"Your Best Friend Will Hate You" - 1983 MG Metro 1300 & Turbo
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- Опубліковано 12 жов 2019
- Red seatbelts? Yes please!
Today, I'm looking the reincarnation of the famous Mini Cooper and my favourite small hot hatch of the 1980s, Austin Rover's MG Metro Turbo, alongside its little brother, the MG Metro 1300.
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This lad should be part of TOP GEAR. His enthusiasam and knowledge or at least drive to go find the information is unlike most folk that just seem to want to poke fun at history. We need to start a movement to get him noticed.
Top gear used to be like this before Mr Clarkson arrived.......
Those cars look fantastic. Hats off to the people who have kept them in great condition for nearly 40 years.
Great to see a young guy like yourself enjoying the cars we all thrashed around in back in the 80`s !...Along with XR2`s and XR3`s etc etc i also had an all white MG metro..
How refreshing to listen and see somebody so passionate about the cars of my childhood. Hard to believe a lot are 40 plus years old. These were the days when a registration change actually meant something I remember every August 1st looking out for the new reg and wondering why my dad could never afford a new car not like these days just sign on the pcp dotted line and there you go.
This young man is a miracle I never thought I’d see such enthusiasm and respect for motoring history. Well done 👍
I had forgot how much I missed my MG Metro till I saw this!
Loved my MG Metro Turbo... Used to love keeping the boost lights lit😳😳
Overheated like a pig when stuck in traffic, but I still loved it🤔🤔😁😁
I bought a 10 year old 1985 MG Metro back in the 90's (early mk2). Absolutely rotten underneath, as had previously lived by the sea) but I loved it that much, I welded in new sills and some of the floor, and restored it.
Boy was it fun to drive!
What a refreshing video. Great natural enthusiasm which is reminiscent of Jonny Smith. Better than any scripted for television nonsense. 👍🏼👍🏼
Had in 87 a Blue MG 1300. When I bought it , it had 15k miles and was smoking oil n fuel. Took the engine out and found a broken piston ring and a scored bore. So rebored to give about 1320 cc. The air filter was replaced with a K&N and a 3 - 2 - 1 exhaust. 40mm internal bore . Was advised that with the correct tuning 85bhp was right output. Put on spotlights and front fog lights, with 100/55 headlights. Gearbox died, broke the support for 2nd gear. So needed a new gearbox case. Cut holes in front air dam and used ducting to cool front brakes. Make a box to sit on top of front ashtray for oil pressure and temperature gauges and a digital clock. The front seats are very comfy, so comfy that I put a set from a crashed metro into a kit car I built a few years later.
I used to work for Kenning's may have even work or PDi'd those cars. I also had one of first MG Maestro's 1.6 R series, which i tuned up (after attending the Rover advanced carburation course) then got Company MG Montego Turbo - absolutely frightening to drive, the torque steer to right was ferocious, you had to turn wheel left while accelerating, then if you let off throttle, car turned left.
Just 10 months after the MG Metro Turbo was first shown at the Birmingham Motor Show of October 1982, the Mk2 Fiesta came along, the XR2 version of which saw power increase to 95bhp, with the change from Crossflow to CVH.
Amazing to see both MG Metros in that condition today, given most had engines snatched by Mini owners at first sniff of a failed MOT.
Great Video young man! This is my first visit to your channel and i am very impressed you obviously know your Austin Rovers.
Pleased a young fellow like yourself has discovered the charms of BL . I worked for a Austin Rover Dealer from 1982 -91. Left school in 82 so this was my first job also the cars i grew up with .
I have subscribed to your channel keep up the good work! (:
Great! It makes me cry! I am italian, and the non-turbo version was my first car when I was 18... (well... I mean... the car belonged to my mother, but she used it very rarely...).
So, I have driven this wonderflul car for long time... Our version was a silver one with the red belt. How fun it was! I think the best car I ever had. Wonderful engine and road holding. So fun in the dirt roads with entusiastic driftings!!! (yeah, ok, maybe we can add some tear dorps for memories about girls with me in this car, but this is another story 😁)
Great video! Great memories!
