C900 Clutch Replacement - London

[skwdenyer]

Hi there.

Can anyone recommend a reasonably-priced place to have a clutch replaced on a C900? I'm based in London, E1. There are, of course, many local garages, but I don't have any recommendations, and I usually do all of the work on this beastie myself. Sadly I just don't have time right now, and the job really won't wait.

Thanks!

[T5GRF]

If you can get to Stevenage then Saabtech are excellent, it's probably an hours journey from you and they will happily lend you something to get you home in, they are really nice people to deal with and really know what they are talking about in my experience.

[skwdenyer]

T5GRF said:

If you can get to Stevenage then Saabtech are excellent, it's probably an hours journey from you and they will happily lend you something to get you home in, they are really nice people to deal with and really know what they are talking about in my experience.

Many thanks; I'll give them a call, and see if I can combine a few other jobs in that direction!

[DrTre]

once you've had it done, would you mind posting up how much it was please?
i had mine changed after the slave cylinder leaked, was about £500 all in, by a non Saab specialist...fairly certain I paid through the nose for it...

[ladygooddriver]

Less than £200 for a good three part clutch kit. Slave cylinder somewhat less than £100 pattern, which are always pretty good and often the same as genuine. Or genuine over £100. Seal kits are, or where available main dealer around £25 and work perfect if the cleaned up cylinder is in good condition. Thye seldom show signs of wear on the old 900 models. Labour? A competent mechanic should have it sorted inside four hours. Calculate your labour rate from such.

Lady

[DrTre]

Thanks Lady

[Horns]

http://www.cromwellsaab.com/7981/cromwell.htm

[NiceCupOfTea]

Horns said:

http://www.cromwellsaab.com/7981/cromwell.htm

Heard mixed reports about them.

There's a one man outfit in Shortlands called "Bromley Minis" who is a Saab nut, currently rebuilding a 900 Carlsson and has a 99 with a modified T16S engine who would be worth a call, he's done a couple of jobs for me.

Clutch not such a major job on a 900 as it's at the back (front!) of the engine!

Agree Saabtech definitely worth a call though!

[skwdenyer]

DrTre said:

once you've had it done, would you mind posting up how much it was please?
i had mine changed after the slave cylinder leaked, was about £500 all in, by a non Saab specialist...fairly certain I paid through the nose for it...

Thanks for all of the advice. On reflection, I've decided to sell the car, as it (a 4 door sedan/saloon) wasn't really working from a practicality PoV - I need another estate which, annoyingly, Saab never provided in the C900. It doesn't owe me much, but it is a pretty solid old bus so I'll see if I can get a bit of interest in it! I've had so many Saabs that they have just become my default option when I need a runaround! There is no car in which I'm more comfortable, nor which is as easy to thread through London traffic or down country lanes. But I need a wagon. When I get time and garage space (I'm just off Brick Lane, E1, so it is at something of a premium...), I'm after a good T16S as "a keeper", but for now this one has to go.

So... anybody interested in a cheap, blue, 4-door 900i with 180k up and in need of a new clutch?

[NiceCupOfTea]

Get it on the Saab sites chap - but it's probably the least desirable shape (4 door, non turbo). Having said that, my dad's first Saab was an E reg white 4 door 900i (8v) and I have very fond memories of that as a lad!

[skwdenyer]

NiceCupOfTea said:

Get it on the Saab sites chap - but it's probably the least desirable shape (4 door, non turbo). Having said that, my dad's first Saab was an E reg white 4 door 900i (8v) and I have very fond memories of that as a lad!

Oh, I know it isn't the most desirable shape; that's why it made a cheap runaround when I needed one! But it is a lot quieter than the hatches, and the shell is at least stiffer at one end!

What's current for Saab classifieds? Saabclub.co.uk used to be busy and now seems to have tumbleweed; SaabCentral, of course. SaabTrader doesn't seem to be working properly at the moment (update: it is working, it just won't work with Google Chrome...). UKSaabs seems worthwhile. Any more I've missed?

Thanks!

[NiceCupOfTea]

saabscene in addition to saabcentral and uksaabs.

I'd also put it on car & classic and maybe retrorides...

How's the bodywork? Any rust?

[skwdenyer]

NiceCupOfTea said:

saabscene in addition to saabcentral and uksaabs.

I'd also put it on car & classic and maybe retrorides...

How's the bodywork? Any rust?

As with, it seems, most later C900s, there is some rust to the wraparound sections of the clamshell bonnet, especially on the O/S. It hasn't rusted through the outer skin yet, so would respond to treatment now; it has rusted-out the inner skin in that area. All my much older C900s and the 99s (1 N/A, 1 Turbo) I had never exhibited this, whereas my Mother's last last-of-the-last-few-thousand C900 rusted through in that area in under 10 years. Does anybody know what was changed in this area over time?

There is a little superficial rust (a few spots) around the suspension turrets; if I were keeping the car I'd treat those with some proprietary rust-treatment. Other than that it is a pretty solid old bus. The door bottoms haven't rusted out yet, for instance!

[irish boy]

buy this
http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C181716/

job done.

[ladygooddriver]

At that sort of money it would be cheaper to have one converted, leaving a better model choice to convert.

Lady

[skwdenyer]

I've seen that one already. I was immensely tempted, right up until the point where I saw the price! Yes, I know they're rare, but

Unfortunately (for my wallet...) on the same page as the ad for that estate conversion I saw this which is rather more tempting to me, despite me not needing it at the moment!

[skwdenyer]

Of the C900 estate conversions I've seen, I'm not sure which I prefer. This is one compilation:



I'm strangely drawn to the white one! However I think the "blue" example is probably the most successful, with a rear shape harking back to the 99 4-door saloon (which, incidentally, is one of my favourite cars - anybody got one? - I almost bought a T16-engined one a few years ago, but didn't have the space).

[900T-R]

I'd say the extra utility of one of these conversions would be limited compared to the five door Combi Coupé it was made from. Mine held more than just about any 'proper' estate I've sampled - so why not go for one of those?