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ugly little cars Posted by Frank [Email]  (#2509) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Frank) on Fri, 10 Nov 2000 12:47:46
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I always thought SAABs were the ugliest cars on the road. Why anyone would ever want to own one was beyond me. I had always heard that they were mechanic's nightmares and parts were very expensive. That was before I bought my neighbor's '85 900 16V Turbo in May. With twin boys just arrived the SAAB was not an ideal car for him and it needed brakes and exhaust. The estimate was $2000 for the repairs. The car wasn't mint either, it had a little rust in the d/s wheel arch and the interior had seen better days. The headliner had fallen down and the tan leather on the front seats was cracked. However, it had 4 strong points.
1) it was black
2) it was turbocharged
3) it had a 5 speed stick
4) did i mention it was black?
I was driving my '65 Malibu drop-top at the time, an AWESOME car, but it's gas sucking 5.7L V-8 got only 16-18 mpg and winter was coming. Then it was going to be back to the '77 Chevy van, as I will not drive the malibu in the snow. The SAAB looked like a great new car for me so for $400 it changed hands. (after sitting in his back yard for a few months)
I love this car!!! I still think it is a little strange looking but definately not ugly. Must be an acquired taste. It's fast, it handles like it is on rails and it gets 27mpg. Anyway, I am now a beliver. SAABs rule!!!
I would like to know more about my car. It has little badges shaped like shields on both sides of the hood and one larger one on the back next to the passenger taillight. They are red and have a white cross and say "Gaston Andrey". What do they mean? Was that a dealer or is it some kind of special model? Also, what is an OG 900?, what is an SPG 900? I see people talking about these but I don't know what they are other than an SPG was some kind of special model turbo car.
Also I have some bad news. My SAAB was in an accident (sob, sob, my poor SAAB) but it is doing much better. I got the hood, bumper, d/s fender, and lights off an '84 non-turbo car and welded it all back together. At least I got hit on the side with the rusty fender. Now I have a clean one. I cut the non-turbo air dam thingie to fit around the oil cooler so I could get the car back on the road. Does anyone know where I can find a good air damn for a turbo car cheaply? (I paid $125 for all the parts from the non-turbo and had to cough up $80 for just the turbo's oil cooler and it's steel shroud from a different junkyard) What years will fit my '85? Also, what years used the same alloy wheels as my '85. I like them but two are Ronal and two are Fundo and I want four Ronals. The two Fundos are crummy looking and the center caps don't fit in like they do on the Ronals.
Other Problems:
The manifold tap that the hose for the IAC goes to is loose and pops out under boost. I temporarily tied it in place with a zip tie and plan on J-B welding it in place unless anyone has a better idea.
What are the little thingies on the inside of the d/s fender that remind me of old style GM MAP and BARO sensors. Each one has a vacuum line going to it and an electrical plug too. One has a little red plastic cap an the other one is blue. One (the red I think) is attached to the cruise control module and the other one is disconnected and I don't know what it goes to. Please help.
Also, if I get on it heavy the APC cuts the boost. This is worse when the engine is cold. I thought this might be due to a vacuum/boost leak around the loose manifold tap or that blue thingie not being connected. I also plan a full tune up as I haven't done that yet. Anyone have any other suggestions? The car runs well, gets 27 mpg and has plenty of power, so I don't really need to get on it hard, but I would like to see what it can do totally punched out.
PS, i used to think my ignition lock was busted too, but a mechanic friend of mine told me you had to put the car in reverse for it to shut all the way off. Even the previous owner didn't know that!
Thanks to all in advance for your help
Frank
, Fri, 10 Nov 2000 12:47:46 <-- Viewing This Message, Fri, 10 Nov 2000 22:29:51
, Fri, 10 Nov 2000 21:17:55, Fri, 10 Nov 2000 22:01:14, Sat, 11 Nov 2000 10:15:40, Fri, 10 Nov 2000 22:56:38, Fri, 10 Nov 2000 14:58:14
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