, only the Ronals will do!!

Fastest 998 mini in the world? 13.05 1/4 mile 106mph

how about a clubman estate/traveler?

more room up front bit more at the back

just as cool, only the price to worry about!

I am talking 400 € Metros and as we don't have much clubman here, the cheapest I saw was 4000 ...

Rusty by nature

I was realy surprised how well a Metro can handle! :)

And I like the Metros with the recessed headlights - they just have that mean look :cool: http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/2461/dscf0006n.jpg

[X] nail here for new monitor

I love my Metro! Not driven it properly yet but seriously need some rims for it! The temporary 6x12 revos are way too offset!

Our Metro Van is fantastic, or it will be when the turbo engine is finished.

They do have more room in the engine bay, but squeezing a big intercooler in is still tricky.

This thread will show you bad they can get:

http://www.turbominis.co.uk/forums//index....p=vt&tid=264614

Should be pretty fast and handle quite well when it's done. Will's comment about the Ronals is spot on, they are on my shopping list!

A Metro is realy not going to cut the mustard in Paris.

There are lots of Minis particularly in the Montmartre area. I was exploring the streets around the Sacre Coeur yesterday on Google Streets and saw at least three tatty Minis in need of a good home.

Saul Bellow - "A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep."
Stephen Hawking - "The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge."

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing half of.

You two are worse than me and Ben!!

On 9th Dec, 2009 minimadmotorman said:

On 9th Dec, 2009 apbellamy said:
Will's comment about the Ronals is spot on, they are on my shopping list!

I hope they are going on your bank balance too

Fastest 998 mini in the world? 13.05 1/4 mile 106mph

That MK2 city we saw was well battered. The drive however seemed impressed with the van.

If something is worth doing, it's worth doing half of.

metros are very good,

overall they are easier to maintain, but the gas suspension can be a PITA unless you sort yourself out with a hydrospastic pump.

main mechanical things that give trouble are the bushes where the anti roll bar goes through the bottom arm, and ball joints (which is really due to lack of maintenance by other people) oh and radius arms and top arms. exhausts tend to leak at the manifold to downpipe joint due to the wibbly engine mounts, all minor points really.

inner sills tend to rust as they are pretty thin, and watch for rust around the rear subby mounts.

mini wheels will bolt on, but stay with ones with standardish offset (no 7x13's!!) as said best stick with ronals, although I did have a set of 12" cosmics from an imp on my van and they looked the nuts!

A think we should create a separate section called "Metro Geeks".

Metros are awful IMO.

Saul Bellow - "A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep."
Stephen Hawking - "The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge."

Oi!

Jon, out of interest. What is the lap times in your Metro compared to Miglias for instance.

I obviously keep the Mini, Metro will be for the missus.

I don't like the styling of Metro either (well not dislike, just being indifferent) but they have qualities, first being they are cheap, more aerodynamic than Minis and offer more room (at the expense of size) but one thing I am sure is they can make a killer sleeper as any Mini these days is expected to be driven either by a 50 year old rich blond girl or by a youngster.

As I can't be mistaken for a 50 year old rich blond haired girl, half the surprised is burned ...


Edit : and what about converting to dry suspension à la Mini ?

Edited by Advantage on 9th Dec, 2009.

Rusty by nature

V depends on the track but Silverstone is about 5 seconds.

I've raced with the migs on the same circuit, Silverstone, like all together at the same time. I had a great experience once I had gained confidence and followed Bill Sollis and Endaff Through the awsome fast right Bridge, the cornering speed was no different. They make the time up on better brakes and being alot lighter 660KG as opposed to 825kg.

JF.

Edited by giallofly on 9th Dec, 2009.

825 kg ?????

Well that is heavy (in my book) !

I was thinking somewhere in the 750 kgs and able to get in the 700's with first level mods.

Well, that is a disapointment ...

Might not bother my wife anyway ...

Rusty by nature

there's not a lot co can do to them due to the regs, essentially its rip the interior out and stick a cage in, and from the mettys i have seen its not a fancy multi point cage like in the migs either.

825kg with driver?

I weigh 105kg in suit and lid..

I am running 10kg of ballast to.

Dont forget it is a turbo so lots of extra plumbing, 2 fuel pumps etc etc..

So 710KG bare..

JF

We know that Jim can run faster lap times with his boost turned down. I suspect that the metro could take more power and more or less offset the weight. On fast circuits I think a metro could be made faster (assuming we are working to the same rules), but on a slow twisty circuit a mini would have the edge.

We see this a lot with other cars in our sport. There is a very fast MG F cup car that at MIRA is seconds faster than us, but at Curborough we often beat him. The differences between Mini v Metro won't be quite as apparent, but they will be different enough.

http://www.twin-turbo.co.uk
http://www.hillclimbandsprint.co.uk/default.asp

A man without a project is like a like a woman without a shopping list.

I have to agree, you can't compare Jon's car to a Mig, its apples ad oranges.

Remember Migs are NOT the ultimate circuit mini, they are highly developed within their regulations, but is by no means impossible to make one go faster if you are no longer constrained by regulations. same with Jon's Metty.

It's like F1, yes they are the fastest cars round any circuit on the plannet. But imagine how fast they would be if not constrained by the regs!!

Fastest 998 mini in the world? 13.05 1/4 mile 106mph

I totally aggree with the H's

There is loads of room for developement on my metro but the rules govern the power output and weight.

Bare in mind our metros only produce about 6psi at the plenum, have 36/29 valves and a stock MG metro(NA) cam and no intercooler. Don't forget we run on road tryes to, I use Yoko 048r's in Medium, soft go off too quickly.

Lets us up the boost to lets say 12psi, stick on some slick boots, intercool it, bigger head and cam then shed another 30 kilos or so...

My metro handles fantastically, it realy feeds it back to you, you can feel the road surface and grip levals through the steering wheel.



JF

Edited by giallofly on 10th Dec, 2009.