RE: Saab 9-3 HOT | Shed of the Week
Discussion
Given the price, understandable of course, but that bonnet - is there any paint left after all those swirl marks.
Bonus points on the ad for practically taking the photos in the dark AND the 'Had an accident?' sign in the background - the subliminal thought probably being "if you haven't yet, buy this and you will"?
Bonus points on the ad for practically taking the photos in the dark AND the 'Had an accident?' sign in the background - the subliminal thought probably being "if you haven't yet, buy this and you will"?
ducnick said:
benzinbob said:
Another Friday, and if it’s not a Volvo it’s a Saab. Really do not understand the fascination with the crusty old things..
I was like you. Didn't understand why anyone would want a crusty old SAAB or Volvo. So I ended up buying a crusty old SAAB and a crusty old Volvo to see what all the fuss was about. I kept the SAAB for 3 yrs and the Volvo for 11 yrs. I would say without any doubt that when limited to the sub £3000 bracket, the Volvos are better put together than the SAAB's.
They get under your skin and once you have tried not a care in the world, reliable, comfortable, Swedish shed motoring, its hard to go back to spending a fortune on cars that serve the same purpose, but crucially, depreciate and are often less reliable. Not caring if you curb the wheels, use the bumpers or bash the door on something is such a freedom and opens your mind to new motoring possibilities. I can go on a boozy night out and drive there in my shed, leave it in the roughest part of town and I don't have to worry that it may go missing overnight. I can squeeze into the tightest of spaces between two builders vans and not worry that a transit door will chip my paint etc. Swedish sheds are automotive nirvana.
I had a brand new LPT version of this on a 'Y' reg and looked identical to this.
I loved it!
However, mine had the tendency to shut down all the electrics whilst driving - really unsettling when lights and wipers just stop on a rainy day. Dealer couldn't ever find the issue.
I also managed to accidentally switch the engine off (with the daft central ignition key) on the motorway once. I wasn't really sure what to do as I couldn't get to the hard shoulder, so put the auto box in neutral, started the engine and nudged it back int Drive -thankfully it didn't leave parts of the engine all over the road!
I loved it!
However, mine had the tendency to shut down all the electrics whilst driving - really unsettling when lights and wipers just stop on a rainy day. Dealer couldn't ever find the issue.
I also managed to accidentally switch the engine off (with the daft central ignition key) on the motorway once. I wasn't really sure what to do as I couldn't get to the hard shoulder, so put the auto box in neutral, started the engine and nudged it back int Drive -thankfully it didn't leave parts of the engine all over the road!
I really miss Saab. My ownership of them went 9000, 9000CSE LPT, 9-5 Aero HOT estate. The middle one had turbo issues but the last one was comfy, spacious and went like sugar off a shovel. I even forgave it for lunching its gearbox.
My 330d would probably be ahead of whatever Saab would have produced had they continued, but the happy memories remain.
Darned good shed for the money.
My 330d would probably be ahead of whatever Saab would have produced had they continued, but the happy memories remain.
Darned good shed for the money.
As a bit of a Saabophile (had 10) I will also like to add my 2penneth. This particular example has the turbo gauge so it is defo the FPT version at least (185hp/190hp). That said for this money it doesn't really matter as I always found the 150hp LPT the better engine (less lag) which will map to 200hp easily. Google Noobtube. They are very comfy but handling is indeed pretty poor. A few hundred quid on dampers and springs, a rear ARB (or to save a few quid you can piggy back with another standard one) and a steering rack brace kit and these then actually can entertain, to a point. Steering too light light though regardless. This one looks knocked about a little but the rear arches look ok, which is a common rust point. Pixels will go on the stereo and ACC displays but can be fixed with lifetime guarantee for £50 a panel. Breather system an issue on these due to the grade of rubber used for the pipework which slowly degraded and left sticky rubber deposits in the system which slowly blocked it.
But of course spending money on a shed is not the point of a shed. I paid £2.5k 4 1/2 years ago for my current barge: LCI E46 coupe, which is better in every objective measure (and cosmetically a lot nicer) for me personally and hasn't missed a beat.
