Category Archives: Deep Thoughts
Geo Metro: A Great Car That May Not Be For Everyone
As I sipped my coffee and watched yet another sunset, it came to me that the Geo Metro, a car that I absolutely love, may not be for all. Of course, not all vehicles are for all people. I mean there are plenty of vehicles to choose from and plenty of varieties because we are not all the same when it comes to preference.
Why Do People Love To Own A Geo Metro?
What’s your reason for being on my blog? Do you like my writing so much or do you simply love the Geo Metro as much as I do? It is no surprise that I think that this car is the best and I am not alone in thinking that way. In fact, you being here means you think that this car is great or is pretty decent or can give you loads of benefits.
There are a lot of reasons to own a Geo Metro. I’ve had people tell me that they want one because it’s unique, small, economic, or that it handles great. I’ve even seen people who just want one because a friend or a family member has one. Me? I just think they are awesome cars that deserve more attention than they get.
- Unique– When it comes to uniqueness, the Geo Metro has it in droves. It’s not a popular car by any means which makes it even more unique.
- Small– The Geo Metro is a small car and that’s one of the main reasons people love them so much. They are easy to park and maneuver through traffic. They are also great for city driving.
- Economic– Another reason people love the Geo Metro is that they are very economic cars. They get great gas mileage and don’t cost a lot to maintain.
- Handle Great– One last reason people love the Geo Metro is that they handle great. They are nimble cars that can take corners at high speeds with ease.
These are just some of the reasons why people love the Geo Metro. Of course, there are other reasons as well but these are some of the main ones.
Why Some May Not Like The Geo Metro
Even though the Geo Metro is a great car, there are some things that some people may not like about them. One of those things is safety. The Geo Metro is not a safe car by any means. Clearly, it isn’t part of the safest cars available today. They don’t have airbags and they aren’t very crashworthy. This is one of the main reasons why I wouldn’t recommend them to everyone.
Another reason why some people may not like the Geo Metro is that they are slow cars. They aren’t made for speed and they can be quite sluggish at times. However, you can tweak them and make them as fast as you could but you should not forget about safety.
I drive my Geo Metro almost every day and thankfully I haven’t met any serious accidents with it. A few bumps but nothing too serious. My secret is being a defensive driver.
Even if I may look like I haphazardly drive because I live on the edge and want to feel the thrill of it all, I still take precautions when driving with my Geo Metro. You see, I love my car and even though it may not be the safest, I still take care of it as best as I can.
The Geo Metro is a great car for those who are looking for something unique, small, economic, and fun to drive. Just remember that it’s not the safest car out there and that you should take precautions when driving one. Drive safe!
Need To Save Some Cash? Buy A Geo Metro!
If you’re looking for a car that’s fuel-efficient, reliable, and affordable then the Geo Metro is just what you need. This little gas saver will get you where you want to go without costing too much in fuel costs or repairs!
Not to mention, there are more stylish options like the Geo Metro convertible that could tickle your fancy.
I am damn proud of my Geo Metro because it is great! It’s easy on gas mileage, has low maintenance costs, it’s an inexpensive option if your credit score isn’t good enough to get financing for a different vehicle.
It’s also perfect for people living in urban areas because parking can be hard sometimes with larger vehicles, and its size makes it easier to park when driving around town.
It is simply perfect for everyone out there trying to save as much as you can. Why spend so much on a fancy new car that costs a lot to maintain and run when you can get a good old Geo Metro for cheap?
How Much Is A Geo Metro
The Geo Metro is a great option for anyone looking for an affordable and fuel-efficient car. You can usually find these cars for around $2,000 or less, and they get up to 40 MPG on the highway. That means you could save a lot of money on gas over the course of a year.
How much money could you save?
Well, the national average price of gas is $3.25 per gallon right now, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. If you drive about 15,000 miles a year in your Geo Metro – with an average fuel economy of 40 MPG – you’ll use about 510 gallons of gas a year. That means you’ll be spending about $1,650 on gas each year.
But if you bought a Geo Metro and got 40 MPG highway mileage, you’d spend about $860 a year on gas. That’s a savings of $790 per year!
