TeamSwift

I posted this at geometroforum too thought I'd get as many opinions as possible...

So I'm most likely going to get this car... Its been sitting in a garage for a while with a bad clutch. I want you guy's opinions on it from the pics the previous owner sent. It runs smoothly and sounds good. Header is broken but that's common. There's small rust holes in the rockers but otherwise very clean looking. Owner is asking $600 as is, where is. So I'll have to pick it up with a tow dolly, but that's no prob.

other side is a little less rust.


broken header common in verts...


top's not terrible.
Rest of body is good, no rust/dents. paint is faded but thats not unusual for a 19YO car.
So whats the verdict?
If buy it it will be my new get it ready for summer project Hope to show it off at geopalooza

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'99 Metro Sedan Auto 4cyl, '91 Metro Vert 3/5, '91 Metro 5dr 3cyl auto

600 is an ok starting point
mileage?
check underneath for a arm rust (critical !!)
trust me... the rockers are worse than you think
that damp floor has not been kind
is the carpet damp or moldy
bad clutch or broken clutch cable
are all of the boot cover parts there
how long has it been sitting
the top header is a tough repair unless you can find a good one
if you're looking this hard, it's too late
good luck, keep us posted

I'm pretty good with cars, but I don't know what an "a arm" is (I haven't done much suspension work) can someone enlighten me a picture would be helpful! Oh also, its got 120,000 miles, and floorboard carpet is clean and dry, don't know about under it, may have to wait till I see it in person.

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'99 Metro Sedan Auto 4cyl, '91 Metro Vert 3/5, '91 Metro 5dr 3cyl auto

Check my topic on rotten rockers... It's what’s beneath the body panel that worries me...
There were no holes in my rocker body panel, I just did a preventive check that turned out worse then I could have imagined!

Clutch is no big deal at all, the carpet can be dry now, but damage to the floorboards may already have been done...

The "arm rust" is probably the rusting of the chassis where the front suspension arm is connected to.

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May The Force be with You
Suzuki Maniac!



'00 Baleno 1.6 GLX Estate (family car)
'98 Swift 1.3 SOHC GLX (daily drive)
'93 Swift Convertible 1.3 GTcarb, under construction
'83 SC 100 GX in bits and pieces, waiting to be built up again...

Is this the Vert you need the Header for? Check you've got mail.

That's the same as the control arm. It holds the bottom of the Strut and wheel from walking out (or in).

Ah, gotcha, thanks!
Also, talked with the seller again, boot parts are with the car, good condition fit snugly.
There's surface rust, but no holes in the suspension parts.
Its been sitting since at least October, but its been started and run weekly.

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'99 Metro Sedan Auto 4cyl, '91 Metro Vert 3/5, '91 Metro 5dr 3cyl auto

take a small hammer and tap that "surface rust" and make sure it doesn't go deeper. Did that with mine and this came out...

as they say on Flea-bay
"Buy It Now"
before i'm tempted to drive down
and snatch it up

Bought it today I have to wait till March 5th to pick it up tho

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'99 Metro Sedan Auto 4cyl, '91 Metro Vert 3/5, '91 Metro 5dr 3cyl auto

we're waiting for "the rest of the story"
with more pics...

finally picked up my new '91 vert on monday (march 8th). Its better mechanically and in the frame than I thought, but worse in the body and top(bad frame good vinyl). I started disassembly to replace the clutch. I'll post more pics as I get them put online.


Its hiding


Got it hooked up (all by myself by the way)


More to come

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'99 Metro Sedan Auto 4cyl, '91 Metro Vert 3/5, '91 Metro 5dr 3cyl auto

Finally got the clutch in... new synchromesh, seafoam and oil change with Mobil 1 (0W30)
Clutch took me from 10 that morning till 5 in the evening... bell was stuck to the block, one of the bolt sleeve things was a little rusty and seized. I sprayed the joint with PB blaster and waited 30 mins and it came apart. I pretty much sprayed all the bolts last night that needed to be removed with PB blaster, its the first time I used it. Not a single stuck or broken bolt in the whole job. Either that stuff is awesome or I had the best car project luck ever(yeah right).

