rjones33 wrote:
This wouldn't be my first choice. An ex had a 93 convertible and the road manners were horrendous. For instance the cowl shake was awful, the front bushings were shot and creaking at 69k miles. I can only imagine the bad things getting worse with extra hp and bigger shoes.
But maybe they add a ton of bracing in the Viggens?
Outer swaybar bushings on 79-93 900s typically go bad, early, and often squeak. Control arm and rack bushings are quite long-lived. The convertible was debuted in '85 for MY86; Saab didn't initially intend it to be a soft top so it's unsurprising that it's noodly.
Meanwhile, the Viggen is a whole different ball of wax, a completely different car (the two models have the same headlight switch, but little else in common, either in design or parts).
As for Viggen torque steer, what you need is commonly referred to as a "Viggen Rescue Kit," which you can buy for $$$ from a company called Abbott Motorsports in the UK or much more reasonably from Taliaferro Saab in Missouri:
http://www.genuinesaab.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=56_28&products_id=36
It's said to make a big difference, but I wouldn't know first-hand.
Incidentally, in my experience, Taliaferro's a good source for OEM Saab parts, if'n yer needin' some. Best to call, not go through their website.
Finally, regarding the ignition system: the engine uses a coil-on-plug component called a Direct Ignition Cassette, or DI cassette. It not only provides the engine with spark but doubles as an ion-sensing knock and combustion sensor (it blows a piezoelectric KS out of the water). Problem is, they often go bad, so many Saabers keep a spare in the trunk (takes three minutes to swap them.) Apparently, the key to keeping them alive is to be vigilant about changing the spark plugs and keeping them properly gapped between changes. Saabnet, SaabCentral, Saablink, etc. will all have plenty of info on this.