The Maintenance Cost
The Geo Metro is also a great option for anyone looking for a low-maintenance car. These cars are known for being reliable and requiring very little upkeep. In most cases, all you’ll need to do is change the oil every 5,000 miles and check the tire pressure regularly. You can even do this on your own, to save more cash.
That means you’ll be able to save even more money on maintenance costs. The average cost of a tune-up is about $75, but with a Geo Metro, you can go much longer between tune-ups – up to 10,000 miles! Only changing the oil every 5,000 miles means you’ll save yourself about $60.
Who Should Buy A Geo Metro?
Anyone looking for a fuel-efficient and affordable car should consider buying a Geo Metro. These cars are great for commuters, students, or anyone who wants to save money on gas. The Geo Metro is also a great choice for people who need a small car that can fit in tight spaces.
How Can You Get A Geo Metro?
You can buy a used Geo Metro on Craigslist, or through classified ads. Another option is to visit some of your local used car dealerships – they usually have some great deals on these types of cars. Some people even sell them for very low prices on sites like eBay.
It’s no secret that the cost of gas has been on a steady rise for years now. In fact, it is very possible that this trend will continue as we move into the future and more oil reserves are depleted.
This leaves many drivers feeling frustrated with their high monthly fuel costs or not being able to afford to purchase an expensive vehicle outright. But there is good news! The Geo Metro may be just what you need if you’re looking for: low maintenance cost, high mileage and can help keep your wallet from taking such a hit when filling up the tank every few weeks.
Geo Metro’s Stylish Car
So what have you been up to this pandemic? Have you guys returned back to work or did you have the privilege to “work” at home?
As for me, I’m still here breathing and thinking as I admire the beauty of my Geo Metro. Yeah, yeah, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I know because some of you might not agree with my definition of beauty.
Then why the hell are you here reading about my musings and shenanigans about my love for this Earth-saving car?
Gotcha! Admit it, you secretly love Geo Metros too!
What’s not to love? Yes, you may consider it as an econobox but did you know that there are models released for more, uhm– stylish clients?
Picture a convertible. Just like the picture above, it really suits the more stylish clientele, doesn’t it?
Spotlight please for the Geo Metro convertible!
However, the Geo Metro convertible isn’t exactly like that, but at least it tried to be…
The Geo Metro Convertible Is Not For All
To target those who are looking for a more stylish, yet still efficient and affordable Geo Metro, the convertible model was born. However, not all people liked it and some are even laughing at the thought of a convertible Geo Metro.
Don’t laugh too hard and belittle such a car. There are still great things about it like the efficient 55 hp engine. Additionally, it also has an airbag, at least for the driver side. Without too much excess baggage, the weight is minimized.
As for the top, it’s manually operated and you have to manually unlock the cabin to get access to it. Some were also not a great fan of the plastic panel that covers it.
The seats were like any other Geo Metro, which is a pain in the ass and there is no armrest. The side mirrors are also present and are manually adjustable. Lastly, it also has air conditioning and a tachometer.
Would You Drive It?
If you ask me, I’d surely love to take that for a ride. That might amp up my appeal, being a convertible and all. Plus, it’s efficient and you’d save a ton from using it.
However, some people might not be comfortable with it due to safety reasons, you wuss. As for me, I’m a careful driver and I take my chances every time I drive my own Geo Metro anyway so as long as I can still make it run, then I’d gladly take it for a ride.
How about you? Would you take the chance in driving such a classic beauty? Come on now, I know I’ve got a lot of readers who are as big Geo Metro fans as I am.
Saving The Planet One Geo Metro At A Time
I’m a notic-er
That means I notice shit.
And what I’ve noticed here recently is more and more electric cars on the road, to which, I can only assume the owners are thinking they’re going to single-handedly “save” our one-and-only planet earth with their stupid awesome-looking vehicle.
Too bad they can’t hold a candle to the Earth-saving potential of my 1989 Electric-Blue Geo Metro Hatchback 4-Speed.
Here’s why…
Electric Car Vs The Geo Metro
When it comes to the environment, fossil-fueled cars have a bad reputation for their carbon footprint. Whenever it runs, it produces carbon dioxide. Most people agree because it is what they see. When an electric car runs, it doesn’t produce smoke so it doesn’t add to the world’s carbon footprint. That’s wrong because even if you can’t see it, electric cars are contributing to the pollution of the environment.
