This is absolutely the most fun car I have ever owned! Whenever I go out, I get lots of thumbs up and “I love your car, man!” from gearheads, women, and little kids. The car has become increasingly so rare that many people have never seen one. I say “it’s a Nash”. They have a blank look. “Well”, I say “Hudson merged with Nash and became AMC, so its really an AMC Metropolitan.”. Same blank stare. But they love the car.
Driving it is a hoot. This has a V6 Camaro drive train with 1300# less car to push, corner and stop. The T-5 manual and GM 10 bolt with Eaton limited slip will easily smoke both tires, but when launched well, will jump off the line to the surprise heavier v-8’s. Oh, it gives up the lead when displacement triumphs over weight/HP ratio advantage, but it feels like a teen-age athlete, torquey with lots of reserve power.
Over time, I sweated over all the details. Side chrome went from Z-bar to Swoop. Fenders were reshaped to accommodate nicer-looking ’57 Studebaker headlight rims. For the paint, enamel Coral Red/Frost White were replaced with 5K urethane Viper Red and Cool Vanilla, like the mid-century Coca-Cola cooler colors. Instead of flat clear front turn signal glass, now she wears amber glass bullet lenses. They correspond to the dual beehive rear lights reminiscent of the 50’s Buicks. The ’54 hood wears an original scoop, and it opens to the side, like the early Buick Roadmaster. I chose herringbone fabric for the interior as it was used in the original, and reversed the use of black and white vinyl. The dashboard is real ¼” tigerwood, and the dash looks like James Dean’s black leather jacket. It is padded black leatherette with white stitching. The radio is a Custom Autosound vintage looking AM/FM/XM 300W (45WX4) digital 5 channel stereo with tweeters, 6” Alpine midranges, and JLAudio e1200 120W amplified 12”Kicker Comp subwoofer in a closed box. The back seat has a cut-out to let the “thump” out. An 1/8” jack provides AUX input. The amplified swept back black antennae on the rear deck reminds us of the 60’s Impalas. A Vintage Air look-alike A/C keeps this little interior chilly. The steering wheel diameter has been reduced to 15”, and has tigerwood inserts and is tan leatherette wrapped. Horn “beeps”.
The suspension is a Toyota AE86 setup with coil-over adjustable gas struts. The front strut adjustable brace is from Techno Toy Tuning. Stabilizer torsion bar keeps the car steady. The steering gear is Camaro rack and pinion. The control arms are now front-steer with the proper Ackerman angles. The rear suspension is a 5-link rear on a GM 10 bolt 7.5” differential with Eaton limited slip. A chrome differential cover adds bling to the undercarriage. Boosted disc brakes up front with big Camaro shoes rear provide more than adequate stopping power for this 2100# car. A hydraulic front line lock holds hills for the less-experienced manual shift drivers or can let the show-off warm up the rears.
Access to the trunk is through the rear seat back, an oddity, changed in 1959. Some think the rear deck is cleaner looking in these earlier models. We made it more convenient by putting in a flat floor, illumination, and seat back “knob lock”. The battery is let into the floor just front of the rear axle, giving the car a 55/45% balance on the tires.
The fuel injection required a swirl pot, return line and EVAP and purge system. A new fuel tank was used for the task. The non-vent cap is chrome from a Harley ‘cycle tank. The original fuel gauge was compatible. The speedometer gear was changed to make the speedometer accurate. A tachometer and temperature gauge were added seamlessly to the dash. The radiator is 5 row aluminum with recovery tank and has a thermostatically controlled Spral fan providing cooling for the condenser as well. Cold air intake is Spectre.
At the firewall is the custom adapted heater box with vent selection of cowl or recirculating air. The Camaro fuse and relay box, computer and wiring are housed under a cover. The battery leads from the trunk are easily accessible. The coil pack was moved to a more conventional place, center top of motor and red silicone leads run to the plugs. The valve covers are more prominent in matching red paint with GM decals. The SFI 3.4 cast in the intake is highlighted red.
We added some bling. “Metropolitan” is now on both sides with a Ford retro looking V6 below them. In back “Nash” script was added as most people identify the car as a Nash Metropolitan. The exhaust tip is turned-down chrome. I kept the muffler quiet, as sleepers are to be. I have two cats with proper O2 sensors. The front medallion is “M”, whereas the steering wheel insert is “Nash”. The hubcap grippers were added to the Toyota 13” and GM 15”Rallye wheels to display the fresh “M” vinyl on good baby moons. The wheels are powder coated. Beauty rings finish the look.
A few other items of note: The headlights are halogen and have access to replaceable bulbs. I retained the foot dimmer switch for nostalgia, as well as the pull-to-start dash knob. Relays take the current out of the ignition/light switch, starter switch and horn. The bumpers have been re-plated. I left the “over riders” off for a cleaner look. An air dam from the Camaro has been added to the front. It fixed a perceived lifting over 70MPH. I have been over 100MPH in this car, but I would not recommend it. 70MPH is a comfortable 2,200 RPM. Original gearing had that 1.5L long stroke going 4,000 RPM at 60 MPH !
The headliner, often overlooked continues the swoop design and is insulated for heat and sound. Inset into the headliner is the XM tuner, tweeters, and interior light switches. The door panels have the swoop design, and additional arm rest/grab bar and house 6” round dual cone Alpine speakers. The seat backs also carry the swoop design. The shifter is short throw, and with the center push hydraulic clutch, makes quick work of changing gears. The pedals are dash mounted now instead of through the floor pan to keep out water. The floor is rust free now, and has hush-mat type of sound and thermal barrier along with thick jute carpet padding. The black carpet was installed in 2020 and I found “M” floor mats to keep down wear. It has two lap belts for the bench seat. Door locks work.
There are a few items to take care of. Despite all the components being new, there is a little leak in the A/C. The tires are worn. There is a little smell of gas occasionally.
Overall, this car is a hoot to drive and a sight to behold. If you have as much fun with it as I have, it will be worth your money. For me, I have had it since 2010 and improved upon it year after year. It runs fine now and can be driven anywhere. I have another project that I am investing myself (and money) in now, and am not driving this little jewel very much. I am getting older and need to simplify. Come, get a one-of-a-kind car that checks the boxes of retro and go, cute and custom, pretty and performance. Mind you, it is not a drag car nor a show trailer queen. It is meant to be out there and make people (including yourself) smile.
