Any Saab 900 owners?

[Boomy]

Not sure why but i purchased an ebay car a few days ago, all being well i will pick it up on Saturday.

It's a 2.3 Saab 900 talladega thingy, seems ok for the grand i paid for it so was curious to know if anyone has much to say about them.

I know they are a marmite car, but for some reason i have always wanted to try one after a few BM's/Audi etc etc.

So, it's on 96000 with history and has had 2 owners, can i expect anything terribly expensive to fall off soon blah blah blah?

This is part of my mission to have cheaper 'normal' type motoring for day to day stuff and spend anything else on kit car ownership.

A much bigger mortgage also contributed to the cause

No doubt i should of asked the experts before i bid, but what the heck, another itch scratched i guess even if it turns into a money pit and i sell it at a loss in a months time!.

Oh it's a 2 door manual on an R plate.Also been advised you have to put it in reverse to turn it off?!

[KerryS]

Quirky cars Saabs. I used to lust   after a type 96 years and years ago. Mate got one, a V-4 that promptly burst into flames. Went off the idea

Kerry S

[Andrew Mills]

I've got a 900 2.3 litre S its on a M plate and has covered 110,000.  I am doing between 70 - 100 miles a day and I have owned it for 14 months.  It had 85k on the clock when I bought it.

I have found it cheaper to run than a Xantia Diesel and alot more enjoyable to drive.  I would recommend 16 inch wheels if you don't have them.

I would always recommend a full service history as Saabs can be expensive to repair but there are numerous specialists around.  Mind you I still get mine done at the local village garage and they have done me proud.

Yes you will have to park it in reverse or it won't let you remove the key from the ignition.  I just view it as an extra security item as no one will be able to roll it onto a trailer unless they have the key even if they have broken in.

Happy motoring.  Oh and it can be a bit thirsty if your heavy with the right foot.

Andrew

[Boomy]

Cheers, sounds ok so far then but i will carry a fire extinguisher just in case  

You ever had to have a clutch on it Andrew and if so was it expensive?

Only asking as the only fault suggested when i asked (apart from a few car park dinks etc) was a slightly heavy clutch pedal, not sure if that is a sign of the clutch going awol at some point or just a saab trait.

I mean i have driven cars in the past that people suggested had heavy clutches and had no idea at all why they thought they were heavy, they seemed fine to me.

Maybe it just depends what you are used to or what you have driven in the past.

I must admit i used to jump out of one of my old cars many moons ago and nearly shove the clutch pedal through the floor on other vehicles.I only realised it had a heavy clutch after getting into new works vehicles.My leg was in a kind of auto pilot mode after driving mine, ready to depress the pedal with maximum force!.

I suppose it's a bit like lifting say 5 identical looking boxes with the first four being damn heavy and the last being empty.By the time you get to the 5th one you almost ram it through the ceiling as you exert maximum lift.

This is the car anyway although the interior shot is from another picture of the same model.

Not sure if the wheels are 16's or not yet btw.

[Blatman]

Last car I picked up with a heavy clutch was resolved when the gaiter over the cable at the bellhousing was removed and refitted *properly*...

IE, it could be something simple like a dry linkage or the carpet tucked up round the pedal...

[stu999]

Expensive Vectra...

[perksy]

Used to work for a Company that Did alot of the Body panels on these, Only other car that had Similar Steel Spec' & Strength was Volvo,

Not Quite a Hummer, But they're Strong...

[Boomy]

Expensive Vectra...

Yeah someone said to me they were based on the cavalier chassis but with a few saab tweaks.Learn something new every day!

[Mark Stanton]

Yep ..........Vectra = Saab    

I believe saab seats come very highly recommended for anyone that suffers with back pain ........... they're reportedly some of the most supportive around and designed with the input of Swedish osteopaths