RE: SOTW: Saab 900 Turbo(s)
Discussion
Well, these are proper old girls by now and most haven't been maintained to the highest standard - especially in the US where the aftermarket is all about low, cost, low quality, high convenience - you can bet every single car drives differently. I've been in some right 900 grotboxes - most of them belonging to mechanics! 
Here's my old one and like just about every one else who has owned one, I liked it!
When I bought it, it looked terrible, really dull and flat paint, everyone thought I was mad.
But it cleaned up a treat.
In the time i had it, one ball joint was replaced and it started to get lots of electrical gremlins, eventually breaking down.
The alternator was repaired, and all of the electrical problems dissappeared!
When I bought it, it looked terrible, really dull and flat paint, everyone thought I was mad.
But it cleaned up a treat.
In the time i had it, one ball joint was replaced and it started to get lots of electrical gremlins, eventually breaking down.
The alternator was repaired, and all of the electrical problems dissappeared!
drivin_me_nuts said:
Fred1975 said:
Used to drive a few friends' 900s in the US - 900S lfitback and a turbo. Completely agricultural to drive (an old four-pot Ford Ranger with chopped springs is a decent comparison to the S - alternatively a very early 911 driven in reverse with only one bank of cylinders operative), marginal reliability and yes, the torque steer on the turbo is only acceptable if you've had the bad luck to have tried to drive a Viggen hard. I.e. into a ditch.
It's really a pity they weren't better engineered in the first place, because they're phenomenally wonderful cars for driving around and carrying stuff. Huge headroom, amazing panoramic windcreen which is near-vertical for minimal glare, the most comfortable seats on any car ever, and in the liftback version, a boot the size of a Fiesta. Not a Fiesta's boot, a whole Fiesta.
If you could still buy them new and didn't have to pay for petrol or maintenace, they would be the perfect daily driver.
.. that's interesting, your first paragraph is completely at odds to the many here who write about the ride, handling and torque steer was pretty minimal, even when you up the power a bit. It's really a pity they weren't better engineered in the first place, because they're phenomenally wonderful cars for driving around and carrying stuff. Huge headroom, amazing panoramic windcreen which is near-vertical for minimal glare, the most comfortable seats on any car ever, and in the liftback version, a boot the size of a Fiesta. Not a Fiesta's boot, a whole Fiesta.
If you could still buy them new and didn't have to pay for petrol or maintenace, they would be the perfect daily driver.
gforceg said:
Thanks Mr Clip, that was genuinely interesting and entertaining mate. Nice writing.
Cheers
Greg
Thanks Greg. It's nice to be appreciated Cheers
Greg
If the SAAB hadn't been such an intriguing car I wouldn't have had so much to write about eh? BTW aeropilot, I know that's a '99 but I couldn't find an '80 with the right paint and wheels on google
Also I forgot to mention something about the car, the front seats had a really nice mechanism so you just pulled a lever and the whole seat came out of the car! It was dead handy when the squab support (which was like really heavy hessian material) ripped and I had to stitch it up with string.
And the headlining dropped on my head when I was driving. It was really scary because sometimes these big b
ds...
will get in your car and I thought one had got in and dropped on my head!
I fixed the headlining with spray adhesive.
SAAB 900 Turbo. It wasn't just a car, it was an adventure and an education.
Edited by Fresh_Clip on Tuesday 18th January 06:01
Super job Steve. I suppose you take the headlining out to do that. I just pulled the edge down so I could get to the base board and sprayed it with contact adhesive. Then I sprayed the lining, waited for the requisite time (or maybe a bit less 
)and stuck it back up. I had a few creases and finger prints but at least ! wasn't driving around in a tent any more!
)and stuck it back up. I had a few creases and finger prints but at least ! wasn't driving around in a tent any more! Sticking it up is definitely better than having atent wandering around in the back of the car.
An XJS i did once had bamboo canes stretched across to stop it from coming down.
Yes I have to strip the whole lot down and to be honest, if I didn't have the use of my friends workshop I almost certainly wouldn't do the job. I've seen headlinings done DIY and they seem to fall down quite quickly. Recently saw a car that had been purchased .. and it had the headlining done by a well known specialist .. and its' headlining was already beginning to fall.... within 1 year of the invoice.
My own car was the first I did and I've owned it for some 8 years + and it's still where I want it to be
A nice clean headlining does make a difference to the feeling about the car
Steve
An XJS i did once had bamboo canes stretched across to stop it from coming down.
Yes I have to strip the whole lot down and to be honest, if I didn't have the use of my friends workshop I almost certainly wouldn't do the job. I've seen headlinings done DIY and they seem to fall down quite quickly. Recently saw a car that had been purchased .. and it had the headlining done by a well known specialist .. and its' headlining was already beginning to fall.... within 1 year of the invoice.
My own car was the first I did and I've owned it for some 8 years + and it's still where I want it to be
A nice clean headlining does make a difference to the feeling about the car
Steve
Back then, I took off the headliner shell, stripped it myself (dirty, rotten job) and had the local retrimmers put the new stuff on for the princely sum of about eighty quid (I only did the C-pillar covers myself) - when I sold the car over a decade later it was still looking fine.
stevelewis said:
Sticking it up is definitely better than having atent wandering around in the back of the car.
An XJS i did once had bamboo canes stretched across to stop it from coming down.
Yes I have to strip the whole lot down and to be honest, if I didn't have the use of my friends workshop I almost certainly wouldn't do the job. I've seen headlinings done DIY and they seem to fall down quite quickly. Recently saw a car that had been purchased .. and it had the headlining done by a well known specialist .. and its' headlining was already beginning to fall.... within 1 year of the invoice.
My own car was the first I did and I've owned it for some 8 years + and it's still where I want it to be
A nice clean headlining does make a difference to the feeling about the car
Steve
An XJS i did once had bamboo canes stretched across to stop it from coming down.
Yes I have to strip the whole lot down and to be honest, if I didn't have the use of my friends workshop I almost certainly wouldn't do the job. I've seen headlinings done DIY and they seem to fall down quite quickly. Recently saw a car that had been purchased .. and it had the headlining done by a well known specialist .. and its' headlining was already beginning to fall.... within 1 year of the invoice.
My own car was the first I did and I've owned it for some 8 years + and it's still where I want it to be
A nice clean headlining does make a difference to the feeling about the car
Steve
. Try a 900i first ... I have put one away for my lad .. he's only 14 at the moment.
Another 900 fan got a quote .. in fairness with the father as the main driver (so not really representative) but it was £1200 for an 18 year old.
I suspect you'll find that they're no worse than a eurobox mobile you can afford.
Petrol will be dearer though, don't expect more than 32mpg but it won't drop below 25mpg... on the plus side it's a hell of a lot more useful than a eurobox as a tool. Built like a tank so you'll be as safe and it won't show the minor dings and dangs you might get. Most have a sunroof, electric windows and mirrors as well as headlamp wash/wipe.
It won't have that turbo burble but it'll give you something to aim for, I do believe in the argument that because you wanted to own it and it's old that you'll look after it and perhaps accumulate your no claims faster.
Potentially a 1k - 2k car might well still be worth that money when you swap
Steve
He has plans for some alloys to liven it up a bit ... we'll see... paid £500 for this one ... 2 owner.. bought from the daughter of the person I did the headlining for .. a lovely chap who diesd 1-2 years after I did the headlining
Another 900 fan got a quote .. in fairness with the father as the main driver (so not really representative) but it was £1200 for an 18 year old.
I suspect you'll find that they're no worse than a eurobox mobile you can afford.
Petrol will be dearer though, don't expect more than 32mpg but it won't drop below 25mpg... on the plus side it's a hell of a lot more useful than a eurobox as a tool. Built like a tank so you'll be as safe and it won't show the minor dings and dangs you might get. Most have a sunroof, electric windows and mirrors as well as headlamp wash/wipe.
It won't have that turbo burble but it'll give you something to aim for, I do believe in the argument that because you wanted to own it and it's old that you'll look after it and perhaps accumulate your no claims faster.
Potentially a 1k - 2k car might well still be worth that money when you swap
Steve
He has plans for some alloys to liven it up a bit ... we'll see... paid £500 for this one ... 2 owner.. bought from the daughter of the person I did the headlining for .. a lovely chap who diesd 1-2 years after I did the headlining
When I got my car over 6 years ago the headlining was sagging over the rear seats. I bought a packet of upholstery pins from the haberdashery dept at John Lewis for a couple of quid, and pinned it up.
Still fine now! Although on damp mornings it does sag a touch over my head and rest on me
One of these days I will pop down to see you Steve, more pressing things need attention first though
Still fine now! Although on damp mornings it does sag a touch over my head and rest on me
One of these days I will pop down to see you Steve, more pressing things need attention first though
Steve: I would only caution others following your lead re your child to ensure that their offspring get to understand what the terrible plough-on understeer can be like if you just chuck it into a corner too fast without power. these cars make you feel invulnerable, as does being 17/18. With all of that weight out ahead of the front wheels, these don't make ideal first cars, especially in country areas, for gung-ho youngsters.
The flip side is that, if you work out how they handle, you can easily be the fastest thing around on a flowing country road...
The flip side is that, if you work out how they handle, you can easily be the fastest thing around on a flowing country road...
skwdenyer said:
Steve: I would only caution others following your lead re your child to ensure that their offspring get to understand what the terrible plough-on understeer can be like if you just chuck it into a corner too fast without power.
Remove the front ARB or put an OE rear ARB on if your car didn't come with them - you can pretty much turn into corners without using the steering then... Holy thread revival! Just reading up on the 900 as I'm helping recommission one. It is one of the below mentioned : Saab 900 turbo sprint Wimbledon. You're right it's an 8v turbo with intercooler, bilsteins, body kit etc, looks the business!
I'll try and get some pics up at some point.
I'll try and get some pics up at some point.
Jobbo said:
Did anyone ever own, or even see, any of the dealer special 900 Turbos offered by Wimbledon Saab in the mid-1980s? I think they were all pre-facelift and based on 8v Turbos; the dealer had an advert each month in Car but I don't recall ever seeing one in the flesh.
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