Learning to drive in a 1999 Saab 9-3 turbo se
Discussion
The Long Story
So Mrs AndyRun has had her provisional licence 5 years or so now. A few years back we purchased a V-reg Fiesta 1.25 zetec for her to practice in but, despite a load of lessons, she never got round to taking her practical test and the car ended its life as scrap metal.
Fast forward to a year or so back and she had a few lessons in an automatic and reported that it was about a million times easier and could not understand why I ever got her to drive/learn in a manual car.
Anyway, we decided to stop the lessons for a bit until I had found her a nice automatic car which she could practice in while maybe taking a lesson a week with an instructor at the same time.
So the search began - for a year or so I have half heartedly browsed Gumtree, Ebay, A.T, local dealers, but nothing much really caught my eye to the extent that I wanted to part with my cash. Or if I did it was gone by the time I enquired about it. I was reasonably close to purchasing a Peugeot 306 cabriolet 2.0 (W reg) just before Christmas but the fella wanted £600 for it and I'd decided I was not going higher than 500 quid.
Anyway, browsing Gumtree last Thursday (Feb 12th) a Saab 9-3 turbo auto convertible popped up, '0 miles' away from me in Norwich. T reg (1999), £725, a mere 138,527 miles, just had a fresh MOT with no advisories. My interest could hardly be contained when I checked the location and realised it was less than a mile from me. I spoke to the seller and arranged to see the car the following day after work. Come Friday, off I wandered with my pockets stuffed with cash - not being experienced in buying cars from private sellers, I half wondered if I was about to be robbed.
The car was pretty much as described though, the chap seemed nice and genuine (albeit selling it for his 'brother' who now has a BMW 1 Series). I had a little drive around the communal car park, he showed me how the electric roof worked. I poked around the car but concluded it was in pretty good condition for a 138K, 15 year old car. I looked over the sparse paperwork (the V5 and a couple of MOT certificates) before we negotiated a price. He suggested 680, I told him the Autotrader valauation was 610. We shook hands at £650. A short while later, it was parked on our driveway, much to the delight of Mrs A.
Obviously it's a convertible (and the Peugeot I nearly bought was as well) but that was never a criteria for me or Mrs A, just coincidence really and I'd rather it was not, given a choice.
I've looked over the MOT history online and it's not been used a great deal over the last few years - 2049 miles since its 2014 MOT, 96 miles in the year before that, less than 2000 miles the year before that....
With regard to the engine, I actually spent a couple of days having no idea what I had purchased. The fella I got it off had no idea. A little research showed these engines come in various states of tune - the low pressure turbo (154bhp), the full Turbo ( 185bhp) and the HOT (205bhp). A bit of a simplistic summary, but you get the idea. Anyway, it's no racing car to drive so I pretty much knew it must be a LPT, which is fine as I don't really want Mrs A careering wildly around the place before she's actually mastered the art of controlling a car. My suspicions were confirmed by this thread on PH, from 2007 -
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
So the 8th letter of my VIN number is a 'T' - therefore it's a 2.0 T, B204E engine which is the low pressure turbo.
In terms of the 'spec', it has a leather interior, PAS, heated seats (have not actually tested them), possibly aircon (but again I haven't worked out where this is), the electric windows and heater works as it should. The auto box has a 'sport' button. Considering its age, it really isn't a bad place to sit and ride.
Since we've had the car we've probably done about 100 miles, Mrs A has been out for a few drives, I've used it to go to work a couple of times. All seems well - I've zero experience of auto boxes but it seems to work as it should, the engine runs ok, with no nasty noises. The suspension feels firm, but there's no nasty knocks.
To be honest, if we get 6 months to a year out of this I will be very happy. I'm no mechanic so I plan to book it in for an oil and filter service. I guess asking for the gearbox oil to be changed as well would do no harm. The roof needs a proper clean but I haven't got round to purchasing the suitable cleaning materials as yet. Apart from that the plan is just to drive it, and if it all goes wrong it will end up as spares and repairs on ebay, I guess, and we'll have lost a few hundred quid at most. Oh, and the insurance for Mrs A, with me as a named driver was about £580 for the year.
The SHORT story
Mrs AndyRun is learning to drive. A 1999 Saab 9-3 turbo auto (154bhp) convertible has been purchased for £650. 12 months MOT, 138k miles. Planning an oil and filter service and a clean, but not much else.
