Metro mites were first offered in the late 1950s as an econmical choice for deliveries. Mine has a 152 Cubic Inch 4 cylinder engine and a 3 speed manual transmission. The double doors on mine are special as this was an option.
This Metro Mite was purchased by my father in the late 1980s. He had seen it around town and decided he would buy it when the kid who owned it was ready to sell. One day, it was for sale, and my father, as promised, bought it.
At the time the van needed little work and was in good condition. The engine ran extremely well. He replaced the brake master cylinder with a larger one, but never hooked up all of the brakes to see if it worked. At some point, he lost interest and the van sat in our yard for years. My brothers and I used to play in it! My father always said that I could have the van when I got bigger and I had always wanted to restore it. Now, close to 20 years later, I am ready to get it going!
Unfortunately, letting the van sit for so long has done a number on the van. It needs extensive body work, which will be simple, because most of the panels are straight. The master cylinder for the brakes needs to be replaced. All of the wheel cylinders and brake lines will probably need replacing.
My plans are to restore it to usable condition. I am not a professional (HA!) at this, and do not care to make a museum piece out of the van, but I would like to get it into running order and make it look nice. I might use it to haul band equipment around!
I will update the sight as I make progress on the van. Please check back to see what's new. I would also love to hear from any fans of Metros or other old vans and trucks. Please say hi by signing my guestbook. |
