Unfortunately none of your questions will be answered before your topic is deleted. The mods frown on street racing, and this thread is as good as gone.


Just sayin'


mod edit - removed post in question and for clarification, it is not the mods that don't like street racing, it is society that does not like it, hense the reason it is illegal and THAT is the reason it is not allowed here.

 

Welcome!

An ECU upgrade gives you the most performance for your dollar.

You will want premium grade 91-93 octane, especially if you get a staged ECU.

Sport mode is awesome, I drive in sport mode all the time.

"Service theft alarm" usually means the battery on the alarm needs to be replaced. There are instructions posting on this forum under FAQ. You may also find the alarm goes off by itself randomly until the battery on the alarm is replaced.

Be careful with the street racing posts. The mods here are sticklers for safe and legal driving here.

Congratulations and good luck with your new car.

 

I damaged my right side mirror while racing a dodge neon

He was driving insane and taunting me, so I decided to race him.

I reached about 140 mph

I still felt pretty proud of myself.

I was going a little too fast when I took a curve and I knocked my right side mirror pretty badly on a light wooden pole

I still continue to race people that are rude and cut me off just to show off

I am usually nice to new members but...

What the %$#@ are you thinking? You're 17 so you don't have any good experience driving yet. Even with more years of experience, it is still totally irresponsible behavior. That light wooden pole could have been a big tree or other car and it wouldn't have been a pretty sight.

If you're lucky, you get caught and your license be taken away before you can do any serious damage. I don't want to sound like a know-it-all but I was 17 once and it is easy to get carried away.

So please don't take it the wrong way, think about it and accept it as well-meant friendly advice. You're an accident waiting to happen.

Welcome to the forum.

 

Wulf, I couldn't agree more. What's odd though, is that I am 17 years old, as well.


Really, driving 140 MPH serves absolutely no purpose and you are going to accomplish NOTHING but getting yourself killed. I know Saabs are "safe," but there is no such thing as a safe car at 140 MPH. The safest car in the world is no longer safe at 140 MPH.


Bad idea, and that is coming from another person your age.

 

Sorry about Street racing post, I did not know it was not allowed here. Just to clarify I hit the light wooden pole at around sixty miles per hour not 140 luckily. Oh I guess "light wooden pole" is kind of confusing, essentially it was a small lone fence post, not a street light pole. By "light" i meant its thickness, it only grazed my mirror, but it still caused damage to it. Im going to stop street racing, its not arranged or anything it just sort of happens, its a combination of my dumb hormones and my useless pride. When people in their dumb golfs and cobalts, are thinking they are so cool, while they are stoping in front of me for no reason in the middle of the road and reving their engines. I just get upset and speed right past them. Im hoping to race in a legal way at a local race track once I get my car at that level. Sorry again for the racing post how do i edit it so it dose not get banned because i still want my questions answered if possible.

 

Thanks Everyone

Thanks for answering some of my questions and informing me of the rules, in a kind matter. Ok so now i know that sport mode provides better acceleration, so what about those other modes like 4 or 3. Does putting it in forth or third increase acceleration, if not what is their purpose? I know it's probably a dumb question what i have always wondered.

 

There is an edit button on the bottom right of your posts. I can't speak for the mods, but I would doubt they ban you.

I'd modify what you have instead of spending a lot on a newer Aero 9-5, if I was you at least. A $1k stage 1 ECU can get your base 9-5 up to near Aero levels and a little more money will get you to stage 2 or 3.

The insurance on a 2006 aero has got to be horrible for a 17 year old.

 

Thanks COG

Ok i figured out the whole editing think and i fixed my infractions, thanks for your help do you know the cars top speed, i know it says 160 on the speedometer i was just wondering if it could go past that, not that i intend on testing it, I just wanted to know.

 

That's a great idea getting involved in sanctioned / legal racing. Find out if there's a local SCCA club that you can get involved with.

Everyone's already chastised you enough for acting your age, so I won't say anything to that effect; judging by your willingness to write a decent length intro post, you come across to me as something more than the run-of-the-mill stupid punk kid with his first car. You're intelligent enough to know when your actions are stupid.

The one piece of advice I'll give you is that you shouldn't be worried about upgrading your car before getting involved in sanctioned racing. Your car's ability to take itself up to 140mph is proof that the car is more than fast enough. People race in 30hp go-karts; you'll have as much fun and will learn just as much about driving skillfully and quickly without spending a dime on power mods. In fact, once you do an autocross event or two, you'll start thinking more about suspension and handling improvements than about power adders.

You sound like you've been bitten prety hard by the enthusiast bug - just about everyone here has been, so you're in good company. I hope your experience with your Linear is the beginning of a long and fulfilling time as a sports car (and Saab) enthusiast!