My shopping trip the day before the clutch job:


It's first 20 feet under its own power


Back from the gas station 7 gallons of 87, and 45 lbs in the tires. This thing runs great! I thought my sedan was fun to drive, this is like 10X better!! This is the most fun(est) vehicle I've ever been in lol. Its true, I'd rather go fast in a slow car that slow in a fast one. Take that Porsche(I almost bought a 944 a couple years ago).



More to come as I get work done. Next is a 1100 mile drive from northern CT back to middle TN with it. The next day was going to be warm and sunny in the northeast, great day for a road trip.

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'99 Metro Sedan Auto 4cyl, '91 Metro Vert 3/5, '91 Metro 5dr 3cyl auto

I made it back to TN. 18 hours, 1080 miles 21.4 gallons of gas (50.4mpg trip) I had 55mpg best tank, but after that I was trying to make better time (rain was coming from the west tried to beat it home) and it dropped my tank average to around 48mpg. No rain till I got to my home town. Made it just in time, and into the garage! I found out today as I was changing the oil, spark plug 1 and 3 were both loose, very loose, I didn't need a wrench to get them out (putting in tight plugs ought to improve compression/mileage). So, new plugs and wires, oil change, larger oil filter (3600 type) check tire pressure (still at 45), turn that distributor all the way toward the back of the car, no pinging apparent). I took out the after market speakers, and found out the front speakers are absent, the 5.25" speakers in the rear 4 inch stock locations were held in by the magnets literally stuck them to the metal behind the stock holes, sounded terrible! I also inventoried the work/repairs/projects/parts I will be getting at some point:
-parts-
Sway bars x2 - pull-a-part -done
under body brace - internet
strut tower brace x2 (maybe)
complete exhaust -bought a used exhaust from a forum member
roof header and rubbers -t3ragtop got me a good header and rubbers, thanks!
swift bumpers/skirts/lights/hood (love that look on a vert) - junkyard -upper front bumper and headlights purchased
rockers - pull-a-part
seats (definitely need, passenger's is stuck, doesn't slide or tilt) pull-a-part
A/C(maybe) - pull-a-part
trunk lift cylinders(keeps falling on my head) - auto parts store
wheels/tires (maybe eventually, its got good tires now) - wherever I can get them
carpet(eventually, I don't need it any time soon) - internet
neon center console - junkyard -done!
speakers - internet -rear 2 installed
-work-
throughly clean interior and engine -partially done, much better
replace seats/carpet
install decent audio (stereo in, just need front speakers/sub)
install neon console -done!
repair rocker rust
attach swift body kit
paint it (probably black)
coat rust susceptible frame parts with undercoat/truck bed liner (these and the floor pans are rust free at the moment-YAY!) -partially done
install A/C
lower car, cut springs by 1 coil -used lowering clamps, front done
attach supercharger from 98 grand prix gtp +megasquirt(totally going to happen lol) -got eaton m62
get an extra engine to play with (rebuild) maybe a 16v 1.3 sohc <- I like this engine -got extra G10 still looking for an extra G13BB

here it is after the drive back to TN

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'99 Metro Sedan Auto 4cyl, '91 Metro Vert 3/5, '91 Metro 5dr 3cyl auto

rust...





But...
no rust on the front suspension mount area, or floorboards!

kinda a bad pic, but its hard to take a picture under a car... while its on its wheels anyway.

