Looking to buy a Saab Cabrio
Discussion
My back is absolutely buggered, and consequently I'm not able to enjoy my current convertibles, so I was thinking about a Saab convertible.
I live in Belgium and there are more diesels than petrol models on the market. My preference would be for the 2.0 petrol with an automatic box - I just want it for wafting about - but I've been offered a low mileage 2006 model which is a 1.9 diesel.
Just wondering if anyone can advise what to look out for - are the engines chain or belt? Any known weaknesses? Budget is reasonably flexible, and while it won't be a daily driver, I want it to be reliable.
What about the cabrio roof? I would like to keep the car outside at the house during the spring-autumn. I have car storage for the winter but that's nearly an hour away from the house.
Grateful for any comments/observations.advice.
I live in Belgium and there are more diesels than petrol models on the market. My preference would be for the 2.0 petrol with an automatic box - I just want it for wafting about - but I've been offered a low mileage 2006 model which is a 1.9 diesel.
Just wondering if anyone can advise what to look out for - are the engines chain or belt? Any known weaknesses? Budget is reasonably flexible, and while it won't be a daily driver, I want it to be reliable.
What about the cabrio roof? I would like to keep the car outside at the house during the spring-autumn. I have car storage for the winter but that's nearly an hour away from the house.
Grateful for any comments/observations.advice.
I would get a petrol car.
The 1.9 diesel is the same as in Vauxhall and Fiat cars of the era. Belt driven and suffers from egr and dpf (if fitted) issues as well as swirl flap problems.
The petrol is chain driven. All turbos are 2.0 despite badging just with different power levels. They are chain driven. The roof is good if waterproofed yearly.
Try Uksaabs.co.uk for more advice.
The 1.9 diesel is the same as in Vauxhall and Fiat cars of the era. Belt driven and suffers from egr and dpf (if fitted) issues as well as swirl flap problems.
The petrol is chain driven. All turbos are 2.0 despite badging just with different power levels. They are chain driven. The roof is good if waterproofed yearly.
Try Uksaabs.co.uk for more advice.
I run a 1.9 TTiD (newer twin turbo Fiat derived unit), alot more robust that the original TiD units, very powerful engine, goes and feels more like a 6 cylinder diesel, a very muscular engine.
The swirl flaps were redesigned in 2010+ I believe, so it would be a later model in this case to avoid this, always blank them off if you were worried, for not too much.
EGR and DPF are diesel general problems anyway, not specific to the 9-3 - mines up to 106k, with no history of issues with either, but it gets used alot, which helps.
Mine being the 2011 model, is £30 tax a year (only available in saloon and 'vert, the estate was exempt from the drop in VED) so makes it nice when it comes around, goes like stink when I want it to, but also a very comfortable cruiser when I am not wanting to be a bruiser.
I would be looking at a later car, I looked for a while, as the good ones don't hang about, and I travelled a fair bit to get mine, in spec I wanted (TX Turbo Edition), they are a little better screwed together the later you go, 2010-11 (believe it or not).
Weakness I found
- Steering feels wobbly on centre (new universal steering joint) found from salvage yard, £80
- Alternator still weak link, but better on later cars.
- Suspension weakness, they are very heavy cars so can get tired quickly or knock (fixed many of the knocks on mine, with good dosing of lubricant on all the joints)
I have a thread in "Readers Ride" if your interested to follow
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
The swirl flaps were redesigned in 2010+ I believe, so it would be a later model in this case to avoid this, always blank them off if you were worried, for not too much.
EGR and DPF are diesel general problems anyway, not specific to the 9-3 - mines up to 106k, with no history of issues with either, but it gets used alot, which helps.
Mine being the 2011 model, is £30 tax a year (only available in saloon and 'vert, the estate was exempt from the drop in VED) so makes it nice when it comes around, goes like stink when I want it to, but also a very comfortable cruiser when I am not wanting to be a bruiser.
I would be looking at a later car, I looked for a while, as the good ones don't hang about, and I travelled a fair bit to get mine, in spec I wanted (TX Turbo Edition), they are a little better screwed together the later you go, 2010-11 (believe it or not).
Weakness I found
- Steering feels wobbly on centre (new universal steering joint) found from salvage yard, £80
- Alternator still weak link, but better on later cars.
- Suspension weakness, they are very heavy cars so can get tired quickly or knock (fixed many of the knocks on mine, with good dosing of lubricant on all the joints)
I have a thread in "Readers Ride" if your interested to follow
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Edited by DailyHack on Wednesday 19th August 16:50
sunbeam alpine said:
What about the cabrio roof? I would like to keep the car outside at the house during the spring-autumn. I have car storage for the winter but that's nearly an hour away from the house.
I've found mine has started to go green, it did get pressure washed by a drive through car wash, which got rid of it the first time but not the second time. Other than that it seems to be pretty reliable and I do notice that there are a lot of them still on the road and they usually look in a much better state than similar age Audi or Volvo convertibles. The diesel engine is the weakest link in mine, but at the time the figures just didn't add up for the petrol ones. Paying a lot more for fuel and for tax at the same time was just not what I was prepared for then. I should have seeked out an LPG one.
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