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Re: Some Questions Posted by Justin VanAbrahams [Email]  (#32) [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Justin VanAbrahams) on Mon, 27 Jan 2003 19:59:04
In Reply to: Re: Some Questions, Thanks, Mon, 27 Jan 2003 19:28:28 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
I think "nothing but trouble" is a pretty ridiculous overstatement. I've owned a lot of Saabs and none of them have toasted a transmission before 150k and most get much closer to 200k. Personally, I don't think a tranny rebuild every 8-12 years (for average mileage) is that overwhelming. Granted, it's no T-5 but comparable to other FWD cars out there.
c900s don't have ACC - it's all manual HVAC controls - fan speed, distribution, and temperature. The fan and speed controller are fairly reliable - I've got four extra blowers in my garage so I guess that says something about frequency of repair. :) The distribution system is all vacuum-controlled, so as long as your engine is making vacuum you should be alright. Occasionally the vacuum reservoir (big plastic tank) develops a leak or the switch itself goes bad, but that's an easy and inexpensive fix. The temperature control is a somewhat antiquated design - there's a heater core and a heater control valve. The cores seem to last forever - I've never had to replace one and know only a few people who have. The valve is another story - early on they used metal ones which were subject to corrosion and did break. The newer design is all plastic and seems to be quite reliable. They are cheap ($75 or less), easy to replace (an hour or two), and last a good ten years. Chances are, any car you buy today will already have a plastic one and you won't need to bother with it. A/C on the cars is pretty standard design, but the compressors on 16v cars do not seem nearly as reliable or efficient as the older 8v ones. Not sure why. Expect to need a new compressor every five to seven years, and don't expect Ford-quality air conditioning. It's good, but not great. It's adequate for Sacramento temperatures (100+ degrees in the summer) so I can't complain. Parts are pretty cheap - you can redo the whole system for about $300.
FWIW, I bought my '86 900S in 1999 for $650. I immediately dumped $3000 into it - including a new transmission. Since then, I've spent exactly $0 on maintenance, aside from one new set of brake pads for the front and routine oil changes. It's done about 40,000 miles so far and is running great. All said and done, $3700 over three and a half years seems like a good deal to me.
-Justin
posted by 207.215.77...
, Mon, 27 Jan 2003 17:43:52, Mon, 27 Jan 2003 19:59:04 <-- Viewing This Message
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