1979-1993 & 94 Conv [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
I am, well, nearly fanatical about my SAAB. I first had a SAAB experience in fall 1995 when my dad brought home an aging, tired looking '84 900S, 3-door, 5 speed, manual sunroof, 3-door model. For me, the mystique was born. He brought it home, and my Mom and myself fell in love with the car. He got it for a steal from the (Dodge) dealership he worked for at $600 + fees. I was just 16 at the time, and I adopted the car as my own, even though we were really just a two-car family and my dad had really bought it specifically for my mom.
It was loved and cared for as best we could, being in rural North Carolina (Wilkes County), two hours from the nearest dealer, knowing nothing about TSN, and having only a dog-eared Chilton's manual which was found in the trunk, I believe. Soon after, we picked up a (very misleading at times) Haynes manual for the car. What repairs needed to be done, we did them as best we could, scared that an indie mechanic (which my dad swore by, but whose workers couldn't even tighten spark plugs correctly) would ruin the car.
The car was kept up better once we found this BB and the service listing of none-other than SAAB guru, Tom Townsend (also two-hours away, and in same town as dealer--Greensboro, NC--but MUCH more knowledgeable). Though we bought it in '95 with 203K miles on the clock, it had the original engine--as best I know--and I never saw it leak or use ANY oil between changes! Not even a 1/4 of an ADD to FULL range on the dipstick!!! That's what made me think SAAB's are better made than anything I have come across.
Though the silver car (above) was hit and pretty much totaled in Sept. 2000, we kept it, hoping beyond hope to fix it. It paid off, though. In Nov. last year, I found a 1-owner '84 900S, just like mine (without center console, but w/cruise!) in SAAB tan, just over the state line in Chattanooga, TN. I bought it w/194K miles on it, and it now has 203K miles. I trust it as my daily driver on my ~20 mile commute to work (one-way) each weekday, and with my trusty (new) Bentley manual, and Silver as a donor car, I am developing skills as a weekend/shadtree mechanic. I wouldn't trade it for $10,000!
Just last Sat., my mom bought a 1990 900 base 3-dr. Although the car needs some work, and I don't have a 16V Bentley book for it (yet), I think it'll be a great car and a fun project besides.
This ran longer than I expected, but I've been wanting to express some love for these great cars!
Micah in NC
'84 900S, 267K mi. (donor now)
'84 900S, 203K mi. (daily driver)
'90 900, 60K mi. (Mom's)
posted by 208.61.12...
, Thu, 28 Feb 2002 17:08:00
, Thu, 28 Feb 2002 21:12:56
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