'99 Chevy Geo Metro

I like it!

Thanks! These braces completely change the feel of these cars. Probably still nowhere near as stiff as a new Kia Rio but hey, it works.

The aluminum brace is from Turbine Tech They were able to get one to me pretty quick before the $2012 Challenge since it was the last thing I wanted to install. I've been meaning to replace all my store bought stuff with home made bits but the engine snafu and my move really slowed me down.

Bought a set of Ground Control coilovers for the Metro. Hopefully they'll fit. No idea what they're for but were cheap and look almost new. Spring rates are light like for a crx or something. Should work for a Metro.

Today's purchase.

Much frustration over OBD codes and trying to get this car tagged. Florida tags expired, Texas policy issuer won't give me Florida insurance card anymore. Texas won't let me tag without a passing inspection. Limit for yearly waiver in Texas is in the neighborhood of $600 spent, no thanks.

Forging ahead and accumulating parts...

Got upper spring perches FINALLY, thank you Vorshlag!

Pile of roll cage tubing for $30.

Sorted out wiring harness and removed all duct tape from nearly a dozen splices in main harness. All connections appear correct. Duct tape made a MESS! No idea if this has anything to do with the codes.

Purchased foam for fiberglass aero stuff. Resin, etc. FINALLY, found local source for ABS plastic sheets. I say 1/8" is enough for splitter and diffuser. Jonny Pruitt says not stiff enough. I think he's wrong.

Replaced all vacuum lines with silicone ebay stuff. Idles smoother.

Set throttle stop to factory spec. Need to set base timing, TPS adjust, find diagnostic connector. Who knows where that thing is. More troubleshooting tomorrow.

Nice work! I hope you kill it at the Challenge!

Cool car! My dad had one in the 90s and there are lots of good old memories surrounding it. I was sad when it got wrecked. I wouldn't mind owning one for fun someday.

Don't start shopping for Metro's they're CHEAP these days!

Challenge goal this year is to stay out of the bottom 5 in every category. This will be no small feat. Suspension far more developed this year. Next year I'll gain the old motor back into the budget with enough for a turbo as well. It's all fun anyway.

I ordered some stuff from UB Machine Shop today. Very knowledgeable and plenty of racer experience to know EXACTLY what I was trying to do.

Underdrive pulley on tonight.

Pulled exhaust manifold today to JB Weld a crack before I painted it. Happily I found 2 more cracks on the back side. I'm going to take it to our welding shop tomorrow as I've heard they will work for king size snickers.

Haha, can't beat that deal!

Tonight's template effort. Jonny Pruitt mentioned something about black felt glued down and then glassing over that. Would be light and strong. I was looking at a expensive piece of composite with a corrugated core at work today, looked almost like a cardboard core. I need to get some ABS plastic so that may be faster. Running low on time. No whining in Challenge prep right?

Anyway, I used a sharpie taped to a C-130 seat rail and held it vertically against the roll of frog tape. Gave me 3.5" of splitter past the bumper. I thought anything more would look like an even bigger underbite.

Ordered aluminum tubing for the rear toe links and new forged aluminum lugs. Hope it all shows up before the 23rd.

Messed with the wing yesterday and got the car up on jackstands to pull suspension today. The rear wing was not as easy as I envisioned it in my minds eye. Finally the third version I think I have it. Was gonna glue it down but now decided to hard mount with adjustment in the rear. Think gurney flap. Pictures of fails. One thing you will definitely like to use on this kind of this is a hot foam knife. Neighbor just happened to have one from his construction days. Cuts foam like butter. Must have steady hand.

Gonna trace out brackets and tabs for the various suspension stuff. Hopefully gets some things cut out as well today.

Ready to lay some glass tomorrow.

My wife told me tonight that it was Tuesday. No idea why I thought it was Monday. Challenge prep list got very short, very quickly. Someone remind me next time how long it takes to wrap a form with packing tape and I'll start sooner.

Store bought strut bar is back on as the shop I ordered the 1" tuning from forgot to send it.

