The much-loved/hated phrase “Drop an SBC in it!” has a slightly different meaning here. This 1991 Geo Metro convertible has a new crate Harley-Davidson Evo 1,340 V-twin under the hood, or partially under the hood. This crazy custom can be found here on eBay in Watertown, Wisconsin. The seller has a buy-it-now price of $3,200 listed or you can make an offer.
“Those Geo Metros are so underpowered and boring, whaaaa…” Zip it, Chester. The seller broke their shoehorn trying to fit that sweet 1,340 cc V-twin under that thin metal hood so they started cutting until it fit. The white square on the hood isn’t a build sheet or a listing of their speeding tickets, it’s a fan. I may have tried to fully-integrate it with the hood and paint it to match, but what do I know. Maybe they aren’t done with it yet. The first-generation Metro convertible has been seen here quite a few times but maybe not with a motorcycle engine poking out of the hood. They say that this was originally an Arkansas car and the body looks fantastic on it, hopefully that means that there’s no rust which is often a big problem with these little cars.
There it is in all its glory, an American-made 1,340 cc V-twin which would have had around 80 hp. Ok, it isn’t like dropping an SBC in it given that it only has about 25 more hp than the original 1.0L three-cylinder would have had. But still, it’s cool and unusual and hardly any money at all for such a crazy car. The builder/seller says that the Evo came straight out of the crate and it has 50 miles on it but they’re having problems with the motor mounts loosening. I can only imagine the fabrication that took place here, you can see the front brace has been cut, I’m hoping that there is a backup system in place. Have any of you seen anything like this Harley-powered Geo?
Could have bought a used Honda VTX 1800 motor for around 600 bucks. Those things are all but bullet proof, water cooled and make way more power than the Harley.
Tell me how you would make a huge flat six meant for shaft drive into a Metro. Ever wonder why Honda never adapted the VF1100 motor for its cars?
Dave,
You should do your research before replying…
A VTX1800 is a V Twin….
The Honda VTX 1800 is a v-twin configuration.
Seriously? Does this car look like the builder was looking for the most “powerful and bullet proof” engine?
Not a chance.
He was looking for a the best pickup line car he could build. As he sidles up to a girl at the bar he’s gonna say, “hey Gorgeous, wanna come outside and see my Harley convertible roadster?” and she’s gonna wink and follow him out to the parking lot.
The guys a genius.
@ rod444…..You sir,just left the best comment ever in the history of Barn Finds about an unusual combination of car body and unrelated engine. I’m still chuckling, imagining I’m setting at said bar listening to this scenario play out 😂
Interesting concept…but I think a Suzuki Hayabusa motor would be more appropriate, and definitely more fun to drive.
…and you’d be slipping the daylights out of the clutch to get it in motion.
Getting the front tires to hook up would be the challenge…but tires are easier to replace than a clutch, and far more fun to slip.
“Drink Wisconsibly”
It’s a shame Wisconsin is known as the drunken doofus of the country. Fact is, Wisconsin is known for some of the most important inventions, like your “just can’t live without” 4 wheel drive, for one. The only US motorcycle for years( not including Polaris)and the only state to give Detroit a run for their money. Yeah, they like to drink ( I don’t) but I’m proud to call Wisconsin my home. If this was in Colorado, you’d say, “what were they smokin’? I think this is really cool, doesn’t have to prove anything to anybody, hey MIke?
This thing is pretty cool Rube. I have a built Evo in my low rider, nice motor. And this is a ragtop! Watertown is a nice little cruise for me. If its around for awile I might buzz over there. Time for a beer, LOL.
Why would anyone want to put a piece of crap harley motor in a car. Waste of time and money.
I guess you would have to be able to ride something bigger than a moped to understand, Mike. Most car guys like a Harley at least for the sound and looks. They don’t have to be fast.
Funny, but the University of Southern Utah used Harley power when it built and flew a replica of the Wright Flyer back in 2003.
Maybe the USU lads wanted the engine design to be “period correct” :-) :-)
You’re on thin ice with a comment like that. H-D builds the best motorcycles in the world.
Well, I love Harleys, too, but I think I’d use the words “most iconic” rather than “best”.
Harley davidson has never built the best bikes in the world.
You are joking of course.
Definitely falls into the “you dont see *that* every day” category.
