Kevin Groat

Considering a £2k'ish 900 or 9000 turbo as a 2nd car. Spec of cars around this price is good (high miles) but are they cheap to run and repair? I do my own servicing so wouldn't be anywhere near a dealer - are parts cheap though and any models to avoid?

Kevin.

Trem

iTrader: (3)

Saab's are fantastic cars, I had one with half a million miles on it......then the turbo blew up up!

They are great cars, problems with the hydralic(sp) clutch sometimes.

Fluffer

Pattern parts from German Swedish and French are reasonably cheap - but these were very expensive cars when new so expect high prices for hard to get items like ECU's etc.

Having said that they are old enough to be get parts at the scrappers. Top motors and love those heated seats.

Kevin Mc

They can be reliable and cheap to run, but you need to make sure you get a well cared for example. However, prices are really cheap - can easily pick up early 1990's stuff with FSSH for around a grand now.

If they go wrong they can be expensive though as fluffer said - many parts can now be had from Scrappies. Also use specialists instead of dealers.

If you get one of the turbos they are good stealth cars too (I had a 220BHP 9000 2.3 Turbo). Add the practicality and safety and they're excellent buys.

Fluffer

If you get a fast one then watch that torque steer- or you will be in a hedge faster than you can say "200+ BHP in a front wheel drive car- interesting!"

Kevin Mc

Just read your post again - definately avoid early GM900 cars, i.e. new shape 900's 1994/95. They suffered a lot of teething problems though generally sorted by 1996.

Avoid early 1990's 9000 2.3turbos with TCS. If the TCS goes wrong it is horribly expensive (throttle housing £700, TCS/ABS pump £1400 plus labour!) Having said that, I didn't suffer any of these costs on my 9000 Carlsson (with TCS).

You'll probably find that "classic" 900's are more expensive than early NG900's as they're more sought after.

I'd just recommend a turbo (even a Light Pressure Turbo can easily be upgraded if needed) and it would have to have a Full Saab/Specialist History.

sempers

Cheap as chips, mechanically sound as can be.

9000 is best buy as they're less popular than the classic 900. Avoid early GM900's as mentioned. Gearbox a weak point on the early turbos (pinion bearing) - put it in 5th, and look for a whine that's sensitive to acceleration and goes away off throttle / if you dip the clutch, then again, I paid 350 for a gearbox rebuild, so not the end of the world. Scrap / specialist network, things like ECU's need not be that expensive..

Turbos are less sensitive than scooby's 'cos they're water cooled. Torque steer? Really? They tramline under hard acceleration, I'm sure you can produce it if you try, but in many miles of hard driving, I never experienced real torque steer. Equal length driveshafts help.

I'd say that on a 150k mile car, a service history proves nothing, it's perfectly possible to abuse the hell out of a car and service it regularly. By the same score, my 220k mile 900 didn't see a service stamp after about 70k, but was well looked after for it. Follow your nose...

Also may be worth visiting www.saabscene.co.uk

- Mark.

DAC

what do you mean avoid early GM900's

I've got a 1994 900SE 2.0 turbo (185bhp) 142,000 miles
nearly 2 years now and no major problems.
my next main car will be another saab too.

lowered suspension so it corners and holds road better - thats it other than oil changes.

(only main weak point is gearbox - especially reverse (check it doesnt jump out))
get around 30mpg normal driving
upto 40mpg steady motorway cruising.

my first saab - but it wont be the last

Corgi

I've got a 92 900S Aero with 55k on the clock, bought it of my dad 2 years ago with FSSH, there great cars and very reliable but cheap to run?? my @rse, for starters mine is group 20!! insurance and i get about 22 mpg around town and when things go wrong it cost a small fortune to repair and thats at a small indie garage, even non genuine parts are expensive, i'd sell it but it's probably only worth around £1-1.5k and you can't get much for that nowadays.

bubbles

200hp? A mere trifle. I run over 310hp and 347lbft from a 1993 9000CS with 188,000 miles on the clock. Torque steer is virtually non existent BTW.

