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A 1996 Geo Metro fitted with a rear-mounted Chevrolet LS4 V8 is listed on Facebook Marketplace in Los Angeles for $16,500 or best offer. The seller says they bought the car four years ago and had its rear bodywork redone; the available report does not verify its current condition, performance or sale status.
A 1996 Geo Metro converted to rear-wheel drive with a Chevrolet LS4 V8 in place of its rear seats is listed on Facebook Marketplace in Los Angeles for $16,500 or best offer, according to The Drive. The unusual engine swap turns a small economy hatchback into a substantially more powerful custom car, though details about its present condition and whether it has sold are not confirmed in the report.
The car is advertised as having a GM LS4 V8 and 4T80e transaxle mounted at the rear. The LS4 was designed for transverse, front-wheel-drive applications and was used in vehicles including the Chevrolet Impala SS and Pontiac Grand Prix GXP. In this Metro, the drivetrain has been installed to drive the rear wheels. The Drive reports the seller is asking $16,500, or best offer.
The listing appears to show the same Metro featured in LSX Magazine in 2021, The Drive reported. The seller says they bought the car four years ago and had its rear bodywork redone to improve airflow to the engine. That work also helps explain why the rear fenders differ from those pictured in the earlier magazine coverage. These details are attributed to the seller and the prior report, rather than an independent inspection.
The 2021 account said the builder used a Cadillac DeVille engine cradle and suspension. The setup left 16-inch rear tires protruding beyond the original bodywork, prompting changes to the fenders. The Drive cited original LS4 output of 290 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque when new; that is a factory-era figure, not a verified measurement of this car today. For comparison, a standard 1.0-liter Metro engine was rated at 55 horsepower and 58 pound-feet of torque.
A Radical Change to an Economy Hatchback
The listing draws attention to a car built for a very different purpose from the Metro’s original role. The small hatchback was designed as inexpensive transportation, while this example has a rear-mounted V8 and rear-wheel drive. That contrast is part of its appeal to custom-car fans, but it also means the car’s layout and driving characteristics may differ sharply from a standard Metro’s.
The Drive described the car, based on the earlier account, as potentially a “handful” because of its 93-inch wheelbase, stock front track and lack of weight over the front wheels. That is a reported characterization, not a safety assessment or a test drive of the current listing. For a prospective buyer, the asking price is only one part of the decision: the quality of the conversion, documentation, roadworthiness and handling would need direct evaluation.
The sale also highlights how a familiar, low-cost model can become a platform for a highly specialized build. But its unusual engineering does not establish its reliability, legality for road use or resale value. Those points are not settled by the listing description alone.
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From Budget Commuter to V8 Project
The Geo Metro was sold in the United States in two generations, covering model years 1989 through 2000. Based on the Suzuki Cultus, it was marketed as inexpensive basic transportation. Some versions returned fuel economy figures around 50 mpg under period testing standards, according to the source report. The Metro’s small size and economy-car image later made it a popular base for unconventional modifications.
The LSX Magazine feature described the build’s early stages. Its account said the builder bought a donor Metro for $200 and found $30 in the sun visor, putting the reported purchase cost at $170 before labor and other expenses. A planned motorcycle engine proved too expensive, the article said, and the builder instead installed an LS4 and 4T80e transaxle. Those historical details do not establish how much the completed car cost or what it would cost to maintain.
The LS4 was a General Motors V8 developed for transverse installations. The source says it appeared in several front-wheel-drive GM models, including the Impala SS and Monte Carlo SS. Adapting it to the Metro’s rear involved substantial changes rather than a straightforward engine replacement, including the rear-mounted drivetrain, Cadillac-derived components and altered bodywork.
““handful””
— The Drive, describing the car’s handling based on the earlier LSX Magazine account
custom car rear-wheel drive conversion
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Condition and Sale Status Are Unknown
The available report does not confirm whether the Facebook Marketplace listing is still active, whether a buyer has made an offer or whether the car has sold. It also does not provide a listing date, odometer reading, title status, inspection records or a detailed account of the car’s current mechanical condition.
The cited power figures describe the LS4 when new, not measured output from this specific Metro. The source also does not independently verify the seller’s account of the bodywork or establish the quality of the conversion. Roadworthiness, registration requirements and the car’s handling would need to be checked directly; the listing price alone cannot answer those questions.
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Buyers Must Verify the Build
The immediate next step for anyone interested is to check whether the seller’s listing remains available and request current photographs, service and build records, title information and an opportunity to inspect the car. A buyer would need to confirm that the engine, transaxle, suspension, brakes and modified bodywork are in suitable condition, and establish whether the vehicle can be registered and insured for its intended use.
No sale date or further milestone is given in the report. Until the seller or a buyer confirms a transaction, the Metro should be described as offered for sale at $16,500 or best offer, not as sold.
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Key Questions
What is being offered for sale?
A 1996 Geo Metro converted to use a rear-mounted Chevrolet LS4 V8 and rear-wheel drive. It is described in The Drive’s report as a Facebook Marketplace listing in Los Angeles.
What is the asking price?
The reported asking price is $16,500 or best offer. The source does not confirm whether the price has changed or whether the listing remains active.
How much power does this Metro make?
The Drive cites the LS4’s original rating as 290 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. That is not a verified current measurement of this particular car.
Has the car been sold?
The report does not say. It identifies the car as listed for sale, but provides no confirmed sale status or transaction date.
What should a prospective buyer check?
They should verify the listing, title and registration details, inspect the conversion and modified bodywork, and seek current records about the drivetrain, suspension and overall condition. The report does not provide an independent inspection.
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