Just discovered your channel... I love it! This is what makes youtube great. I had a MG Metro back in about 1992, it was black with red seat belts. It was cheap to buy, cheap to run and very reliable. It went well enough and looked good.
You speak very well. With lots of information 👍
That brought back memories only new car I ever had was a MG Metro Turbo exactly the same colour as the one you have there. Great little car.
I remember my second car was a red 1982 MG metro. This was in 1988 age 18 and l had saved like mad to get what was then my dream car. I had a double pierced left ear with a gold sleeper and stud in it and thought l was now the coolest guy out. The girls wouldn't be able to resist me now. Lol. (In my defense l never had highlights or a perm though.) How very 1980's it all now seems. Thanks for reminding me of my long lost youth. 51 years old now.
I know the story of A329 SGN. Couldn't believe it when I saw this. It was owned for about 20 years by a elderly man, when he died his wife became the legal owner. I bought it on ebay from a dealer in Epson for £1300. My kids loved it and called in Lightening McQueen. We relocated from Loughborough to Bucks and it was dry stored for several years. I then sold it as it wasn't being used and I had a mk2 Golf GTI. I wish I still had it now! Great to see it again. Well done great video.
I'm old enough to remember the all White MG Metro Turbo from the mid 1980's. I thought it was an amazing looking car, at the time!
my friend had one of these in 1988 we discovered that it was pretty easy to tune the turbo. No chip required. You just turned a screw which increased the pressure in the turbo. After a couple of gearboxes were destroyed we installed a straight cut box from Mini Sport in Padiham.
Wow, the MG Metro was my first car in 1992, and I loved it, same colour as the one in video, with those Recaro seats. The exhaust note was amazing, didnt have to get an after market exhaust like the other small hatches, and it movd like a go kart. I remember racing a friend in his Nova SRI, with his big exhaust, and wasnt he gutted when the Metro beat it and was told by everyone how much better it sounded
Though they do slightly look it, the seats are not Recaro, they are all Austin Rover's own work!
I had two MG Metro 1300 and they were brilliant. The handled, you could tilt them wonderfully in to a roundabout and get the back end to move in a very controlled balanced way, i moved house in one, brought home four new wheels for my MGB in one. i love them.
Brilliant! I love my little K-Series Metro!
Loved my metros back in the 90s. Great video.
My Dad had that car,same colour everything.I stole the red Mg 1300 and took it for a tour around the north of Scotland when my Dad was in London.The only problem it had was the electrics would cut out,everything on the dashboard and lights but the car would keep going.You just gave it a slap on top of the dash board and it would be normal again.Great little car to drive.
Had a sliver 1300 back in the day. With a bit of extra tuning they went like a rocket!!! Loved driving it and it took some ragging……..
Back in the early 90s i was an instructor with BSM, who used metros at that time. We used to get a new one every 6 months or so and we would take the old ones to a motorway service area and collect new one straight off the transporter.
We immediately started thrashing them but try as you might, you couldnt get them above about 65 mph, till the engine bedded in. Eventually they would do just over 100. Between pupils we would sometimes take them up to a local incinerator , which had a massive car park. There we would tear about, doing handbrake turns, j turns etc. and have a good laugh. Luckily, nobody was around to see what we were up to!
I have fond memories of these metros, they were really good fun to drive and also great learner cars!
My first car, Metro City1.0l. Reg VIJ 6461, almost 30 years ago and I still remember the reg. went by the name of Blue Thunder back in the day.
I had the same blue turbo in 1984 with a pair of spotlights and spax shocks on the front with a big twin bore Pico exhaust at the back it cost £12.50 to full up with fuel god i loved that car (tina turbo) 👍
I used to have a Rover 114 GTa 16v back in the late 90's and loved it.