Manifold and downpipe painted.

Front spoiler really ready for fiberglass now.

Toe links just finished.

More tomorrow. Departure is approaching quickly.

Oh and forgot to mention my truck needed all fluids changed, new upper ball joints(180k miles!), brakes all around. Can't beat that!

It is now Wednesday. Just making sure you know you are leaving in less than 15 hours.

Bought a set of Ground Control coilovers for the Metro.

Something I never thought I would read.

Good luck!!

Thanks for all the support.

Just got the exhaust back on and water pump is leaking out of the weep hole. So stupid! Motor was OUT! ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS replace consumables on a junkyard motor!!! I know this and ignored my own advice because of the budget. So stupid.

I say this reading posts on here almost every day b

Harvey wrote:

Bought a set of Ground Control coilovers for the Metro.

Something I never thought I would read.

In reply to VWguyBruce:

Crap!!

Do you have time to get it done?

Good luck. I've always thought these cars were kinda cool. Saw one for $500 on Craigslist in rather good condition and almost bought it. Then I remembered I have nowhere to put another car.

Thanks all!

Jonny Pruitt rolled in around 4pm this afternoon and promptly started changing the pump. Pretty kickass after he just drove 12 hours from El Paso!. He had it done in 45 min. His help actually more or less got me back on time-ish.

I didn't get fiberglass laid but brought everything to do it in the parking lot or at the track. Maybe I'll get my picture in the magazine for being a poor time manager.

2 hours of sleep then hitting the road. See you guys in Gainesville. OR come out to the interstate Roadkill style and we'll autograph your bum.

Leaving Okaloosa County.

Final product.

Well, we eventually got home after the Challenge and I made a mild attempt at clearing my EVAP codes and some other miscellaneous issues. I really need to get this thing tagged and titled in Texas. Some of you may remember the car had a very annoying surge at idle. I had to weigh the "give a $hit factor" versus the pay somebody factor. Paying someone won out.

First mechanic did a smoke test and had a cloud around the gas tank. He dropped the tank and tested all the components and found the fuel something pressure switch bad. All back together and surge remained, one code cleared. Only charged me $100. Love that guy.

Second garage took a crack at it over the last 3 weeks. I told them to look at it at their leisure. Tested every sensor and component under the hood and no vacuum leaks. Finally dropped the gas tank and checked all components mounted there. No problems noted. I also found that the evap errors had disappeared at some point before they started. I guess it took the ECU some time to figure it out. Finally he started removing parts and checking installation. Well..... Whoever(he will remain nameless for now) installed the TPS didn't get it oriented correctly. He installed it and adjusted it. No more codes. Even O2 sensor #2 cleared. $160 and they apologized and thanked me for emptying the gas tank before I brought it in. Well worth $160 to me. I know the kid had banged his head against this cars issues and I felt I should at least tip him a $20 for working at it for so long. You'd have thought he'd never been tipped before. Love garage #2. Only down side was they wouldn't so the safety inspection without the timing belt cover on it. Liability something, blah. No big deal. Get it done tomorrow.

Car is home and I'm putting some of the stock bits back in. Factory air cleaner, timing cover, AC system, heat shield on manifold, other bits removed for the Challenge.

More later.

Great job! I haven't made it through the latest mag to know if you met your finishing goals but you do have a running, driving challenge car. Awesome! Looking forward to hearing about DD duty.

Car is on one piece again and I tried for an inspection yesterday. Throwing an evap/o2 code, didn't ask for specifics, don't care anymore. The garage owner has plan. Says his technic works and will try it after work today. Drive down highway to exit blah, maintain 55mph exactly. Turn around at exit and idle 2 minutes. Return to garage at 55mph. Throw it in diagnostic device and slap inspection sticker on it. We'll see.

I've also ordered some stock motor mounts for the front left and right. 3M window weld mounts lost me 2 of the 3 bolts on the trans mount and the last one was loose. Lost one on the other side. Correct 900rpm idle makes this thing vibrate like a hard tail.