It pains me to say it but I think there are better sheds out there than this 9-3 for the money. A few years ago a paid £450 for a Volvo 740 turbo saloon as stop gap. Super solid and faultless for the 9 months I had it. So, I get old Saabs and Volvos but wouldn't touch this one.
But of course spending money on a shed is not the point of a shed. I paid £2.5k 4 1/2 years ago for my current barge: LCI E46 coupe, which is better in every objective measure (and cosmetically a lot nicer) for me personally and hasn't missed a beat.
It pains me to say it but I think there are better sheds out there than this 9-3 for the money. A few years ago a paid £450 for a Volvo 740 turbo saloon as stop gap. Super solid and faultless for the 9 months I had it. So, I get old Saabs and Volvos but wouldn't touch this one.
Unlike any recent generation Audi, velour door panels mean it came with velour seats originally - somewhere along its epic journey it got leathered!
I'm into Saabs (3x 9-5s) but I don't find this 9-3 appealing. The moody photos are very flattering, and I bet in the cold light of day, it looks at best like an £850 motor. I suppose it'll meet your expectations.
I'm into Saabs (3x 9-5s) but I don't find this 9-3 appealing. The moody photos are very flattering, and I bet in the cold light of day, it looks at best like an £850 motor. I suppose it'll meet your expectations.
Edited by BFleming on Friday 14th January 14:18
ducnick said:
benzinbob said:
Another Friday, and if it’s not a Volvo it’s a Saab. Really do not understand the fascination with the crusty old things..
I was like you. Didn't understand why anyone would want a crusty old SAAB or Volvo. So I ended up buying a crusty old SAAB and a crusty old Volvo to see what all the fuss was about. I kept the SAAB for 3 yrs and the Volvo for 11 yrs. I would say without any doubt that when limited to the sub £3000 bracket, the Volvos are better put together than the SAAB's.
They get under your skin and once you have tried not a care in the world, reliable, comfortable, Swedish shed motoring, its hard to go back to spending a fortune on cars that serve the same purpose, but crucially, depreciate and are often less reliable. Not caring if you curb the wheels, use the bumpers or bash the door on something is such a freedom and opens your mind to new motoring possibilities. I can go on a boozy night out and drive there in my shed, leave it in the roughest part of town and I don't have to worry that it may go missing overnight. I can squeeze into the tightest of spaces between two builders vans and not worry that a transit door will chip my paint etc. Swedish sheds are automotive nirvana.
I had a SAAB 93 Viggen back in the day. Now that was a really HOT SAAB, especially after Abbott racing sorted out the handling and breathed an extra 50 BHP into it. What an amazing car. Great dollops of torque, 185,000 trouble free miles, incredibly fast yet extremely comfortable.
Really regret selling that car. As someone previously posted, the world is a duller place now that SAAB is gone.
Really regret selling that car. As someone previously posted, the world is a duller place now that SAAB is gone.
benzinbob said:
ducnick said:
benzinbob said:
Another Friday, and if it’s not a Volvo it’s a Saab. Really do not understand the fascination with the crusty old things..
I was like you. Didn't understand why anyone would want a crusty old SAAB or Volvo. So I ended up buying a crusty old SAAB and a crusty old Volvo to see what all the fuss was about. I kept the SAAB for 3 yrs and the Volvo for 11 yrs. I would say without any doubt that when limited to the sub £3000 bracket, the Volvos are better put together than the SAAB's.
They get under your skin and once you have tried not a care in the world, reliable, comfortable, Swedish shed motoring, its hard to go back to spending a fortune on cars that serve the same purpose, but crucially, depreciate and are often less reliable. Not caring if you curb the wheels, use the bumpers or bash the door on something is such a freedom and opens your mind to new motoring possibilities. I can go on a boozy night out and drive there in my shed, leave it in the roughest part of town and I don't have to worry that it may go missing overnight. I can squeeze into the tightest of spaces between two builders vans and not worry that a transit door will chip my paint etc. Swedish sheds are automotive nirvana.
