We’ve got quite a thing for strippers here at CC, so needless to say, this one stopped me dead in my tracks. When’s the last time you saw a Geo Metro Minimalist? I thought so. But if there’s one to be found, Eugene is the place.
Under the hood; I mean where the hood would be in a regular Metro, the engine and related parts are all there. So no scrimping on the important stuff; all three cylinders are accounted for.
In the interior; well, that isn’t quite the right word,is it? In the front seating area, things have definitely been slimmed down some, but at least there’s not just some lawn chairs. Who needs an instrument panel anyway? When the wind is blowing straight into your face, it’s pretty easy to tell how fast one is going.
And ventilation is certainly not an issue.
Rear seating is a bit more spartan.
Surprisingly, there’s a spare. Well, this car is all about functionality over comforts, and a spare can come in mighty handy. No jack though, but this Metro is so light, it’s no problem for a couple of folks to lift it up while a wheel is changed.
It makes a handy little runabout pickup, of sorts. Maybe a piece of plywood in back would give it a better floor for loading.
Here it is, in profile. And one thing is for sure: this Metro gets spectacular mileage. The EPA rated the minimalist version at 93 mpg.
That’s even better than the famous 84 mpg VW Beetle.
Note: a rerun of an older post.
Ohhhhhhhh cool. I foresee this being converted into the running gear for something like a Eugene version of the Oscar Meyer Weinermobile. Except smaller, more efficient. And maybe not quite so meat-centric.
Perhaps a life-sized, driveable, version of one of these…
It already has the rare Orange Peel Option, so an Orangemobile would be right.
I would drive this. Windshields are technically mandatory here, but a helmet with face shield may skirt the rules. However, it doesn’t appear to have seat belts and that would get me a ticket. I think it was a mistake to cut out the roof. I would think that it contributes a great deal of structural integrity, and while my head wouldn’t get wet in a rainstorm, the rest of me will.
It presents sort of a difficult problem. A car is required to have seatbelts, wipers and a windshield among other things. A motorcycle is not. This has twice the number of wheels as a motorcycle so it is not one. If we take off a wheel and ballast it correctly to balance, can it pass inspection as a trike?
Don makes a point that leads me to ponder.
Since Fred Flintstone’s vehicle has no windshield, wipers, seatbelts or doors, and has only two so-called wheels, is it a car or a motorcycle?
It’s foot powered so that makes the Flinstone contraption a bicycle. Or maybe a push scooter.
And Paul, is this actually street legal in Eugene?
Dave
I assume strictly speaking that it’s not. But I suspect it’s seen some time on the road and it does still have a license plate in the rear. Eugene police seem to be pretty lenient about what is “street legal”, it kind of seems like they can’t be bothered. I’ve seen a number of cars at the curb that one likely wouldn’t consider “street legal”.
I found this stripped Toyota “Lolux” on the street and it didn’t even have hydraulic brake lines:
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-asian/curbside-classic-toyota-lo-lux-pickup-the-minimalist-edition/
DIY Can Am trike! Convert it to a single rear wheel, or maybe both very close together if that would still qualify. Shouldn’t be too hard to ballast, not like the rear does much anyway.
Considering you could get 50+ mpg with these cars stock, this should be improved with more weight gone. Perhaps build a lightweight aerodynamic shell with lexan windows around it. One that tapers appropriately in the rear, which is where the single rear wheel helps.
LIving in Oregon I’m pretty sure this is true here: Oregon statutes do not specifically state that windshields are required on all highway registered vehicles but if you do have a windshield youare required to have wipers (which would be purely ornamental if you lack a windshield)
I would have taken off everything unboltable, and not cut out the b-pillars or the roof. AND kept everything. You never know when you might want to put it back.
I’m amazed this could be driven on public roads .
I like hair shirt vehicles yes but this is a bridge too far .
Might be handy as a farm / ranch runabout .
-Nate
In my rural area, one is allowed to drive ATVs/golf carts on town roads so this could be a useful vehicle. I’ve never paid much attention but I think they are registered vehicles with plates. They allow sand buggys on all roads, and those are just a tube frame with a seat and an engine. You wouldn’t want to drive one on the highway but it can be registered as an everyday transport.
This has plates but I can’t imagine it being road-legal in a West coast state.
As a kid, this was always what it felt like when our “Biscayne’s”, were parked next to out neighbors “Impala’s”..lol
Assume the “mpg”, on this one might be pretty “stellar”.
Love it, CC , effect is nice, fueling up at the GAS in rural far north NZ last year a red skeletal car pulled up next to me, Sentra it turned out to be 4 young guys on board needing gas to go somewhere the traffic police are not, looked like it had been rolled recently but ran great and the sounds worked not quite full base.
It does have a tow bar attachment on the front, so it may be a drag along beach buggy. I don’t see any wire harness for the taillights; that would not be hard to accomplish. The roof rails should be plenty strong to keep the body somewhat square, but with no rear cross bar it wouldn’t hold up in a rollover situation.
”Simplify , then add lightness” but don’t know if Colin Chapman would be proud of this thing. Only thing that makes it ‘sporty’ is the lack of a ‘B’ pillar for a 2 doors coupé look (coupé …c’est le cas de le dire) which at the same time must make it a noodle.