Damn....I loved my Metro1.0L in denim blue from the moment I had to push it out of the local auction 😂 a quick fix got it back on the road....so many memories and way more fun than any car I’ve had since
Loved my old mg metro in silver 😍
A college mate had a Metro MG Turbo..
Loved the turbo power LCD indicator above the rear view mirror😊
Had a mg metro and a turbo loved them both
In 1986 I returned from working in South Africa and whilst waiting for my BMW 528 I to arrive I purchased a 2 year old turbo Metro. It really was a great car and real fun to corner fast. I recall driving out fast from the local town center.when I stopped at a roundabout I realized there was a motor cycle cop behind me so I stopped. He asked me what speed I was doing. I answered truthfully that I didn’t know to which he responded that he didn’t know either as I was going too fast for him to get a reading. He then said just because it has turbo logo on the side I didn’t have to drive like a f...king idiot. I said thanks but still drove it fast. Great fun.
Brilliant! :)
Had a MG metro late 80s, loved it, always felt really fast even though it wasn’t, great fun. I remember one time I was going round a roundabout and the wheel fell off, think the balljoint gave way because wheels were so small
I learnt to drive in a 1983 MG Metro 1300. There was very little that was faster round town at the time - plenty of power when you needed it (if you were in the right gear) and narrow enough to fit through gaps other cars couldn't manage...
I had two MG Metros' Apart from my MG Midget they were my favourite cars....... I wish I didn't trace one in. I'm a hopeless mechanic but even I could do the basic work on it. Thanks for a great documentary. Roger ...Pembrokeshire
My very first car was an mg metro turbo in black,1/8/83 A537UDW,loved it,was like cornering on rails,could have done with a 5 speed box though,used to scream a bit at high speeds,happy days
My ultimate favourite is the Montego, Metro/100, and Maestro absolutely love.
Great video
Good job mate that was an interesting throwback to the 80s. I remember when my mate had a Metro Turbo in the 80s and laterally I had a Metro GTA 16v which was a great little car.
Great video. Wonderful to see such pristine Metros. They still look good today.
loving these old skool car videos.keep up the good work dude very enjoyable :) glad to see another person enjoying classics
I had a Metro turbo, an AX GT and a Golf GTi Mk1 and the Metro turbo was the most fun I had by a country mile. Happy times. Cheers for the upload.
I loved the look of the mini-metro era metros, far cooler than the later ones in my book. I always thought the front looked quite aggressive on these!
Great video, thanks for taking the time to make and upload it!
My mate had a red mg metro.... Amazing fun around the twisty roads of the gower 😉
That pale blue turbo example is gorgeous
Yet another great video, Mini-Hubnut. I had the first Metro Turbo in Cornwall (gosh!). I thought the ride was far too firm, so returned it to the dealer, who , after four weeks, found out that the hydrolastic suspension had been pumped up way too high. Good cars let down by the manufacturing. Once sorted, it was a great little car.
My brother owned a couple of MG Metros. I graduated into a later GTi with the 1.4 K-series engine. That really did go like a stabbed rat! Really impressed & have now subscribed.
You've instantly got a sub from me as a guy who actually drove these cars a couple of times back in the day, it's great a new skool guy is doing an overview like this. this older skool guy appreciates watching you vids.... Well done geezer :D
What a fantastic young lad extolling the stuff I grew up with with no sense of ridicule. Articulate and informed. A pleasure to listen to.
Thanks mate, that's very kind.
One of my major gripes with TV car shows (and some YT productions) is that everything is based off pre-conceptions that are usually absolute rubbish.
MG Metros are the coolest hot hatches of their era, and although they may have been no match for the 205 when that was launched, they had their place and were well reviewed in period.
I've never been a fan of the Metro, as a family we had several culminating in a MG version. The MG was the best to drive, pretty nippy and cornered well. Sadly someone attempted to steal it and bent the steering column in an attempt to remove the Krooklok. They failed so as a parting shot they left a huge turd on the drivers floor.
One of the biggest problems all ours had was letting water in through the door seals, the high sill on the Metro means that it fills up with water to quite a depth.
