Date: Tue, 18 Mar 2003 08:55:51 -0000 From: MeatballTurbo <carl.robsonnopsamcing-czechs.com> Subject: Re: Buying a 88/89 900 Turbo - help
In article <BA9BD82D.4712%pjghnopsamyonder.co.uk>, pjghnopsamyonder.co.uk says... > I think 500 UKP will get you a reasonably good car (usually 150,000 miles > plus) that will need that again at the first MOT and will take up quite a > lot of your time fiddling with little jobs. Meatball will no doubt back me > up on this one - he got a gem recently for less than this. Around 1,000 UKP > you'll get a good one - solid engine, with good body shell and a good runner > (around 125,000 - 150,000 miles). Aeros seem to be around 2500 UKP and up. > If you want pristine (and low mileage - sub-100,000 miles), then 3500 UKP > and up seems to be the going rate. There's a smashing white 16V Aero (this > was going to be my replacement for Orca, if the repairs went wrong) at one > of my local garages (West Yorkshire, so a bit of a trip for you but a nice > part of the country if you fancy a long weekend) - check I agree with Paul. I got very lucky. I managed to find a very early ('84/85)16v Aero http://www,bouncing-czechs.com/imagery/behemoth for £325. It only had 2.5months MOT but was bit of a gamble, and was being advertised at £375, but said 2.5 months Tax, and no MOT (he got it wrong in the Advert), plus his advert was badly worded on fish4.co.uk to ge much repsonse, and it didn't show up under any miles within where I live, Only if I typed in the town only, and no mileage specifications (he was just round the corner). Turns out he was selling because he couldn't get a reasonable insurance quote, as a second car with no no claims, so it had to go. For balance, the engine is solid, but one hydraulic lifter takes about 3 seconds longer than the others to pump up even after an oil change, and the cam chain rattles rather than buzz saws, once smoothed out, it sounds like a well adjusted sewing machine at idle. The Turbo is fine, no smoke, very little whining, my vacuum cannister that controls the heater controls is disconected and the hoses plugged, after I discovered it was causing a vacuum leak, an making it only produce base boost. The Whistle is very distinctive even when you have a standard airfilter box, instead of an induction cone. When I bought it, I noticed that the dumpvalve was capped off, so I assumed faulty. Instead off fittig a replacement Bosch standard one (about £30 I think) I fitted a Bailey Piston DV30 (about £100 inc VAT). Even though it can hardly be seen, it is shiney, and can be rebuilt I have a little gearbox whine, but nothing worrying yet, and synchro on 1/2 is wearing, leading to occasional popping out of gear, plus because of a broken detent spring on the shift rod (later models moved the spring from the shift rod to the gearbo itself), there is some where in the detent block which makes 3rd a little vague. Replacing the spring helped, but not cured it. Body wise, the Saab Scania round badges have faded. I've heard they can fetch upto £30 on Ebay, but I found mine from a Saab independant (while I was getting a window quadrant repair kit) who charged me £5 and pulled them off a couple of his spares cars. The Paint is good, but there are some flaky areas in the laquer that I hope to get sorted. It has one or two rust blisters on the front wheel arch, and a trolley ding in the passenger door, but other than that, sound. When washed, looks a treat. Interior, all Burgundy velour, with Burgundy Dash top and carpet kick panels (I've been told the dash and seats is common enough, it is the kick panels that are rare). One electric window has broken teeth on the regulator quadrant. Instead of getting a second hand regulator, I found a place selling just the quadrant as a special repair section. had it fitted in under 2 hours (including working out how everything came apart, grinding of the rivets from the old quadrant, and putting it all back together). Has Electric mirrors, window in front, and sunroof. Because it is an '84/85 it has a lot of the weaknesses of early 16v models. Weaker gearbox, front handbrake, less powerfull brakes than later ones, plus the square nose, but the factory Aero body kit (which Paul will tellyou he doesn't like >-| ), and the small rubber, instead of the larger solid whaletail. At the same time as I was looking, there was a Black 900 T16 '89 with the full aero kit, slopey nose, better 9000 brakes, and rear handbrake, leather and aircon. for £995, in Liverpool that I was pointed too. It too needed a new window reg, but would have had longer on the MOT and some tax. I figured that if I bought the cheaper with my eyes open, I could get it to a nice standard for less than the dearer one, and I did so far. Although I did see the black one advertised in Autotrader for £795, so maybe I would have been better holding out for that one in the end. Still I like what I have. It needed new tyres as front two were over worn, and the full set were the wrong size (915/65R15 instead of 195/60R15), so I got them replaced before the MOT, and because of an ordering mixup, got V rated Avon replacements instead of the normal H rated ones, for £3 more than the H's would have cost. get one, after you have tested it thouroughly. I bought the first one I saw, but I like to live dangerously, and I would buy another later. Try a few, especially any dealer ones, before you stump up the cash. Spend around the levels that paul suggests, and enjoy. -- Carl Robson The poster formally known as Skodapilot. http://www.bouncing-czechs.com
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