UKSaabs

Preface (venting)

My 146000 mile 2009 red 9-5 estate failed spectacularly on it's MOT this morning. I knew it would need to rear brakes but the endless list is something I've been worrying might happen. It's become quite apparent that the previous owner claiming to have fixed the subframe last year was a total lie and that they'd actually just put a dodgy MOT on the car and flogged it to someone who didn't know any better (me).

I don't need the car for day to day, however my whole basis on owning a large car is that fact that should I spontaneously decide I need to shift something large I can do so. Even just being able to go further afield than the bus will take me is nice. I'm also lucky enough to be in a flat with a car park that I can leave the car in SORNed and without MOT.

Problem
It's failed on loads. I've attached a picture of the certificate and the garage told me I'd be at least 800 quid to fix it. On top of this if I was keeping it I need to de-coke the inlet manifold and take the swirl flaps off as well as get the EGR and Flaps mapped off.

I really like the looks of the car, the space it offers and even just the interior. However, I don't want to be putting anymore money into something that's just a money pit. Compared to my Honda Accord I had before, this car just hasn't had as nice a life. A lot more corrosion going on and the gearbox is getting a bit tired.

How much could I realistically get for this if I sold it as repairs? I've got all the rear break parts (callipers, pads, discs, hand brake shoes) and they'd be going with the car. It actually drives quite nicely and had it not failed I was going to drive it down to the south of England with my girlfriend.

As sad as it would be to see my Saab go, I've never been particularly happy with the mileage (50mpg absolute max at 55mph) and I could live with a small car if this is something that's just going to drain my pockets.

It's a chunk of work - all the usual bits that need attention but unfortunately you have them all at the same time. I've done most of these but over a period of a few years so it doesn't hurt as much.

Not sure the engine 'needs' the swirl flaps/ egr mapped out. They can cause problems but the egr can be cleaned quite easily.
Mine is certainly running fine as original. A good clean won't hurt but if the emissions have passed then you could tackle that later.

I'd be looking carefully at the bodywork particularly around the rear wheelarches and rear inner wings. If it's rusty there it will need work to preserve it.

Properly fixed it could make decent money - I wouldn't hazard a guess at what you'd get as a fixer upper but it might be less than you'd make after fixing it.

vince42 wrote:Not sure the engine 'needs' the swirl flaps/ egr mapped out. They can cause problems but the egr can be cleaned quite easily.
Mine is certainly running fine as original. A good clean won't hurt but if the emissions have passed then you could tackle that later.

This would just be an attempt at getting a bit more mileage out of a tank. The flaps are broken and if I'm keeping the car I'd want them out just in case one them got swallowed down the line and this is the cheaper option than new manifold and actuator. All this would be done myself since it doesn't require a lift.

Hoping you'd be right about making more money fixing rather than selling as is cause I'd love to see a few more years out of it.

O_J wrote:

vince42 wrote:
Hoping you'd be right about making more money fixing rather than selling as is cause I'd love to see a few more years out of it.

Looking at the list it's basically brakes (which you said have the parts for) a tyre and some suspension bushes to get it through a test and some of the work you could do yourself, cutting down the labour cost making it more economically viable.

Even at £800 with a new MOT it gets you a years motoring which is less than potential 'depreciation' costs on another motor.

50 mpg is not to be sniffed at as your looking at a Citroen C1/Toyota Aygo in a small petrol to get that or more and they are SMALL.....

Moved to "What's it worth & What's out there? » What's it Worth?", which suits your primary question.

However, reviewing the "Dangerous" and "Major" defects, they appear to be down to a lack of maintenance (I'm not blaming you, but they may have developed under your ownership), and not really that expensive.

New tyres sort 50% of the Dangerous, and the issues could've been caused by potholes? The Parking brake maybe stretched cables, or worn drum shoes? Brake Pads are consumables and you say you already have them. Just replace them (relatively easy if you have the tools and axle stands.

Again, the "Major" defects appear primarily to be consumables and some minor adjustments for the headlight aim.

As for the "Minor", again a warning of imminent consumables needing replacement. The brake lines are quite possibly the tester highlighting they were unable to confirm the integrity, which is a common advisory from some testers.

You only show Page 1 of 2, but there's no mention of corrosion, so I'd summize you have a reasonable motor there, when you sort the consumables.

At 146K miles, if not previously replaced, many consumables (bushes etc.) will certainly be needing attention, regardless of a previous owner's care. If they weren't mechanically aware, they'd have no clue of wear developing or even the effects of said wear.

'Shalien' has advised with wisdom regarding the issues raised at the MOT, 'O-J', but left unanswered your original question, I.e. 'What is it worth?'. That is a difficult one to answer with any degree of confidence. My approach is to ask myself what I would be prepared to pay if I wanted a car like yours for spares or repairs (given that it lacks an MOT and also requires an amount of work in order to gain one).

On that basis, I feel that £500 or so would not be an unreasonable expectation; i.e. what you would get by weighing it in, plus an allowance for the spares that you would include. With a full MOT, the car is probably worth £1500 - £2000 depending on condition, so you need to ask yourself (a) how much you are prepared to spend on bringing the car up to MOT worthy condition, and (b) what it would cost you to replace the car (which may have different faults to cause you grief). Then you will be in a position to make an informed decision on how best to proceed.

Please remember that the above is just my opinion and someone else may have an equally valid but quite different one.

At the end of the day it all comes down to how much you have in the car, what it is worth to you and what it would cost to replace.

Regards, John.

John, you make a good point about buying an equivalent car that may have it's own share of problems. I've been holding out hope that if all the bushes and brakes are done by me (I did the front a wee bit back) there's only so much more consumable stuff to go wrong.

A mate has actually suggested his father might be able to assist with my subframe (hopefully at a friendly rate ) since he has a lift. The rest I think I should be able to get done myself on stands in my parents and I'll be off uni for the summer soon so between whatever part time job I get I should have time to work through the other jobs.

I suppose it all just came as a bit of a shock for a car that had a year ago suspiciously passed with no advisories but has been knocking since the day I got it.

At least it's finally got me learning to fix my cars myself and to pay more attention when I'm buying them.

£200-250

Its basically end-of-life

paul_c wrote:£200-250

Its basically end-of-life

Not necessarily.

Isn't the question to ask: Is 'O-J' able to do the necessary work himself?. He says that he can, and if he can also do that for the cost of the parts, he could end up with a usable car, one about which he knows something of the history, for relatively little cost, very likely considerably less than that of replacing it.

Could we not offer the chap a little encouragement and not be too hasty about condemning his car perhaps?

Regards, John.