UKSaabs

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/116071826893 ... R-b6pMi3Yw

I think this would take a lot of work to put right. Windscreen pillar rust alone looks bad.

EmpingSaab wrote: ↑Sun Feb 18, 2024 2:03 pmWindscreen pillar rust alone looks bad.

"Surface rust", apparently...

It’s being sold by Saabflight.

BillJ wrote: ↑Mon Feb 19, 2024 12:07 am

EmpingSaab wrote: ↑Sun Feb 18, 2024 2:03 pmWindscreen pillar rust alone looks bad.

"Surface rust", apparently...

So was mine, until I started digging, and more digging... and then it became £££!

Is windscreen pillar rust a known problem on the 9000? I don't think that any of ours have suffered from it, but neither have I done any 'digging' either.

If it is present, is it likely to be structural and/or terminal? The fact that this car has the benefit of 12 months MOT should offer prospective purchasers some degree of confidence, although it is a shame about the damage to the NSR door and wheel arch.

I would hesitate to describe it as 'rough'. It strikes me as an honest car in which the vendor has confidence. At a little over a grand fully serviced it strikes me as being good value for money - if I was looking for another 9000 I would certainly not dismiss this car out of hand. One shouldn't expect perfection in a 30 year old car offered at a fraction of it's new price.

Regards, John.

A-pillar rust is usually caused by the paint being caught during a windscreen change. Those still with original windscreens don't seem to suffer from it (as much). By the time it gets to the surface, there is usually a lot more going on underneath (and can be expensive to fix). It is not uncommon in 9000s. I think the seller is trying to leverage the 'rareness' of a V6 in a 9000. I think there are still a lot better examples out there, which could turn out to be cheaper in the long run (after the windscreen rot is fixed, plus the rear wheel arch.

Thank you for that, 'EmpingSaab'. We've had several 9000s over the years; an F reg 2.0 HPT saloon, bought on a whim. That was damaged in a minor accident, causing my wife to lose confidence in the car and replace it with a K reg 2.3 HPT Hatch.

That one was a very quick car, although the power was either on or off, until it lunched it's transmission at just over 200k. She replaced that one with her present V6 saloon.

This is a lovely car to drive; no more powerful than the 2.3, but the way that power is delivered and the low down torque make it our favourite 9000 by far. I also ran an M reg 2.0 LPT CSE as a business tool to over 200k before replacing it with an early T reg 9-5 estate with a similar motor that also ran to over 200k.

I'm not aware of any of them rusting in this area, but having bought all of them secondhand, I can't be sure if any of them ever had a windscreen replaced, either.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply to my post.

Regards, John.

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I have just done this repair when having a new windscreen fitted. Rust was on the surface and hadn't gone to deep but will keep and eye on it and spray inside of the A pillar with Waxoil.

Definitely worth keeping an eye on. Mine looked very minor on the surface, but was quite extensive underneath. Needed a lot of repair work to get right.

John Wigley wrote: ↑Tue Feb 20, 2024 10:37 pm Thank you for that, 'EmpingSaab'. We've had several 9000s over the years; an F reg 2.0 HPT saloon, bought on a whim. That was damaged in a minor accident, causing my wife to lose confidence in the car and replace it with a K reg 2.3 HPT Hatch.

That one was a very quick car, although the power was either on or off, until it lunched it's transmission at just over 200k. She replaced that one with her present V6 saloon.

This is a lovely car to drive; no more powerful than the 2.3, but the way that power is delivered and the low down torque make it our favourite 9000 by far. I also ran an M reg 2.0 LPT CSE as a business tool to over 200k before replacing it with an early T reg 9-5 estate with a similar motor that also ran to over 200k.

I'm not aware of any of them rusting in this area, but having bought all of them secondhand, I can't be sure if any of them ever had a windscreen replaced, either.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply to my post.

Regards, John.

Hi John, they are great cars (9000s) and I think under appreciated. It's good to hear you already have a V6 9000! Very rare. All those older gen engines are capable of big miles. I've managed 200k in one of my 9000s (until other non-engine stuff made it uneconomic to repair).

