As a kid growing up we owned a series of Citroens (DS), Renaults (5 and 16), Peugeots (404 and 504) and VWs (bugs and Karmann Ghias). My dad had a DKW (Das Kleine Wunde) and Morris Minor as well.

We never owned SAABs. As a young adult I became convinced that SAAB was the last truly no compromise European vehicle available in North America as most of the good ones had given up on the market. Yes, there were BMWs, MBs and even VWs but these were all being commodified for US consumers, sort of like what has happened to Audi, Land Rover and Jag over the last few years. What I mean is that SAAB like all the others cars we owned previously were true driver's cars. Simple in execution and smart in performance. You have to some common sense to own and drive one. They weren't for everyone and they definitively were not pretty to look at. But they gave back in pleasure everything you could put into them.

In the early 90s I convinced my dad to buy a used 1984 900s. He bought it for 50 bucks and replaced the transmission upon purchase. In 1993 my girlfriend and I drove it across North America with the windsurfer on top - all the way to California and back. Not a problem. I was hooked.

My father passed that car onto me a few years later and when it developed severe piston slap (a result of repeated overheats) and a bad case of rust, in 2001, I parked it. I bought an 86 base model for 1200.00 (no pw and no ac). The doors and various parts from the 84 have found their way on to the 86 basically making a fully functional vehicle from the parts of two identical cars. The rest of the 84 sits on various shelves in the basement. The CIS is a pleasure to work on. Its not pretty to look at it being two toned (battlefield grey mostly) but its still a tank. Now I commute 100km a day in it and although its showing a bit of rust the engine seems to be in good shape. I will drive it until the body, engine or transmission go south.





posted by 24.139.16...

• Let us hear how you became involved with Saab, SI, Thu, 7 May 2009 09:13:30
  • 1984, vsfoxe , Fri, 8 May 2009 15:31:51
  • Re: Let us hear how you became involved with Saab, Peter Martin , Fri, 8 May 2009 06:59:11
  • Around 1980 . . . ., tibbidoh , Fri, 8 May 2009 05:41:38
  • Re: Let us hear how you became involved with Saab, diane zucker, Thu, 7 May 2009 20:30:21
  • Re: Let us hear how you became involved with Saab, Cary, Thu, 7 May 2009 17:40:29
  • Flickin through car catalogue at high algebra course, Siegfried, Thu, 7 May 2009 16:01:10
    • last great truly european car available in northamerica, saab86, Fri, 8 May 2009 03:33:05 <-- Viewing This Message
    • a little smth to add to the story, Siegfried, Thu, 7 May 2009 16:36:43
      • Re: Well !!!!!???####, Saabnutt, Thu, 7 May 2009 18:55:47
        • Re: Well !!!!!???####Correction> 89/740 wagon, Saabnutt, Thu, 7 May 2009 19:03:21
      • *went for the 3rd Stolichnaya shot* sorry for typos(nm), Siegfried, Thu, 7 May 2009 16:40:58
        • Sieg, what is an AZLK??? n/m, SI, Thu, 7 May 2009 16:51:00
  • Re: -86, jtm, Thu, 7 May 2009 12:50:55
  • My brothers' fault, Sven, Thu, 7 May 2009 11:41:46
  • You should consider, Steinway, Thu, 7 May 2009 09:26:46
    • LMAO STeinway, SI, Thu, 7 May 2009 16:53:17
      • girls are about more tiresome to get fixed (n/m), Siegfried, Thu, 7 May 2009 17:34:42
    • It was 1985..., Saab Junkie, Thu, 7 May 2009 10:07:02
      • Re: It was 1985..., Rudolph, Fri, 8 May 2009 01:13:47
        • Re: It was 1985..., CBS , Fri, 8 May 2009 13:44:44

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