A mate bought a brand new MG turbo version, it seemed pretty quick but had a habit of warping the front discs. He put it on its roof in the end.
ERN 37Y was the reg of my black MG Metro bought used in 1984. I absolutely loved that car and wish I had kept hold of it. The reg would have probably been worth more than the car now. 😁
I had two MG Metro's in the 1980's. My first ever car was red 1300 just like the one in your video, and my second was a black 1300. I loved them both, especially the black one. An excellent video, keep up the good work!
Oh to be 18 again. I adored my black MG Metro. A678 NBV. Take me back!
Hi i'm french i'm 47 and my first car at 20 was a grey metro turbo from 1982 with the famous digital dasboard i drove it at 180 km/h oldies but goodies 7 years ago i send a mini austin turbo swapped with austin metro turbo engine with sodium exhaust valves ;)
Fantastic... I had a turbo when I was younger... I loved it... especially the turbo "fairy lights"... pmsl... great video that I really enjoyed watching... well done!
A great video, my friend had has 3 metro turbos (I was a Fiat Strada man), he wrapped his first one around a tree, but still went onto buy more. Good handling and roomy for its size. Keep up the good work.
Some really interesting facts (like, for example that the Turbo's BHP was limited by the gearbox capability) which were well presented. So one again you get my thumbs up ..I'm sharing your vids with all my mates who also love the "driving days" before electronics ruined motoring. Well Done TC !! One thing that I did miss in this video, however, was the big red dice hanging from the rear-view mirror. They have almost become the "trademark" of your excellent videos, so keep them coming. :-)
Didn't mention that the sunroof is removable! When I realised this on my Metro, it made the summers so much better!
Just in the process of getting my mk2 MG Metro restored,love these little cars
Had 5 of these when I was a young fella! 😂 3 turbos and 2 ordinary mgs. The turbo was very nippy 👌🤙
Excellent quality of presentation as always. So much respect for these old cars. How sad this concept of ‘planned obsolescence’ is.
Great review of two much underatted cars. I had a total of three MG Metros in my younger days, but my first Y reg was my favourite. Although the later D & E reg ones were more refined you missed out on the amazing exhaust note that you could feel through the car. I love the enthusiasm for these great old cars that is coming from someone so young, you've got yourself a new Subscriber here :)
Brilliant video Ed, cars from my era really enjoyed that 👍
I used to drive a metro van, and it was brilliant to drive. You can really throw into bends, especially if turn in early.
Room used to be a big selling point on the Metros when they first came out. I have not driven many cars, but I did enjoy driving my mum's Metro, which she lent me for one week.
My First Car MG Metro 1300 in Black, A74LJT.
Great vid, brought back Memories!
Subbed!
I had a 1989 1.3 GTa, and absolutely loved it. On a dry road they cornered like they were on rails, but in the wet, well shall i say I lost it twice on a roundabout!
After this I upgraded to a BRG Rover Metro 1.4 GTa and then a Black 1.4GTi. Both awesome cars.
I miss my Metro's!!!
Great Vid - my first car was a silver MG Metro EAG 177Y - used to think I was the dogs driving to 6th Form - Happy Days!
Had an MG Metro and then an MG Metro Turbo back in the day. The Turbo rusted to bits (although the MG Metro didn't). Fun cars, nippy and the turbo handled very well.
Nice video, really enjoyed it.
Thanks mate, though this was a long time ago now!
I can assure you my newer stuff is much better 🤣
Your red car brings to mind a *1987 Chevrolet Sprint Turbo* in red livery. For once the performance variant was a USA only model!
i once had a Rover Metro GTa which had the 1.4 engine it was so much fun.
I had a white Metro 1300 for a couple of years in the 1980s. It was really good fun, but we had to sell it when we needed something bigger. Sadly, it got stolen from the next owner and ended up being pushed over a cliff. Years later I had a Metro GTa (the later shape), which I also enjoyed but which didn't have quite the same character.
