Junkyard Find: 1992 Geo Metro LSi Convertible

Murilee Martin
by Murilee Martin

The Geo Metro, a Suzuki Cultus imported by GM, came after the Chevrolet Sprint version of the Cultus but before GM axed the Geo brand and started selling Chevrolet Metros, which sold in respectable numbers during its 1989-1997 run.

There was a convertible version of the Metro, which allowed thin-walleted drivers to enjoy open-air driving without having to take a Sawzall to a 20-year-old Corolla, and I’ve found one of the few remaining ones at a San Francisco Bay Area self-service yard.

The Geo Metro is the only car to do well in the 24 Hours of LeMons with radical tiny-car/crazy-engine powertrain swaps, and so far three of them have taken overall wins at LeMons races. From top to bottom in the photo above: the Geo Metro Gnome, with Honda CBR1000 motorcycle power, the Knoxvegas Lowballers’ Ford Contour SVT-drivetrain-swapped Metro, and the LemonAid Racing BMW M50-swapped Metro, each of which now has rear-wheel-drive and 172, 221, and 231 horsepower, respectively. Part of the reason for the Metro’s popularity among these fabricating fiends is its dirt-cheapness and easy availability.

The LSi was the top trim level in 1992, and the convertible was the most expensive of all Metros that year. Sticker was $9,999 (though I’m pretty sure few actually paid that much, given economic conditions in the early 1990s), which was a bit more than the $6,445 Subaru Justy but also way sportier.

This one outlived its welcome in a Bay Area parking lot. If the owner left a note pleading with the tow-truck driver not to take the car, I didn’t find it.

By 1992, U.S.-market cars had to have either a maddening automatic seat-belt system (possibly the only mandated safety feature more annoying than the 1974-model-year starter-interlock seat belts) or a driver’s side airbag. The Metro LSi got the airbag.

When Rock Auto charges $210.79 for their cheapest replacement convertible top for this car, you’re looking at a pretty significant percentage of the car’s total value once the old top goes bad.

Three mighty cylinders, 55 screaming horsepower. A few years later, a four-cylinder engine became an option for power-crazed, high-roller Metro buyers.

Not much to go wrong here.

One of many “no need to stop at the gas station” ads made by GM for various cars over the years.

Harlan Ellison thinks it’s logical!

[Images: © 2016 Murilee Martin/The Truth About Cars]






Murilee Martin
Murilee Martin

Murilee Martin is the pen name of Phil Greden, a writer who has lived in Minnesota, California, Georgia and (now) Colorado. He has toiled at copywriting, technical writing, junkmail writing, fiction writing and now automotive writing. He has owned many terrible vehicles and some good ones. He spends a great deal of time in self-service junkyards. These days, he writes for publications including Autoweek, Autoblog, Hagerty, The Truth About Cars and Capital One.

More by Murilee Martin

Comments
Join the conversation
5 of 28 comments
  • -Nate -Nate on May 04, 2016

    I should have bought the near pristine red one I was offered a couple years ago as every one I meet who has one , seems to love it and doesn't mind the ' penalty box ' aspect of it . . -Nate

    • See 2 previous
    • -Nate -Nate on May 07, 2016

      @JustPassinThru THANX guys ~ . I figured as much having grown up in the halcyon dayze of 36hp VW Beetles , Renault Dauphines , Fiat 500's and so on . . Penalty boxes to some but to us who loved tossable tiny little super thrifty cars , they were great . . My ex's next Husband had one when they were nearly new and he simply loved it , he knew nothing about cars and once time i saw it in the driveway with the cylinder head off , I was amazed to see it running again three weeks later , wood screws in most of the vacuum hoses and so on (Mexican Barrio 'mechanic'repairs) IIRC he said it got close to 50 MPG's on his commute . . I assume these were the same running gear as the tiny three cylinder Chevy Coupe thing ? . . -Nate

  • MWolf MWolf on May 04, 2016

    I knew a lawyer in my home town who had one of these in that bright blue color they came in. He was a car collector. The thing was *pristine*. I asked him, "what the hell are you doing with this thing?!". His answer was, "it's a cute little ragtop to drive out by the lake". The rest of his collection included Corvettes, a classic Caddy, and I think there was an old Jag, too. I have no idea. That little Metro seemed so out of place in his driveway.

  • ToolGuy Once again my home did not catch on fire and my fire extinguisher(s) stayed in the closet, unused. I guess I threw my money away on fire extinguishers.(And by fire extinguishers I mean nuclear missiles.)
  • Carson D The UAW has succeeded in organizing a US VW plant before. There's a reason they don't teach history in the schools any longer. People wouldn't make the same mistakes.
  • B-BodyBuick84 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport of course, a 7 seater, 2.4 turbo-diesel I4 BOF SUV with Super-Select 4WD, centre and rear locking diffs standard of course.
  • Corey Lewis Think how dated this 80s design was by 1995!
  • Tassos Jong-iL Communist America Rises!
Next