and a friend, which is undergoing restoration.
"This project started when myself and a friend decided to find a Metro
of some kind the restore lightly and store away for years to come.
Then one day whilst in my local High Street this Metro GTa 16v was spotted.
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I went over for a closer look and being a rare model I took a photo on my phone
and as I turned the owner approached. She was telling me she had ordered a new
Fiesta Titanium and was looking to sell it in January.
We then swapped numbers and I viewed the car properly that evening at her house.
A few weeks passed and into 2012 she called me saying she wanted to sell the car
now her Fiesta was due however the MOT was due and the alternator had failed.
About 1 week later we went to collect the car from the owner's new home in Surrey
[she moved 1 week after spotting the car] and after paying her £250 and paperwork
we went out to the car to sort out her belongings etc...
Upon the usual check of oil and coolant I noticed the coolant bottle was empty
and so I then cautiously checked the oil cap knowing what I might find.
The news when I opened the cap was not good and there were traces of mayo,
indicating this car had suffered the typical K series hgf,
although unusual on the earlier wet liner engines which are deemed to be more reliable.
I then said to the woman that I would still buy it and under the instruction of a mechanic friend
on the phone I filled it with water for the 20 mile or so drive home.
When we got home I gave the car a look over and started organising for my friend to come
and examine the engine with the suspected HGF.
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Upon washing and cleaning out the car I don't think the previous owner had cleaned it
in all the 15 years she owned it and we even found a polaroid camera in the boot [!?]
Upon closer inspection of the car it seems quite rot free although there are a couple of patches
that need a little welding but nothing massive or cosmetic and we are pleased with the overall
condition of the car although it does have a couple of dings here and there.
We need a new passenger side wing in Flame red?
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That Sunday, after getting the car home, under instruction from my friend
I had purchased all engine renovation parts and we begun to strip the engine for a Timing kit,
waterpump, alternator, thermostat and Head gasket renewal and we found why the gasket had failed.
There was pitting on the head and block which currently is being repair with a head skim
and the use of chemical metal on the block.
This is the current state of the car for the last few weeks as after the first Sunday session
stopped completion due to the pitting and the next by not having the head back
we should have the GTa up and running within a couple of weeks from now.
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When the car is repaired, due to it's rarity of only 35 on the road according to 'How Many Left'
we intend to take the car back to factory standard conditon with as much anti rust
protection underneath and in the voids and sills as possible.
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The car will be SORN'd and kept in dry storage with the occasional use for shows etc...
and we hope for it to attend the Pride of Longbridge 2012.
The rarity of this car extends to the fact that it is the only 16v 5 door model Metro
available from factory and in that respect I prefer it in the 5 door form."
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