Jimmy and Eve Valentine officially founded Metropolitan Pit Stop in 1975, although the seed was planted long before that. During the years Metropolitans were made, Jimmy and Eve were starting their family. They adored the little Mets, however with 3 small children they needed a family car and purchased a Nash Rambler station wagon instead.

In college, Jimmy's love of music and interest in electronics led him to pursue a career as a recording engineer. Jimmy met Eve while on furlough during WWII and they were married in 1949. They opened Valentine Recording Studios in 1949, with Jimmy at the sound controls and Eve managing the office.

In 1973, with their children grown, they decided it was time to get that little car they'd always wanted and bought their first Metropolitan. Before long, they discovered that finding parts for their new car wasn't easy, since production of the Metropolitan had ceased in 1961.

After frustrating experiences with repair shops that couldn't locate parts for their Met, Jimmy started searching for the parts himself. He began scouring auto swap meets on weekends, finding little. Next, he sent letters to American Motors dealers across the country, asking to purchase any leftover Metropolitan parts. Some dealers were happy to unload them and boxes of parts began filling up the garage and a spare bedroom in the Valentines' home.