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Well, a certain amount (OK a lot) of this was on faith, but I had the option of saying no when I saw the car. Still I was nervous, but if you are dealing with a pro and someone with honor, it is no big deal.
I heard about the car via the PO who had posted it in the TSN classifieds. When I contacted him he said had sold the car to the Swedish Connection. So I called them and had a long talk with the owner in one call and the head tech in another call. I went thru all the "what about's" with him. Then I contacted the PO again and emailed him with some questions. Then went back to the Swedish Connection for another chat with the owner. I ran a Carfax on it. Clean as can be.
In these calls I found out the way the company does business and what they do to all the cars they sell. They do the big stuff, but also little things, like new floor mats in all cars, new wipers, top notch detailing. Fixing things that don't work. And putting a nationwide zero-deductible warranty on each car. And making the car "look" right. On my car, they'd put on a gorgeous set of refurbished 16" Aero wheels and new tires.
In all this I found that the PO has been driving Saabs for 20 years and has had C900 turbos, SPGs, Aeros, and the CSE, all serviced at Swedish Connection for the past 15. And that the PO has been very compulsive about maintenance. This car has been in there for all it's maintenance for the past 55K miles.
So I did the deal. It *was* uncomfortable not to see the car, but I knew it would go fast and I didn't want to lose it. SO...my time these days dictated paying for the car before I actually saw it live. This was also uncomfortable, but I felt I could trust the people I was dealing with. And I had the option of walking away, and all it would cost was a day out of the office and the rental car ride to NJ. Worth a chance.
When I saw the car I was astounded. It looked almost like a new car, and while it has 90K on it, it drives like it has about 40K.
All that said. I would do this again from Swedish Connection, in a heartbeat. I don't know about other places. The fact they knew this car's history for the past 55K was a huge plus. I think a lot of the cars he sells are ones he knows.
I know they have some other 9000's there right now, including my second choice car, a '95 CSE 5 speed in LeMans blue. It's a beauty. I paid $9900 for mine, including a 2-year warranty, good anywhere.
So a long distance deal can be good, but know what to ask about and try to get a feeling about what the person you're dealing with is like. Take the time and don't get rushed. But remember that a good 9K won't stay anywhere long.
FWIW, I've looked at only maybe 8 9000s in person, plus a few remotely over the year or so I've been hunting. But I've done a ton of research and knew what to look for. I've spent enough time fixing cars to know what looks and feels right, and can also tell when someone is trying to scam me.
This deal was right from the word go.
Good luck and check out Swedish Connection.
Noel
posted by 24.50.14...
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