96 Metro 1.3/AT, no lockup?

[occupant]

It's deja vu all over again. I had a 1995 Metro automatic about ten years ago. Now I'm looking at a 1996 Metro automatic and thinking, WHY didn't they put a lockup converter in this car? The stick was rated 39/43 with the 4-cylinder. The automatic only 30/34?!!

I know the larger Suzuki Esteem used the B-series motors in 1.6 and 1.8 liter versions. Any idea if the 4-speed auto with lockup from one of those would bolt up to, and work, on a 1.3 liter? I'm headed over to the metroswift and metrompg forums to figure this one out, but if anyone here knows, I'm all ears. This is a $1400 car and might be worth spending $600 to swap transmissions in order to see 40mpg instead of 30mpg. I expect to drive 60K/year in the car doing deliveries, so it might take me a year and a half to make the money back. If I do the swap myself, not even that long.

[Scott]

I had an 89 Ford Festiva with a 1.3 and an automatic with no lock up. It buzzed on the freeway, but no matter what I did the car never bested 34 mpg. If I got stuck in heavy traffic or all city I would get 28. What killes the mpg is the high rpm it pulls on the freeway, at freeway speeds the engine becomes a high revving air pump. If they had put a lock up in, you could probably get 40. The only thing you can do is pop the tranny into neutral at lights, and manually shift 1, 2, and ,3 That and a light foot, never break 65, and follow semi's. The older I get the more I want an automatic.

[occupant]

I made a post or two over at teamswift, but didn't get much of an answer. Good news is I didn't win the auction for the '96 Metro with AT. Sold for double my bid. So I'm still looking for that elusive $600 '93-'97 Prizm LSi AT. I think it may be one of the only cheap cars out there that can get 35-40mpg with automatic without really trying. (and without being a 3-cylinder 1st gen Metro/Swift)

[RoadWarrior]

Having a wife unwilling to drive stick, I was stuck looking at auto only econoboxes, researching the figures led me to the conclusion that the Aspire, Festiva and Metro/Swift were pointless with autos, and restricted the search to Saturn S series, Ford Escort, Dodge Neon, Nissan Sentra, Prizm/Corolla and Dodge Colt. Wile-E turned up for cheap, so Escorts won. Wile-E in stock form got 28 in 100% city, 100% highway has seen 34s 36s and a 38.

[bowtieguy]

Originally Posted by occupant

So I'm still looking for that elusive $600 '93-'97 Prizm LSi AT. I think it may be one of the only cheap cars out there that can get 35-40mpg with automatic without really trying. (and without being a 3-cylinder 1st gen Metro/Swift)

2000-2002 models have the VVTi motor yielding a bit more mpg than the previous model motor. but, certainly it's gonna cost well more than $600.

but, yes pre-2000 can do in excess of 40...

http://www.gassavers.org/garage/view/274