Abandon ship or try again? Saab C900.

I bought a beautiful(was)Talladega Red 92 Saab 900 turbo convertible knowing that it needed a trans. Have bought several parts cars and it has spent several years at shops not being fixed followed by years behind the house. Now it sits next to an SPG that had the best shifting Saab trans ever. (but not much good of everything else, Car unfixed by a shop)There is a complete buffalo gray interior and CE wheels in the basement collecting dust.The car has always started and run until last month. Now no start. So here I sit. Dreams greatly diminished. A C900 trans swap is way out of my abilities. Shall I try again or let it go?

I imagine rust in Georgia is not the issue it is here in New York, good for you!

I would find a local club or message board that can offer advice or free hands. It appears daunting, but it's not overwhelming. Pop the hood and put tape on every electrical connector you find, tape and number both halves 1-1, 2-2, 3-3; makes reinstallation easier.

What did the shops do over the years? I mean besides take your money.

Dan

Why doesn't it start? Fuel, spark, compression. Which is missing?

Does the SPG have a good engine? Swap engine and trans together, easy as can be.

A trans RR in a c900 isn't rocket science, and there are much harder cars to work on out there that people routinely do swaps to.

I vote to get the trans swapped and start driving the thing again! However, I've been told I can't be trusted and have poor decision-making with regard to cars. (I have a C900 patiently waiting for an auto>manual swap, and a garage bay full of Saab parts)

If I were closer, I'd offer my minimal skills and help get it done.

I was hoping you'd be near me side of GA but you're 5 and a half hours away. How do you know it's beyond your ability? I'm doing things note that I thought were way beyond my ability 2 years ago. Anyone you trust to be a guiding hand? Make sure you do the work with them being the helper and advice giver. Make it worth their time.

I totally appreciate the enabling! The convert has lower miles and was much better kept than the SPG. Ideally the Convert motor would live with the SPG trans.Not sure why it did not start. I figured it was just to piss me off. My 14 year old is very mechanical.Maybe we will learn together by removing the engine and trans from the SPG.

B202 engines are pretty robust. I really think the chances of that SPG engine/trans combo being usable are good. Even if it needed a head gasket and/or timing chain it would be less work than seperating the engine from the trans in the '92 and SPG.

As a point of reference, when my '89 turbo sedan was wrecked, I pulled apart the 250k mile engine. It was like new inside.

I killed an almost 350,000 miles 2.1. It ate an upper end bearing after I botched a HG replacement.

I would take a long hard look at the condition of the convertible top before I got much deeper into this car. Replacement would seem to be scary expensive.

I imagine that has to be an expensive top. It's a shame though, it's hard to find a tintop C900. All you can find are the verts.

I need to get mine back on the road. I stalled half way through the transmission replacement

In reply to mad_machine:

My offer still stands to buy yours if you give up