Looking at a metro tomorrow
 

'99 5 speed 120,00 miles. $700. Needs tires, brakes, and muffler.

what should I look out for? I know under body rust is a common problem.

Pay close attention to shifting up and down through 2nd gear especially syncro's are a common issue.

The frame where the front suspension attaches rusts out if the car if from an area where they salt the roads.

If you can't find out when the timing belt was changed, change it soon.

not sure about '99s but I know the older ones had issues with the EGR valve getting gummed up with carbon, ultimately leading to burnt exhaust valve(s).
By the way, for the Metro owners here, what do you usually do about this, just clean your EGR valve regularly or something? Can you just spray some carb cleaner in there to clean it out?

5 speed will pwn that silly saturn!

If it's not too late, do a search - someone asked "what to look for in a Metro" a while back and XFi and I put together a pretty comprehensive list of stuff.

I definately remember that, you should ask him permission to use that and write up a mini-buyers guide for your site (and hey, there's an idea for mine).

It was a no go on the metro. It had small amouts of surface rust. Interior was in bad shape, the hatch needed a new key hole, and the ac didn't work.

That was the fist time I got to see the 1.0L beast for real. That engine is very small. Looks like I could almost lift it myself :)