Saab 900 advice

mossy82

Hey,

I was thinking of buying a Saab 900 and was just looking for some advice from previous / current owners,
(I know its not quiet a vintage, but saw them at the car show in Terenure last summer and thought they looked class)
Below is the one I'm thinking of getting, Its not a bad price is it?

http://www.autotrader.ie/search/Saab/900/201007196964382/advert?channel=CARS

Is there anything I really need to be aware of?
I found this bit below about it on a seperate site, should any of this stuff set alarm bells ringing?

1993 900 aero classic
For sale 1993 900 areo classic 3 door .Mint condition respray in 2000(greay) and engine overhaul 2006. New nct, recent headliner replacement, red apc unit gives extra 10 bhp (185) I have owned the car two years since then replaced the balljoints , bonnett, battery, exaust mid section, Plug leads and coil, turbo, Full service including all filters,Central locking control unit, Thr previous owner replaced All break disks and fuel tank straps. This car has its complete service history from day one.There is no rust on this car even in the usuall spots. This is one of the best exampes of the classic 900 in the last production years.


I thought about this one too, but much prefer the 3 door option -
http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/cars/1044580


also if i get it i'm gonna be selling by 1973 vw beetle, so if anyone is looking for one gimme a shout.


Any advice would be great as pretty clueless on the Saab.

Thanks

Mossy

2cv

Back in 1994, I had an '88 900 Turbo, same colour. To this day, i still regret selling it

Go for it, they're a fantastic car!

shawnee

I like that car also. I have always liked that model, and the Saab in general. Probably a bit quirky/different like myself
Some of these saabs are slow to sell , that model does have a collector following. Will probably buy one at some stage , however probably a bit juicy for me at present and have a pre 79 merc for a classic which reduces the costs. Do plenty research and hope you pick a good one.;)

MercMad

That grey one is a super nice car, and priced properly IMO. To get a decent rust free example would mean this car will last for years.

The fact that it doesn't have leather may go slightly against it, but it would bother me at all.

You need to check the gearbox, second in particular, ensure that it shifts cleanly with no "notchyness" at all. Try it both hot AND cold. Other than that, the usual checks, oil leaks, crash damage (is it in the original colour ? ) any photos of the repaint, who repainted it ?

On test get someone to drive behind you to ensure it doesn't smoke when coming on/off the turbo.

Make sure the handbrake ( on the front wheels) works properly and the ignition key, as i believe these can be a pain to rectify.

Other than that they are durable cars, well built.

Best of luck.

I drove an '84 one in 1988, first time in a Saab turbo. I couldn't see what all the fuss was about when I planted my foot...........then the turbo came along and I had covered about 200yards before I could lift my right foot !!

PaulK_CCI

Saab 900 are great and practical cars with a strong and devoted following and good parts backup. I have owned several over the years, and I currently have an Black 83 3 door Turbo on Inca's in the stable, which I don't think I will sell for years to come. (added bones is that here in Holland the car is already taxfree, but in Ireland they only just about start to become tax exempt.

So if the tax isnt the main concern, go for the later cars, they are lot better sorted and benefit from things like ABS and cruise control: the handbrake issue on the front calipers for example is only on pre-87 cars, the later ones have revised hubs and don;t have these issues. Gearboxes are still a weak point, but they are a lot tougher than the early ones. But ofcourse do check for synchro wear. They tend to pop out of reverse, crunching in 2nd and 5th. Head gaskets can go and Turbo wear. Make sure there are no cracks in the exhaust manifold on those 16v units, they are difficult to find in good nick.

Bodywise, they suffer from rust: biggest concerns is the suspension towers front and back, and the area where the drive shafts stick through. Boot floor, jacking points and wheel arches suffer. AERO kits usually send off alarm bells: generally these platic panels hide terrible rust problems along wheel arches and corners!! So beware.

On the two cars you spotted, I actually know the 1st one is for sale for quite a while now and to be honest is was resprayed from red into grey, and I don't think it's a good candidate. Tuned examples tend to be 'flogged' and although the 900's can wistand a good bit of abuse, it doesn't help in the long run. The other one, even though it's 5 door does seem to me a better car (nicer paint too), but checking out thoroughly is advised!!! Espcially at 100k a new CV joint is odd, they tend to be unburstable and can last up to 2k easily. But then again, replacing them is a piece of cake...

