Beschreibung
Regrettably selling my 900 Turbo due to time and needing the space. This has been the most reliable car I've owned and was quite literally in all four corners of the UK last year! It went to the top of Aberdeenshire and back twice, then to west of Wales followed by a trip to Suffolk. All this on top of my 60 mile round work commute at a previous job and, hand on heart, this 40 year old car gave absolutely zero trouble whilst returning 35mpg and a very comfortable ride!
This Saab is unrestored, but has understandably had the odd bit of paint done over the years which has been done to a decent standard. In terms of rust, all the usual places are pretty good and I can only see surface rust on others. The driveshaft tunnels are untouched and in stunning condition, along with the arches and boot floor. There are bubbles of rust on the exterior of the doors, but this is only surface.
Mechanically the car is brilliant, the engine usually fires up immediately from cold and gets up to oil pressure within a second or two. Once warmed up it pulls well, with the boost gauge getting to nearly the end of the yellow, so APC is working perfectly. The gearbox makes no nasty noises, including in fifth which is usually the first sign of the common layshaft bearing failure, although being a 145hp 8v this is a less common occurrence. When stone cold, there is a crunch going into third of you're too quick but this disappears when warm, and you get the hang of it. This car is on 190k so it's not doing badly! Also, when decelerating at low revs it can sometimes slip out of third if you hit a pot hole but this is likely due to a detent spring which was a Saab bulletin. Something I just don't have time to sort. Another thing I don't have time to sort is the reverse lock which has probably been broken in the past by someone who doesn't know Saab's!
The interior is very good, with no cracks whatsoever in the dashboard and everything works. The original spare wheel and toolkit is present, including the unused bag you'd place the punctured wheel in. The front windows are electric and work great, and there is central locking but this occasionally decides not to work.
All in all, this is a completely original 40 year old car with plenty of life left in it. There are minor cosmetic bits that need attention as mentioned, but it's a reliable, honest Saab 900 which I trust completely, and I'll be very sad to see it go.
Another thing to add, this Saab is in a rare situation where all the lock barrels are original and working. So one key fits all!This car comes with a fair stack of previous invoices. There have been several previous owners, but again it's 40 years old.
MOT is valid until October, and I've fixed an advisory on the hand brake with new cables and front pads. The only bit of welding I can see this car has had is in one of the rear wheel arches, which is remarkable for a 900.
Headlining is up because it's been done in the past, but not to a great standard. However it's secure and looks decent.
