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It's the sincerest form of flattery Posted by Saana88 [Email]  (#207)  [Profile/Gallery]
(more from Saana88) on Wed, 19 Dec 2007 14:42:33
In Reply to: Re: Copycat!, 92Blue900, Wed, 19 Dec 2007 03:59:26 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
Sadie is LeMans blue, paint code 229. That's on the tire pressure label on the driver's door.
I swore off automatics a few years back (okay, nearly five) when the slushbox in my white four-door died. Since yours is a rebuild, you have a bit of life left in it, which is both good and bad for you. Good because you won't have to worry about it failing more than normal, but bad because you won't be getting any more than 24-25 miles per gallon the whole while.
Sadie, pending a decent-sized tax return, is going to be repainted in the spring or summer. Some idiot in a fourth-party doll-up shop took steel wool to the entire passenger's side and it looks rotten if it hasn't been waxed in the past few weeks. Plus, she's got two spots where the earlier owners got a paint chip and let it sit in all kinds of weather so it rusted. That and the usual trailing lower edges of the hood. This car is a keeper, so I've been fixing things that broke (and quite a few preventative bits) little by little over the past three years. The level of insanity is entirely up to you, and it sounds like yours was cared for better than mine. (My previous owner used a muffler shop for undercar work and a so-so indy for engine stuff. They didn't quite get it right sometimes.) Your car is "old" by the way the majority of people define the term, but still well-engineered enough to get you around reliably. Just don't ignore her when she's talking to you. You got the first step right- finding a good mechanic and using this bulletin board to its fullest advantage. We all drive similar cars here, so sometimes you can trace what you think is the wierdest problem in the world in no time instead of fooling around with a voltmeter with the dashboard torn apart (needlessly) for hours. Just take good care of your car and it will return the favor. Change your own oil; it takes 40 minutes and you'll do a better job. When you find a mechanic you like, they should have the time to take you into the shop with your car on a lift and point out anything they've noticed. You should feel free to ask any questions you want at any time with them, otherwise they're not the ideal mechanic for you. Swing by some of our site sponsors. I'm not on the payroll, I just know what works. Get an idea of what they offer for replacement parts. Since they're commonly carried, chances are they sell enough of them, and you can take a hint that our "old" cars may use one of those parts from time to time. You'll also get an idea what they cost. Your next big step is to read your owner's manual and all those repair records. That will tell you what needs to be checked, changed, serviced, or adjusted. Next, get your hands on the Bentley repair manual for 16 valve 900s, ISBN 0-8376-0313-7. Except for about eight or ten typos and omissions, this book is a Bible for your Saab. Even if you don't do any of your own work, you can read what the procedure is and what tools are required when taking your car to a mechanic so you understand them better. Even if it's $50, that's very, very cheap insurance. I had the interior of my convertible stripped down to the floorpan last winter. All I needed were common tools (including a set of Torx sockets, those funny star-shaped ones) and about an hour. I took my time putting it back together and everything looks great now, except for the tear in the driver's seatback leather where they all wear out. 170k is that territory where your car doesn't have any flaws showing anymore. That was the last owner's problem. Now, everything is all fixed and you'll be dealing with "once in the life of the car" failures, which may be more expensive, but you also don't have to do them for another decade or two. Your car will treat you like well-aged wine. Sip, don't guzzle.
, Tue, 18 Dec 2007 15:12:29, Wed, 19 Dec 2007 14:42:33 <-- Viewing This Message
, Tue, 18 Dec 2007 14:49:22
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