Electric cars are mostly advertised as green cars because they don’t emit as much carbon dioxide as other combustion engine cars like my Geo Metro. At first glance, they do look like their carbon footprint is low. However, you have to look at the whole picture when it comes to determining which car is greener.
Electric cars are powered by lithium-ion batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are not just limited to use on cars. They are also used to power other electrical devices like laptops and mobile phones. With the production of electric cars, there is an increase in the demand for lithium. That also means mining lithium is has a high demand.
It may seem that mining more lithium doesn’t have too much effect. However, it does have a huge effect on the environment. With lithium mining, water is in demand in large amounts and this depletes natural water sources plus it negatively affects the ecosystem.
Carbon Dioxide Footprint
Apart from lithium mining, we should also take a look at the carbon dioxide produced by the vehicle throughout its life cycle. There are three phases included in the life cycle of an electric vehicle. Those are the manufacturing phase, use phase and lastly, is the recycling phase.
Manufacturing Phase
In the manufacturing phase, consider the creation of the different components plus the assembly of such components. Comparing the carbon dioxide emission during the manufacturing phase, electric cars surprisingly produce more carbon dioxide than internal combustion engine vehicles. A huge part of the emission is due to the manufacturing of the battery fitted in electric vehicles.
Use Phase
As for the use phase, the emission of electric cars will only depend on the emission produced due to the production of the electricity that will charge the car’s battery. As for my Geo Metro, the level of emission will depend on how the fossil-fuel was produced or made available for the vehicle plus the actual emission produced by the car.
The emissions for electric car use will vary from one area to another. This is because some countries have a higher percentage of renewable electricity than others. Take Australia and New Zealand for example. New Zealand’s share of renewables is significantly higher than in Australia, which means that an electric car in New Zealand has fewer carbon emissions than an electric car in Australia.
As for fossil-fuel powered cars, their emission is much higher compared to electric vehicles whether they are in Australia or in New Zealand. Most of the carbon emission of a fossil-fuelled car is found in the use phase.
Considering our current source of electricity here in the US, the source of electricity for the vehicles will still produce a lot of emissions. Our renewables, when it comes to electricity, are just too low at the moment. Even if it rises in the next decade, that still wouldn’t significantly lessen the emissions produced to get electricity.
Recycling Phase
For the recycling phase, a study in China found that recycling an electric vehicle produces more emissions than recycling a fossil-fueled car. Like in the manufacturing phase, it is the battery that plays a significant part in producing higher emission when the electric car is recycled.
Why My Geo Metro Is Better Than Electric Cars
When comparing electric cars with new combustion engine vehicles, we can conclude that there will be a decrease in greenhouse gas emissions. However, that change isn’t big enough to cause a great impact on the climate or environment.
Buying and using a Geo Metro that has already been produced and used years ago is a better choice than buying a new electric car. If you really want to lessen the impact on the environment, help slow down the demand for electric cars. This also helps decrease the demand for mining lithium, manufacturing the battery and producing the electricity needed to power the vehicle. All of which negatively affect the environment. Remember that electric cars become really environmentally friendly when their source of electricity is renewable and not done by a coal-burning plant.
Oldie but goodie cars like the Geo Metro can still run well. It is easy to check the emissions they produce through various services you can find online. You can also have them serviced or maintain them on your own to lessen their carbon footprint. With a Geo Metro, you’ll not only help the environment but also help your pocket when it comes to fuel expense.
I Said Yes To My 1989 Blue Geo Metro
So I’m pretty lazy, and have been MIA (missing in action) for a while and I haven’t written anything at all. And I’ll do it again. Can you blame me? My creative juices just aren’t flowing and I’m simply in no mood to write. But, here I am again ‘cause I just don’t wanna leave you guys hanging.
For those of you who’ve been wonderin’ whether I’m dead or something, well, the great news is I’m not. I’m perfectly fine. Let’s just say I took a break and now I’m fully recharged to fill your free time with my crazy antics and somewhat useful information about my Geo Metro.
