Saab 900 SE as an everyday car

[MidgetSaab]

At the beginning of September I sold my 7 year old diesel Golf and bought (for much less money than I paid for the Golf) a 103k mile Ruby red early '93 Saab 900 2.0 SE auto. I'd always wanted a pre General Motors 900 from when they were new and as my annual mileage was dropping I thought it was a good time. Bought unseen from ebay the description of the car was good, it didn't have the usual door bottom rust or bonnet rust, though the tailgate below the rear window looks a bit fragile. I wasn't fussed about the non turbo engine and I don't mind autos for everyday use. So far it's had new front discs and pads, an easy job, everything came apart beautifully. A lower front ball joint, again unbolted with ease, they're nice big lumps of metal on these cars. New rear pads, mine being a later car has the handbrake on the rear wheels and the piston is wound back in with an allen key, a really neat design I haven't come across before. I do now have a slight weep on one of the rear adjusters which needs sorting the fluid level hasn't dropped in the reservoir but it's slightly damp behind the protective screw and I'm sure it's brake fluid. The headlining has started it's journey towards the floor of the car as they all seem to on 900s, I'm plucking up the courage to do that job in the spring. Both wiper blades have fallen off but I think they were not installed correctly as they've been OK for a bit now. The auto gearbox would occasionally slip when turning left and accelerating, a sticky shuttle valve was causing this, a clean up and fluid change has fixed that one, the only job I've farmed out to someone else and that's mainly because my driveway is permanently windy and I'd never have kept dust and grit out of the gearbox once the cover was off. I've recently had the kickdown cable break, I've made a repair with cable ties and the earth clamp from a household socket, replacing the cable involves dropping the gearbox sump again. More annoyingly it has to be properly set up using a pressure gauge on the gearbox checking pressures at various positions, one for a specialist eventually, my bodge is holding up well. The only other job I've done is freed off the passenger electric window, it's still much slower than the drivers one but does now go up and down.
Anyway I'll be updating with jobs and news as they happen.

[MidgetSaab]

New headlamp reflectors fitted yesterday in time for the MOT next week. I couldn't wait to see if they got through the test, I'd have been astounded if they had, it having got to the stage that if there was anything coming the other way on an unlit road my gentle glow didn't even light up the nearside verge edge. They're fantastic now and I'd say on a par with my wife's 7 year old C-class merc. Everything else has been checked as MOT ready, the track rod ends are starting to split but haven't gone through so can wait for warmer drier weather and the rear caliper I was concerned about has settled down. We'll see what the tester thinks.

[75nut]

I ran a £400 900 8v Turbo on a 87 for a bit, did headliner ,arches and exhaust and ran it for 6 months, and sold it for £1200 so highly recommend as a daily!

[MidgetSaab]

MOT passed today, no advisories, if this car drank less it would be perfect.

[75nut]

Result!

[MidgetSaab]

So far running this car is proving a bit too easy, i did adjust the gearshift cable and inhibitor switch at the weekend (auto). The reversing lights now come on in reverse instead of somewhere between drive and reverse which is useful.
It's thirst is the only difficult bit.
I may investigate the heater bypass valve soon, they're known to stick and I do only have a lukewarm heater a at best, given the car's meant to be run on a budget I'll probably by-pass the bypass valve rather than fork out the £60 for a replacement, alot of owners do apparently.

[JPB]

running this car is proving a bit too easy

Nooooo! Don't ever say that about a car, or it'll almost certainly do its best to contradict the statement. Right in your (red) face!

[MidgetSaab]

It's very disturbing, I can't wait for something to go wrong any longer, bring it on!

[MidgetSaab]

Since the last post the car has been assaulted by a Corsa that pulled out of a junction and stopped across 'my' lane, braking and swerving nearly made it past but my tyre rubbed all along the Corsa's front bumper and the very unobtainable fibreglass trim on the Saab's front nearside wheelarch was shattered. We've parted on good terms and I'm trying to find a replacement. Is this a peril of everyday use?
I've part solved the fuel consumption by fitting my bike in the boot, I now drive halfway to work, park at the in-laws and cycle the slow uneconomical bit through the town.
A oil change as posted elsewhere was a pain as the sump plug was firmly attached to the car and appeared to be made of fudge. Eventually I hammered a 12mm socket on to it and persueded it undone. The sunroof stopped working and then started again of its own accord and the passenger window now needs hand assistance to go back up, time to strip and clean the motor again.
I still love it, wish it had 4 speeds in the gearbox though.

[Stu63]

MOT passed today, no advisories, if this car drank less it would be perfect.

There's no chance of that, mine's an auto too but a turbo, I'm lucky to get 25 about town with a light foot, it's crap!....hence I dont use it now as we're paying dam near £7 a gal

And if you wanted a pre GM, you need to back further than 90