Windscreen frame rust is indeed very common on the 9000. I tackled it on my Aero and my Dad's CSE was scrapped because of it. My own CSE will need extensive (I suspect) work in that area in the near future and my CS is showing small signs of it too.
If you really want a rare 9000, find a V6 with manual transmission - they do exist.

Rare doesn't necessarily mean desirable or valuable. V6's struggle to sell unless priced with this in mind.

Personally I'd rather have an Aero or Anniversary.
There are a few Anni's around currently priced at not much more than is being asked for his V6, most require less cosmetic work as well.

Having said that the asking price is not bad for any older SAAB with 12 months ticket.

It would be interesting to find out how much they would charge to bring it up to a higher standard. I suspect it would cost overall more than you would pay for a similar car without the cosmetic issues this one has.

Espin99T wrote: ↑Thu Feb 22, 2024 10:07 am Rare doesn't necessarily mean desirable or valuable. V6's struggle to sell unless priced with this in mind. (1)

Personally I'd rather have an Aero or Anniversary. (2)
There are a few Anni's around currently priced at not much more than is being asked for his V6, most require less cosmetic work as well.

Having said that the asking price is not bad for any older SAAB with 12 months ticket. (3)

It would be interesting to find out how much they would charge to bring it up to a higher standard. I suspect it would cost overall more than you would pay for a similar car without the cosmetic issues this one has. (4)

(1) Ageed, 'Espin99T'. In an age when we are exhorted to squeeze every last mile from a gallon of fuel, many are put off by the fuel consumption pf these cars. In reality, we achieve mid twenties overall which is (relatively) insignificant when one is covering only a very small annual mileage.

(2) Again I would agree. Our preference is for the Griffin. We did once try an Aero, but didn't like the seats. We found the front uncomfortable and, as the car in question was a hatchback, the rears did not fold flush, seriously compromising the loadspace.

(3) I too think that the asking price is reasonable, given that the car has a full year's MOT* and will also be serviced** at the POS.

(4) It would be very interesting! Bodywork is expensive and unlike simple mechanical jobs, not always something that for various reasons a layman like myself can easily undertake. The bonnet on our 9000 has advanced lacquer peel. Just before the Pandemic, we obtained a quote for it's restoration. The figure was in excess of £400, getting on for a third of what we paid for our car (and also that of this).

* Reference the MOT. The test alone would save a prospective purchaser around £50, not to mention the cost of righting any issues that may arise as a result of it. The fact, as you say, that it has a year's ticket not only makes the asking price look very reasonable and the car more saleable, but should also imbue a degree of confidence in the car. That brings me to my second point. If the car did indeed have advanced corrosion in the area stated, would this not be picked up, at least as an advisory, during the said MOT?

** Servicing. That the car will be serviced at the POS will also save a prospective purchaser at least £200 if they were to have it done professionally. I know this because I have just had all three of our cars serviced at a respected Saab specialist and the cost of each was between £200-250. Our Volvo V70 was the dearest, but only because it also needed new plugs.

Given the above, we can reasonably deduct £250 from the asking price, thereby making the car even more attractive. It may require work, but so will most cars of a similar age and mileage - many more so than this Saab. A Mini of similar age, if it has survived thus far, would almost certainly do so, for example, largely due to the superior build quality of the Saab (and some other 'premium' car makers.

As I said earlier, if I was looking for another 9000, which I am not, I would most certainly not dismiss this car out of hand. Finally, In light of the foregoing, I feel that I should conclude by making it clear that I have no connection whatsoever with the vendor. I just happen to think that this represents a very reasonable example at a fair price, and wish him good luck with the sale.

Regards, John.

John Wigley wrote: ↑Tue Feb 20, 2024 10:37 pm

This is a lovely car to drive; no more powerful than the 2.3, but the way that power is delivered and the low down torque make it our favourite 9000 by far. I also ran an M reg 2.0 LPT CSE as a business tool to over 200k before replacing it with an early T reg 9-5 estate with a similar motor that also ran to over 200k.