Small world; I went and gave this exact car a test drive a few days ago.
It’s got all the classic red flags you hear about: Two different brands of tire, strange rust patterns on the disks, Halfords ‘touch-up’ pens in the boot, seepage around the exhaust manifold.
There’s a little missed out by the advert as well. The arches and alloys are badly rusted - I could swear I saw some filler in there. The front bumper has taken a hit on the offside, which has forced the plastic up over the headlight wipers. Panel gaps and geometry was all over the place on the front tbh, though it may be because of the angle it was parked at.
The killer for me was during the test drive. I gave it a bit of throttle to merge back on to the north circular, and the gear stick shook about like it was trying to break free. Probably one of the hydraulic engine mounts given up the ghost.
It did pull really nicely for a 20 year-old car though. I don’t know if it’s really HOT, but the 8th character of the VIN is ‘K’ if you want to look it up on the forums. That’s how you can tell, supposedly.
There might be a nice project in this car, but too much work for me. I couldn’t justify the risk of buying it, and finding out the EML light is more than just the O2 sensor I was told is probably the issue. If it’s something critical, the car is scrap and I’m out £600 pounds for nothing.
Might be worth the risk for someone with more funds than me. The seller seems pretty trustworthy, and was very pleasant to deal with. I’m just not in the position to take the plunge.
It’s got all the classic red flags you hear about: Two different brands of tire, strange rust patterns on the disks, Halfords ‘touch-up’ pens in the boot, seepage around the exhaust manifold.
There’s a little missed out by the advert as well. The arches and alloys are badly rusted - I could swear I saw some filler in there. The front bumper has taken a hit on the offside, which has forced the plastic up over the headlight wipers. Panel gaps and geometry was all over the place on the front tbh, though it may be because of the angle it was parked at.
The killer for me was during the test drive. I gave it a bit of throttle to merge back on to the north circular, and the gear stick shook about like it was trying to break free. Probably one of the hydraulic engine mounts given up the ghost.
It did pull really nicely for a 20 year-old car though. I don’t know if it’s really HOT, but the 8th character of the VIN is ‘K’ if you want to look it up on the forums. That’s how you can tell, supposedly.
There might be a nice project in this car, but too much work for me. I couldn’t justify the risk of buying it, and finding out the EML light is more than just the O2 sensor I was told is probably the issue. If it’s something critical, the car is scrap and I’m out £600 pounds for nothing.
Might be worth the risk for someone with more funds than me. The seller seems pretty trustworthy, and was very pleasant to deal with. I’m just not in the position to take the plunge.
Jhonno said:
We'll start with I don't think anyone in the market for a 1.5k Shed is actually thinking it is going to drive like a new 5 series..
Unfortunately quite a few of the buyers in the market for a sub £1,500 snotter expect exactly this! One of the many reasons I hate selling cars.
Lovely article as ever.
I had both the Gen 1 and Gen 2 and the Gen 1 I recall was awful to drive, the Gen 2 simply handled better. OK so I had the standard 2.0 petrol but just adding to the topic.
Such great cars overall though. Built like tanks with reliable petrol engines that went on and on... shame about the ventilation systems though..
I had both the Gen 1 and Gen 2 and the Gen 1 I recall was awful to drive, the Gen 2 simply handled better. OK so I had the standard 2.0 petrol but just adding to the topic.
Such great cars overall though. Built like tanks with reliable petrol engines that went on and on... shame about the ventilation systems though..
Pughmacher said:
mrpenks said:
I had a 2.0 one of these minus the turbo. It struggled with getting the power down and going around gentle corners in the wet without spinning its front wheels. Lord knows what this would drive like with almost 100 more horses
Bloody scary or just weirdly entertaining. All you have to do is pretend your driving a high speed road trip with a car that’s developed a problem. Then you’re in survival mode and proving your an amazing driver for managing this task without the car or you being dead when it stops. Or maybe it’s just me? But then again I try to heel toe quite often and I remain crap at it but it keeps me occupied. Quite like the car! Character! Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff