[Viggen8tr]

We have two Viggens, '02 Vert and 2000 5 door, in Northern VA that both run great. I am the original owner of our 2000 now with 150K miles. I ran full synthetic and did all maintenance religiously, never raced it, but did hit a nasty water filled pothole one night long ago. The unibody frame now has structural rust near where the rear strut attaches, so my mechanic advises it’s not worth fixing.


The engine is smooth and strong--changed the tuning to boost it a little and added Saab Sport exhaust when the warranty expired, and it's definitely faster than the BMW 328 GT that replaced it. I'm having my mechanic move the exhaust to the convertible, but it makes me sick to think about that engine ending up scrapped someplace.


Both cars have smooth shifting transmissions except for the reverse synchro (working on sourcing that part now). Any advice on what the engine and/or tranny would be worth? I don’t have time or proper set up to part it out myself, so I would have to pay the mechanic to pull out the old stuff before donating what's left. Also replaced the AC compressor and condenser over past 5 years and not many miles--should I pay to move those over to my wife's which still have original? Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[BobSaabit]

You mean that the rear shock busted through the wheel well? That's a common issue and fixable. Don't scrap a Viggen for that unless it's got a lot of other rust.

 

[EdT]

Agreed that without a thorough examination, it's premature to scrap the car. People have patched the rear shock mounts on much less desireable 9-3s. But, what else might be wrong with the car?