Welcome to the forum!

P.S. Just wait 'till you buy a stick-shift. If you love driving now, you'll absolutely blow your own mind with a manual :cheesy:

 

I used to do some autocrossing with the SCCA and it is a great way to learn more about driving in a controlled competitive environment. It's inexpensive and you can do it with your own car. Highly recommended.

www.scca.com
http://www.autocross.com/texasregion/

I know exactly how it goes when dumb people get in my way, even after 23 years of driving. But it is usually (well, always) best to just let it go and be the bigger person. And who wants to race a Neon anyways... :lol:

And 140 mph in a 185hp Linear? You're not stretching the truth a bit, are you?

Good luck Wolf!

 

do you know the cars top speed, i know it says 160 on the speedometer i was just wondering if it could go past that, not that i intend on testing it, I just wanted to know.

The US 2006 9-5 which has 260hp is limited at 135 mph. I think the real top speed is around 150/155 mph without the limiter.

 

And who wants to race a Neon anyways... :lol:

Volvo T5 owners? :cheesy:

-runs and hides-

 

Where in Texas? As others have said, street racing is stupid, organized or not. It's best if you learn the easy way (us telling you) than learning the hard way (as you lay in a hospital bed with a totalled car, as you think about the moral and legal implications of being responsible for the serious injury/death of others). Sorry to be brutal, but the unedited truth should make you think twice.

Additionally, I don't think it's a great idea to start out with such a powerful car. My first car had 225 hp and it got me in to LOTS of trouble as a youngster. Looking back, I think I'd have been much better off with something less powerful.

Ever driven a Miata? 120 hp or so and tons of fun. Here's what I suggest if you want to have more fun with the car. As others have said, get involved with Autocross. You'll have a whole lotta fun and probably become addicted. Coolest thing about it is that it is safe. For the car: Suspension should be your focus. Sport Springs and Bilstein Sport Shocks/Struts, Aero swaybars, polyurethane bushes, maybe a strut brace, 17" wheels w/ sticky UHP tires. Don't forget better brakes!

 

The insurance on a 2006 aero has got to be horrible for a 17 year old.

Nah, I got my 2001 9-5 V6 when I was 17 and insurance was cheaper than a VW Jetta with the 2.0liter go kart engine in it would have been. I just bought a 2004 Aero and my insurance went up by $21 per YEAR.

 

Thanks

Thanks RITmusic2k and Wulf for your posts, just to defend my car though it CAN reach 140 and most likely a little over (haven’t tried yet and I most likely won’t unless its legal this time and I get a sunroof spoiler because it was making a lot of air noise at that speed, I don’t want to mess up the fitting around the sunroof. I'm not trying to challenge you wulf, I'm sure you would kill my car and you have much more knowledge about cars than me, I just don't want it to seem like "i was stretching the truth". It was originally from Canada, I found out because of the Manuel in the glove box, and then it ended up in Oregon, and then in ended up Houston Texas somehow. I found it on eBay and then I drove it down with my parents to south Texas where I live. Um, I don’t know that much about cars but maybe since it was from Canada and they have different laws it had a higher top speed. Another reason why I’m thinking early models might have better top speeds is because; they were completely foreign and not owned by gm before 2003. The U.S. loves to put inhibitor chips in their cars (example some Mustangs having a low top speed of only 100), which is good in some cases. I don’t know either my speedometer is broken which it’s not) or my car just went over the "supposed top speed" by a little. When I was driving it at that speed the rpm was not even fully in the red zone. Not that speed is everything, I also would like to get some handling upgrades. It is going to take a while, on my Marble Slab ice cream Salary oh and thanks WhiteT5 and raquettelaker2 for your postings i just saw them, oh and I live in Mission,Texas.

 

The reason your car was able to reach that speed is because the speedo is off.
Manufacturers have a 4% allowance for error ... 4% of 140 mph is 5.6 mph ...
140-5.6 = 134.4 mph
Your car is governed to the same 135mph/220km/h that all other Saabs are.

Canadian cars are identical to US except for the instrument cluster.
And the only difference there is in the speed measurements being in km/h only.

As has been stated by others, if you want to learn how to drive your car (and going fast doesn't mean you know how to do anything other than put your right foot down and hold on), get involved in either driving schools or autocross events.
Those activites could even save your life one day.

And if my 17 year old were every caught doing this, I would take his licence away ... and he wouldn't get it back until he moved out. :nono;

 

Sport mode changes the shift points of the transmission to maximize acceleration instead of economy.

