My SAAB
- Thread starter Antipasti
- Start date
Associate
- Joined
- 26 May 2004
- Posts
- 1,126
- Location
- Carshalton, Surrey.
Very nice, have always liked the 900/9-3 Turbos.
Man of Honour
- Joined
- 5 Jun 2003
- Posts
- 91,784
- Location
- Falling...
Looks tidy. 
Always liked Saabs for some reason.
Always liked Saabs for some reason.
Associate
- Joined
- 10 Mar 2005
- Posts
- 1,768
Nice - looks tidy. I had 5 Saabs in a row (old shape 900's and 9000's) and would love to have another one. Saabs always had the best seats and great aircon.
I really miss my old shape 900T16S that some git nicked....
I really miss my old shape 900T16S that some git nicked....
Nice 93 you've got there, I love my 900 a bit too much. Mine is a 5-door, so not quite as pretty, but as it was free i shouldn't complain. BTW the "fake" wood dash is the real deal that they've done a good job of making look fake. I used to have the black dash and replaced it with a walnut one. (odd choice for a 23 year old) If you have a nose around there is a carbon fibre one, and a silver one that you can replace it with. Some people get their existing ones sprayed or flocked etc.
You've also got the best engine they made (bar the B234), look after it and it should last very well. (Fully synthetic oil 5w30 or better minimum every 12k, optimum is supposedly around 6k) My car is a B204L (185hp) which is now at 179k and 15 years old and still running nicely. Most bits like the gearbox, turbo and the exhaust are original. Only problems these cars suffer are usually to do with the suspension clunking/squeaking with age and rather indifferent handling. The bulkhead is prone to cracking on the 93 more so than the 900 which is the only big fault you can suffer with the car. Easiest give away is when stationary turn the steering wheel from lock to lock and see if the pedals move whilst turning the wheels.
Interior - shamelessly stolen from a Talladega special (+ it is presently in bits as i am doing all the wiring for my door speakers and the dash speakers, btw the bear is not mine, it just resides there)
If the RR day is at powerstation in tewkesbury i may well come along as i missed the dyno day held by UKSaabs due to work.
You've also got the best engine they made (bar the B234), look after it and it should last very well. (Fully synthetic oil 5w30 or better minimum every 12k, optimum is supposedly around 6k) My car is a B204L (185hp) which is now at 179k and 15 years old and still running nicely. Most bits like the gearbox, turbo and the exhaust are original. Only problems these cars suffer are usually to do with the suspension clunking/squeaking with age and rather indifferent handling. The bulkhead is prone to cracking on the 93 more so than the 900 which is the only big fault you can suffer with the car. Easiest give away is when stationary turn the steering wheel from lock to lock and see if the pedals move whilst turning the wheels.
Interior - shamelessly stolen from a Talladega special (+ it is presently in bits as i am doing all the wiring for my door speakers and the dash speakers, btw the bear is not mine, it just resides there)
If the RR day is at powerstation in tewkesbury i may well come along as i missed the dyno day held by UKSaabs due to work.
Associate
- Joined
- 1 Jul 2005
- Posts
- 1,360
- Location
- London
Got a Saab at the moment and it's growing on me. Some people aren't sure about the looks but I think it's great.
I did own an early FPT (185hp) 9-3 and have to say it was pretty rubbish - but for some reason I loved it and was sad to see it go when an engine mount bolt snapped in the block one day. I think the new owner stripped it for the engine and put it in a Corsa of some sort!
But the list of common faults these cars suffer from is so long its not even funny - and my car suffered from almost all of them. Where to start...
- Very noisy front suspension when temperature below 5C (snapping floorboards sound and creaking)
- Stiff (leading to broken) heating controls
- Sloppy handling, comical torque steer
- Lack of traction in first three gears (and in the wet, fourth gear)
- Cracked bulkheads
- Missing pixels on SID
- Headlight wipers not returning to parked position
thats just what I can remember off the top of my head. Oh and why did it have one of those old fashioned embarrasing electric aerials whirr up and down when you turn the radio on? Mine didn't come up all the time so I replaced it, till the replacement blew 3 months later! And why no one touch up function on the windows? And a dipstick with a black plastic end which you can't read the oil level off because its too dark??
The engine was its party piece, I had fun leaving many "better" cars behind (once rolling), one particular instance with an SLK 320 on the north circular road springs to mind. OK I didn't leave him behind but he couldn't pull away from me either and had a perplexed look on his face once he eased off and moved to the left to let me pass. IIRC 50-70mph was no more than 4 seconds.
As said, take good care of the oil (synthetic is a must) and more often than the Saab recommendation to prevent the sludging issues these engines are notorious for. Other than that the engines last forever if not abused from cold etc.
But the list of common faults these cars suffer from is so long its not even funny - and my car suffered from almost all of them. Where to start...
