RE: Shed of the Week: Saab 9-3 Turbo
Discussion
I've always liked Saabs, the older the better (less GM involvement) but can you really get a 150bhp ecoboost to 270bhp? Especially as the seller admits he plucked that number out of the air based on how fast it feels?
I've just bought a shed to smoke around in whilst I chose my next car, if this was on sale and had been closer I'll probably have had a look at it.
I've just bought a shed to smoke around in whilst I chose my next car, if this was on sale and had been closer I'll probably have had a look at it.
I have one of these. The basic car is good in an old fashioned way,but flawed. The engine will cope with the power and more. The extras fitted to this transform it from frankly scary into a very capable car which will enable someone in the know to embarrass the lovely people who drive white Audis.
cargit786 said:
I have one of these. The basic car is good in an old fashioned way,but flawed. The engine will cope with the power and more. The extras fitted to this transform it from frankly scary into a very capable car which will enable someone in the know to embarrass the lovely people who drive white Audis.
Thanks, I wasn't aware the colour of the Audi affected it's performance. Should I ever buy one I will be careful to avoid white.Gez79 said:
I've always liked Saabs, the older the better (less GM involvement) but can you really get a 150bhp ecoboost to 270bhp? Especially as the seller admits he plucked that number out of the air based on how fast it feels?
I've just bought a shed to smoke around in whilst I chose my next car, if this was on sale and had been closer I'll probably have had a look at it.
The Original 150BHP lumps will remap to 210BHP quite easily with just a map. Saabs of this era were really the first to get big gains from remaps. Saabs Trionic ECU's were on a different level to those of rivals at the time. I've just bought a shed to smoke around in whilst I chose my next car, if this was on sale and had been closer I'll probably have had a look at it.
I own a Saab 9-5 and with a Stage 1 remap you are at 420nm and 275BHP which is nothing to be sniffed at even today.
Also people laugh at the night panel idea but when driving for 18 hours across the continent I found it really handy helping to focus on the road at night.
Edited by BricktopST205 on Friday 22 June 09:23
I had a 2001 9-3 convertible turbo for a while, I bought it to use as a summer car and then sell on, was my first Saab and convertible at that, overall I liked it, it went well and had a comfortable interior with lots of goodies and I liked how it looked on the outside.
I didn’t like the scuttle shake, and the fact that Saab itself had closed down but specialists wanted insane prices to do not that hard Jobs because they know Saab owners would pay any price to repair their cars through no choice, and the hood went wrong too so sold it on at a large loss. It’s a shame but has not totally put me off a Saab, I think they are good cars in general.
I didn’t like the scuttle shake, and the fact that Saab itself had closed down but specialists wanted insane prices to do not that hard Jobs because they know Saab owners would pay any price to repair their cars through no choice, and the hood went wrong too so sold it on at a large loss. It’s a shame but has not totally put me off a Saab, I think they are good cars in general.
Turbobanana said:
As a long term owner of the previous generation of Saabs (900s and a 9000), I feel I should clear up this talk of aircraft cockpits.
The original 900, itself a development of the 99, WAS built along the line of aircraft design in that it had a swoopy, wraparound windscreen and (for the time) excellent ergonomics. The dash might not look like much, but when you try it you realise you can see everything, reach everything and it's all very logically thought out.
Ironically, a lot of aircraft of the time had anything but ergonomic cockpits! The original 900, itself a development of the 99, WAS built along the line of aircraft design in that it had a swoopy, wraparound windscreen and (for the time) excellent ergonomics. The dash might not look like much, but when you try it you realise you can see everything, reach everything and it's all very logically thought out.
Usget said:
Cockpit ergonomics are a lost art. 90s Beemers were another good example - you knew were every switch was, and what it did, without looking, and all of the dials were easily legible even in sunlight. Try that with a shonky touchscreen.
True enough except for the row of identical switches low down on the E39 which makes switching on the rear screen heater a lottery that can result in the traction control being disengaged, the electric sunblind popping up or your passenger getting a massage, depending upon options fitted.On topic, great shed.
I Had a 5 door LPT one, a year newer and I loved it, no it wasnt sporty in the slightest but it went well, felt way more than the headline 150 bhp and dont think it had been got at, a Bredvan CTR couldnt pull away form it which suprised me, but not as much as the Civic driver, getting matched, gear for gear by a grandad spec Saab. It wastn exciting, but neither was it dull, it really did hit the spot.
Very comfy, engine was an absolute peach, roomy and dead reliable.
