Best smoker barges 1-5 large [Vol 13]
Discussion
I'm not especially technically minded so am not all over the spotter's detail, but I had a 9-5 estate, the 2.3 LPT. It was an auto in a very fetching grey metallic, pre-Edna.
I ran it for a couple of years and really liked it. It was quick too, although not the final word in handling. Loads of clever details and was completely reliable. They are getting on a bit now though so I suspect they tend to be leggy and although not an obvious choice to be barried you'd want to check the history pretty thoroughly.
I think one of the diesel engines isn't much fancied but I doubt a threadist would confess to considering such a thing anyway.
I ran it for a couple of years and really liked it. It was quick too, although not the final word in handling. Loads of clever details and was completely reliable. They are getting on a bit now though so I suspect they tend to be leggy and although not an obvious choice to be barried you'd want to check the history pretty thoroughly.
I think one of the diesel engines isn't much fancied but I doubt a threadist would confess to considering such a thing anyway.
tobinen said:
Coincidently 9-5 estates have popped up on my radar. They seem remarkably cheap but I know nothing about them. Is there any thread knowledge on say a 2.3 turbo automatic?
They’re a good engine and plenty strong enough for a couple of hundred thousand miles, there was a design flaw SAAB accidentally built in where the mesh for the oil pickup in the sump can get clogged and starves the engine of oil, killing it.Regular oil changes and fully synthetic only help, the sump drop is an afternoons work or a couple of hundred for someone else to do it.
The Sid displays on the older ones are prone to losing pixels but there are self fix kits on eBay for not a lot of money.
Power wise, they’re very modestly tuned leaving the factory. A 2.0lpt leaving the gates with 150-170 can remap to 200-220 overnight.
Same goes for the 2.3lpt, they remap to 235bhp and oodles of torque with no other mods so don’t fall in to the trap of thinking it must be an Aero that you buy.
The Aero, depending on year has up to 260 stock (iirc) available and can be remapped easily for more.
The main remapping reason is about getting more torque which is their party piece on the motorway/overtaking.
Front wheel drive and the auto is a four speed but with the torque available, it’s not a major setback.
Equipment levels vary, so take a good look at the centre console for heated and or ventilated seats, most normal things needed in a barge, air con/cruise are standard.
I will obviously be able to impart more knowledge in a few days, all being well.
Edited by stewjohnst on Sunday 22 July 10:37
If you do go back to Silchester Garage could you pop open the spare wheel compartment of the R129 and see if it has an original 15 hole spare down there that doesn't match the later Monkar wheels it's currently wearing? I'll give them £60 and an 8 hole wheel & tyre in the correct 8J x 16 ET34 R129 fitment for a swap...
XMified said:
I think later ones gained a 5 speed auto, too.
The 9-5 is a car that would seem to make a great winter smoker. Have always wanted to try one.
Had a 2.0lpt as a stopgap car for three months probably ten years ago (car itself was a 98 plate) I bought for £900 with 12 months T&T then stuck six thousand miles on it up and down theM1 and ebayed it for £750.The 9-5 is a car that would seem to make a great winter smoker. Have always wanted to try one.
As others have said, dynamically it was somewhat lacking but for wafting up and down the country it was perfect.
I need the boot space this time for a dog, building work an weekends away so going estate this time.
As for remapping, I’ve never had a car remapped in my ownership but apparently it makes a massive difference to these by opening up the amount of torque available and making a major improvement to it.
I doubt I’ll remap it if I get the Aero but if I was going for a 2.0 or 2.3 knowing there was another 50 Bhp untapped, I’d struggle to resist for the sake of £80 for a known Saab specialist to do it.
A bit 'wedding' but in budget. The interior looks really good: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1979-Mercedes-W116-350S...
In keeping with thread tradition, I had a conversation with the chap selling the 9-5 Aero I’d been eyeing and after a rambling half hour chat that briefly touched on the condition of the car but mainly focussed on the demise of Saab, the perils of owning Alfas and the graver perils of wives (not all) that do not understand the Tetris like art of packing a car for a trip, we agreed a sale.
I haggled a token £50 off the price to cover an aircon regas at which point the fine chap said I could have some 9-5 roof rails for free.
I shall be booking the requisite one way train ticket for Friday evening and travelling back in this thing.
148,000 miles three owner with very extensive history.
I must confess that parting with only £950 for this means I should eject myself from the thread and bugger off to bargain basement land, no?
The brakes that were advisory on the last mot have been attended to, all I have to fettle are a rogue headlight sensor on the xenons and a bit of arch bleb.
Roll on Friday and a ticket to the back of beyond, now where do I find a punter for my 147?
I haggled a token £50 off the price to cover an aircon regas at which point the fine chap said I could have some 9-5 roof rails for free.
I shall be booking the requisite one way train ticket for Friday evening and travelling back in this thing.
148,000 miles three owner with very extensive history.
I must confess that parting with only £950 for this means I should eject myself from the thread and bugger off to bargain basement land, no?
The brakes that were advisory on the last mot have been attended to, all I have to fettle are a rogue headlight sensor on the xenons and a bit of arch bleb.
Roll on Friday and a ticket to the back of beyond, now where do I find a punter for my 147?
Nice Saab!
Do they still need to be parked with reverse engaged to get the key out of the ignition? Oh what memories I have of trying to extract the key from my boss's 9-3 pram circa 2001... those humorous Swedes.
Do they still need to be parked with reverse engaged to get the key out of the ignition? Oh what memories I have of trying to extract the key from my boss's 9-3 pram circa 2001... those humorous Swedes.
stewjohnst said:
...now where do I find a punter for my 147?
What state is it in and whereabouts are you? That looks a lovely big bus stewjohnst - congratulations.
Possibly a moot point but I seem to recall that the 9-5 Aero engine was spared the oil pickup issue and hence did not need the sump drop job.
I may be getting this mixed up with some other aspect unique to the Aero so will stand corrected.
Good luck with it regardless.
Possibly a moot point but I seem to recall that the 9-5 Aero engine was spared the oil pickup issue and hence did not need the sump drop job.
I may be getting this mixed up with some other aspect unique to the Aero so will stand corrected.
Good luck with it regardless.
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