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Captain Slow Charging
Another car? Who am I, CraigB? Well, these kind of things happen when I find something I've been looking for. And spending a little time in Dave's HMS Saab reminded I should take a look at these again.
I've wanted a Saab for quite a while now, at least as long as a Citro?n or an Alfa Romeo. But all the 900:s and 9000:s I've test driven have left me cold, for some reason. Either the wrong engine, the wrong transmission, the wrong specification, the wrong price or a dodgy owner/dealer. This one comes from a Saab enthusiast, who only parted ways with the car because he had bought a Citro?n turbo diesel minivan for economy's sake. These things like their fuel.
The car is a 1990 Saab 900S, meaning it's the lower-pressure turbo junior brother to the Saab 900 Turbo with a capital T. Fresh off the Finnish assembly line, it produced 145 hp, coupled with a
It's also been fiddled with a little bit, as it has the intercooler from a 900 Turbo along with an ECU modification and a Turbosmart boost screw. With the boost turned up, it apparently has 15-ish extra horses and a nice helping of extra torque ? all within the auto box's scope to keep things reliable. It has very nice pick up and proper overtaking lungs. I especially like the steering, too, which on a highway is a lot more confidence-inspiring than the E34's.
The brakes have been overhauled with new Brembo rotors and pads. Suspension is Sachs Advantage / KYB, and it feels firm and capable without being a menace to anybody's kidneys. The Ronal wheels are off a 9000, and they wear semi-recent Hankook rubber. Handling-wise, there are zero complaints.
Inside, it's clean with a non-cracked dashboard and a correct Blaupunkt head unit ? which does have a faulty cassette mechanism. Might be replaced by an another Blaupunkt of similar age or a Kienzle. Radio works. The leather wheel is a Momo from a Saab 99, by the way.
The headliner sags a little from the back, but isn't annoying yet. The C-pillar trim is partially sun-wrecked. I like the sunroof, and the fact that it's operational and electric. No rust anywhere near it, either, or around the windshield. The hood is also rust-free.
Where it does have rust are the inner edges of three door bottoms. They need to be fixed at some point; the car has been stored for the last three winters and the rust hasn't advanced. I'll probably have them taken care of.
As for the other two cars, I'll shelve the BMW soonish and only take it out when snow has fallen and it's RWD weather again. The Peugeot will remain in beateresque use, as it's still a hoot. The BMW, while a solid car, is a lot slower than the Saab and has worse steering. The Peugeot is quick and fun, but unsubstantial-feeling on the highway. It's only justified, then, to have the cavernous Saab as a highway weapon.
And damn, does it feel nice to have a bespoilered red car again.
Proof pic:
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