These if my memory is right is a GM engine fitted to Omega's too? Good reputation and no more prone to failure than the 4 cylinders? Sounds as if you've had an easy ride with yours but interested if there's any problems crop up engine wise though I expect economy isn't the greatest but I think I remember right where the 9000 I had was the worst of the range for economy, 2.3 fpt Auto

Toe wrote: ↑Wed Mar 13, 2024 11:59 am

John Wigley wrote: ↑Tue Feb 20, 2024 10:37 pm

This is a lovely car to drive; no more powerful than the 2.3, but the way that power is delivered and the low down torque make it our favourite 9000 by far. I also ran an M reg 2.0 LPT CSE as a business tool to over 200k before replacing it with an early T reg 9-5 estate with a similar motor that also ran to over 200k.

These if my memory is right is a GM engine fitted to Omega's too? Good reputation and no more prone to failure than the 4 cylinders? Sounds as if you've had an easy ride with yours but interested if there's any problems crop up engine wise though I expect economy isn't the greatest but I think I remember right where the 9000 I had was the worst of the range for economy, 2.3 fpt Auto

Thank you for your comments and interest, 'Toe'. Yes, we are very pleased with the V6. It has been very reliable in the 13 years that my wife has owned it. It has only failed us once, and that was not a complete breakdown situation that left us stranded.

We noticed that there was cross-contamination of coolant and engine oil. The coolant header tank was in a right mess.

Apparently, the oil cooler that sits in the vee had failed. It was almost certainly the original one in aluminium, which, I understand, were the subject of a recall when the cars were new.

Whatever, our friends at Carnetix sourced and fitted a stainless steel one from Sweden for us and the car has been fine since. Not a cheap job, but over the time we have had the car, not a disaster, either!

Regards, John.

PS. Economy? Not too bad for a big lazy petrol engine used these days mainly for short local runs with a lot of cold starts. Think 25 MPG overall. On rare motorway trips the range increases considerably.

Back on topic, looks like it has now sold as its been removed because its no longer available.

I wouldn't mind a V6 in a 9000 though the V8 they made as a 'test' would be even nicer.

Mike9000Aero wrote: ↑Sun Mar 17, 2024 7:38 am I wouldn't mind a V6 in a 9000 though the V8 they made as a 'test' would be even nicer.

Based on our experience with the V6, I'm minded to agree, Mike. However, it's worth noting that the Saab / GM 3L V6 is a narrow angle (54 deg.) compact unit of near perfect balance. Assuming that we are in order in continuing with this dialogue without infringing forum rules, I must confess that I don't know a great deal about the 'experimental' V8 to which you refer, but the notion of a V8 of around 4L in a 9000 could make for a very tasty car indeed.

However, it does depend on the engine. Compromise in the name of economy can be the enemy of good engine design. In the early '70s, Volvo were working on a 90 deg. V8 of 3.6L capacity intended to rival the ex Buick small block V8 that so successfully found a home in the Rover SD1 et.al. Volvo got cold feet in the light of the fuel crisis, and lopped off the front two cylinders, thereby creating a wide angle 90 deg. V6 of 2.7L which was later used in the 26X and 76X cars. This was inherently unbalanced (even with the later addition of balance shafts) which spoiled what was a very nice car when fitted with the 2.3 L 'red block' four, especially in turbo guise.

As well as our Saabs, we've also owned a long line of Volvos, and still do a five-pot V70 estate, so are also speaking from experience with that marque as well.

Regards, John.

Hi John
Slightly off topic but in case you have never seen...

Saab V8 9000

I had Volvo's from my 20's before Saab's 245, 265, 360GLT and a 240GLT all estates apart from the hatch back.

Mike9000Aero wrote: ↑Mon Mar 18, 2024 7:10 am Hi John
Slightly off topic but in case you have never seen...

Saab V8 9000

I had Volvo's from my 20's before Saab's 245, 265, 360GLT and a 240GLT all estates apart from the hatch back.

Thanks for that, Mike. No, I hadn't seen that clip before. Impressive, even in Finnish (?) it is easy to get the drift!

When Volvo dropped their 2L red block into the 340 shell to make the 360, they created an understated yet very capable motor car. Shame that, unlike the larger cars, they also tended to rust badly.

Regards, John.