advice needed! looking at 96 aero this weekend...what to look for?

[surfbug]

Hi

I am looking at a 9000 aero this weekend.....


milige is a little high, over 160k, but the pictures look good.


I am a volvo turbo guy, having owned 3 of them in the last few years....the late 80's models.....they have a 2.3 litre as well.


so, gonna check the cv boots and joints, the shifting and the braking, accelaration, tracking straight down the road, and stuff like that.


any thing else to pay attention to? any problems areas on these cars?


looking on doing some mods, MBC, air intake box, and maybe some sway bars........

but mostly looking to enjoying the AC and the moonroof!!!

thanks in advance for all your answers.....I am getting pretty stoked!

oh, and I promise tons of pics if and when I pic it up...

and, what should be done first to bring it "up to snuff" change fluids and what else?




big al

thanks,

[surfbug]

anyone? any word of advice? drive it like I stole it?

if this is in the wrong area on the forum, let me know

I apologize....but I am gonna mod it!

hahahaha


big al

[DanF.]

Check for a complete service history, or as good as possible.
Rust isn't too bad on these cars, but check on the wheel arches, under the flares.

Don't use an MBC. The APC system is fairly advanced, and you'd just be taking away from the knock detection and engine protection. There are several way to cheaply tune the 9000 to 270+ hp.

[surfbug]

cool

thanks for the info


also, I am looking at an 89 saab 9000 this weekend


but there is a loud tap in the valvetrain, or so I am told, that partially goes away when the engine warms up.

so, I am worried that the motor on this 89 saab might have low oil pressure, or that the car might have been abused with too long between oil changes

or that it just needs the valves adjuted

or-- it needs a good seafoam treatment, autorx treatment


what do you guys think?

and, are the lifters solid or hyudraulic? that will tell me alot as well.



and, is there a thread that shows the steps to get to 270 horse?

yummy1

that sounds good

so---stage zero, stage one, stage two...any threads on that stuff?


thanks for responding... I am gettinga car very very soon , maybe even this weekend

big al

[surfbug]

any idea on the valve tapping?

and, can I hop up a regular 89 saab 9000, to get some big horsepower as easy as hopping up a 96 aero?


I would think that the aero has the bigger turbo, but I can always hook up the 89 with a bigger turbo anyway......right?

the motors are basically the same, correct? and the mods are basically the same, correct?


thanks

al

[DanF.]

You can do the easy* (it's all relative) tuning on cars that run Trionic 5, like the 96 Aero you're looking at. Search for threads that talk about T5 Suite. Its a DIY tuning program. There are some extra parts you need, but they are usually cheap.

No clue on the 89 9000 valve tapping.

As far as tuning the 89, yes anything is possible, but it's generally considered to be harder to tune the older Bosch LH cars. (Bosch LH and Trionic 5 are different engine management systems.) I'm not even sure what version the 89 9000 turbos use.

Tuning Trionic 5 is childs play* compared to DIY tuing of the older stuff, but there are fuel chips made that you can look into. Some tuners will actually retrofit Trionic 5 to the older cars (same basic engine) to make it easier to tune, but that's a big job for someone who may not be that experienced.

I actually just did a T5 Suite tune for my Aero... stage 2. It destroyed the clutch in about 4 hours, so I've been working on replacing it... actually just got it bolted back on, taking a break now, and I think it's about to thunder and pour down hard.

do you have any pics of the 96 Aero, or a link to an ad for it?

[surfbug]

nothing on the aero yet.....


ha!


yah, it just rained here in NYC bad....you guys are getting t storms too


uhmmmmm the 89 tapping 9000, for 1000 bucks, gotta say no to that,

I just dont want the problems,,,,,,the aero sounds better


allen

[Sam_L]

Is the Aero an auto or a manual? The autos don't respond well to heavy tuning.. they're quite fragile transmissions and can't handle a lot of torque. If it is an auto, at that milage it would have almost definitely been rebuilt at some point.. look out for that in the records if there are any. Also the autos, although nicely responsive, don't feel as fast as you'd expect in a straight line. On the upside, they're nice and smooth and still a pleasure to drive. Then again if it's a manual, go nuts!

[surfbug]

yah,she is a manual


so , gotta check service records, I hope they have them....


oh yeah, gettin' kinda stoked! I almost wanna bring the cash and just give it to him and drive offffffffff


yup

5 speed

weeeee----oooooot!

[Sam_L]

That's good news then! There's nothing that special to look out for other than the usual stuff really. I found this site quite helpful when I was looking around for my Saab. Oddly, the backgrounds have vanished on some of the pages though so you have to highlight some text to see it as it's white-on-white.

If there's one thing I learnt when I was looking for my 9000, it's don't get too over-excited about a car before you see it I was disappointed too many times before I found the right one. But I've had mine for a month or so now and it's a completely awesome car, I have no complaints at all I really hope for you that this car turns out to be the one, so good luck!

And we all love pics, so make sure you get some for us!

[surfbug]

yah, I think it should be good

but, hey, I wont know untill I get there.....


so, do you have pics of yours? I will check your threads


uhmmmmm, wha tdid you do first when you got it home?

besides drive it, of course....hahahhahaha


what did you do to the car service wise?


big al

[surfbug]

I found this site quite helpful when I was looking around for my Saab. Oddly, the backgrounds have vanished on some of the pages though so you have to highlight some text to see it as it's white-on-white.




taht is an awesome website...thanks

al

[surfbug]

do I need this yet?

where do I get it?


hehehehehehhee

[Sam_L]

Hahaha, you must have found my thread then!

When I got it? After driving it, I drove it some more I always take the long way home now! As far as servicing stuff goes though, just a coolant and oil flush. I was lucky enough to get a very comprehensive service record with the car.. it had a full service done 2,000kms before I bought it so nothing major had to be done. From now though I'll probably be looking at a full service every 10k, a flush every 5k. As long as these cars have been looked after well, they can last for a very long time and are pretty bulletproof. Same as Volvos really! Mine has done 215,000kms (around 133k miles) and it drives almost like a new car.

[surfbug]

Hey!

Guy moved the "aero audition" to tomorrow.

Uhmmmm, sounds easy enough-- check drivability, tires, steering, suspension-shifting , gearbox smoothness, - exhaust, exterior/interior-HVAC system/AC and the heater core for antifreeze smells-all electronics/electrics work-under hood stuff, oil leaks, antifreeze leaks, all fluids, electrical wiring---blah blah!

Oh, there are no service records, but I will check for more history.

And, I drove a 92 subaru today (blahsphamy!) Just to check--- I really need to rock the bad boy 9000!


Hahhaha!

Big Al

[bigkern01]

Good luck on the Aero tomorrow I hope it's everything and more. I too would like to buy an Aero they are awesome cars

[DanF.]

Don't forget to check in the spare-tire area, under the floor of the trunk/hatch area.

[surfbug]

Hey! Found out the car was serviced at the dealer. I can get complete service history from them right?

Do they keep full service records?

As in, a copy of the invoice that shows labor and parts and exactly what was replaced/worked on?

Thanks!

Allen

[surfbug]

Its on like donkey kong!

Going to have a look-see now

Big Al

[surfbug]

Question---

How do I change the thing near my screen-name that says "no saabs--yet" ?


I need it to say....


1996 SAAB 9000 AERO WITH A 5-SPEED!!!!!!!


Hehehehhe

Oh, and it was dealer serviced, and the original owner even kept the original window sticker...yes, I have that in my hands!


Picking it up tomorrow...

Have the original paperwork and manual to DROOL over tonite!

Big Al