[jasonlewis]

Well, I had to do it. I traded in my 91 9000 cd turbo. I had only had it since December after driving a 900 for a couple years.

When I bought the 9000 I had no idea I would get into the Iowa Writers Workshop and have to drive from WV to Iowa and back over the next 2 years. My wife and daughter are staying here in WV while I go ou there for school. When the air hose blew off my 9000 going up a busy, busy blind hill I had had enough. Seeing my wife and daughter standing in a cow pasture while I watched car after car nearly kill my 9000...well.

So I started tabulating the known repairs that i would have to make to the 9000 in the next year. Heater core, shocks, struts, AC, engine blow by, and more. I figured out that I could get a decent new car on payments for what i would pay in the next year to repair the 9000.

So I bought a 2005 Hyundai Elantra hatchback, which looks a lot like a gm 900. A good car, comfortable and waranteed for the next 5 years bumper to bumper.I had had a Hyundai a few years back and it was never in the shop once.

So I will probably come back to Saabs when I have time for a hobby car, but until then, safety first.

But I wanted to say thanks to everyone who helped me out over the past couple years. Good motoring all.

Jason

 

[valbowski1980]

Sorry about your 9K. They are great cars but with age... well you know as well as anyone.

Enjoy the Elantra, good to see you got the hatch version. Koreans have come a long way and now make respectable cars.

 

[benji9k]

Sad to hear, but very understandable. You're not leaving us for no good reason. Perhaps you can put some 900 badges on the hyundai and see if anyone notices..

Perhaps we'll see you back around sometime, you know you'll be missing the Saab.

 

[redbryn]

hi guys I get the same feelings with my 9000 reliability is no were near as good as my old 7 series bm but I love saabs and persevere with it I'm always getting funny looks off my neighbours because i'm under the bonnet every other day but on the other hand I get a lot of interest about performance etc. Labour of love I guess!!!!

 

[Returned]

Sorry to hear you go Jason, but hopefully you will be back.

To Redbryn; You obviously had a good 7 series because my 740 V8 was the biggest pile of automotive dog**** I've ever owned.

If I had to choose between death and running a seven series, I'd say 'hand me the gun'!

 

[redbryn]

yeah the v8's were crap I had the 730 with the straight six I actually swapped it for the saab I have now with my brother he was glad to get rid of it now I have all the headaches but I suppose he now has 18-20 mpg with the bm.... anyway always have preffered saabs but the gm900 I had gave me loads of trouble aswell I guess I'm just unlucky

 

[jasonlewis]

Perhaps you can put some 900 badges on the hyundai and see if anyone notices..

Hey that's not a bad idea. It really is uncanny how much the Hyundai folks borrowed from the 900 design.

Thus far the Elantra has been a pretty impressive ride, particularly for the money. Maybe by the time I get rid of it I'll actually be able to afford a new Saab. Maybe.

 

[KevinC]

yeah the v8's were crap I had the 730 with the straight six I actually swapped it for the saab I have now with my brother he was glad to get rid of it now I have all the headaches but I suppose he now has 18-20 mpg with the bm.... anyway always have preffered saabs but the gm900 I had gave me loads of trouble aswell I guess I'm just unlucky

I had a 735i long ago, massively better made than a 3 series or any Saab, but priced higher as well. Saab turbos have much more soul though!