Metro pick-up Acty seat
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A FOLDING rear passenger seat designed to fit the Honda Acty van is now being offered by Resta!! Brothers of Warley. LARGE fleet inquiry for a small all-British pick-up has prompted Austin Rover Group dealer Dibden Purlieu Motors of Southampton to produce its Dwn Metro pick-up.
The new conversion could benefit from the lack of any ARG factory-built competitor and fill a gap in the market left by the withdrawal of the Mini pick-up 18 months ago.
All major body work has been carried out by Corvesgate Coachcraft of Bournemouth working in conjunction with Dibden Purlieu.
The original 1-litre petrol-engined 310 Metro van's body and roof panels have been cut away behind the B-posts, except for the lower side panels and supporting ribs up to a height of 419mm (16.51n). These are used to form the pick-up load bed.
The existing metal floor fitted to the van is retained covered by an additional 13mm (1/2in) plywood decking.
A glass-reinforced plastic (grp) rear bulkhead is fixed to the remaining roof section and the original metal load platform which extends by 200mm (8in) into the driving compartment beyond the bulkhOd. Grp panels are also used to skin the inside of the pick-up cargo bed, which has an interior length of 1,092mm (43in) and a maximum width between ih wheelarches of 1,041mm (141in).
The flat tailgate on the pickup body has a grp panel edged by a metal surround. Restraining chains are fitted as standard to the tailgate, which can easily support the weight of a driver. conversion is not subject to Type Approval changes.
Dibden Purlieu's managing director, Ken Oakerbee, is confident that sufficient customers will be attracted by the vehicle. "There is an enormous demand for small European pick-ups," he said.
Prices for the Metro pick-up have not been finalised, but Mr Oakerbee estimates a final cost of between £3,500 and £4,000.
CM drove the unladen Metro pick-up conversion and overall impressions of the prototype vehicle are that the conversion work has been well executed. Although the first model has been converted by an outside bodybuilder, Dibden Purlieu will carry out future conversion work if sales take off.