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Re: Best SPG year Posted by RS [Email] ![]() ![]() ![]() In Reply to: Best SPG year, DAnH ![]() |
If the one you own is in good shape, the best year is the one that you own. Other than body cladding, wheels, and some minor changes to springs and the APC on some years, an SPG is just a 900t. This isn't to say that a 900t is a bad thing by any means. How much you like your SPG is determined more by how well it was cared for by the previous owner and how much tolerance you have for DIY.
I like the looks of pre-87 SPGs, and they can be tuned and lowered with aftermarket stuff to be faster than stock SPGs of later years. '87 and earlier have the old-style brakes, which you either love or hate. '85 SPGs had tan interiors. Later ones had buffalo grey interiors.
In '88, all 900s got the same brakes as 9000s. SPGs got lower and stiffer springs than factory 900s (maybe that was in '87). Some '88s had passive seat belts.
In '89, SPGs and 900Ts got the LH 2.4 fuel injection. The LH 2.4 ECUs were a bit dodgy in '89. They ECU in mine failed last year. They're easily replaced with ones from later years if they fail. One nice thing about '89 is that it's the first year that the headlights go off when you put the key in the Accesory position. I drained a battery in an '88 not knowing that.
'90s got ABS and drivers side airbag.
I forget which year got the Mitsubishi turbocharger ... maybe '91.
Each year has something different going for it. The passive seat belts in late '88 and '89 aren't so bad as long as you remember to make sure that you have some slack in the belt before you start the car or shut it off - my '89 has those. To deal with them, you just develop a habit of putting slack in the belt, so it becomes a non-issue.
My '88 SPG was by far my favorite of the 2 I've owned, it drove very well and shifted like butter. But it met an untimely end - totalled out by a semi. My '89 was driven hard by it's previous owner, so the transmission has a lot of wear and the shocks aren't up to the level that they should be. I've had the '89 for nearly 4 years and it's ready for a transmission.
The bottom line for me is that any C900T (with a 5-speed) is a load of fun to drive - the body panels and 3-spoke wheels make it so much better to look at.
posted by 172.128.132...
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