Deep Thoughts by the Beach
In a recent vacation, I was chilling outdoors seated rather comfortably on a hand-made Adirondack chair. I was enjoying a cold bottle of beer while watching the waves clash as the sun set. All of a sudden my thoughts wondered off to my Blue 1989 Geo Metro that’s nicely parked in my garage at home.
My thoughts led me back to the day I finally decided to buy one for myself. I recalled all the reasons why I thought that it was such a great buy. Today’s post is all about that.
Why I Bought A My Blue 1989 Geo Metro
It’s such a lady magnet, no doubt about that! Whenever I roll with it, I can see the girls start to whisper in each others ear. Maybe they’re talking about what a great car I have, how cool this shade of blue is, or maybe they got a glimpse at the man behind the wheel. All is still but a mystery to me. Apart from that, here are the reasons why this baby is mine:
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Efficient
I have no doubt in my mind that this car is efficient. This baby saves me a heft lot of money on gas. It even performs better compared to more recent cars when it comes to fuel economy. It’s no surprise that it is part of the “25 All-Time Best Gas Cars by MPG”. Currently mine is at 52 MPG on the highway but there are others who have theirs as high as 75 MPG or even higher. Now that’s efficient.
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Cheap
Back in the day, a brand new Geo Metro only cost several hundred dollars. To this day, the same car would go around for more or less a thousand bucks. I personally had several people offer me $1500 for this car, which is more than my Kelly Blue Book value. You can read more about that on another post called My Depressing Kelly Blue Book Value.
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Dependable
It may not be the prettiest car on the block but I don’t care. I’ve gone through a lot with this car and never has it left me stranded. It can take a beating, at least the beating I put it through. Sure it requires some loving and tuning but I can definitely do that on my own.
Here are the reasons why I bought mine. So why did you buy yours?
My Geo Metro Can Rip Your Arms Out
Officially-speaking, my 1989 Geo Metro has just over 55 feisty horses kicking under the hood. For people that don’t get the concept of horsepower, that seems like a fairly weak car.
I however, beg to differ.
Allow me to explain how amazingly powerful my Metro is, using the scientific method, which is to use facts, figures, testing, and results to validate my hypothesis. In 500 words or less you will be utterly convinced that the 55 HP is more than adequate in pushing around my Geo’s light frame.
What is Horsepower Anyway?
In order to adequately explain “Horsepower” I whisk you back in my Geo-Metro-powered time machine to 18th Century Scotland. Envision, if you will, an Scottish-born engineer named James Watt working on his newly acquired steam engine. He was planning on using it for all sorts of cool stuff around his neck-of-the-woods, and wanted to make a bunch of money selling it to his friends – but he needed a way to describe the force it produced without using the nominally accepted term for work-force called “Newton-Meter Per Second” – a term which made him sound a total nerd to all his Scottish friends.
So, since everyone and their mother owned a horse in those days, the term “Horsepower” seemed to make sense to him. More importantly, it made sense to the folks he was selling his contraption too , and he became totally successful!
There you go, Bing-bang-boom – the term Horsepower was born. Any questions?
BTW: for those nerdy types – 1 Horse Power = 745.7 N.m / S
1 HP = TONS of Power
William Wallace In Geo Metro Blue
For my second point, in which I describe the sheer awesomeness of the HP, I again, ask you to come with me to Scotland. This time during the age of William Wallace! Well, more like the movie Braveheart’s version of Wallace’s Scotland. Remember that scene where’s like 4 horses are pulling on old Mel Gibson’s appendages? Yeah, so just one of those horses was enough to pull William Wallace’s arms and legs out of his socket! Just ONE!
According to some history books that I sort of remember reading in High School, there were these guys whose sole-purpose was designing weird contraptions to kill people. Think of the Iron Maiden and the like. Anyway, they’d figured that they could design a pulley-system attached to a horse or mule whereby – when attached to an unsuspecting felon – it could easily rip the unsuspecting villain’s arms right out of their socket. I’m pretty sure that’s what they used on old Mel Gibson. Or rather, Mel Gibson playing William Wallace.
Now think about 55 Horses from a Geo Metro pulling on his arm. Crazy right?! I know. Now stop thinking about it – it’s far too gruesome.
