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Re: Questions about a 92 saab 9000 griffin edition?? Posted by Ari [Email]  (#2847) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Ari) on Thu, 10 Mar 2016 05:13:32
In Reply to: Questions about a 92 saab 9000 griffin edition??, Jessica, Wed, 9 Mar 2016 20:10:26 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
The starting issue may just be a bad battery. If it's at a dealer, the car probably has been sitting and the battery went flat. Even starting it and running it for a bit won't recharge it, and if it was flat long enough, the battery is bad. It wasn't clear when you said it took 5 times to start - was the engine turning over quickly but it wouldn't catch, or was it a slow rur (wait) rur (wait) rur, typical of a bad battery? If it turned over quickly but wouldn't catch, it may just be that the car was sitting, or it may be something more. But that almost doesn't matter.
Yes, this is a really cool, limited edition turbocharged 1992 Saab. That also means it's a quarter-century-old even less common than usual uncommon used car from a defunct manufacturer. Should you get it? It all depends on what you want.
I know it's a cool car - I looked at them when I bought my '92 9000 base model (no turbo, cloth seats) - a car I still drive to work today. But that CD is more like my '97 turbo CSE - full up with every gizmo and do-dad, plus more.
If you're looking for a reliable daily driver and a road trip car, this isn't the one for you. This car came with the self-leveling rear suspension. Those Havomat shocks fail over time, and were breathtakingly expensive back in the day. I'm not sure you can even find them now. Most folks retrofit the shocks with different springs and regular shocks. That takes a mechanic well-versed in Saabs. And some money. The car came with a rear-AC system, using the old, old refrigerant. If that goes out, repair is very expensive. This car has power everything, and old electrical systems, Saab or any other, can be a nightmare.
If this car is in good shape, great headliner, everything works, then you know the last owner either spent thousands of dollars on maintenance and replacement, or was a Saab mechanic. The only way I can afford to keep my cars is that I do my own work. If things don't work now, it'll take a lot of time and/or money to make them right.
If you're looking for a cool spare car, one you can let sit while you find parts and/or get around to work on, and the price is astoundingly good (well under $5K), then this could be a cool car. If you're looking for reliable daily transportation, don't buy ANY 25 year old car. And especially don't drive a limited edition, every bell-and-whistle 25 year old car from a defunct manufacturer, because 25 year old bells stop ringing and whistles stop whistling. Even if the running gear is in good shape, having the central locking stop working and the radio intermittent gets to be a real drag. Knowing the maintenance history isn't optional, it's critical.
I love Saabs and smile every time I see them on the road. The Griffin CD in Scarab is a beautiful car and I want to see them remain roadworthy. But frankly the only folks that can own and drive those cars are folks who not only can work on cars, but love to work on cars. This is a hobby car, not a daily driver. If you're looking for a cool spare car and can work on cars (not 'I can change the oil' but 'I replaced the heater core myself over the weekend') it'll be fun. If it's dirt cheap and you're just looking for something to run into the ground, then get it checked out by a Saab mechanic to know what your near-term issues are, and get the car dirt cheap.
posted by 192.249.47...
, Thu, 10 Mar 2016 05:13:32 <-- Viewing This Message, Thu, 10 Mar 2016 19:05:57
, Wed, 9 Mar 2016 21:12:42, Thu, 10 Mar 2016 05:54:19
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