Saabs are well made to start with, and are capable of very high mileages- as long as they're looked after properly. Yes, you'll have to replace bits, but they last longer than other marques and you can't really expect to drive a luxury car and not have to pay for it...

what would scooby do

I paid £950 for a SAAB 9000 as a second car to the scoob, you can get a sofa in the back, theives are too fashion concious to nick em, last for ever (mine is just run in @120k miles.

Bloody thing *HAS* blown a fuse once !!

only negative is the insurance groups are quite high relative to similar spec cars

[Edited by what would scooby do - 3/27/2003 2:45:20 PM]

Fluffer

I drove a Viggen and if that wsn't torque steer I would love to know what it was!

Kevin Mc

Standard Viggens were a bit lacking as far as the chassis not handling the power goes. Most have had "Viggen Rescue Kits" to sort it out!

Wouldn't get one for £2k though!

bubbles

Yeah, it's acknowledged that the out of the box handling of the Viggen is awful- but that's sorted by fitting an Abbott rescue kit.

[Edited by bubbles - 3/27/2003 3:03:57 PM]

Kevin Mc

Apparently 900S Aero's (LPT) are group 14, and the T16s is group 17. My old Carlsson was group 17.

Kevin Groat

Thanks for the advice - Autotrader here I come...........

Kevin.

Corgi

@Kevin Mc...Don't understand it myself mate, went from a 205 1.9GTI(which was grp14 i think) to the Saab through Performance Direct and my premium went up from about £300 to over £700, they assured me it was grp 20, PD were still cheaper than anywhere else.

Kevin Mc

Corgi - just nicked this from Saabscene

For the current saabs the ratings are here


http://www.motor-car-insurance-uk.co.uk/saab.htm

and um here for the older cars.

http://www.saabcentral.com/features/...nce_groups.php

It does depend which insurance company / broker you use. The ones I used to use for my old Fords, were aweful for the Saabs.

Kevin Mc

Just noticed - the link for new cars doesn't include the 9-5 Aero, which I'd guess was group 17.

47 NAT

Bought a '98/S 9-3 2.0SE auto (yukk, should of got a manual) in October last year, it had done 105k miles (full saab history) and paid £2k for it. Nice to drive and the build quality was superb. The seats were so comfy you hardly noticed how miles you were clocking.

...Nice cars, I really rate them pound for pound against some of the German marques.

Nath

MeatballTurbo

Saab 900's are wonderful.

I picked up a beauty. 900T16 1984 with 118k miles on the clock. First year of the T16 production. Factory body kit, factory 3 spoke Aero Alloys, no leather or Aircon, but cruise, Turbo, leccy windows, leccy sunroof, factory tints. 175bhp no cat to worry about (15-20bhp more than the CAT'd T16 Aeros), no AWD to sap more power

mate told me, if it really failed badly on the MOT, he would give me what I paid for it, for the Head alone, as the cams in the 84/85 where considerabley hairier than the later calmed down models

2.5months MOT. £325.

When MOT time came round noticed the front tyres were a little ropy. the noticed all tyres were the wrong size, so got a full set.

tyres £250 fitted Avon ZV1 V rated, 195/60VR15, inc Balancing.
Found the Bosch recirc dump valve was buggered and plugged off. fitted a Bailey for £89+delivery+VAT.

When it failed the MOT it was on so minor things it was incredible.
Broken front number plate, handbrake on passenger side sticking.
Number plate £10 handbrake free (an hour with some WD40, carb cleaner and copper grease).

under £700 I have a Turbo car with good mileage, good performance, moderate MPG, full set of new tyres, and a years ticket. oh yeah, and it will scare scoobs over 60.

[Edited by MeatballTurbo - 4/10/2003 5:04:36 PM]