Piece of crap Harley motor? Opinions are like a$$holes, but what country exactly are you from “Mike” ? My good buddy Jim McClure and I plus tons of others would beg to differ.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/harley-davidson-moving-some-operations-overseas-blaming-tariffs/
I would have dropped in the Suzuki GTI 1.3 engine which would have dropped straight in for 100 hp. I’ve always thought that a used GTI and the Geo Metro convertible could be combined for a lot of fun since they are the same platform.
Whew..A crate motor..Otherwise there might be a 3-cylinder water cooled Harley out there somewhere….
So now the exhaust note is even worse? A lot better engines out there than that crude POS.
You sound jealous…or angry.
Love it or hate it you got to give credit for being different and you won’t see another one on cruise night
Google says 58hp for 1340evo I think the 3 banger was probably around there but at least u get the unreliability!
My bandit 600 makes 82hp and revs to 12000 or how about a 194hp hyabusa motor?
When u engine swap it IS about going fast otherwise why bother?
Unless engineered properly, increasing the applied horsepower by a factor of four just might earn the driver a Darwin Award.
A clown car with a Harley heart….what could go wrong???
So Mike, is this what you guys do in Wisconsin? Whatever it is, I love it!
Definitely took some balls to come up
with something like this. I’ve seen Harley
engines in Vespa 400s and Fist 500s, but
never anything like this! One of my kids
had one of these. I always asked him
where he put the batteries!
Hi Ken, it is a long cold winter here,the mind tends to wander. There is some wild stuff in sheds up here. I hope your back is better. Take care, Mike.
Actually, the evo engine is very reliable. The old shovel head and earlier engines are the ones that are unreliable. On the other hand, there would be absolutely no gain in horse power if that is a stock evo. I am hoping that it is needed up. Otherwise that 3 popper would put out more power.
I like to look at it, but I doubt I would want to drive it much. And I LOVE Harley Davidson bikes.
I guess this is just a waste of both a kinda neat little car and an cool engine. They need to get divorced and find the right mates.
One really has to ask “Why?!” On the other hand, other engine swaps probably make more sense but I must admit that this does appeal to my sense of the bizarre.
Why??? It was to get that famous “potato-potato-potato” exhaust sound!!! :-) :-)
Unless the buyer would have to subject it to neither safety not emissions inspections, this contraption would be tough to register. The seller did not specify what makes up the rest of the powertrain, but did mention that the engine mounts apparently aren’t very secure. A very, very easy pass for me!
No safety inspections or emissions to worry about in Watertown, WI. Still scratching my head why they’d put that POS Harley engine in it though.
Since I finally sold my GSXR powered Elcar…..hmmmm :-)
🙄
A Subaru Boxer motor would have been a better choice than that H-D anchor
It’s projects like this that convince me everyone has considerably more free time than I do
Why?
Because.
Lots of guys like Harley and lots dont. Check out this website
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/a-harley-davidson-powered-32-roadster-sounds-cool-looks-even-better-video-photo-gallery-101209.html
The white square on the hood looks more like a louver panel than a fan.
The fan’s underneath the hood, I think it draws in air around the motor and exhausts the hot air through the louvers.
can U turbo dat Harley?
I’ll take it then !
Are you man enough to kick start a diesel Harley?
Hey Rube, brave or simply uninformed comment that Harley build the best motorcycles in the world. You need to ride a current generation Polaris Indian. We have owned 46 Harleys since 1966 and have run a tourist business based purely on Harleys for 7 years and I am now totally convinced that the Indian is a far better motorcycle in every respect, including smoothness, ground clearance and comfort. About time Harley had a serious competitor and it now has one in spades.
The weekly gut buster from Barn Finds😁😊🤣
But is the clutch cable attached to a pedal, or a squeeze lever on the steering wheel? And is there a gas pedal or a twist grip?
What is this car on this siteam for actually over half these cars aren’t barn finds at all a barn find is a halfway decent car has some rust but is workable to restore or drive I was out driving with my son when he was 17 and we passed a home and the garage door was open and I told my son to turn around and go back the 1/8 of a mile it took me to realize we had just passed a 1960 chevy of some sort so we pulled in the driveway and got out and knocked on the door the man of the house came to the door and I introduced myself and I told him I sawould the front of your chevy. Well he started to tell me stories about life in that car so he says to me do you want to see it of course I said so we go into the garage and it’s covered in drop cloths,dust and of course boxes so we finally get everything moved off the car and before me set a 1960 2 dr impala with the original paint turquoise with no dents or drinks and it started I couldn’t believe it my son of course had no idea about anything going threw my head. I asked the gentleman if you where going to sell this just like it is what would you be asking for it. Well he stepped back and said you know I watch all those car shows on TV but he said that’s them rich boys playing with Thier money or it is set up already and I agree with him so he says I’ll take 1,000 for it if you want it and I’m in no hurry to sell it. I shasked his hand and bought it later that day. The moral to this story is a barn find doesn’t cost you over 5 grand to buy if it’s more it’s not from a barn it’s from a collector or salesman.