Great video once again Ed! I'd love to have an MG Metro at some point in my life, the Turbo would be the ultimate
Superb, my first car was a 4yr old 1985 MG metro in metallic dark blue. Loved it with red seat belts and central locking 😎. Great to see these cars being enjoyed 👍
I was a Trade plate delivery driver in my formative years and delivered new cars/vans to their owners and I drove several MG Metros. 1 trip in particular was a 4 hour drive out of W.London to Tunbrige Wells. I can say that they were not as bad as the media wanted us to belive but they were not as good as they could/should have been either. Bit of a fence-sitter that didn't do anything particularly well but did do most things competently. It was short on pace but again it wasn't a slouch either. I wouldn't have bought one for myself but I enjoyed my long drive that day enough to recall it even now.
That brings back memory’s, I had 3 metros a 1.0 l , a 1.0hle and a rover 1.4 si auto and I loved them great fun
I Had an 'A' plate MG metro metallic blue ( as in the turbo shown in video) but the interior was all red / grey. Took out the digital clock and made a module to take an oil pressure gauge and a volt meter. With the clock above. Found in a scrapyard a side swiped Turbo and got the front spoiler. Put spotlights on it. Did porting to the cylinder head and went for a K&N filter, also put a performance exhaust on it. It already had 4 pot front brakes, but I cut out the spoiler ducts to direct air towards the brakes. Nice wee car until the gearbox died at traffic lights, locking the front wheels. If that had happened on the road, I would not be here. Replaced the gearbox, but aren't for a standard gearbox. Could had gone for a straight cut box but they are horrendously noisey
I learnt to drive in a Mini Metro and after having 19 lessons passed my test in July 1983
I then drove a Metro for some years then bought a Nissan Nivea
Then had Fiat Punto
🏴🏴🏴😃😃😃😃👍 👍 👍 ❤️❤️❤️
Dreamt of owning a turbo with the red carpets,seatbelts and the awesome digital turbo gauge.
Unfortunately my wedding put paid to this dream.
With you on the chunky styling, definitely a cool thing today 😎 top work on the whole video, dude 👍🏻
Cracking video - another channel for my sub list! I remember a guy at work buying one of these and we mocked him senseless for the red seatbelts - called it a hairdressers car. I'd love one now though.
I forgot about these wee cars ,they were a fun runabout ,he's giving this a better review than top gear could.🤗♥️
Thank you SO much for uploading this! Pure nostalgia! An M.G. Metro Turbo was the very first car I ever bought brand new (about £5300). This was in 1984 and so was "B" reg. and the new shape. Sadly, it does not appear to have survived. In my slightly revised model, the turbo boost gauge was mounted upon the header consul (top of windscreen). My only criticism was "pinking" from the carb but otherwise I remember this car very fondly and wish that I still owned it. I understand that only about fifty of these are currently taxed
I HAVE HAD THREE METROS , TWO OF THEM MG'S , FIRST MG A STANDARD MG METRO C897JUR IN SILVER LEAF MET , AND THE SECOND MG , AN MG METRO TURBO E908BMX IN SILVER LEAF MET ,AND TEMPEST GRAY TWO TONE , BOTH EXCELLENT CARS NEVER HAD A SINGLE PROBLEM WITH ANY OF THEM INCLUDING MY FIRST METRO , JUR491Y , A 1.0 L 3DR . I AM NOW IN THE PROCESS OF BUYING ANOTHER MG METRO IN ZUCRON BLUE MET ,ON A Y REG PLATE .
Great video. I had a Metro Turbo, when it became to rotten to save, it kindly donated its engine to my Mini.
Many did.
@@TwinCam yes, and 24 years later I still have the Mini.
I'm sure I posted on this before. These cars were fun to drive (more like a toy) I can honestly say. I have never had another car that's so fun to drive. The mgs looked nice and the interior is was lush. I passed my test in my own MG and owned it with other cars for about 5 yrs. I would still have it now, if that dozy beemer driver had not broadsided me on a roundabout. After driving it for 50.000 miles over 5 years and polishing and hoovering and cleaning the interior umpteen times, I never noticed that the steering wheel was offset to the seat until my mate pointed it out and this annoyed me a bit, but shortly after it was written off.
Mate had a brand new White MG Turbo in 1990 and boy did he tell us all how fast it was. Unbeknown to him, a fortnight later I picked up a brand new 115bhp 1.6 205 GTi (company car). Yes, we had a race through the lanes and yes, my mate was very quiet after that... 😂. Still, it looked quite nice in white with its big TURBO stickers plastered over it. Like a mini 6R4
20 bhp difference is a lot!
@@TwinCam yes of course. I think at the time I didn’t know the power output of the MG Turbo although the Charade GTTI 3 cylinder 1 litre turbo which was around at the time was super quick so I expected more from the Metro. The Fiat UNO Turbo and the R5 GT Turbo were .... well, at the time the MG Metro Turbo wasn’t anywhere near the performance of the others with similar engine sizes. It certainly stood out.
The MG Metro Turbo was a very outdated car by 1990. It was never a match for the really quick stuff like 205s etc. More on the lines of a Nova GTE. 94 bhp was nowhere near a 205.
When the K-Series Metro GTi came out in May 1990 it had 103 bhp, but that was expected to be the lesser model. Many magazines had information that Rover were going to launch a 130 bhp 1.4 Turbo Metro, but it never happened unfortunately.
twice I've nearly died whilst being a passenger in a metro, back in the day. once in a white 1300, we were 4 up in this thing, I was in the back and the driver tried to take a sweeping left at 70 mph. started to drift & swiped an oak tree, we span round twice and ended up in somebodies front garden. all the rims had snapped off the hubs. ended up walked home...was a good night.
Ahhh this bring back the good old days. My 1st car was the MG Turbo. I had the 86 facelifted model. The interior is more modern with the Turbo gauge above the rear view mirror. Had loads of fun with my mates when we go cruising in a convoy of XR2, 205gti, 309gti and my Turbo.
I worked on tons of these little cars and they we're fantastic cars loved going on road test with them great video buddy 🙂 thanks
Thanks James
My first car was a Metro. My second car was also a Metro. But I got the MG one as shown in your video ... I thought MG meant “ MORE GO “ as it had a bit more punch in the 1 L version I first bought ... Love the carpets and the red seat belts. It was quite easy DIY as well. Easy to do things on the engine and change parts on it. Great video hurry and brings back some happy memories from my teen years 😀😀
Thanks John, though this was a long time ago now, and I can assure you that my newer stuff is a lot better 🤣
Metro visibility was unbelievable.
Handling great and really practical.
The interior room for tall people was also unbeaten on any other supermini.
I am always dismayed how Ford seemed to escape criticism, despite their cars being no better than those of BL and often behind when it came to innovation for the same period ( front wheel drive or three speed gearbox versus Austin's four).
The basic Metro also had front brakes with wear indicator warning system, yet the Japanese Nissan micra didn't!!!!!
Great vid mate 👍👍👍👍 brought back a lot memories cheers
Thanks Chris ☺️
This was a long time ago now, and I can assure you that my newer stuff is much better!
I remember having a 1.4 version of the Metro, and to be fair, it was a fun little car too
That will have been the K-Series Rover Metro, like mine. Very different cars!
I wrapped my black MG around a telegraph pole (tire blew out), loved that little car 🚗
Clever design, turns out that the whole shell was designed to be a crumple zone
Unfortunately no different to any other small car of the 80s 🤷♂️😫
Mate's 1.3 Metro had so much more grip and handling than my mum's 1.1 Fiesta 😆
When you pulled on the choke it reminded me of the biggest problem with the early Metros. It was all too easy to hit the light switch as you pulled up the choke, resulting in a flat battery when you returned to the car. They had to fit a lights on buzzer not long after production started.
Be careful then 🤣
What a brilliant enthusiastic informative video. So refreshing. Subscribed.
Thanks Mark :)