1985-1998 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
There's some merit to what he says. I don't think I'm quite a Saab newbie having had 2 before my 9000, but I definitely could have been more informed when deciding. I read as many sites as I could when researching, but I did forget some things. (You can google quasimotor, or fixmysaab.com as well as the faq's on this site). I don't know if I just got lucky -- the only major thing I've had to do is the exhaust which is maintenance anyway and I just happened to be the owner to get stuck with that. I got it from a used car dealer, not my preferred method, but they had a 9000 and I was in the market for one at that time. (There's not too many where I'm from -- middle Illinois). On one hand, the opinion of a mechanic would have been good, but on the other it might have added complication to the sale and I just wanted to get out of there with a car as long as it felt decent. I would say that if I were traveling any significant distance I'd want a second opinion.
However, I just bought a 900 convertible. After contacting the seller, asking some questions by email, and getting some pictures, I decided to take the train down there and look at it. I ended up buying the car and driving it home. I had test driven one locally, and was really disappointed in its condition (and the seller's total non-willingness to negotiate price). Of course, there are things about my new-to-me 900 that I missed when testing it out and looking it over, and those will have to be fixed at some point, but I think it all worked out. I drive a couple hundred miles a couple times per week for work, and it hasn't let me down yet. On a 9000 of the age you're considering, I don't know how much of an issue rust would be, but on any car I'd consider rust, transmission, and engine/coolant/head gasket issues to be causes for some concern. But, most of those even are repairable (rust can be tricky or expensive in certain spots) but you'd definitely want to know what you're getting into before you decide, and not find out on your way home or soon after. White smoke out the exhaust isn't a good sign. Transmissions, well, shifting issues can be due to a failing trans, or it could be something as simple as the shift linkage. Or motor mounts.
I suppose I kinda go on instinct a bit -- if the seller seems honest, and has disclosed any problems he knows about, and the car drives fine and is a decent price, then I go with it. I don't expect the owner to know everything about the car unless he's maybe a frequenter of boards like this and a Saab master mechanic (I'm one but definitely not the other), so I just expect things to need repair or maintaining soon after I buy. Prior maintenance records are a definite plus. On my last 900, one such record did state that the head gasket may have been failing, well before I bought it. At least I was on notice about it. (Incidentally, I never had to have it replaced).
My last 900, bought at I think it was about 170k or so miles, ended up needing a few significant repairs within a short time. But I attribute that to the age -- at a certain age or mileage, things just need replacing typically. Nothing out of the ordinary -- water pump, distributor. 9000's don't have distributors anyway.
I think I've rambled on long enough! Hope your trip turns out to be a success. The 9000's really are fantastic. Maybe post a pic if it is!
posted by 66.158.16...
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