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So I’ve not posted here since 2010 or so and actually still have my 1990 900 - albeit sitting in the garage unused. Currently living on the south shore of Boston. I bought the car in 1996 in CT, drove it across country to live in Seattle for a few years, drove across country again to live in the Boston area and continued with it as my daily driver for many years. I ended up getting into newer Saabs (wife had a 2003 9-3 and I got a 2006 9-3 Aero). Got out of the Aero when the steering column seized up in 2017 and the mech couldn’t get parts to get me on the road again quickly. Ended up in a 2016 M3 6spd with bootmod3 tune and still have that as my daily now.
I kept the 900 in the garage (much to my wife’s chagrin and every 6 months I had to ignore the probe about how we should free up garage space and get rid of the car). I always thought it would be a great restore option and something to work on with my kids. For any of you still here that remember my time on the boards, you’ll appreciate what time and effort I put in to the car.
It started life as a 900s 5spd but developed bottom end knock when I was living in Seattle. I had befriended Rob Walden at Scanwest Autosport and picked up a used long block that I tore down in my garage over time, had Rob send out for machine work (head, cams, block and crank, new pistons, etc) and rebuilt into a new turbo engine. Then after befriending the guys in the Saab Club of Seattle, we picked a weekend for Rob to let us use the shop, complete with a junker turbo donor car, and we converted mine into a turbo with the new engine. A ton of fun work, and great time sharing with everyone - I honestly don’t think I really ever thanked everyone for chipping in!
Over the next couple years, I added a 9000 flywheel and brakes, bilstein shocks, lowering springs, Super Aero wheels, Scanwest transmission, 3” downpipe w/ext waste gate, spg panels and more. Final big change was when I pulled the stock ECU out and spliced in a Wolf EMS ECU and started the full tuning cycle. Time spent on the dyno and in daily drives from Kirkland to downtown Seattle got that thing pretty dialed in. Dang thing was a tremendous blast to drive!
As the years passed the car ended up sitting more and more until I now look at it in the garage now and realize it’s been two years since I’ve even started it up. While I have been clinging to the 900 for years, certainly more for emotional reasons than practical attachment, for the first time this past weekend, I looked at it and couldnt come up with a good reason to keep it…. I popped the hood to see about getting it sorted for it’s next phase in life and noticed some rust spots on the hood inside, discoloration in the engine compartment and some light mold in spots. Battery is dead - been in trickle charger for two days and nothing still - so I can’t even start it to check things. I thought about grabbing a battery, but am honestly not sure I want to run the 2 + year old gas through things, and which also adds another step in the process, which makes it a new project…
Now the struggle I have is I just don’t really feel like spending the time to sort it to get it back on the road. The passion for the car is definitely gone now for me and it’s sad thinking about letting it continue to sit over time. I felt disconnected from it before, but was stubborn in keeping it thinking the passion would return when I “just had more time” - which even when I do now, there are many other hobbies and projects I run to instead…
So I’m left with a decision to make. Do I…
- follow the path of least resistance (salvage or junk) just get it towed away to be done with it; or
- try to sell as is or part out - even though it’s not running currently?
Thanks for hanging in there as I sheepishly return to TSN to tap into the collective wisdom from this group one more time before moving on…
Apologies for the length in post, but figured I would make up for being gone all these years. :)
Any thoughts/advice?
Thanks again,
Kooch
posted by 151.203.67...
2
, Wed, 15 Oct 2025 16:06:42, Thu, 25 Sep 2025 19:01:511, Tue, 23 Sep 2025 21:26:35
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