[James S]

Good Evening all!

So, I have a great feeling about a 900, its had 3 owners first of which was a priest believe it or not and has had SAAB center services yearly for the first 17 years. The second owner had it two years ( sold due to high taxes in greece) and the third guy has had it since 2008 on the Island of Crete he put Bilstein shocks on and seems to have a great knowledge of the car but once again selling due to taxes.

It has clearly been very well looked after with pristine original leather and body work.The electronics are functioning perfectly.
The only minor issue is that the A/C pump has a small leak but I am under the impression that if i dont need AC I can leave it as is?

Its a 8 hour ferry trip from me hence why im digging so deep into its history before taking the plunge to see it in person

The bottom line is I love it and want it but need some advice on what to look for when test driving etc? What I really want to determine is the longevity of the car once i buy it

- its lived its life in the Mediterranean so rust isn't an issue

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

 

[BobSaabit]

Non-convertible? How many miles? You need to look for all the usual car things, like tires, brake rotors and pads, oil in the water and water in the oil, etc. If it's manual, smooth shifting (in and out of gears), clutch not too high (some free play left... they are always race stiff in a 900). Can't advise on the auto trans.

Look for oil leaks... its not unusual to see leaks from the valve cover gasket, distributor hole plug, oil sensor. All easy jobs. Sometimes there are leaks from the front seal or oil pump o-ring. Not bad jobs to do. A leak from the rear main seal or head gasket is much more work to repair if it needs it. A little head gasket seepage near the left front corner of the head is not unexpected in these years and usually an easy fix.

MHO, the one thing the one thing I find important with a used Saab is to drive it and feel for driveline vibration. A little here and there is almost expected in these cars, but a lot under load (acceleration) up a long highway hill can be more troublesome. Sometimes it's simple wheel balance, other times its more significant driveline work needed. How it comes and goes and at what speed is important for us to give you any sort of diagnosis on what it might be.

The thing I tell most people is that these are great cars, fun and comfortable, inexpensive to buy... but have a little money set aside for some initial work since they are 20 years old. Stuff is dried out, worn out, etc.

Wait for opinions from others here on what to check.

 

[EdT]

How many kilometres on it? Items such as fuel pumps and various bushings start to fail. The cooling system also can develop problems with hoses, radiator, and water pump. Power steering hoses can start to go bad.

It does not matter if the A/C does not work, however you want to make sure that all the functions of the climate control system, manual or auto, work properly.

Check the service history for brake fluid, coolant, and power steering fluid changes. The brake fluid should be changed every few years. If it is old, your brake lines may be rusting from inside, and eventually would need replacement.

Obviously there should be no warning lights on when the car is running. It should start and run smoothly.

The basic body and drivetrain are reliable and well built. But I would think that parts would be hard to find if you had to replace items. The problem is that Saab no longer exists, never mind doesn't really stock parts for 24 year old cars. Many of the replacements being sold are poor quality. So you might wind up with a nice car that needs three or four things that are very hard to replace with quality parts (such as front strut bearings).

 

[CarpeCyprinidae]

check the brakes work well. Pre 2000 cars use a brake master cylinder thats no longer available as a new replacement, in event of failing your options are - replace with a used part, rebuild with new seal kit, or have vehicle adapted to use the later BMC (different brake pipe points)