[jnev]

hey guys, i'm new to this forum, and new to saabs in general. i recently acquired a 95 saab 900s with the 150hp engine. i'm wondering what mods i can get for fairly cheap. i'm looking mainly for engine mods, as i find that with the engine i currently have, acceleration is weak and sluggish, and there's not as much power as i'd like to have on tap for passing. once the car gets up to speed it handles very nicely, it's just that getting up to speed takes some time. i don't know much about these cars, so i'm not sure what mods would work the best. i'd like to spend no more than $500, though i can go a bit higher if it really makes a substantial difference. also, what's a good site to order parts from?

thanks

 

[mike saunders]

Lots of folks have asked the same questions over the past few months but the answers are still the same: the amount of gain in a naturally aspirated engine is directly proportional to the amount of cash you have to spend.

You can do an intake and exhaust pretty cheaply, and from there you can start experimenting. It's a semi-educated guesstimate, but bigger intake and less-restrictive exhaust and maybe cams might yield 10-15 hp.

Do a search of "n/a mods" or something similar....

 

[jnev]

how about a new pipe and air filter? which ones would be fairly inexpensive yet give me some fairly good gain?

also, this has nothing to do with power mods, but would new rims/tires benefit me? what would be the largest size tim i could fit?


thanks

 

[ricot83]

do some searching around, also i would go with suspension stuff on that car not engine mods..

 

[Tweek's Turbos]

Backing up what Rico said, you need to take a good look at your front suspension. It may still be the original substandard unit.

 

[stromer]

To clarify the aboce picutre, the yelow circle are the attatch points of the front sway bar.

Handling upgrades will be better worth your money in the long run.

 

[jnev]

well, it already handles pretty nicely, but if you guys say that suspension upgrades will be more worth it, that's fine with me. how do i find out what kind of suspension i have? it's a 1995 900s. also, what kind of suspension upgrades would improve the handling and how much would they cost?

thanks

 

[jnev]

i'm also looking at new rims/tires. what's the largest rim i can fit? what would give me the best mix of performance and fairly smooth? also, what's a good brand for rims and tires?

thanks

 

[mispent_childhood]

I'd agree with the last few posts...

Sort out the handling and stopping (suspension and brakes), before you start increasing the power. Then you'll be safe in the knowledge that the car will 'handle' those extra horses...

Wheels, I'd go for some 17"s, with some goodyear eagle f1's...I've got sum 225/45/17s, some peeps prefer 215s, I've got a coupe and no rubbage to date!

You could go for larger rims, but I think 17s are just right. When the car is lowered (i.e. new suspension) the wheels fit in the arches a treat...

There's plenty of nice 17" oem rims out there...I went for a set of viggens, got 'em refurbed and powder coated in gunmetal...i love 'em

 

[jnev]

i'm looking at thewheelconnection.com. do i need 17x7 or 17x7.5?

 

[Tweek's Turbos]

To clarify the aboce picutre, the yelow circle are the attatch points of the front sway bar.

Handling upgrades will be better worth your money in the long run.

To clarify the above post, he means: ABOVE PICTURE, :lol: :lol:

Take alook at the circled section. This is one of 2 spots the sway bar attached to. One is bad, one is good. Get the one on the right, and you can upgrade to a 9-3SE 24mm bar.

 

[jnev]

how do i know which version i have? is there a kit i can buy to upgrade to the one on the right.

 

[jnev]

i think for the first mod i'm gonna get new rims/tires, then after that get a swaybar kit, maybe a new air filter or exhaust. what's a good rim/tire combo that's fairly inexpensive?

thanks

 

[stromer]

You seem to have a good plan so far. I actually prefer Saab OEM wheels. I just haven't found many aftermarket wheels that look good. Plus saabs have an odd lug pattern (5x110) so it limits the options. There are plenty of 17" wheels made by Saab to choose from.

I have Sumitomo HTRZ II tires. They work fine for me.

 

[jnev]

how do i know the rims will fit? or do any saab 17x7's fit?

 

[Tweek's Turbos]

JNEV, I have a 95 900 too, so I can't stress this enough.

Turn your steering wheel all the way to the left.

Look under your front drivers side tire.

With a printout of above pic in hand, find where your swaybar links to.(circled spot in pic)

You need to know that if it is the stock 94-95 front suspension, thier are no replacement parts for it. You can order upgraded versions of the upgrade. GenuineSaab.com sells the kit with the 24mm front bar for $379

You can also opt to have the poly bushings installed too. I have been slowly upgrading my suspension. I would do the wheels absolutly last. Check out www.Abbottracing.com and see if they have any early 900 shocks and springs that would fit you car. Check the clearance section.
I hate to break it to you, but unless you spend alot of $$$$ your non turbo car isn't going to be very fast. Can you try and sell it and upgrade to a turbo car?

 

[ragtopcav]

JNEV, I have a 95 900 too, so I can't stress this enough.


You need to know that if it is the stock 94-95 front suspension, thier are no replacement parts for it.

Everything for the early models is still available, and it looks like there may also be poly stuff too [but not under Saab labelling]

Don't forget I've recently bought new radius arms for mine [a '93 new 900]

Changing these bushes has had more effect on handling on my car than any other part I've changed

 

[jnev]

would a saab dealership be able to do this for me? i'm not very technically inclined. i can replace stuff like an air filter or wheels, but i'm not very comfortable messing with the suspension.

 

[NCviggen]

a dealer should be able to do it, but contact them first to make sure they're OK with installing parts sourced from outside the dealership! (some won't install it if they didn't provide it...liability thing). an indie shop should be more than happy to, but good to check first there too. another (better, IMO) option is a saab club in your area (perhaps you can find one?) with some mechanically inclined members who would be able to help you out! then you can a) get the work done for just the cost of parts + a six pack, b) learn more about your car and how it works in the process, and c) find a new group of people to hang out with!

 

[stromer]

As of two weeks ago, that upgrade/rebuild kit from genuine saab is sold out. Contact Nick for more info.