I replaced it with the later shape Aero and it didnt really feel any faster until it had a £600 BSR remap, the ride was horrible and interior cack, much preferred my old one and really regretted selling it to get what was just not as nice, the later Aeros had Audi S line suspension but without the interior quality so it creaked like an old galleon in a storm and rattled like an Armadillo in a washing machine.
If this isnt a mire of boost leaks, misfires, oil squirting out everywhere and just generally being 18 years old, its a great SOTW.
Very comfy, engine was an absolute peach, roomy and dead reliable.
I replaced it with the later shape Aero and it didnt really feel any faster until it had a £600 BSR remap, the ride was horrible and interior cack, much preferred my old one and really regretted selling it to get what was just not as nice, the later Aeros had Audi S line suspension but without the interior quality so it creaked like an old galleon in a storm and rattled like an Armadillo in a washing machine.
If this isnt a mire of boost leaks, misfires, oil squirting out everywhere and just generally being 18 years old, its a great SOTW.
We all know why Saab went out of business: Despite making truly exceptional motors (IMO), very few people actually bought them and they built them less cost effectively than some other manufacturers.
I'm one of the people who came close to buying a Saab loads of times, (including briefly running the base engine 95 that was a work pool car - also excellent, if a little steady) but never actually took the plunge.
I wish I had. I'm saddened that there's no more silly Scandinavian HOT, night panel equipped (I'm sure I read somewhere that this is actually the ONLY aviation feature in a Saab) motors produced.
If I was in the market for a shed (I actually am, but the rules are it's got to be a £500 shed), I'd have this in a heartbeat. Someone needs to get this bought and keep us updated how it goes. To paraphrase Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, if it dies, it dies.
I'm one of the people who came close to buying a Saab loads of times, (including briefly running the base engine 95 that was a work pool car - also excellent, if a little steady) but never actually took the plunge.
I wish I had. I'm saddened that there's no more silly Scandinavian HOT, night panel equipped (I'm sure I read somewhere that this is actually the ONLY aviation feature in a Saab) motors produced.
If I was in the market for a shed (I actually am, but the rules are it's got to be a £500 shed), I'd have this in a heartbeat. Someone needs to get this bought and keep us updated how it goes. To paraphrase Ivan Drago in Rocky IV, if it dies, it dies.
Its easy to think we need hard riding, super powerful touring cars for the road, but to be honest I was happy as anything driving a velour lined Saab, it had plenty of power and wasnt trying to be an S Line Audi, I think perhaps modified Saabs, beyond a cheeky remap sort of misses the point a bit.
Escort Si-130 said:
2 out of 10, another boring dull as dishwater mobile, no wonder Saab went out of fashion and lost sales. It could have a million BHP I still do not want it.
Says the man with a Ford Orion and Nissan Cherry in his list of conquests. 
Saab were never "in fashion": they were bought by people who appreciated the engineering, innovation, safety and didn't follow the herd by buying German. Or Volvos. They lost sales because GM sanitised all of that out of them, in an excellent example of not making what the buyers want.
Turbobanana said:
Escort Si-130 said:
2 out of 10, another boring dull as dishwater mobile, no wonder Saab went out of fashion and lost sales. It could have a million BHP I still do not want it.
Says the man with a Ford Orion and Nissan Cherry in his list of conquests. Saab were never "in fashion": they were bought by people who appreciated the engineering, innovation, safety and didn't follow the herd by buying German. Or Volvos. They lost sales because GM sanitised all of that out of them, in an excellent example of not making what the buyers want.
Right on cue; you can guarantee that any time a Saab appears as SOTW then Escort Si-130 will be along to slate both the car and Saab drivers:Saab 9-5, Jan 17:
Escort Si-130 said:
Boring car, dull as dishwater, I cant stand saab drivers, arrogant and are very inconsiderate. 1 out of 10.
Saab 9-5 Aero, Sep 15Escort Si-130 said:
Piss poor attempt at shed; this car practically is a shed on wheels!
Cant stand most Saab's, boring as f
k, horrible to look at, only decent Saab is the convertible range. This is even worse being an estate hearse mobile. Plus most Saab drivers are selfish tts on the road.
That was until we get back to Nov 2013, Saab 9-5 Aero Estate:Cant stand most Saab's, boring as f
k, horrible to look at, only decent Saab is the convertible range. This is even worse being an estate hearse mobile. Plus most Saab drivers are selfish tts on the road.Escort Si-130 said:
Good shed,even if its high mileage. Only downside for me is its in silver.
I can only assume that sometime around 2014 either a Saab Estate overtook him and he's never been able to live it down, or his wife ran off with a Saab owner.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff