Saab 9-3 shed
Author
Discussion

Potta787

Original Poster:

19 posts

74 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
quotequote all
Hi all, new member from Essex!

Been lurking for a while mostly in the readers car section and figured I’d sign up and share my shed story....

Bought unseen on eBay for the sum of £400! What could possibly go wrong?! Ha!

Advertised as spares or repair needing a flywheel and a few other bits and pieces to see it through an MOT. Been stood a year!

I placed a last minute bid thinking ‘ We’ll see what happens’ 20 seconds later your have won this item’

Three days later I sort myself a lift over (40mins away from home) to collect the noble steed.

Test drive was interesting to say the least.....

Started fine on the sellers driveway but could only select 3rd 4th 5th and 6th, bugger! (Seller had stated gear selector was iffy) I hadn’t planned for it to be this horrible, however, nursed it away in 3rd thinking sod it, it’s getting a clutch and flywheel anyway, in a stench of warm clutch we were off, drove well considering. Handed the guy 400 finest pounds and I set off the journey home with my dad closely following......

10 minutes into the journey I felt the car was holding back slightly especially when I dipped the clutch, hmmmmm let’s drop a gear and stretch it’s legs, well....

Looked in the near side mirror, smoke pouring off the n/s front wheel, dad flashing his lights, I thought ‘bloody brilliant’! Pulled into a lay by, brake disc was glowing orange! On the roadside with no tools half hour away from home....what to do?! My logic being go faster, more air the the brakes lol nope, now we have sparks! Dropped off into a quiet B road and continued the journey home at 40mph.

Now to start the online trawl for various parts, clutch & flywheel, calipers, discs & pads, battery, tyres, the list goes on.....cue several weeks later all of which was fitted and it was time to send it in for its MOT, it only went and passed with no advisories!!! Blaaaaady ell!

So here we are up to date having covered a good 4K miles.

It’s a 2007 reg so still the older body style but with the facelift interior, what attracted me to buy it was the fact it was a vector sport with the Aero body kit and wheels from the factory, unfortunately I don’t have any previous photos when I first bought it, so some up to date ones is all I have.





The Mrs bought me a plate for my birthday and seeing as the love for the swede was growing I thought I’d pop it on (my nick name ‘Potta’)

A week later I decide I’m definitely keeping the car as a daily driver for work and various other expeditions so I wanted the air con to work, condenser looked like it had been pulled from a canal so ordered a new one and got that fitted, rather easy to be honest, bumper and slam panel off and access is easy!



Off to the garage for a re gas and ta da! We have air conditioning, result!

I have a caravan which we use for family holidays with the young kids, on went the hunt for a towbar, over on Saab nuts page on Facebook I found a guy an hour up the road breaking a saloon with a Bosal detachable, winner! Few messages back and forth ‘unbolt it yourself and you can have it free of charge’.
Like a cut snake I was up the M11 to St Albans!
Bolts came off a treat, towbar and wiring in hand, I shook the guys hand, offered a ‘drink’ but he was adamant on helping a fellow ‘Saab nutter’ happy days!

Quickly got the bolted up and wired in.....



Could have cut the splitter a LOT neater but it hey ho, I’ll find another from a breaker sometime soon!

Let’s see if the caravan stays attached.....



Yep, all is well. Happy holidays for the kids!

Spent a good 5 hours hand washing and polishing it (I’m no detailer by any means).

Came up pretty well I thought for a ‘shed’





Found ‘elbow grease‘ to be a bloody good wheel cleaner!



Fancied a black grill just because. Turned out well and cost £7 to do.

There we have it pretty much up to date.

Bought for shed money but eventually ended up loving it and throwing money at it. Bloody swedes!

Will keep this thread up to date for anyone interested 👍

Cheers
Stuart

Boozy

2,427 posts

247 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
quotequote all
I love these and had one in the same color, the key used to make me chuckle every time I started the car. I found someone who was selling chipped ECUs for not much cash and turned it into a fairly rapid sleeper. Great looking car enjoy!

Paul S4

1,289 posts

238 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
quotequote all
Great buy ....!

If it is the 1.9 TDi engine, I had the same one in my Alfa 156 150 JTDM. I got that remapped to around 185BHP, and the torque was amazing !

I got it done at 90,000 miles ( against some advice !) and the DMF lasted until about 150,000 before needed replacement.

That is an amazing amount of car for the money ( goes without saying really !) and Saabs have quite a following on here.

Keep us updated on progress!

