1991 Geo Metro

Convertible

1.0L 993CC 61Cu. In. l3 GAS SOHC Naturally Aspirat

Manual

jg1mr3364mk609829

Clear

GAS

Attention eBay Shoppers!This is an exceptionally solid, 100% Texas-owned, rust-free, 1991 Geo Metro LSi Convertible with a 1.0L 3-Cylinder 5-Speed Manual transmission and only 77,964 original miles. I have investigated and cross-referenced many documents and service records to be certain that this mileage is accurate and legitimate. The original owner bought it brand new in 1991 from Brown Chevrolet in Devine, Texas and owned it until February of 2013. It was rarely driven. Evidently, they installed a small towing hitch so on the weekends they could tow their jet ski to an area lake called Lake Belton. In February, 2013 they traded it in lieu of cash to a concrete finisher who had performed home improvements for them just prior. He had it for 3-4 weeks until I bought it from him in Belton, Texas the first week of March 2013. Technically I'm the third owner but that's purely academic in my opinion.Many times on a car with a five-digit odometer it may read 77,964 but in truth it's 177,964 or much more. Unscrupulous owners sometime disconnect the odometer when installing a cruise control and then drive the car that way for 10-15 years before selling it pronouncing how low the "original miles" are. Well, I'm happy to say this car’s previous owner didn’t behave like that. I've had Frost Automotive in Temple and Firestone Auto in Belton inspect this car in depth for any red flags. Here's what I've been shown;The car passed the Texas mandatory vehicle inspection and it’s registration is current and up to date.The car’s seats and interior look great. Very little if any wear. Go figure?The steering wheel looks almost untouched.The spare in the trunk looks like it’s never seen a human being. The entire spare tire well looks that.The motor’s serpentine belt and various hoses are good. Some have been recently replaced. It appears that the front struts have also recently been replaced.The spark plugs and oil are brand new.The battery seems to be fairly recent.In the accompanying pictures, I jacked up the car several times to take enough pictures of the undercarriage at various angles to ensure everyone that this car is 100% rust free. I certainly haven't found any and I know that in Texas using salt to clear roads of snow and ice is unheard of.The tires are great and have a substantial amount of tread left on them. We pulled the wheels off and inspected the front and rear brakes. There's at least 50-60% of usage left in both of them.The clutch feels like it has a lot more life left in it. The gear box shifts assuringly and I have never had a problem with balky shifting to a third gear like I find on many older manual transmissions. Because I wanted to ensure that I received the best mpg possible I had Frost Automotive in Temple replace the factory fuel filter with a new one. I didn’t notice any change in performance.The air-conditioning blows cold and here in Texas if it doesn't that is a deal-breaker . Additionally, the lights, switches, turn indicators, wipers, etc. all work as designed. Now, as far as gas mileage is concerned, here's the truth. When this car was manufactured in 1991 there was still a great deal of confusion regarding which speed limit was to be observed in each individual state. Consequently, cars at that time were designed to be fuel efficient only when driving at the Federally Mandated 55 mph limit. Also, in this Geo Metro, as with many cars from back then, the speedometer only reads 85 mph. It appears that the original mileage estimates for this car are accurate only for the 55 mph speed limit. In my combined city/highway driving I get between 32-35 mpg maximum. I've had other 1.0L 3 cylinder cars from this era and some get less than 30. In Texas on major interstate highways the traffic averages between 70-80 mph. A 1.0L 3-cylinder 5-spd can keep up just fine at those speeds, however, a person would be completely disingenuous to try and tell me with a straight face they are getting 52-58 mpg in such a scenario. This car was never manufactured to sustain that level of performance and fuel efficiency. Not the LSi nor the XFi. In 1991 at 1991 speeds, yes, that would probably be realistic. But not now.Here are the things I found that are wrong with the car;The convertible OEM top and rear plastic window must be replaced. Period. For this listing I saw absolutely no point in showing a badly deteriorated OEM top that would detract from an otherwise wonderful little car’s spirited appearance. The skeleton from the convertible carriage is great and needs no additional repair. There isn’t any bowing or warping. The wiring is also still very much usable so ordering an additional wiring pair is unnecessary. I priced replacing the top and would be more than happy to pass that info on to someone if they’re interested in having a truly professional craftsman do the work. Barrett Upholstery in Killeen is an excellent convertible repair shop and their turnaround is about one to two days once they get the material. Depending on the material you choose, EZ ON OEM Black Pinpoint Vinyl starts at $200 plus labor. Ultra high quality BMW-Mercedes Canvas is around $700 plus labor. Labor should be no more than $350-$400 regardless of the material.The dashboard must have a dash cover. In Texas the heat is so fierce it can destroy the glue and resin that secures a vinyl dashboard in only one or two years if left outside throughout the summer. This car’s dash is 100% beyond repair. Replacing it would be nice but the time and effort entailed in doing so is prohibitive. Also, you would almost certainly have to cannibalize a salvaged LSi to do so. I strongly recommend a simple dash board cover. They’re cheap too.Under $50.There currently is no passenger side mirror. A replacement mirror is pretty easy to find and they’re very basic to replace. There isn’t any electronics involved so it’s just a simple matter of finding a company that sells the correct mirror. Also, even though there is a driver’s side mirror it isn’t the correct one. I tried to tighten it a couple of days ago and lo and behold it isn’t the correct replacement mirror. Technically it looks okay but it is not the OEM mirror. That’s someone else’s call. It works just fine as is.The windshield is cracked but it is legal to drive. That’s no big deal. The original owner must have glued it to stop it from continuing to crack. While driving I don’t even notice it. I just found out that in Texas you're only required by law to have at least one mirror with which to look behind you. This car stereo’s sound is pathetic but I don’t even listen to the car stereo in a convertible anyway. Whatever. The Sony unit is okay but it's only a cassette player. Here are my closing thoughts about this car's overall condition;This is an unusually mechanically solid vehicle that as a brand is legendary for getting well over 300,000 miles if stored and maintained properly. There a few very minor dings but nothing major. There are a few areas that need to be addressed asap but as it sits right now it drives really, really well and is a blast to drive. Also, even though it only has three cylinders it's not a sluggish vehicle. In fact, it's quite the opposite, however, is is not an off-road crossover CUV. Nevertheless, as it sits right now I honestly believe that it can be driven from Seattle to Miami and back with no problem. You can even use the air-conditioning as well along the way.