Its the ultimate conversation piece, there is not anything logical or sensible about it. However its not the first of its type. I have an chopper magazine and they did a cool article where a guy made a sidecar off a bike into a car with a Harley flathead mtr & trans off the side and he leaned over the side with one hand on the steering wheel and shifted using a short throw lever. Was super cool circa 1970s. However about 10 years back? All over the internet was a California built 24 hrs of Lemons race car, might even been a metro with a built HD sportster drivetrain and it did well in the race. Afterwards was sold on ebay and was on many forums. ** Edit, It was a PRIUS and 2013! See: https://www.greencarreports.com/news/1091265_always-wanted-a-harley-davidson-powered-prius-youre-in-luck
Hi dusty rider I’m not angry about anything I just expect to see actual barn finds and garage cars not cars that are so called barn finds for 15,000 dollars. I paid to see affordable barn finds not someone’s car they picked out of there collections to sell or car dealer either I’ve seen some of these cars for sale on classic car dealers sites and magazines.
@ sluggo, I have a severe case of CRS, wasnt Buell started by two brothers that worked for H-D ?
Moosie, I am not aware of any 2 brothers. Eric Buell was a young engineer and came on to work for Harley Davidson and was pivotal in the FXR program and rubber mounting the drivetrain along with a seasoned engineer from Norton lured to the US to reverse engineer Nortons Rubber mount “Isolastic” designs when Norton refused to sell the designs. (Next best bet hire their engineers) So Eric went on to do a number of projects but raced on the side, He started racing and modifying Sportster based race bikes, Which eventually led to his own company. At the time seemed a good idea but signed over/sold a controlling interest to HD. With corporate changes the new CEO decided to eliminate Buell Co. Turned down offers to sell their interests so is viewed in the community as cruel and mean. Buell restarted 2x but has had issues and ripped off by investors. He is still around and still dabbles in racing. Brilliant guy! AWESOME bikes!
This makes me smile.
Pushing a Geo Metro is gonna be harder than pushing a motorcycle. I had to push my ’48 Indian Chief 3 miles once, that was a chore.
The builder wasn’t going for speed, he was going for entertainment value. This car comes from the same mindset that created the Bosuzoku cars in Japan.
Just doesn’t belong on barn finds
That’s a good one miles pushing is a B_tc_ had to do it a couple of times.
Just have to laugh and shake my head gashole.
I can’t answer that one moosie
that’s o.k. sluggo did
The best installation… I, ever saw,..was a Ariel square four… stuffed in a.. berkeley… very cool.. exhaust, coming out of the hood…
The Harley engine adds a bit of much needed masculinity to an otherwise girly car. Imagine pulling up next to it, hearing that big V twin thumping away, and seeing it poking out the hood , rocking and shaking in harley fashion.
Take it to Sturgis, the Harley chicks will be all over you
I don’t think many of the people on this site even know what a Berkeley is, or for that matter, an Ariel Square Four. Do you have a photo? I have but am unable to post it as I am not a member.
click on this link to see what a Berkeley looks like,
https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/berkeley
At the Oregon ABFM-All British Field Meet (Coming up early sept) We occasionally saw a Berkeley or 2. I had a friend who owned one (I have photos) and originally came with some sort of British motor but Eddy installed a highly built Honda CB motor in his and won slalom races with it and drove it to shows locally. But in Irony here, Eddy and his partner were supposed to be the US Importers and distributors for the revived Ariel Sq 4 known as the Healey 1000. I am writing a book about it. I helped liquidate his partners estate and he had a large collection of original Ariels from 40s to 58 plus parts. I did once purchase a Noriel. A Norton featherbed frame with a Sq4 motor. I sold the motor and parts and kept the Norton bits. I also knew a guy in Eugene, now RIP who built several swing arm Ariel customs that looked stock and confused many people as no such animal.