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I have been chuckling at the anti 4x4 rhetoric on various Bulletin Boards recently and have had a chance to experieence it first hand from the other side this week.
My wife's 900S 16V was being converted to lpg last week. The
installation went very well and looks really neat. Its all tuned up
and then it wouldn't run on gas (lpg). After much diagnostics a defective
ECU (lpg not SAAB) was diagnosed and the replacement part will be
fitted next week. The firm couldn't have been more apologetic and a
courtesy car was awaiting my arrival... An '95 Suzuki Vitara LWB 4x4
with 44,000 miles on the clock. (The firm specialises in Discoverys
and Land Rovers - and tractors!!). OK its got 4 wheels and looks
like fun. Has the running boards and PAS (the next door neighbours
have a SWB one and swear by it).
Well what an experince: I took it back home (despite a pretty stiff
gearbox) and invited my wife to drive around the block to see if she
would be alright driving it for the week. She tried it! You should
have seen her face...'people pay good money for this kind of
thing?'... 'I am having your 9000 next week you can drive back to
Shrivenham in this thing!'
Well its got a stiff gearbox and its easy to grind the gears. It's
tinny and drafty (despite a proper tin roof). At 50mph the wind and
all manner of things start roaring and wailing. I thought it was
windy on Dartmoor this morning but it is absolutely calm! The
ventilation only gives blended air on one's face. On the motorway FM
becomes crackly and I had to listen to Radio 4 on Long Wave which I
haven't done since my MGB roadster with period radio! Acceleration
figures in minutes. Lose 5mph and it takes an age to regain it at
cruising speeds. Uncomfortable seats, roll in the corners. No foot
rest. No room for your knees when you wind down the window (manual)
to adjust the mirrors (manual) Brakes OKish but something smells
under the bonnet after 100 miles (yes it is in 2WD and the hubs are
freewheeling). All one's luggage is exposed in the boot when one
stops at a motorway service station. No central locking and the
wash/wipe and indicators are the other way around. I haven't managed to find out what engine size it is. By the vehicle tally plate it might be 1600cc!
Its good points: Er might be OK in 4wd if I can be bothered to drive
somewhere where I might need it! You don't have to converse with your
passengers because they can't hear you!
Well it has certainly reaffirmed why we run SAABs even if they are a
few years old and need some tlc.
4x4. No thank you! I hope I haven't offended 4x4 owners too much, but the die hards probably don't reside on this list.
Gavin
'92 9000 CSE 2.3 Turbo Auto lpg (152,000 miles, which Rachel likes
quite a lot now!)
'89 900S 16V (205,000 miles almost running on lpg)
posted by 194.42.24...
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