UKSaabs

Greetings all!

It has to be said that my recent motoring karma has not been good. This could be traced back to the fateful decision I made to sell this,

2012-06-24144452 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr

I loved this car so much - I have never kept a car for as long as I kept this (very nearly 5 Years........)

I sold it because the gearbox was failing and the dreaded rust had started to kick in........Now I realise that I should have got all of these things sorted because from this I got the OG 9-3 Aero which was a nice car but this came to a sticky end when the front wheel came off. Next came the Big red bus ('00 9-5 Aero estate) - which although it looked great, I never, ever bonded with. When the 9-5 started to become a little naughty, Mrs B called time on 'bangernomics' and demanded that we get a sensible and suitable 'modern' car to comfortably seat our now very-much growing 3 children. This led to us buying our XC90 - which to be fair does the job beautifully. This then led me in to selling the 9-5 and then using Mrs B's 9-3 vert. Mrs B as soon as she got her much-wanted XC90, she knew that I wouldn't keep the vert and that she knew I would go 9000 shopping! Of course, as I am not the type to let people down, I started my search.........

What I wanted was a either an Aero or a decent Anniversary. This turned into a long search, mainly because since I got my last 9000 the number of 9000s has all but disappeared!
Eventually, a friend mentioned how he had been to P&P car sales and that they had a real beauty. He had intended to buy this example but then decided I should get it instead. But when I rang P&P they were sorry to report that it had sold. But they suggested I get in contact with DCA Saab as they thought that they might have a 'few' Anniversaries.... So I did - they said that they did indeed have 3 awaiting attention. Daniel at DCA promised he would go up to their yard and see what they were like and pull out the best one. This turned out to be a '97 2.3 FPT auto in Scarab green. Here are the initial pictures he sent me of the said car;

2.3FPT Anni by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr

2.3FPT Anni by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr

2.3FPT Anni by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr

2.3FPT Anni by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr

Suitably interested, I asked for more information. They told me that it had full S/H (mainly Main agents and the rest Independent specialists - 19 stamps in all!) and that it had done 123k.

So with that I organised to go view during this past week - however as is often the case with family life plans didn't go to plan. I was then faced with the prospect of cadging lifts and using public transport for another half term. With this I took the brave (maybe stupid?) decision to buy the car 'blind' and get it delivered.........scary stuff!

So the 9000 was listed on Uship and eventually I agreed to have it delivered on Saturday. So when it arrived looking like this;

20171028_145210 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr

20171028_145242 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr

20171028_145526 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr

20171028_145710 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr

20171029_114848 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr

20171029_114853 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr

The spoiler was particuarly manky........

20171028_145535 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr

But generally the car is sound and pretty much rust free - but boy is it ever grimy and dirty!

So fast forward to today I was set about giving her possibly the most thorough detail she had have in many a year - this was the regime;

Washed using G3 bodyshop prep shampoo
Clay mitt (G3)
Washed again with Megs Gold class shampoo
Megs Ultimate compound
Scratches treated with G3 scratch paste (loads have now gone!)
3 coats of Autoglym Super resin polish
2 coats of Autoglym HD wax
Interior - thorough hoovering
Leather cleaned and conditoned (Meguiars mirror bright leather treatment)
Door shuts cleaned - more needed
Tyres dressed using Megs Endurance

After around 4 hours this is how she looked;

20171029_162550 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr

20171029_162413 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr

So what are the priorities?

1. Tyres - they are not good. Looking at quite what to do in terms wheel options. I have always dreamt of set of Exposed nut Superaeros. If not a better set of Anni alloys - in any case a set of Uniroyal Rainsports are the dream

2. Replace number plates - these are ordered

3. Replace front and rear badges

4. Get the code for the head unit - this is being addressed this week too. Now done and working, sort of.......

5. Get the central locking working - module is needed. Sourced!

6. Get better rear spoiler in Scarab

There will be more.............

But - the main feeling is that I am so delighted to be back in a 9000!

As I have said many times before - 'you gotta love a 9000'!

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......Gotta love a 9K..........

We can't go far on enthusiasm, but we don't go far without it

Looks really good. I don't mind the Anni wheels, but agree with you about exposed nut Aero alloys, they're my favourite.

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GM900T Stage2
9000 Abbott Stage 1
9-3 Stage 1
9-5 Aero Stage 3 Noobtune
9000 Aero Stage 3 Saabflight

That looks really nice.

