Buyers guide

Well if you’ve got this far you might actually be contemplating buying one of these fine vehicles…or maybe you just clicked on the link by accident! Either way. Let’s have a look at buying the 99 in more detail:

What's good?

Solid construction and build quality.
Many safety features absent in cars from its era.
Individual styling. Lets face it - If you buy a 99 you’re not likely to see many others about. And when you do, it’ll be all the more exciting!
Reliability – you can realistically expect to be able to use this car daily.
Longevity– 200,000 miles? No problem!
Practicality – you’d be surprised how much stuff can fit in this car.
The price – if you hunt around a bit you should get a nice bargain!

What's bad?

Neglected cars can turn out to be money pits (I know this all too well) – buy from an enthusiast if possible.
77-79 cars can rot badly as they used a different type of steel, or something.
Not that economical by modern standards
Those saggy headlinings! More about that later.
Dodgy colours. There’s a few beige and brown cars still lurking around (again, something I know all too well).

'Ow much!?

Bit of a tricky one this. A mint or restored Turbo could be worth Ł2000 or more. The condition of the car is more of a factor than the age really. Ł400-600 should secure a well looked after example of a normally aspirated car such as a GL with little or no rust. Basket cases usually tend to be given away!

So, where do I find one?

You’re unlikely to find one for sale in your local rag. Try these websites:

Go to Saabcentral and click on classifieds
Autotrader
The Saab Owners Club classifieds

Rusty bits

First of all don’t be put off by this title. Compared to other cars from it’s era, the Saab’s rust resistance is excellent. As mentioned before, cars built between 77-79 can be a lot less resistant, apparently they used a different kind of steel during this time. If it’s going to rust, here’s where it’s gonna happen:

Click on the thumbnails for a larger version:

Bottoms of the doors and sills. Check the door bottoms both inside and out. Remember, doors are easier to replace than sills. The doors off the classic Saab 900 should fit.

Rear wheel-arches. Lots to check here! The stone-chip guard (pictured) can collect dirt and start rusting, as can the rear mud-flap attachment point and the wheel-arch trim itself. Inside the wheel-arches check the suspension arms and the damper mountings (check inside the car for this too).

Battery tray and chassis member. A leaking battery can cause your battery tray to corrode. But more importantly, the chassis rail underneath it! I had this problem on my old c900.

Rear door tops. A design fault on early cars meant the top of the back doors rubbed against the bodywork. They fixed this later on with bigger rubber seals.

Also:

Front footwells.
Boot and bonnet edges.
Area beneath windscreen.

What else shoud I check?

Water pump. This is the biggie! Check around the pump (on top of the engine block) for signs of leaking. Make sure there’s no overheating when you take it for a test drive. Replacement is likely to require specialist attention and cost around Ł250. Radiators can also get clogged and cause overheating. Ask when the coolant was last flushed out and renewed.

Headlining. Don’t be put off by sagging and ripped headlinings (and rear quarter trim panels). They all go bad at some point. You can buy a kit to re-cover it. Getting it out of the car is tricky on the four-door though….

Fusebox. Damp in here can lead to annoying electrical faults. If it is damp check the rear bulkhead seal where it should form a seal against the bonnet. Changing the fuses or carrying spares is a good plan.

Headlights. – Condensation in headlights. If they’re not too badly damaged seal them back up with silicon sealant.

Exhaust manifold. – Early one piece items particularly prone to cracks.

Engine mounts. – Bracket from rubber mount to cylinder head can break. Make sure it’s not missing. Bracket on later cars (two bolts into cylinder head) is much stronger.

Locks. – Make sure they all work. Operation can get sticky but a good blast of WD40 into the barrel usually cures this.

Oil leaks. – Expect the odd small leak but walk away if a puddle is forming.

Gearbox. – Check selection of all gears. Saab 99’s will only let you take the ignition key out when the gear selector is in reverse. Check that this works okay.

Suspension. – Rear shocks can get tired, as can the rear suspension bushes. Replacement should improve the handling and ride.

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