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Apr 24, 2007 13:05:52 GMT
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I need some help.....
Going to Gurston on saturday has relit mine and my dads flame for hillclimbing, and we'd like to do a few next year. Lots of people I've spoken to have said Rover Metro 1.4 GTA/I would be a good bet.
So over the next few months we'll be looking for a good Metro to get going on. The basic idea is to strip it out, build a cage, fit a bucket seat/harness, uprate the brakes/suspension and fit some decent tyres.
What can be done suspension wise?
Same for brakes?
What sort of power do the GTA and GTI put out respectively?
What are their main pitfalls?
Adam
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1997 TVR Chimaera
2009 Westfield Megabusa
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kee
Posted a lot
Posts: 4,991
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Apr 24, 2007 13:17:13 GMT
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just use the kit car u have in ur sig?
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Apr 24, 2007 13:21:56 GMT
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just use the kit car u have in ur sig? I will when it's built ;D I don't think I'd trust myself to hillclimb a 400kg, 140bhp kit car having only been driving a couple of months anyway!  |
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1997 TVR Chimaera
2009 Westfield Megabusa
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Apr 24, 2007 13:22:57 GMT
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Blast the POlo up!
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 it doesn't matter if it's a Morris Marina or a Toyota Celica - it's what you do with it that counts  |
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Apr 24, 2007 13:25:32 GMT
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Later Rover 114 GSi does the same job and might be a bit easier to find. I don't know much about them but they are very nippy. Suspension wise they're all on hydragas, they naturally lower themselves and give themselves rake and all sorts if you leave them to it! You can over-pump it as well to give you fun and possibly dangerous bouncy castle/speedboat handling.
An underrated little motor, really, you can buy one for peanuts. Just have a good look at the floor, and ones with solid back arches don't necessarily have a good floor and vice versa!
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Apr 24, 2007 13:27:08 GMT
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40bhp wouldnt get it to the end of a decent hillclimb And I don't want to modify it any further as I want to be able to insure it as my first car ;D Anyway.... answers please!  |
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1997 TVR Chimaera
2009 Westfield Megabusa
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Apr 24, 2007 13:41:25 GMT
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Apr 24, 2007 13:41:29 GMT
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Isn't there someone on here that has just taken a metro GTA or summat-or-othe on a trackday or something similar?
EDIT: What he said ^^^^^
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planty
Part of things
Posts: 154
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Apr 24, 2007 13:44:57 GMT
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1) You'll be wanting to machine the dispacers down to lower the car, and individualising the suspension will help too - effectivly giving independant suspension all round. Then get it blown up nice and stiff. Don't just let fluid out - its dangerous. The Gti has anti roll bars front and rear, I think the gta has one on the front, other cars have niether! 2) Not sure about brakes myself but I know they are based on montego/maestro disc so there must be an upgrade somewhere. The best brakes are on the GTI - vented yumminess. 3) 1.1 is about 60bhp, 1.4 8 valve is around 75nhp and 16v 1.4 is 95 in spi form, or 105 in later GTI MPi form. THese things absolutley fly. I really miss my gti - was a total weapon The later rover 100's never got the 16v engine unfortunatley. 4) Main pitfalls on these things - headgaskets on unloved ones, and rust. Its a metro after all. Check out Moto-build and www.metropower.co.uk/forum/category-view.asp for more tweeking and buying/owning advice. HTH  Tom |
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Last Edit: Apr 24, 2007 13:47:37 GMT by planty
but then that was a peugeot and they're generally made of cheese anyway ;D |
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Apr 24, 2007 13:47:08 GMT
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Thanks! I'd forgotten about Jason's car!