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/cziFZ2zk.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/QiqZOtVq" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/QiqZOtVq.jpg)
On a trip down the A11, from Norwich to Snetterton today -
So Mrs AndyRun has had her provisional licence 5 years or so now. A few years back we purchased a V-reg Fiesta 1.25 zetec for her to practice in but, despite a load of lessons, she never got round to taking her practical test and the car ended its life as scrap metal.
Fast forward to a year or so back and she had a few lessons in an automatic and reported that it was about a million times easier and could not understand why I ever got her to drive/learn in a manual car.
Anyway, we decided to stop the lessons for a bit until I had found her a nice automatic car which she could practice in while maybe taking a lesson a week with an instructor at the same time.
So the search began - for a year or so I have half heartedly browsed Gumtree, Ebay, A.T, local dealers, but nothing much really caught my eye to the extent that I wanted to part with my cash. Or if I did it was gone by the time I enquired about it. I was reasonably close to purchasing a Peugeot 306 cabriolet 2.0 (W reg) just before Christmas but the fella wanted £600 for it and I'd decided I was not going higher than 500 quid.
Anyway, browsing Gumtree last Thursday (Feb 12th) a Saab 9-3 turbo auto convertible popped up, '0 miles' away from me in Norwich. T reg (1999), £725, a mere 138,527 miles, just had a fresh MOT with no advisories. My interest could hardly be contained when I checked the location and realised it was less than a mile from me. I spoke to the seller and arranged to see the car the following day after work. Come Friday, off I wandered with my pockets stuffed with cash - not being experienced in buying cars from private sellers, I half wondered if I was about to be robbed.
The car was pretty much as described though, the chap seemed nice and genuine (albeit selling it for his 'brother' who now has a BMW 1 Series). I had a little drive around the communal car park, he showed me how the electric roof worked. I poked around the car but concluded it was in pretty good condition for a 138K, 15 year old car. I looked over the sparse paperwork (the V5 and a couple of MOT certificates) before we negotiated a price. He suggested 680, I told him the Autotrader valauation was 610. We shook hands at £650. A short while later, it was parked on our driveway, much to the delight of Mrs A.
Obviously it's a convertible (and the Peugeot I nearly bought was as well) but that was never a criteria for me or Mrs A, just coincidence really and I'd rather it was not, given a choice.
I've looked over the MOT history online and it's not been used a great deal over the last few years - 2049 miles since its 2014 MOT, 96 miles in the year before that, less than 2000 miles the year before that....
With regard to the engine, I actually spent a couple of days having no idea what I had purchased. The fella I got it off had no idea. A little research showed these engines come in various states of tune - the low pressure turbo (154bhp), the full Turbo ( 185bhp) and the HOT (205bhp). A bit of a simplistic summary, but you get the idea. Anyway, it's no racing car to drive so I pretty much knew it must be a LPT, which is fine as I don't really want Mrs A careering wildly around the place before she's actually mastered the art of controlling a car. My suspicions were confirmed by this thread on PH, from 2007 -
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
So the 8th letter of my VIN number is a 'T' - therefore it's a 2.0 T, B204E engine which is the low pressure turbo.
In terms of the 'spec', it has a leather interior, PAS, heated seats (have not actually tested them), possibly aircon (but again I haven't worked out where this is), the electric windows and heater works as it should. The auto box has a 'sport' button. Considering its age, it really isn't a bad place to sit and ride.
Since we've had the car we've probably done about 100 miles, Mrs A has been out for a few drives, I've used it to go to work a couple of times. All seems well - I've zero experience of auto boxes but it seems to work as it should, the engine runs ok, with no nasty noises. The suspension feels firm, but there's no nasty knocks.
To be honest, if we get 6 months to a year out of this I will be very happy. I'm no mechanic so I plan to book it in for an oil and filter service. I guess asking for the gearbox oil to be changed as well would do no harm. The roof needs a proper clean but I haven't got round to purchasing the suitable cleaning materials as yet. Apart from that the plan is just to drive it, and if it all goes wrong it will end up as spares and repairs on ebay, I guess, and we'll have lost a few hundred quid at most. Oh, and the insurance for Mrs A, with me as a named driver was about £580 for the year.
The SHORT story
Mrs AndyRun is learning to drive. A 1999 Saab 9-3 turbo auto (154bhp) convertible has been purchased for £650. 12 months MOT, 138k miles. Planning an oil and filter service and a clean, but not much else.
On a trip down the A11, from Norwich to Snetterton today -
Lucky lady! I have been looking for a nice Saab convertible to replace my ancient Megane Convertible over the winter and any I have looked at have been dogs. If there is an indpendent Saab grage nearby it's worth dropping the sump and getting a full filter clean just to be safe. Also worth looking for a strut brace too - make a big difference to its handling. Meanwhile enjoy!
It's well worth giving the roof a scrub with the fuchsia colour bottle Johnson baby wash and a fabsil reproofing. 30 quid for materials and brushes and it'll do the roof wonders. I reproofed mine a year ago and it's still beading wonderfully.
Lovely car to learn in, and a good price too.
Lovely car to learn in, and a good price too.
Not a bad learner car!! I had one a couple years ago, I liked it 
http://www.uksaabs.co.uk/UKS/viewtopic.php?f=35&am...
Is the bulkhead ok as these can crack. Sit in the drivers seat and watch the pedals as you move the steering wheel lock to lock, if there's lot of movement it's probbaly cracked. Not the end of the world though as it can be fixed realtively cheapy, I think it's an MOT fail though so just be aware of that.
Probably worth getting a steering rack & brace from PFS (£100) they also suffer a LOT from skuttle shake so a subframe brace also helps here.
I would suggest a remap but if it's her learner car....I'd leave that for a bit as it takes it from 154bhp to around 220
but bang per buck it's the best mod to get
http://www.uksaabs.co.uk/UKS/viewtopic.php?f=35&am...
Is the bulkhead ok as these can crack. Sit in the drivers seat and watch the pedals as you move the steering wheel lock to lock, if there's lot of movement it's probbaly cracked. Not the end of the world though as it can be fixed realtively cheapy, I think it's an MOT fail though so just be aware of that.
Probably worth getting a steering rack & brace from PFS (£100) they also suffer a LOT from skuttle shake so a subframe brace also helps here.
I would suggest a remap but if it's her learner car....I'd leave that for a bit as it takes it from 154bhp to around 220
but bang per buck it's the best mod to get 2013BRM said:
Beware the dreaded bulkhead crack, depending on severity it can be a write off as the repair requires the bulkhead to be cleared of stuff like the brake servo to access it for welding. On Saabs this is usually fatal economically. I was quoted £400
I believe that you can get a modified steering rack which braces any weak spots without the need for welding - I saw it on Wheeler Dealers, so take it with a pinch of salt... And if you like the car, £400 to futureproof it seems like a good price. Same as a couple of tyres and a tank of fuel, really. OpulentBob said:
I believe that you can get a modified steering rack which braces any weak spots without the need for welding - I saw it on Wheeler Dealers, so take it with a pinch of salt... And if you like the car, £400 to futureproof it seems like a good price. Same as a couple of tyres and a tank of fuel, really.
No mate that's the steering rack clamp & brace I mentioned. Abbott Racing sell the original ones for £200 or there's the PFS version for £100. Abbotts is better but not sure it's £100 worth better....Once the bulkheads split.....that's it it's split. The brace won't help here but it is worth fitting imo. It used to be an engine out job but now there's a kit (few bits of metal) to weld over the cracks and can be done with the engine in situ. I think it's around £400 to get done.
Understood, thanksandy118run said:
Thanks, some good tips and advice there.
I assume the bulkhead is okay as it was only MOT'd a week or so back but I'll certainly look into that one.
Nice tip about cleaning the roof there.
Think I'll pass on the re-map, as much as I like the idea. 154bhp is plenty for Mrs A for now.
do, as not every MOT centre knows about it, mine was cracked on the left of the brake servo, badly, get someone to turn the wheel while you rummage around with a torchI assume the bulkhead is okay as it was only MOT'd a week or so back but I'll certainly look into that one.
Nice tip about cleaning the roof there.
Think I'll pass on the re-map, as much as I like the idea. 154bhp is plenty for Mrs A for now.
++++++++++++++ UPDATE TIME +++++++++++++++++++++++
Well, looking for a bit of advice from the wise men who frequent this place more than anything.
In the couple of months we've had the car it's done just short of 700 miles, primarily it's been my daily runabout, conveying me a few miles to and from work, running shopping errands and the like.
It's performed largely without fault, starts first time, runs nicely, seems to steer as it should, goes over bumps smoothly etc.
However, I now have a problem which I suspect will ultimately be its sad demise. My problem started when the roof failed to close properly (left a gap of a couple of inches at the back). My local Saab 'specialist' looked at this, charged 40 pounds or so to close the roof there and then and quoted another 40 pounds or so to replace a 'pin' so the roof would be operational again. Fair enough.
This week, I left the car with them to do this job and asked them to investigate a couple of rattles and clunks which have been annoying me from time to time. Unfortunately, the details of our previous meeting have disappeared and the cost of replacing the 'shear pin' is now £237.50.
But that's just the tip of the iceberg. They test drove it and seemed to concur that it drives okay. However, upon closer examination on the ramp they have come up with a list of faults as long as my arm, including the dreaded crack in the bulkhead. For this they quote around £500. Other issues raised include front and rear pads and discs require replacement, exhaust has a limited service life, hood rams leaking, front antiroll bar bushes noisy. Apparently, the intermittent clunking and rattling I reported is a rear brake calliper.
So getting to the point. What to do? I am in no way handy with a spanner so a bit of DIY is not an option. Is it worth getting a second opinion? I wasn't overly keen on these people (ie. I wouldn't go there again) but then they generally seem reputable. Had I not been there I would probably have been happily bumbling around in the car for the next few months, unaware of its issues. Not sure it's a great car for Mrs Andyrun to now be learning in though.
I have looked through various forums including on here with regard to the bulkhead issue. This thread was quite useful - http://www.saabcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t...
Lots of opinions, some people seem not too bothered by it and carry on driving, although the majority view seems to be that it's an MOT failure and needs sorting.
One thing that does annoy me is that the car was MOT'd less than 700 miles ago and had no advisories. How can it be that all brakes need doing now, and the exhaust is on its last legs? I can understand that a cracked bulkhead is not always obvious.
Anyway, any advice or suggestions welcome but I am strongly leaning towards sticking this on ebay/gumtree as spares and repairs and seeing if I can recoup any of my £650 or so outlay.
Well, looking for a bit of advice from the wise men who frequent this place more than anything.
In the couple of months we've had the car it's done just short of 700 miles, primarily it's been my daily runabout, conveying me a few miles to and from work, running shopping errands and the like.
It's performed largely without fault, starts first time, runs nicely, seems to steer as it should, goes over bumps smoothly etc.
However, I now have a problem which I suspect will ultimately be its sad demise. My problem started when the roof failed to close properly (left a gap of a couple of inches at the back). My local Saab 'specialist' looked at this, charged 40 pounds or so to close the roof there and then and quoted another 40 pounds or so to replace a 'pin' so the roof would be operational again. Fair enough.
This week, I left the car with them to do this job and asked them to investigate a couple of rattles and clunks which have been annoying me from time to time. Unfortunately, the details of our previous meeting have disappeared and the cost of replacing the 'shear pin' is now £237.50.
But that's just the tip of the iceberg. They test drove it and seemed to concur that it drives okay. However, upon closer examination on the ramp they have come up with a list of faults as long as my arm, including the dreaded crack in the bulkhead. For this they quote around £500. Other issues raised include front and rear pads and discs require replacement, exhaust has a limited service life, hood rams leaking, front antiroll bar bushes noisy. Apparently, the intermittent clunking and rattling I reported is a rear brake calliper.
So getting to the point. What to do? I am in no way handy with a spanner so a bit of DIY is not an option. Is it worth getting a second opinion? I wasn't overly keen on these people (ie. I wouldn't go there again) but then they generally seem reputable. Had I not been there I would probably have been happily bumbling around in the car for the next few months, unaware of its issues. Not sure it's a great car for Mrs Andyrun to now be learning in though.
I have looked through various forums including on here with regard to the bulkhead issue. This thread was quite useful - http://www.saabcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t...
Lots of opinions, some people seem not too bothered by it and carry on driving, although the majority view seems to be that it's an MOT failure and needs sorting.
One thing that does annoy me is that the car was MOT'd less than 700 miles ago and had no advisories. How can it be that all brakes need doing now, and the exhaust is on its last legs? I can understand that a cracked bulkhead is not always obvious.
Anyway, any advice or suggestions welcome but I am strongly leaning towards sticking this on ebay/gumtree as spares and repairs and seeing if I can recoup any of my £650 or so outlay.
I have a '99 vert too, you did well I paid £100 more but mine is lower spec!
There are plenty of specialists around that will do the Bulkhead for around £250-350, Offord Motor Co. in st Neots is closest I know to Narge, but there might be closer ones
Don't worry about the roof rams leaking, they all do that, a can of Hydraulic fluid from halfords is £15 and just top it up once or twice a year.
£40 to close your roof is scandalous! there is a process where you fold the rear seat down (use the key top left to unlock it) remove a rubber grommet and then turn a valve to relieve the hydraulic pressure, you can then just move the roof!
Bushes are a usual issue, but if they are not bothering you, and they weren't an MoT advisory there is no rush
leave your exhaust until it actually starts blowing
Brakes are Vectra ones, so cheap as chips, any car place can do them for you.
If I were you I would put a post on UKSaabs asking for the best independant near you and put it in there for a second opinion., you should be able to get it sorted gently over the next year leading up to its next MoT
I have used these guys since 2000 to look after my 7 SAABs (6 purchased from them)
http://www.offordmotorco.co.uk/mot-service
There are plenty of specialists around that will do the Bulkhead for around £250-350, Offord Motor Co. in st Neots is closest I know to Narge, but there might be closer ones
Don't worry about the roof rams leaking, they all do that, a can of Hydraulic fluid from halfords is £15 and just top it up once or twice a year.
£40 to close your roof is scandalous! there is a process where you fold the rear seat down (use the key top left to unlock it) remove a rubber grommet and then turn a valve to relieve the hydraulic pressure, you can then just move the roof!
Bushes are a usual issue, but if they are not bothering you, and they weren't an MoT advisory there is no rush
leave your exhaust until it actually starts blowing
Brakes are Vectra ones, so cheap as chips, any car place can do them for you.
If I were you I would put a post on UKSaabs asking for the best independant near you and put it in there for a second opinion., you should be able to get it sorted gently over the next year leading up to its next MoT
I have used these guys since 2000 to look after my 7 SAABs (6 purchased from them)
http://www.offordmotorco.co.uk/mot-service
Fat Albert said:
£40 to close your roof is scandalous! there is a process where you fold the rear seat down (use the key top left to unlock it) remove a rubber grommet and then turn a valve to relieve the hydraulic pressure, you can then just move the roof!
Thanks for the tips. There's some food for thought in there as I have pretty much given up on reviving the car to its former glory at the mo.With regard to the roof - it operates okay, opens and folds away alright. The only problem I have is when I want to close it, it pretty much gives up and leaves a small gap where it should close at the back.
However, if I do what you describe above I should be able to enjoy a little bit of top down motoring and then close the roof without too much hassle? once the hydraulic pressure is relieved it's easy to get it secured/locked back in place? I'm tempted to play around with this when the weather is better but I don't want to get myself in a pickle!
andy118run said:
Thanks for the tips. There's some food for thought in there as I have pretty much given up on reviving the car to its former glory at the mo.
With regard to the roof - it operates okay, opens and folds away alright. The only problem I have is when I want to close it, it pretty much gives up and leaves a small gap where it should close at the back.
However, if I do what you describe above I should be able to enjoy a little bit of top down motoring and then close the roof without too much hassle? once the hydraulic pressure is relieved it's easy to get it secured/locked back in place? I'm tempted to play around with this when the weather is better but I don't want to get myself in a pickle!
Does the roof close fully then pop back up at the back leaving a gap? Mine did this as the lugs wouldn't lock the roof in place, turned out to be a broken -ve wire that just needed resoldering and had no problems after that. If you open the roof slightly so the rear cover comes up and exposes the roof bag, pull the bag open from the corner and the wirings there (can't remember what side now as it was a few years ago. It might be something else but worth having a look here as it's an easy fix.With regard to the roof - it operates okay, opens and folds away alright. The only problem I have is when I want to close it, it pretty much gives up and leaves a small gap where it should close at the back.
However, if I do what you describe above I should be able to enjoy a little bit of top down motoring and then close the roof without too much hassle? once the hydraulic pressure is relieved it's easy to get it secured/locked back in place? I'm tempted to play around with this when the weather is better but I don't want to get myself in a pickle!
griffin dai said:
Does the roof close fully then pop back up at the back leaving a gap? Mine did this as the lugs wouldn't lock the roof in place, turned out to be a broken -ve wire that just needed resoldering and had no problems after that. If you open the roof slightly so the rear cover comes up and exposes the roof bag, pull the bag open from the corner and the wirings there (can't remember what side now as it was a few years ago. It might be something else but worth having a look here as it's an easy fix.
Not quite that - it won't get to the point of closing fully, it will stop an inch or two short. I noted that those lugs which lock the roof in place could be either locked or open, but as the roof did not reach that point it did not really matter (whether locked or open).Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff