Million-mile Saab heads for museum
Secret of longevity is thorough maintenance
Gilbert with his Saab 900SPG
US driver and travelling salesman Peter Gilbert bought his Saab 900 SPG for $29,000 after getting divorced 17 years ago, according to the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. It racked up 1,001,385 miles and survived eight deer collisions, including one that punctured the rad, before it was parked for the last time at the Wisconsin Automotive Museum in Hartford.
Almost everything on the vehicle remained original equipment, apart from the bonnet and other parts replaced after the deer collisions. Ex-Brit Gilbert was also meticulous about maintenance, including regular oil changes with premium synthetic oil. He replaced the car's transmission at about 200,000 miles, but beyond that the engine was hardly touched.
"I couldn't kill that many deer with a gun," said Gilbert. "When I hit 600,000 miles, the car still wasn't burning oil. That's when I thought it could go a million miles." Saab then videoed the car when the odometer rolled over the one-million-mile mark at a Saab owners' convention in August.
Gilbert fell in love with Saabs when the cars were winning European road rallies in the 1960s. His 900 SPG once clocked 135 mph at the Road America race track in Elkhart Lake. "I was taking the lead in a race for a while," Gilbert said.
He said turning over the car's keys to the museum was like putting an elderly family member in a nursing home, but the frames had rusted badly sue to the salt on northerly Wisconsin's rural roads. Gilbert said there was nothing more to prove.
"But I know where the car is, and I can visit," he said. "And before I took her to the museum, I had a full detail job done. She was like a bride getting ready for her wedding. It was the first time that her carpets were thoroughly cleaned in 17 years."
Gilbert has since bought another Saab -- but with fewer miles on the clock.
Photo by Jeffrey Phelps
Although, this proves the importance of regular oil changes with good oil. A neighbour of mine has a B reg 316i which has done over 250,000 and still runs very sweetly indeed. He put's it down to changing the oil every 3000 miles.
A 1989 Saab 900 SPG with 1,001,385 miles.
In 17 years the car used more than 600 quarts of synthetic Mobil-1 motor oil, which can travel significantly more miles between oil changes than regular oil.
In its time, the car burned two tanker-truck-loads of premium gasoline and averaged about 28 mpg.
It went through about 22 sets of tires, changed every 45,000 miles.
The transmission was replaced at about 200,000 miles, but the engine was largely untouched.
The engine head gasket was replaced three times because constant warming and cooling stretched it.
Over 17 year and a million miles, those costs are pretty darn amazing!
Darren
That said, my golf is knocking on 50,000 in 2 years, average 51.2 mpg (td pd170) and I reckon will see north of 100,000 miles without any dramas.
I am somewhat surprised that he's said only the gearbox had a rebuild at 200k, then preceided to do another 800k without any problems......
I would have expected at least a gearbox rebuild needed every 250k at least on a C900T.
And I struggle to believe he did a million miles on the original turbocharger, that would be an amazing feat alone........
Said to be half a Stag or a whole Dolomite - anyone really know which ? !
I had a very early 99 (with a freewheel) and a 900 and they both ran and ran and ran - around 200,000 no problem. GM parenting hasn't susteained that sheer quality which is a pity. Makers should understand that some of us don't need new utility wheels every 3 years if the old ones still turn well.
thats gratitued for loyal customers for you.
Tight gits
[quote=mark3man]
Said to be half a Stag or a whole Dolomite - anyone really know which ? !
If I'm right Triumph sold the engine to Saab for their 99 an then 4 years later that engine appeared in an Dolomite? and even the Panther Rio had that engine...
if it's right where does the 900 (pre GM) engine come from?
thats gratitued for loyal customers for you.
Aside from the publicity, having the same car for 1million miles has hardly been lining Saab's pockets has it! And it sounds like he did most of the servicing himself.
thats gratitued for loyal customers for you.
Aside from the publicity, having the same car for 1million miles has hardly been lining Saab's pockets has it! And it sounds like he did most of the servicing himself.
Exactly. Loyalty to Saab would have been buying a new car every 100,000 miles - ie. 9 more cars!
2-stroke meant carting dozens of oil bottles in the semi-hatchback boot.
And one night, the oil finally filled and gobbed up the exhaust... and the car slowed to a crawl (like the banana trick in '24 hours').
Salisbury Plain to South London at walking pace -- my what a looong night that was!
Still, the 96 was g-r-e-a-t in the snow.
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