Adam
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1997 TVR Chimaera
2009 Westfield Megabusa
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Apr 24, 2007 13:49:36 GMT
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1) You'll be wanting to machine the dispacers down to lower the car, and individualising the suspension will help too - effectivly giving independant suspension all round. Then get it blown up nice and stiff. Don't just let fluid out - its dangerous. The Gti has anti roll bars front and rear, I think the gta has one on the front, other cars have niether! 2) Not sure about brakes myself but I know they are based on montego/maestro disc so there must be an upgrade somewhere. The best brakes are on the GTI - vented yumminess. 3) 1.1 is about 60bhp, 1.4 8 valve is around 75nhp and 16v 1.4 is 95 in spi form, or 105 in later GTI MPi form. THese things absolutley fly. I really miss my gti - was a total weapon The later rover 100's never got the 16v engine unfortunatley. 4) Main pitfalls on these things - headgaskets on unloved ones, and rust. Its a metro after all. Check out Moto-build and www.metropower.co.uk/forum/category-view.asp for more tweeking and buying/owning advice. HTH Tom Very helpful! Thanks. |
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1997 TVR Chimaera
2009 Westfield Megabusa
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J.P
Posted a lot
I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
Posts: 1,175
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Apr 24, 2007 15:37:52 GMT
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Planty has covered suspension, there is also Droop stops though, these can be fitted behind the radius arms and stop the wheel travelling down a certain distance. Tighter cornering would cock the inside wheel and push more weight to the front wheels= more grip.
AVO coilovers for the front (replacing all the hydrogas stuff) are £100 inc springs etc, but you much reinforce te shock mounts. Its much easier if you move the battery and washer bottle and make a triangulated reinforment.
You can fit 4 Pot MGTF calipers but this requires min 14" wheels, loosing acceleration and 14" slicks are deadly to get! Ive got GTI Vented discs and calipers ready to fit to mine because i really don't want 14's! You could then do adjusable bias etc depending how extreme you want to go.
The k Series revs plenty, as said headgaskets are the problem. The underlying problem is the location of the thermostat, its in a stupid place, when it opens its letting very cold water onto the warmed engine. I had to keep the heating and fan on perminent in mine to keep it cool. The 115 Diesel radiator is a straight fit and is much longer and over twice the capacity, ive just fitted one, it also has a much bigger fan. You can literally see the temp gauge going down when the fan is on.
If you can get a PG1 g'box these have an LSD, AFAIK you change the flywheel and weld on an R 200 gearbox mount and there you have LSD on the cheap.
Future plans for my Metro are not fair off yours! Planning to get it MOT'd and get into Hillclimbing. Currently saving to Conver to MPI with a better exhaust shoudl see 110bhp+ out of the 1.4. I could fit a 1.8 but that would take me out of any production classes. Plenty of potential
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Apr 24, 2007 17:34:31 GMT
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ive no idea about metros but i know i like em alot and cant wait to see this hillclimb number
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Apr 24, 2007 18:02:33 GMT
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Whats the difference between an early 90s GTa and a GTi? As far as I can tell they have the same engine (1.4 16v)?
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Apr 24, 2007 18:04:53 GMT
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ive no idea about metros but I know I like em alot and cant wait to see this hillclimb number My dads a bit of a perfectionist so it should come out pretty well. Currently on the lookout for a 1.4 16v GTI / GTA 3dr maybe in need of a little welding with no MOT or Tax but mechanically good Thanks for your help Jason! Adam |
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1997 TVR Chimaera
2009 Westfield Megabusa
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Apr 24, 2007 18:05:49 GMT
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Whats the difference between an early 90s GTa and a GTi? As far as I can tell they have the same engine (1.4 16v)? AFAIK the GTI had a rear roll bar, vented discs, nicer interior etc. Adam |
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1997 TVR Chimaera
2009 Westfield Megabusa
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Apr 24, 2007 18:12:46 GMT
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Cheers Adam, you've given me ideas, and I'm forcing these ideas into my Dads head |
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Apr 24, 2007 18:14:41 GMT
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Cheers Adam, you've given me ideas, and I'm forcing these ideas into my Dads head One tip, use the words 'you' and 'we' a lot more than 'I' ;D And take him to a hillclimb/track, the atmosphere rubs off really quick! |
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1997 TVR Chimaera
2009 Westfield Megabusa
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J.P
Posted a lot
I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
Posts: 1,175
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Apr 24, 2007 18:21:15 GMT
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Whats the difference between an early 90s GTa and a GTi? As far as I can tell they have the same engine (1.4 16v)? AFAIK the GTI had a rear roll bar, vented discs, nicer interior etc. Adam Also front Dampers on the GTI. Supposedly GTa's are lighter though. Very early GTI's (90-92 i think)were SPI 96bhp, but from then on were MPI with 105bhp. |
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Apr 24, 2007 19:21:52 GMT
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One tip, use the words 'you' and 'we' a lot more than 'I' ;D Tehe! That's the plan! No need to take him to the track, he loves motoracing, probably the reason I do too! |
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