Conclusion
So there you have it. 55 Horsepower is a lot of power. Is it the most force EVER on a car? No. But it’s plenty enough to rip arms out of sockets.
1989 was a Sexy Year. Not so much for cars apparently
1989 was a heady year. It was a year of decadence. A year of change. And most importantly: a year for sexy. Just look at the #1 chart toppers for that year…
1. Look Away, Chicago
2. My Prerogative, Bobby Brown
3. Every Rose Has Its Thorn, Poison
4. Straight Up, Paula Abdul
5. Miss You Much, Janet Jackson
6. Cold Hearted, Paula Abdul
7. Wind Beneath My Wings, Bette Midler
8. Girl You Know It’s True, Milli Vanilli
9. Baby, I Love Your Way / Freebird, Will To Power
10. Giving You the Best That I Got, Anita Baker
That is one seriously sexy hit list (except for Bette Midler I suppose)! Nearly everything on it is “fly” like the Fly Girls from In Living Color.
The Fly Girls
On top of that we had artists like Prince, Madonna, Erasure. Rap was getting all smooth and sexy with LL Cool J, and movies like Lethal Weapon 2 were practically dripping with it.
No Sexy Left for Cars?
Unfortunately it seems like most of the sexy was sucked up by the time it got to cars.
Just take a look at a few of the best selling cars in 1989…
1989 Escort, Accord and Taurus
Practical sure. Economical? You bet. Sexy? Ummm….No.
What got me thinking on this was when I was polishing the front logo on my blue 1989 Geo Metro hatchback last weekend, and from out of nowhere comes this candy-apple red 1964 Ford Mustang rolling by looking all sexy…
1964 Ford Mustand Convertible – Sexy!
It was then I thought to myself, “Why do classic cars from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s have so much sex appeal while boxy 80’s cars looked like they were designed by my high school chess team?”
You might say, “Yeah well…what about those fuel efficient classics of the same era? I’m sure they weren’t so sexy!”
Listen Friend, with a 4 banger under the hood the Ford Mustang was the fuel efficient car of 1964!
Some smart-assed young co-worker of mine tried to tell me it was due to the Japanese influence on American society which favored economy over flash. I just rolled my eyes when I heard that.
I lived in 1989. I saw all the sexy being passed around. We just ran out of sexy – plain and simple.
PS – I used the word “sexy” 12 times in a 400 word article. It’s damned near impossible to use it more. Believe me, I tried for about 2 hours.
My Depressing Kelly Blue Book Value
My Geo Metro is clean – no doubt.
But once in a while I get to wondering: what would it be like to own a normal shiny new vehicle? My Metro is getting up in miles (just over 218,000 currently) and the clutch is going to need to be replaced soon, so I went online to Kelly Blue Book to do some serious research into the matter. Their handy-dandy value calculator only went back as far as 1992, but let’s roll with it…here’s what it came back with:
The depressing Kelly Blue Book Value for my Geo Metro
$305.00 for a trade-in average? Doh!!!
That didn’t seem like a lot to me. Frankly, I had people walk up and offer me over $1500 on at least two occasions, so I was a little depressed with the results.
But I pressed on anyway – for shits and giggles – and tried to find place that would buy it outright. The closest place that would consider taking my car for other than scrap was like 60 minutes away. So I did the math: What would I actually make on trading my car in? Well for starters the gas to get there wouldn’t be much since this is, after all, a 45 MPG car. So let’s just say it’s $8.00:
- $8.00 – Gas
Then there’s my time. I’m a freelance programmer, and if I’m getting steady work I’m making around $50.00 per hour on the low-side. So let’s figure 2 hours to make the trip there and back, and another hour to seal the deal for 3 Hours total. That’s $150:
- $150.00 – Time (3 Hours @ $50.00)
- $8.00 – Gas
$158.00 total to sell my car. Minus that off of the trade-in value and we’re talking about $147.00! That’s bullshit man!
So I guess I’ll be keeping my super-clean, blue 1989 2-Door Hatchback Geo Metro a little longer. I really don’t know if I’ll ever sell it to be honest, but it’s fun to fantasize sometimes.
