Date: Tue, 21 Nov 2006 19:21:27 -0000 From: "DervMan" <thedervmannospaml.com> Subject: Re: Lifetime of Saab
"Paul Halliday" <pjghnospamyonder.co.uk> wrote in message news:C187CE38.64FD%pjghnospamyonder.co.uk... > in article 4561f5c9$0$2446$db0fefd9nospam.zen.co.uk, DervMan at > thedervmannospaml.com wrote on 20/11/2006 18:16: > >> "johannes" <johsnospamnospam-efitter.com> wrote in message >> news:4560BC6F.A3ED4AC7nospamnospam-efitter.com... >>> >>> >>> DervMan wrote: >>>> >>>> "john" <jsmith1456nospamo.com> wrote in message >>>> news:yj08h.56259$r4.1932nospamfe3-gui.ntli.net... >>>>> >>>>> "Greg Farris" <farrisnospam.org> wrote in message >>>>> news:ejpt5n$8tc$1nospamoron.nerim.net... >>>>>> In article <1163823344.249474.46450nospam2000cwa.googlegroups.com>, >>>>>> smaartaassaabrnospaml.com says... >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>>> What country, Finland, Sweden? When was it retired from the police? >>>>>>> >>>>>>> If it is in good shape then it is. The engines last forever. . . >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> No they don't. >>>>>> SAAB engines are no different from other engines in the category, and >>>>>> are >>>>>> subject to the same wear and failure modes as their counterparts. If >>>>>> anything, >>>>>> the turbocharged models run at typically higher IMEP and specific >>>>>> output, >>>>>> and >>>>>> should thus be subject to greater wear. >>>>>> >>>>>> I believe the reason behind the SAAB reputation for longevity is the >>>>>> pride in >>>>>> ownership that leads many owners to take excellent care of them, and >>>>>> as >>>>>> well to >>>>>> boast of their achievements in long-lasting reliability. After all, >>>>>> the >>>>>> 96 >>>>>> generation already had a reputation for fantastic longevity, yet they >>>>>> had >>>>>> a >>>>>> demonstrably inferior body design, leading to massive rust problems, >>>>>> and >>>>>> their >>>>>> engine was nothing other than a Ford V4, the same as used in the >>>>>> Taurus >>>>>> models, >>>>>> which did not benefit from any particular cult reputation. The >>>>>> gearboxes >>>>>> were >>>>>> notoriously short-lived, a tradition SAAB has unhappily managed to >>>>>> perpetuate >>>>>> through the model-years! >>>>>> >>>>> >>>>> Well OK. volvo and saab were very solid long lasting vehicles in the >>>>> 70's >>>>> compared to most stuff. especially when the alternative was english or >>>>> italian... >>>>> >>>>> If you bought one new you could expect 15 years of decent >>>>> motoring....with a Fiat you'd be getting the filler out after 5.... >>>> >>>> Months in many cases. >>> >>> Dunno, FIAT also uses galvanised rust free bodies these days. >> >> We're discussing old ones, though, innit? >> >>> Fiats may >>> brake down from mechanical reasons, however. My Croma (1987) was quite >>> durable for 10 years. But window frames rusted and a clutch repair seems >>> impossible to get right, Possibly due to incompetent main dealership. >>> (Competent servicing means a lot for durability). Interior plastics was >>> crappy as it warped and rattled, speedo and odometer stopped working. >> >> By the same token my Dad bought a Fiat in '75 about two weeks after I was >> bought. Said it was a great engine, strange handling, but fell apart >> inside >> a couple of years. > > FIATs have come a long way since those dark days ... Yes - they have. Most manufacturers have too, I'm pleased to say. Some *cough Volkswagen cough* have not. > Our '99 Punto Sporting > just refuses to do anything wrong or show signs of failing. That's perfect, though. Oh, hold on, it's Italian: perfect-o, heh. :-p > True, it's > getting on a little now but we've done nothing but normal maintenance and > it's bailed us out a couple of times when the old SAAB has been a little > reluctant :) Yes. My Cinquecento was reliable. Okay except for the indicator stalk refusing to self correct, the rust that came up in the back and the tappets failing. It was great fun... > That said, our son has one of those MK2 Selespeed time bombs (you know, > with > the Ferrari paddles) :( On the face of it, it seems okay, but it's going > to > go horribly wrong one day ... :) -- The DervMan www.dervman.com