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'99 Metro Sedan Auto 4cyl, '91 Metro Vert 3/5, '91 Metro 5dr 3cyl auto

On the 1100 mile drive from CT, the check engine light came on a couple times, maybe every 2 hours or so, just for a couple seconds then it went off. Also, the engine surges at idle, not all the time but frequently, maybe a 4 second cycle between 1200-1500 and 1900-2100 ideas? O2 or TPS maybe? This is a non EGR engine
edit: CEL was bad O2, new sensor and fixed
surging was disconnected vacuum line on back of TB going to one of the steel lines on he firewall (I think to the evap canister)

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'99 Metro Sedan Auto 4cyl, '91 Metro Vert 3/5, '91 Metro 5dr 3cyl auto

amazing what a little TLC can do for a car
let the fun begin

it does look like a great project car, I guess most of us have the same corrosion issues on the same spots, pretty normal for 20 year old cars. It is a matter of taking the time and the money to fix them. Good look with your project please keep posting updates.

Cheers

E.

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Monte
Audi A4 Cabriolet 2.0 T 2008
Chevrolet Sprint CL 1991 Convertible 1.3 GTI
Honda Pilot EX 4WD 2006
Honda odyssey EX 2013

I went by pull-a-part in Nashville saturday and picked up some things!
Sway bars

New center console(from Neon)


I installed the console, but I wanted to keep the little glove box at the bottom of the old console. Also, this gets rid of the awkward gap between the Neon console and the heat/air controls.

Pulled the old seats (will get something better when I find something I like used)


Spatula and a broken glass bottle under passenger seat...

Test fit of the console to see where to cut:


Cutting in 2 places on the sides and the back:



New saw for dremel, great for cutting plastic:


Console fits, don't like the gap at the front...


More cutting at the front to fit in the original compartment:

Had to cut the bottom of the compartment because it was hitting the inside of the cupholders

Test fit of the final product!


Got it all back together:

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'99 Metro Sedan Auto 4cyl, '91 Metro Vert 3/5, '91 Metro 5dr 3cyl auto

Bro! That console worked out perfect! KEWL! I've got the newer dash in mine otherwise I'd be all over that like a bum on a free cheese samich! Keep it up!

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All Wheel Drive-187 FWHP @ 18 psi...... SHE LIVES!!!!
METRO SS Certified honda H8R




AHM NOT AN AHSOE!!! DO I LOOK LIKE AN AHSOE!?!?!?

Must...get....console.....need to go to yard....

When my car was surging, it was because a vacuum line was unplugged. I dunno much else as I am not very mechanical...but it is a start?

PB Blaster will be your best friend...believe me! I don't want to know how much I went through with Squishy!

Good luck! May your rust be only on the surface!

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MY VEHICLES:
2012 Fiat 500 Sport


Photo Album Squishy: From Start to Finish
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CUSTOM SHIFT BOOTS: http://www.redlinegoods.com/cgi-bin/uam ... id=507&p=1

real cup holders at last!

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'99 Metro Sedan Auto 4cyl, '91 Metro Vert 3/5, '91 Metro 5dr 3cyl auto

Put the sway bars in today:


And took off some rust and touched up the undercoating:


I also went ahead and sprayed bed-coating on the front suspension mounts to keep them rust-free.

The car handles great with the front sway bar(I grabbed a heavy set from a sedan) in, much less body roll in turns. I do have to say it makes potholes feel worse though.

Took the car out for a nice drive on this sunny warm day!


I'll get the back sway bar in soon, I just wasn't ready to drill holes in the car to get it in yet.

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'99 Metro Sedan Auto 4cyl, '91 Metro Vert 3/5, '91 Metro 5dr 3cyl auto

HA....instant short shifter, no metal cutting involved

I'm working on cleaning up the engine bay this weekend. Here's a pic of my electrolytic de-rusting apparatus:


I'm also painting my valve cover, it was in bad shape.

Here's a before picture, hopefully things will be looking much better.

(sorry about the blurry pic its the only before one I took lol)

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'99 Metro Sedan Auto 4cyl, '91 Metro Vert 3/5, '91 Metro 5dr 3cyl auto