Please remember the families who are out there on the roads with you. Too many people forget about the cars packed with kids when they see a stupid Neon or Civic with their asinine coffee can mufflers, no shocks and awful looking primered body kits. It's certainly easy enough to get caught up in focusing on those people, but look around next time your speed starts to increase a lot and think about if you lost a significant person in your life to a teenager who was seeing how fast their car could go on the highway.....

And, thanks for at least talking stuff like this out, it's nice to see that you're not some blind young adult who's only interest is in seeing how close to death you can be

Regarding modifying your ride, no, I wouldn't shoot for a newer model. I would beef up what you have. It's a far more rewarding experience to take a good foundation of a vehicle and make it rock. Stick with handling improvements at first, then worry about speed, because if your car can't stick to the off-ramp, what's the point in making it faster?

 

The reason your car was able to reach that speed is because the speedo is off.
Manufacturers have a 4% allowance for error ... 4% of 140 mph is 5.6 mph ...
140-5.6 = 134.4 mph
Your car is governed to the same 135mph/220km/h that all other Saabs are.

Mine cut out at exactly 135 mph on the speedometer so that's what the limiter is based on, no? I think the only reason they put in the speed limiter is because of the standard factory tires.

I just can't imagine driving 140 mph/235km/h on any public road here in the US. Even in Germany with a long stretch of autobahn ahead of you without much other traffic, anything over 200 km/h requires full attention and a long stretch to even get up to the speed. I had a hard time staying above 200 km/h in my 9-3 with 210 hp. Racing another car at the same time at a safe distance is just beyond my imagination.

VirtousWolf, maybe you should move to Utah. How about an SOC or SC meet at the salt flats. :lol:
http://www.saabcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=138050

 

Mine cut out at exactly 135 mph on the speedometer so that's what the limiter is based on, no? I think the only reason they put in the speed limiter is because of the standard factory tires.

The allowance is there ... it doesn't mean they are all like that.
My Aero is off a little.

And if you compare your SID to your speedo, they are not the same either.
I can't account for how they can be different, but they do appear to read differently.
I have my SID speed warning set to 142 km/h and yet when it dings at my, my speedo is showing about 145-146 ... :roll:

 

It was originally from Canada, I found out because of the Manuel in the glove box...

If you found Manuel in your glove box, the car was most likely from Mexico.

 

If you found Manuel in your glove box, the car was most likely from Mexico.

BWHAHAHAHAHA!!

Priceless! I spit my coffee out.

 

Or from Barcelona, Spain... :lol:

 

Your car is governed to the same 135mph/220km/h that all other Saabs are.

My 2001 V6 is limited at 147, did they change something in 2002? I don't know why we are even having this conversation because it is absolutely asinine to think you are ever going to hit these speeds without a good chance of hurting yourself or more importantly other innocent drivers. On top of that, check the speed rating on your tires. I bet it's FAR BELOW 135 or whatever you think your car can do. If one of these were to decide it's spinning too fast and shred a little you are OVER. EPIC FAIL. Your brakes won't like it either. I have never tried these speeds, but I have heard the climb to max speed from about 100 takes a LONG TIME, i.e. lots of road. You are going to be sorry if you get caught doing 100+. You will be arrested and your license will most likely be taken away from you for a while. If I were you I'd be counting my blessings that I have a decent car and would enjoy driving it at legal speeds.

Another reason why I’m thinking early models might have better top speeds is because; they were completely foreign and not owned by gm before 2003.

You are new to the Saab world. You have some reading to do, haha...

 

I can't believe how much excitement this thread has made.

As it is written in The Book of St. Stig, "The prophet Jeremy Clarkson looked down upon the rabble gathered at the Top Gear test track and spoketh 'Let he who has no speeding tickets drive the first powerlap, but surely I say to you that such a person will not rank high on the powerboard.' The rabble heard these words, and they did drop their keys and no Bugatti Veyrons were vandalized that day."

Back to the topic: My speedometer reads low. I've had it checked by Lidar one day and when I think I'm going 40mph, I'm only going 36mph. Up until then I had always wondered why everyone was passing me when I would do the speed limit.

 

The reason your car was able to reach that speed is because the speedo is off.
Manufacturers have a 4% allowance for error ... 4% of 140 mph is 5.6 mph ...
140-5.6 = 134.4 mph

:nono;

I have not investigated this at all but if the plus or minus 4% allowance is probably due to the combination of manufacturing tolerances of the intermediate mechanical parts before the speedometer, and the type and brand of new vs. old tires. I'm inclined to believe the the speedometer unit itself, without any linkage, is more accurate than 4%. Also, since it's a 4% tolerance his max would be 135*1.04. If i'm correct, this 140 sounds unlikely considering the combination would have to be in his favor.