- Very noisy front suspension when temperature below 5C (snapping floorboards sound and creaking)
- Stiff (leading to broken) heating controls
- Sloppy handling, comical torque steer
- Lack of traction in first three gears (and in the wet, fourth gear)
- Cracked bulkheads
- Missing pixels on SID
- Headlight wipers not returning to parked position
thats just what I can remember off the top of my head. Oh and why did it have one of those old fashioned embarrasing electric aerials whirr up and down when you turn the radio on? Mine didn't come up all the time so I replaced it, till the replacement blew 3 months later! And why no one touch up function on the windows? And a dipstick with a black plastic end which you can't read the oil level off because its too dark??
The engine was its party piece, I had fun leaving many "better" cars behind (once rolling), one particular instance with an SLK 320 on the north circular road springs to mind. OK I didn't leave him behind but he couldn't pull away from me either and had a perplexed look on his face once he eased off and moved to the left to let me pass. IIRC 50-70mph was no more than 4 seconds.
As said, take good care of the oil (synthetic is a must) and more often than the Saab recommendation to prevent the sludging issues these engines are notorious for. Other than that the engines last forever if not abused from cold etc.
Sure, it served me well.
That is lovely. Like the one I was looking at only in silver.
Nice 93 you've got there, I love my 900 a bit too much. Mine is a 5-door, so not quite as pretty, but as it was free i shouldn't complain. BTW the "fake" wood dash is the real deal that they've done a good job of making look fake. I used to have the black dash and replaced it with a walnut one. (odd choice for a 23 year old) If you have a nose around there is a carbon fibre one, and a silver one that you can replace it with. Some people get their existing ones sprayed or flocked etc.
You've also got the best engine they made (bar the B234), look after it and it should last very well. (Fully synthetic oil 5w30 or better minimum every 12k, optimum is supposedly around 6k) My car is a B204L (185hp) which is now at 179k and 15 years old and still running nicely. Most bits like the gearbox, turbo and the exhaust are original. Only problems these cars suffer are usually to do with the suspension clunking/squeaking with age and rather indifferent handling. The bulkhead is prone to cracking on the 93 more so than the 900 which is the only big fault you can suffer with the car. Easiest give away is when stationary turn the steering wheel from lock to lock and see if the pedals move whilst turning the wheels.
Interior - shamelessly stolen from a Talladega special (+ it is presently in bits as i am doing all the wiring for my door speakers and the dash speakers, btw the bear is not mine, it just resides there)
If the RR day is at powerstation in tewkesbury i may well come along as i missed the dyno day held by UKSaabs due to work.
Thanks for the info. Ive had the car checked at a local indy for the bulkhead crack and all appears to be good ATM.
I have noticed a couple of suspension creaks first thing in the morning and will be getting the relevant bushes changed shortly.
I did wonder if the dash were 'real wood'. Not sure if its to my taste or not. I have seen a carbon fibre dash on flea bay, didnt win it but will be keeping my eye out.
Nice car BTW, looks great in green.
Got a Saab at the moment and it's growing on me. Some people aren't sure about the looks but I think it's great.
I think you benifit from a nicer interior too?
Thanks for the info. Most ot the faults you listed I researched before buying. The previous owner had just had the SID and Aircon screens replaced so they are both working fine - and yes that whirling noise from the aerial extending is very annoying, even more annoying - why does it extend when playing CD's?!?
Associate
- Joined
- 1 Jul 2005
- Posts
- 1,360
- Location
- London
Interior is much nicer than the pre-facelift, especially the dials, steering wheel and the climate controls, radio is much better but looks out of place somehow. However, they failed to facelift the centre console which remains fairly ghastly! The seats are beautiful however.
As for de-chroming the headlights - I've no idea if people do, but I prefer it stock.
A a previous poster said, the party piece is the engine - struggles for traction in 1st gear but on the motorway in 3rd gear, the way it picks up speed is staggering. Mine is the 256bhp Aero and it replaced a 740i which was more efortless at low speed and around town, but once above 30mph the saab is definitely quicker!
The second best thing is the price, these things are dirt cheap with loads of gadgets!
And I can't believe that a 2006 car doesn't have one-touch windows! Inexpliccable when my friends 1994 Cavalier has them!
Last edited:
Associate
- Joined
- 22 Jan 2006
- Posts
- 494
- Location
- Lincoln
I had a 9000 Aero, unfortunately wrote it off in the bad weather. Lack of talent + slightly too fast. Tis a shame as the car was in good nick + running Well. Going to sell the engine + exhaust and interior one as they're too good to scrap! Bulletproof engine
/on topic My dad has the Viggen convertible. Like the 9-3 and looks a nice example
In gear acceleration is ridiculous for the cars tbh
Last edited:
zomg!
richolmes72 said:
Tell me about it - I believe they have a one touch down but no one touch up for safety reasons. Imagine if you pushed it to raise the windows, started doing something else like getting out of the car and then a kid put their hands in the window as it was rising... OH MY GOD THE RISK!!!!
Why not just put an auto reverse mechanism like everyone else...PS try an induction kit on it - the sound it made on mine was ridicoulously loud, sounded like a scuba divers breathing amplified 10x followed by what can only be described as a loud sneeze from the recirc valve. My bet is you will initially laugh at it, then get so annoyed you'll take it back off as it is LOUD!
Last edited: