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Re: 8v vs. 16v Posted by Justin VanAbrahams [Email]  (#32) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Justin VanAbrahams) on Sun, 5 Nov 2000 03:36:39
In Reply to: 8v vs. 16v, es900, Sun, 5 Nov 2000 01:23:43 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Unfortunately, there's not much quantitative data that can be applied to your questions - it's a lot of opinion. Mine:
1. 8v non-turbo 900S are complete dogs. 110hp when they were new. They make about as much torque as your 2.1l did, so around-town driving won't seem too bad. On the plus side, such a car won't have ABS or airbags and will weigh less, so you may not miss the extra power *too* much.
2. They are pretty darned reliable. By the time the later 8v cars rolled off the lines, the systems were extremely well developed and I'd say all the bugs worked out.
3. Torque is what kills the transmissions, and since the 8v makes almost as much as the 16v, I'd guess there won't be a tangible effect on tranny longevity. Still, how long the tranny lasts is also a matter of how it's treated. Keep in mind, also, that the earlier transmissions had weaker insides than later ones.
4. The non-turbo 8vs are geared shorter than the later cars. An 85 900S I drove turned 3500rpm at 75mph on the freeway, which IMHO is intolerable. While this makes little to no impact on how long the engine or transmission will last, it does make an impact on fuel economy and your sanity.
My ultimate opinion: If you're looking at saving a few dollars and don't mind an older car, you are hard-pressed to beat the near-perfection of the 1984 900 Turbo. These cars were, IMHO, the best Saabs to ever roll off the assembly line. They are reasonably common, dead reliable, and the money you save on one vs. buying another '91 will pay for your first tranny rebuild or three. In all seriousness, a well-treated 8v Turbo should see at least 150k on the first tranny, and 200k or more wouldn't surprise me one iota.
-Justin
, Sun, 5 Nov 2000 23:04:47, Sun, 5 Nov 2000 03:36:39 <-- Viewing This Message
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