Potta787

Original Poster:

19 posts

74 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
quotequote all
Boozy said:
I love these and had one in the same color, the key used to make me chuckle every time I started the car. I found someone who was selling chipped ECUs for not much cash and turned it into a fairly rapid sleeper. Great looking car enjoy!
On the key subject, ignition being down there causes hassle! I’ve had the dreaded ‘steering lock malfunction’ flag up a few times recently, common issue being the ignition switch, £100 lighter, many grazed knuckles And plenty of swearing we have a new ignition switch.

Potta787

Original Poster:

19 posts

74 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
quotequote all
Paul S4 said:
Great buy ....!

If it is the 1.9 TDi engine, I had the same one in my Alfa 156 150 JTDM. I got that remapped to around 185BHP, and the torque was amazing !

I got it done at 90,000 miles ( against some advice !) and the DMF lasted until about 150,000 before needed replacement.

That is an amazing amount of car for the money ( goes without saying really !) and Saabs have quite a following on here.

Keep us updated on progress!
Completely forgot to mention it’s the 1.9 TiD, currently has 125k up it. Certainly pulls well in standard form

Coops-Clio-F4R

61 posts

77 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
quotequote all
great buy do love a saab

my old aero had same steering lock issues which fixed for the princely sum of naff all, what happens is the pcb track gets worn with the key turning and drags debris (copper) across the contacts and causes them to short.

two mins to remove the board from the ignition module and wipe down with contact cleaner and fixed for free

Potta787

Original Poster:

19 posts

74 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
quotequote all
Cheers for the info, I’ll remember that for future as it seems to be common!

I recognise your username maybe similar.....from the Clio16valver forum days?....
Had or still got a Tungsten GTT powered Clio?

Coops-Clio-F4R

61 posts

77 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
quotequote all
Potta787 said:
Cheers for the info, I’ll remember that for future as it seems to be common!

I recognise your username maybe similar.....from the Clio16valver forum days?....
Had or still got a Tungsten GTT powered Clio?
yeah that's me chap, Xerus grey it is and F7P turbo powered it was, and still have the....well shell currently! lol! don't think I recognise Potta as a username though?

Potta787

Original Poster:

19 posts

74 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
quotequote all
Tara-nta was the Mrs username

at the time she had a red J plate valver, carbon fibre bonnet. Corrrrrr going back about 15 years now!

Potta787

Original Poster:

19 posts

74 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
quotequote all
Recognise this one? A friend bought it from Jez about 5 years ago, his last one from his collection.
Pulled out of the barn after being stood for a few years then used for a year or two, now off the road having all sorts of upgrades. Should be back out soon


Eyersey1234

3,080 posts

107 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
quotequote all
Nice Saab OP.

Coops-Clio-F4R

61 posts

77 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
quotequote all
Potta787 said:
Tara-nta was the Mrs username

at the time she had a red J plate valver, carbon fibre bonnet. Corrrrrr going back about 15 years now!
Unfortunately drawing a blank on that, the red one, the username and the black one. There a pistonheads thread on the black one?

carinaman

25,079 posts

200 months

Wednesday 8th July 2020
quotequote all
Nice colour, nice motor. Splendid chap letting you have the towbar for free.

RC1807

13,630 posts

196 months

Thursday 9th July 2020
quotequote all
Good work, OP.

From £400 purchase plus lots of purchases, how much does the car stand at now, please?

Potta787

Original Poster:

19 posts

74 months

Thursday 9th July 2020
quotequote all
RC1807 said:
Good work, OP.

From £400 purchase plus lots of purchases, how much does the car stand at now, please?
I haven’t kept an exact total but I’d hazard a guess, including buying the car probably stands me in around £1500

Potta787

Original Poster:

19 posts

74 months

Friday 10th July 2020
quotequote all
It was all going so well, until last night.

Lost power bottom end, no get up and go between 1k and 3k, absolutely lifeless until 3k rpm then boosts hard as normal. Bugger


Potta787

Original Poster:

19 posts

74 months

Saturday 11th July 2020
quotequote all
Limp mode and EML sorted by removing and cleaning EGR valve and MAP sensor.

Now time for some new boots.....

Avon zv’s




hepy

1,365 posts

168 months

Sunday 12th July 2020
quotequote all
Potta787 said:
It was all going so well, until last night.

Lost power bottom end, no get up and go between 1k and 3k, absolutely lifeless until 3k rpm then boosts hard as normal. Bugger

Had one of these from new back in 2006, lovely car but kept getting the EGR problem every few months, and also a leaking power steering fluid hose that the dealer never fixed properly.

Never did work our what was causing the EGR problem.

Lovely car, great to drive.