1992 Geo Convertible

LSI Convertible

3 - Cyl.

Manual

JG1MR3369NK208665

Clear

Gasoline

1992 Geo Metro Convertible Update: The INFL/ REST light is fixed! I Googled it and found a thread on a Geo Metro forum that said that the fuses for the airbag were next to the fuse-box and that drivers with big feet sometimes bump them out of there slots. I looked up under there and sure enough, one was missing. I replaced it and the light now blinks 6-7 times when you start the car, then goes out. I removed it from the "Tick" list. Also, I forgot to mention that the CV axles are both good including the boots. The boots on the rack are also good. The clutch is also good and works perfect. All of the gauges and lights work perfect. The brakes work perfect and need nothing. Everything on the car works smooth like it should (windows, doors, etc.). If it's not listed in the "Tick" section below, it works perfectly. Once there's a bid on the car, the updates will show up at the bottom of the page so look down there for them. Where'd this car come from? I bought this car to convert to electric, but my plans fell through. The wife has no interest in electric vehicles and until better battery tech comes along, I can't use one for my job. I had read on an electric car forum (and learned from past experience) that you can save yourself a lot of work and money by buying something nice instead of trying to piece together a dumpy, ragged-out piece of junk. I looked at several junk-piles and logged a lot of miles on my diesel Rabbit pickup before finally buying this car. I found it in Oklahoma City and knew that I was going to buy it before the guy had his garage door rolled all of the way up. I really didn't care how well it ran because I wasn't going to use the engine anyway. But as luck would have it, it purred like a kitten and ran out perfectly. I'm not a Geo Metro expert, but the guy I bought this car from probably is. He had more than one of these and was very knowledgeable about them. How did this car perform? We've owned this car for a little over a year, and in that time I've had to do NOTHING to it besides put gas in it and change the oil a couple of times. It has never failed to start or run properly regardless of the weather or any other variable. You just push in the clutch, turn the key and it's ready to roll every time. It shifts and drives perfectly. It doesn't smoke, or use oil, and I've never had to add a drop of antifreeze, brake-fluid or anything to it. It has a couple of ticks that you may, or may not choose to fool with which I will list below. If it's not on the list, then it works properly. Ticks: (1)The spring in the starter-solenoid (Bendix) that pulls the starter-gear back when you release the key is getting weak. It doesn't yank the gear back instantly like it once did which causes the starter motor to zing a little when the engine starts. To clarify, I'm NOT talking about an ENGAGEMENT issue where the gear doesn't engage the flywheel properly. I'm saying that it doesn't DISENGAGE as fast as it should. This isn't damaging the starter-gear or flywheel. It is annoying though and needs to be fixed. Worst case scenario to fix it is to replace the starter (guess $30). (2) The seals on the convertible top are all in good condition. However, if you raise and lower the top a lot, occasionally they will need to be adjusted by bending the metal flange that they are connected to so that they make good contact with the door-glass. I adjusted them while I was washing the car and think I've got it in good shape. They still couldn't take being sprayed with a garden-hose without dripping, but it rained hard here last night and there was no sign of any leaks in the car this morning. The tops are well made, but these aren't $150,000 sports cars. It's best to roll the windows up with the door open, then shut the door. Also, wiping the seals with silicone-lubricant will insure that they last a long time and don't dry out. (3)The lifters rattle a little when you first start it. Every one of these I've ever seen did the same thing. The guy that I bought this car from told me that replacing them is a waste of time. He said that It will quiet it down for a while, but soon it will be back like it was. He had one with like, 200,000 miles on it and said that the lifters had rattled for 150,000 miles of it. What I'm trying to tell you, is to let them rattle and drive it. It wont hurt the car. (4) One of the gas shocks that hold the trunk lid open is shot. The other one will hold it open though as long as the wind isn't blowing. What about cosmetically? The car is in really good shape for a 91-model. It does have some blemishes though. I took a picture of everything I noticed but could have missed something. There are no "dents" on the car anywhere, but it does have a few scuffs/dings on it. There's a nickle-sized spot of rust underneath a sticker that you may want to look into. It's hidden under there and had gone unnoticed until I examined the car for this auction. I think the top edge of the sticker may have turned loose, which makes it trap a few drops of water behind it when it rains, I can't see behind the sticker, but it feels hard and doesn't go through. I stuck a piece of clear scotch tape over the edge of the sticker to keep water out of there. That should fix it, as far as it getting any worse. There is some surface rust underneath the car, but nothing to be concerned about. We never have to drive our cars on salty roads down here and the undercarriages don't rust out. I snapped some pictures, but the car is dirty underneath, so it's kind of hard to tell what you're looking at. I'm not going to lay on my back and scrub the underside of a car to take pictures. The windshield doesn't have any cracks or chips, but it has a scuff made by the wipers. The door glasses also have scuffs on them from being rolled up and down. The idiots at the tire-shop broke one of the fake lug nuts off of the right front hubcap, even after I told them that they are part of the cap and not to put a wrench on them. I made a round sticker out of aluminum HVAC tape and put it in it's place. Unless you're specifically looking for it, you'll look right at the wheel and not notice it. The interior looks good for a 91-model and has no odor that I can detect. There's a little burn on the carpet behind the seats that appears to have been caused by a cigarette, but it must have been a long time ago, because I can't smell anything in the car. I took a bunch of pictures from every angle so that you could get a good look at everything. My camera didn't like the sunlight on that white paint though. I't put a haze around the car in some of the pics. It's not trick photography, photoshop, or intentional. See lots of pictures here: http://s639.photobucket.com/albums/uu115/Shagbark/Geo/ Does it need any maintenance right now? Nope. I put brand-new tires on it 2-days ago and had the oil and filter changed. (Quaker State 10w-40) You can put your favorite oil in it when you get it home if you choose to. The timing belt was replaced about 15,000-miles ago. All of the fluid levels are in spec and it's ready to drive. The car is ready to go anywhere you want to drive it. What kind of mileage does this car get? 44mpg. That's better than any of my 4-cylinder diesels and it will out-run them also. The little car has more pep than you would expect from a 44mpg car. Why did you start the bidding at $2,500............. Jeeeeees? Because it's a great little car and I wont take less than that for it. Go back to the top and read what I wrote about it being cheaper to buy a car that's in great condition than it is to fix one that needs a bunch of work. I've got more than $2,500 in it. Not trying to be rude, but if you don't want to take advantage of all the leg-work I put in to find this car and would rather take a chance on one that's a few hundred dollars cheaper, then don't buy it. I understand that some of the people looking at this may not have the money to bid that much. I've been there myself. But for those who do, and are in the market for one of these, this is a VERY good one. Take some advice, whether you buy this car or a different one. Don't buy a piece of junk, because that's exactly what you'll have when you get it home. I think that covers it. From a mechanical standpoint, if it's not mentioned above, then it works perfectly. The rest you can see in the pictures. Mileage-109,000 13" wheels 1-liter, 3-cylinder gasoline engine 5-speed manual transmission No AC 44mpg 8-gallon tank Clear title No manuals New tires (Douglas Xtra Trac II) Watch for updates in-case I think of anything else. Thanks, and good luck.On Sep-06-10 at 13:57:31 PDT, seller added the following information: UPDATE The starter is fixed! I pulled it off expecting to find a weak or broken spring, but that wasn't the problem. It's the original starter and the grease on the shaft and actuator had gotten old and sticky. I cleaned it up, re-greased it and it now works great.The starter-motor had plenty of power to slide the gear down the shaft to engage the flywheel, but the spring that pulls it back when you release the key was having trouble overcoming the sticky old grease. The starter-gear and flywheel teeth look great, because there's very little pressure on it after you cut the voltage to the starter. It wasn't hanging and grinding the teeth together or anything. I would have fixed it the first time I heard something like that. It was just slow to disengage and would continue to turn the starter for 1/2-second after you released the key. When it disengaged, it did so cleanly. Also, I don't know if these cars are collectible or not, but if they are, this one may be a good candidate. This is the first time I've ever worked on the car so I had never noticed how original everything under the hood is. This car has either not had any work done to it, or whomever worked on it was extremely careful to keep it original. I couldn't find anything that looked like aftermarket parts. Even the plug-wires are original. They say 'SUMITOMO 1991' on them and still look good. Somebody who's good at detailing could make the engine compartment look brand-new with some time spent on it. I've been buying, fixing and driving early 80s model compact-diesels for years and have owned about every type ever made. I've never seen a 20-year-old vehicle that looks as original as this one does. I think the boots on the rack & pinion and the CVs are even original, and they still look good. This may be the last update because the only other things on the "Tick" list are the lifters, which only need to be left alone, and the little shock on the trunk lid which I can't fix. I think I saw some of them (new ones) for sale here on eBay while I was putting this listing together, but you need to check to be for sure. I can't check on it without leaving the "Revise Your Listing" page that I'm on right now.