Date: Fri, 1 Oct 2004 10:51:43 -0400 From: "Fred W." <Fred.Willsnospamove this to reply to' myrealbox.com> Subject: Re: Anyone near Manassas, VA? (Saab got hurt, Part II)
"LauraK" <lkrznospamcomnospam> wrote in message news:20040930151449.24216.00001306nospam10.aol.com... > I'm in Knoxville, TN, with a Saab 1995 9000CS that got hurt in an accident > and > I'm interested in a Saab for sale in Manassas. Anyone interested in giving > it a > preliminary look before I make the 7 hour drive up there? > If yes, e-mail me at lkrz at aol dot com > The insurance company has declared mine a total loss -- cost more to > repair > than the car is worth. They're offering me considerably more than I > expected -- > and more than the total I've spent on the car in the 1-1/2 years I've > owned it. > I need to decide if it's worth keeping and having my friend that owns a > body > shop fix it (they'll deduct $800 from my payment if I do) or let them take > it > and buy another one. It's got 105,000 miles on it. > There are two 1996 9000CSEs at the Manassas dealership. Both look good and > are > priced at less than I'd get for mine from the insurance company. I'm > leaning > toward getting one, since they have amenities -- leather seats and sun > roof -- > that mine doesn't. But they are auto while mine's manual. Relatively low > mileage. > But they're unknown quantities and history. And I'm very concerned about > rust > on DC area cars. I lived up there for some time and spent a lot of money > replacing exhaust systems and had the floorboard rust through on a Fiesta. Laura, I would not be all that concerned about rust on cars from that area. Your Fiesta is an anomaly in that it was made so poorly that it was already rusting when it was sitting on the new car lot. The weather in Washington / No.VA is actually pretty mild relative to many areas and the cars would not have been subjected to the serious, continuous salt exposure that occurs up this way. I bought a '94 BMW 540i down in VA which had been owned and registered by someone in DC (proper). The car, like any SAAB from the same era would be, is entirely rust free, even on the undercarriage, with no signs whatsoever of corrosion. Go have a look at them. I'd bet any problem spots would be in something other than the body corrosion. Good Luck, -Fred W