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Date: Fri, 21 Aug 1998 16:54:17 -0700
From: "Leon Smitherman" <lcs3nopsaml.msn.com>
Subject: Re: 1997 900 S Test Drive


This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_001B_01BDCD24.55AC16A0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable anon wrote in message <35d1177d.0nopsam1.ibm.net>... Sonnysdad wrote in message <1998080914492300.KAA17832nopsamer01.news.aol.com>... >I test drove a 97 900SE 5-speed a few months ago and loved the car, = except for >the extremely heavy clutch--the last time I expended so much = effort shifting >was on the farm in my old man's '64 Chevy one-ton flatbed. Hence = my question >to 900 SE owners: > >Does one just get used to the clutch/shifting? Or does one just = put up with it >because the car is otherwise such a blast to drive? > >Thanks in advance. >Jeff M. =20 Jeff, =20 I drive the same car. I have found that a heavy clutch is a matter = of opinion. =20 I rally a Land Rover Defender 90 and have found a Nautilus workout = to be easier on my left leg. On the otherhand, I test drove a new Beetle = last month with hardly any resistance in the clutch and had a hard time = finding the friction point. So, I guess you can say I prefer a 'heavier' = clutch as it affords me more control, especially in rough terrain. =20 I double clutch on downshifts. One trick I learned early is to take advantage of the seat adjustment to sit high and upright so you can = put some weight behind your left leg when clutching - it becomes effortless. = With my own '97 900T, my only gripe about the transmission is that it's a = bit notchy. I have heard that Redline MTL will smooth out synchro = engagement (Saabs are preloaded with 10W30) and am waiting to reach 20,000 = miles before replacing the tranny lube. I have yet to find a shifter with action = as smooth as Honda's. =20 Since getting into Saabs with the '97 900, I am constantly grinning everytime I drive it. Being good on gas makes owning one even = sweeter. If the Saab in question is being offered at a good price, buy it. =20 Alex C. =20 =20 Jeff... I have a '97 SE Turbo with a 5-Speed. The clutch is about like the = one on my '87 Turbo was... They are not really that heavy once you get = used to driving the car. I have driven many sticks before some are = heavier and some aren't... It's just a matter of taste. I can promise = you that if you buy the Saab... The 5-Speed is the only way to go with a = Turbo. After driving the car for a week you probably won't notice the = clutch at all. What you will notice is that it takes a while to get = used to slipping the clutch and balencing the boost too little and the = thing will shake like jell-o too much and the tires will go up in smoke. =20 Leon S. =20 =20 ------=_NextPart_000_001B_01BDCD24.55AC16A0 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN"> <HTML> <HEAD> <META content=3Dtext/html;charset=3Diso-8859-1 = http-equiv=3DContent-Type> <META content=3D'"MSHTML 4.72.3110.7"' name=3DGENERATOR> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff> <DIV> </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE=20 style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 solid 2px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: = 5px"> <DIV>anon<ANONnopsam.COM> wrote in message <<A=20 = href=3D"mailto: ...</DIV>Sonnysdad=20 wrote in message<BR><<A=20 = href=3D"mailto: 4492300.KAA17832nopsamer01.news.aol.com</A>>...<BR>>I=20 test drove a 97 900SE 5-speed a few months ago and loved the car,=20 except<BR>for<BR>>the  extremely heavy clutch--the last time = I=20 expended so much effort<BR>shifting<BR>>was on the farm in my old = man's=20 '64 Chevy one-ton flatbed.  Hence my<BR>question<BR>>to 900 = SE=20 owners:<BR>><BR>>Does one just get used to the = clutch/shifting? =20 Or does one just put up<BR>with it<BR>>because the car is = otherwise such=20 a blast to drive?<BR>><BR>>Thanks in advance.<BR>>Jeff=20 M.<BR><BR>Jeff,<BR><BR>I drive the same car. I have found that a = heavy=20 clutch is a matter of<BR>opinion.<BR><BR>I rally a Land Rover = Defender 90=20 and have found a Nautilus workout to be<BR>easier on my left leg. On = the=20 otherhand, I test drove a new Beetle last<BR>month with hardly any=20 resistance in the clutch and had a hard time finding<BR>the friction = point.=20 So, I guess you can say I prefer a 'heavier' clutch as<BR>it affords = me more=20 control, especially in rough terrain.<BR><BR>I double clutch on = downshifts.=20 One trick I learned early is to take<BR>advantage of the seat = adjustment to=20 sit high and upright so you can put some<BR>weight behind your left = leg when=20 clutching - it becomes effortless. With my<BR>own '97 900T, my only = gripe=20 about the transmission is that it's a bit<BR>notchy. I have heard = that=20 Redline MTL will smooth out synchro engagement<BR>(Saabs are = preloaded with=20 10W30) and am waiting to reach 20,000 miles before<BR>replacing the = tranny=20 lube. I have yet to find a shifter with action as<BR>smooth as=20 Honda's.<BR><BR>Since getting into Saabs with the '97 900, I am = constantly=20 grinning<BR>everytime I drive it. Being good on gas makes owning one = even=20 sweeter. If<BR>the Saab in question is being offered at a good = price, buy=20 it.<BR><BR>Alex C.<BR></BLOCKQUOTE> <BLOCKQUOTE=20 style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 solid 2px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: = 5px"> </BLOCKQUOTE> <BLOCKQUOTE=20 style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 solid 2px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: = 5px">Jeff...</BLOCKQUOTE> <BLOCKQUOTE=20 style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 solid 2px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: = 5px">I=20 have a '97 SE Turbo with a 5-Speed.  The clutch is about like = the one=20 on my '87 Turbo was... They are not really that heavy once you get = used to=20 driving the car.  I have driven many sticks before some are = heavier and=20 some aren't... It's just a matter of taste.  I can promise you = that if=20 you buy the Saab... The 5-Speed is the only way to go with a = Turbo. =20 After driving the car for a week you probably won't notice the = clutch at=20 all.  What you will notice is that it takes a while to get used = to=20 slipping the clutch and balencing the boost too little and the thing = will=20 shake like jell-o too much and the tires will go up in = smoke.</BLOCKQUOTE> <BLOCKQUOTE=20 style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 solid 2px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: = 5px"> </BLOCKQUOTE> <BLOCKQUOTE=20 style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 solid 2px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: = 5px">Leon=20 S.</BLOCKQUOTE> <BLOCKQUOTE=20 style=3D"BORDER-LEFT: #000000 solid 2px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; PADDING-LEFT: = 5px"><BR><BR> </BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML> ------=_NextPart_000_001B_01BDCD24.55AC16A0--

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