Would I be mental to punt for a late 90's Saab 9-3 Vert?????
Discussion
Hope this dosnt get moved but I do see it as a gerenal question.
Further to recent posts, I'm considering buying a 9-3 convertible as I've always loved their stance and looks. I have a grand to splash out and wondered if I've gone totally mad.
Ideally I'd like to get one that could be tidied up over a short period and garaged as a summer cruiser but get me to the station for a couple of months.
Just wondering if anyone has owner a circa 1999-2001 saab 9-3 and what are they like????
Further to recent posts, I'm considering buying a 9-3 convertible as I've always loved their stance and looks. I have a grand to splash out and wondered if I've gone totally mad.
Ideally I'd like to get one that could be tidied up over a short period and garaged as a summer cruiser but get me to the station for a couple of months.
Just wondering if anyone has owner a circa 1999-2001 saab 9-3 and what are they like????
I Had a 2.0lpt in cosmic blue with leather interior, People will tell you they handle terribly they are fwd and scuttle shake is horrendous and the bulk head will be cracking but I still miss it !
If you do take the plunge they are easy to tune and I found very reliable, Just ensure the engine has been run on synthetic oil as they do have a sludge problem if not. You can drop the sump yourself or its £250 at an Indy. Chain driven engine which delivers a decent amount of performance even in lpt (150bhp) form. Go for it.
They are also good for legroom in the back, Much more than the E46 cab I have now.
If you do take the plunge they are easy to tune and I found very reliable, Just ensure the engine has been run on synthetic oil as they do have a sludge problem if not. You can drop the sump yourself or its £250 at an Indy. Chain driven engine which delivers a decent amount of performance even in lpt (150bhp) form. Go for it.
They are also good for legroom in the back, Much more than the E46 cab I have now.
All of the above is correct. To my eyes, they still look swish, especially in Aero guise. But dynamically they are akin to something built many, many years ago (the Cavalier they are based on, in fact!). Certainly not for the driver.
If you don't fancy going down the usual E46 cab route, how about an A4? A much more discerning choice, and beautifully built.
If you don't fancy going down the usual E46 cab route, how about an A4? A much more discerning choice, and beautifully built.
If you treat it as a grand tourer with a sporty edge rather than an out and out sports car you'll be fine.
Two things
There were dire warnings at one stage about a crack in the bulkhead between the driver and the engine but it turns out it's only only a moving spot weld joint covered by sealant. You can re weld it if you like or forget about it
As soon as you get one it's worth dropping the sump to clean off the gauze on the end of the oil suction pipe. Some oils have a tendency to form tar and block it up. Why they put a gauze mesh there rather letting the oil filter do its job?
Apart from that some of the microswitches on the roof may be near the end of life if they havent been used much but theyre easy to replace.
There are some good ex SAAB dealers about with the diagnostic reader who are helpful.
Otherwise its built like the proverbial tank
Two things
There were dire warnings at one stage about a crack in the bulkhead between the driver and the engine but it turns out it's only only a moving spot weld joint covered by sealant. You can re weld it if you like or forget about it
As soon as you get one it's worth dropping the sump to clean off the gauze on the end of the oil suction pipe. Some oils have a tendency to form tar and block it up. Why they put a gauze mesh there rather letting the oil filter do its job?
Apart from that some of the microswitches on the roof may be near the end of life if they havent been used much but theyre easy to replace.
There are some good ex SAAB dealers about with the diagnostic reader who are helpful.
Otherwise its built like the proverbial tank
I bought a 2000 9-3 vert earlier this year ( http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a... ) and I love it.
Flew through it's MOT with a couple of advisories. As said, it's not an out-and-out sports car, and mine's only the LPT, but it's still a cracking car. I've struggled to find a replacement 5th bow microswitch though, despite it being easy to change!
Flew through it's MOT with a couple of advisories. As said, it's not an out-and-out sports car, and mine's only the LPT, but it's still a cracking car. I've struggled to find a replacement 5th bow microswitch though, despite it being easy to change!
Can only comment on my old 9-5 aero which pretty much the same car component wise, just have the sump dropped and cleaned when you get it costs around £200 but as long as this is done and you do regular oil changes they are very reliable my aero had 170k on it when i sold it and it ran spot on and pulled like a train, i had every bit of confidence in it, parts are cheap and they are easy to work on. Much more reliable and cheap to fix that most people think. easily tuneable aswell if more power is your thing. and i think the 9-3 aero verts still look very smart and classy. don't like the newer models though.
another thing is they don't seem to rust much at all.
another thing is they don't seem to rust much at all.
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