Fiesta

That 'grey' one has been on sale for some time.

Have a read of an earlier post of mine from Sept 2009...

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=62112203&postcount=343

mumblin deaf ro

I have an 87 900 turbo - bought it last summer.

The advice above is spot on.

If you are serious I'd ask to have it looked over by someone like Dara McCormack (search this site for his no) - he's an expert saab 900 mechanic who could advise you on its condition. He's based near Navan which is reachable for a Dublin based vendor.

I love my 900 and while i have had to put a bit of money into it to bring it up to scratch I plan to be the last person to own and drive it.

peasant

Also note that there are different states of tune for those later 16 V models;

The non-turbo engine has something like 120 hp (too lazy to look it up)

The eco-turbo (on the very late models) has 145 (lots of sellers fail to mention that it is this version)

The one to have (and the one that everybody wants) is the full blown version with 175 or 185 hp. This is a rather unsophisticated turbo setup with lots of lag ...but when it finally kicks in ..whoo-hooo.
(unfortunately it is also the whoo-hoo that is a bit much for the gearbox)

mumblin deaf ro

PS: check with the seller whether the red car advertised is a turbo - the alloys look like the ones that came with the non-turbo version and there's no mention of a turbo in the ad.

PaulK_CCI

mumblin deaf ro wrote: »

PS: check with the seller whether the red car advertised is a turbo - the alloys look like the ones that came with the non-turbo version and there's no mention of a turbo in the ad.

the 5 door is a 900 i, so non aspirated fuel injection 16V, approx 125bhp.

As peasant describes there are indeed two different Turbo versions: the LPT (Low Pressure Turbo) delivering 145bhp and the Full Pressure Turbo, delivering 175 bhp. Generally the LPT models do not mention the word turbo on the car, and are called 900 'S'. They deliver the boost only in the lower rev ranges, resulting in quicker pick up and better torque but without the lag. With the FTP the boost levels are higher and the turbo kicks in in the higher rev zones, giving that typical Turbo feel.

mossy82

cheers for all the advice lads,

really appreciate it, some real good stuff there but gonna refrain from buying either as insurance and tax come to over 2grand and thats not really feasable right now but some day an old saab 900 will be mine.

Thanks.

mumblin deaf ro

If you get one that's over twenty years old you can insure it for €190 through a classic car club provided it's your second car.

Murphys001

... and if any owner is looking for parts for a classic 900, please send me a PM or visit one of the regular owners club meetings. I would be known by most owners including mumblin deaf ro

Richard

mumblin deaf ro

Murphys001 wrote: »

... and if any owner is looking for parts for a classic 900, please send me a PM or visit one of the regular owners club meetings. I would be known by most owners including mumblin deaf ro

Richard

Absolutely.

jimjims64

Murphys001 wrote: »

... and if any owner is looking for parts for a classic 900, please send me a PM or visit one of the regular owners club meetings. I would be known by most owners including mumblin deaf ro

Richard

Hi i am actually looking for an interior for a 1988 3door Turbo if you have one available? A grey would be perfect including leather or velour seats if possible..
I actually bought the saab from a friend of dara mccormac...it needs a bit of restoration though. The first thing im doing is taking out the horrible tan leather interior...its in good nick but the colour is rotton..:(

And the car 1993 aero at the top of the page that ye are talking about is a LPT.. if you look at the pictures, the 'S' badge is on the boot:rolleyes: (which means LPT), mine is the full 175!!:D

PaulK_CCI

jimjims64 wrote: »

And the car 1993 aero at the top of the page that ye are talking about is a LPT.. if you look at the pictures, the 'S' badge is on the boot:rolleyes: (which means LPT), mine is the full 175!!:D

The 'S' designation that Saab has used through the years is confusing, but the badge does not say '900S' but 900 Turbo S, which means T16S FPT with red apc, so the full 185 off factory. The models are sometimes called 'GT' or Aero depending on the market.
Another 'anorak' sign is the Turbo gauge in the dash: an LPT does not have a turbo gauge, this car has