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2004 XC70, 1965 VW Split Screen crew cab, 1955 Standard 10.

Looks a keeper.
9000#8 for me.

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Hobby 750 Motorhome
2011 Toyota IQ
2016 Smart 900 turbo
2009 Lexus GS450h

Many thanks for the feedback!

Had my first drive in this morning - very nice and wafty.

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......Gotta love a 9K..........

We can't go far on enthusiasm, but we don't go far without it

hallelujah
looks good in that colour omonnys was that colour it looked moody

for names i vote barney
you did all that cleaning before you drove it you crazy diamond

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never underestimate the predictability of stupidity

Cheers Dave!

No I did drive her before cleaning her. I meant that today was the first time on mu commute.

_________________
......Gotta love a 9K..........

We can't go far on enthusiasm, but we don't go far without it

So head unit now working - but strangely has the XXXXX across the display. Odd. Any thoughts?

Tyres - So I can't get either Rainsport 3s or Toyo Tr-1s in 195/65/r15s. Very annoying. Any recommendations heartily received.

Question - does the gear selector on an auto 9000 illuminate? Last night when driving it in the dark it would have been nice to see this lit up (I know I can see this on dash)

Number plates are done and I awaiting delivery.

Osram nightbreakers ordered. Should be here today or tomorrow

Bosch twin blade wipers for the front ordered - one side has arrived days before the other. Found that Amazon had them on clearance. Got them both for the price of one on most retailers sites.

_________________
......Gotta love a 9K..........

We can't go far on enthusiasm, but we don't go far without it

I hope so! A very different beast to the Aero, very refined and wafty. Feels incredibly low when compared with the XC90 that I have become used to driving for the last couple of months.

The kids are loving the great visibility and my eldest is thrilled to have another 9000. He cried the night I sold my last one!

_________________
......Gotta love a 9K..........

We can't go far on enthusiasm, but we don't go far without it

I like the Anni wheels enough - but these are really rather manky and I am frustrated by the choice of tyres.
Mind you the cost of Super Aeros has certainly gone up since I last had a 9000. You used to be able to pick a set for £150-200. Good ones are being advertised for upwards of £500!

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......Gotta love a 9K..........

We can't go far on enthusiasm, but we don't go far without it

Thank you - she does look so much better, although she is going to need some more scrubbing to truly rid her of the evidence of her time in the DCA paddock!

_________________
......Gotta love a 9K..........

We can't go far on enthusiasm, but we don't go far without it

I must thank Phil for donating a 'good' central locking module to sort my central locking issues! What a gent! Many thanks!

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......Gotta love a 9K..........

We can't go far on enthusiasm, but we don't go far without it

I think I got mine for under £100 at the time. I used them to swap out the Super Aeros, which I wasn't really a fan of. I was surprised with the price of them nowadays, I gave both sets away with the car when I sold it, along with all my spares for 9000s.

Does it have that crayola smell inside?

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GM900T Stage2
9000 Abbott Stage 1
9-3 Stage 1
9-5 Aero Stage 3 Noobtune
9000 Aero Stage 3 Saabflight

It does indeed smell like wax crayons! Smelt a lot worse than that when I first got it........

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......Gotta love a 9K..........

We can't go far on enthusiasm, but we don't go far without it

Love the 9000, looks a great buy

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It's big, it's brassy and I'm going to blow it!

Thank you very much indeed!

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......Gotta love a 9K..........

We can't go far on enthusiasm, but we don't go far without it

Hello Brooklands,
Lovely car, I really love that colour too.
You asked regards tyres? I have a set of Michelin pilot sport 4s on my daily; I'm very impressed. Very strong in both wet and dry conditions, pretty quiet too. Quite expensive but not when you consider that they tend to last for quite a decent mileage.

I'll have a look! I had some of those on my 9-5. They were very expensive, but as you say, a pretty impressive tyre.

Many thanks for your kind comments!

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......Gotta love a 9K..........

We can't go far on enthusiasm, but we don't go far without it

I've got these to fit later;



Should really tidy up the rear in particular.

Also arriving today are the wiper and the Osrams too - it really is the little things!

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......Gotta love a 9K..........

We can't go far on enthusiasm, but we don't go far without it

Another thought - I am keen to get the ATF changed - which fluid should I get and also as it will be a garage doing it, any ideas how long it will take them as I would like to know rough costs involved?

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......Gotta love a 9K..........

We can't go far on enthusiasm, but we don't go far without it