got my truck up for sale or trade on craigslist for 5900 bucks. guy called me today with a trade of a 2000 Saab convertible, viggen model. 130,xxx on it, supposedly has all the fresh maintenance.
looking around on the Internet, it seems like this car is going in real money for about 5000. blue book is in the 7's.
so, my first instinct is that this guy is trying to unload a piece of crap. second instinct is that i may be able to make some money off this thing, as the market for a convertible would be a lot greater than the market for an open track s10.
what should i be looking at on this car? apparently there's been some sludge problems, problems with the ignition module. any way to check this? anything else i should check? any reason i should run like hell?
i probably wont own the car long enough to change the oil. I'm trying to get the money up for a 4 door f150.
Michael
Well, if you were in the market for a convertible....
If it's a truck you're looking for, you should probably pass.
Viggens are cool as hell. I was under the impression the sludge problem was the 9-5 only.
Two words: TORQUE. STEER. I've driven a Viggen hatch before and it makes my Speed3's torque steer seem downright tame. I've read that it's even worse with the top gone, plus the convertible chassis tends to be floppy. There is some sort of mount that stabilizes the steering rack and reduces the torque steer quite a bit. I'd maybe look into some chassis bracing too.
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?
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.
+1 on Genuine Saab being a great source for parts, I bought an upgraded rear sway bar and a rack steering brace from them for our '00 Saab base model (non-Viggen, non-SE). Both parts made a noticeable difference in how it handled.
I'd say look at and drive the Viggen to see what you think of it. Saabs are a bit hard to flip (limited market and the people who are interested likely know more about the car than you do), and I definitely wouldn't buy (or trade for) a Saab that didn't come with a stack of maintenance records. Deferred maintenance on one could bankrupt you!
if it does go bad, is it a CEL bad, or a "youre hosed call the tow truck" kind of bad?
all in all, it sounds like a fun trade to play with for a couple of months until it sells. that sound right to you guys?
conesare2seconds wrote:
Dusterbd13 wrote:
if it does go bad, is it a CEL bad, or a "youre hosed call the tow truck" kind of bad?
It'll strand you; a salvage yard is your friend for a spare.
all in all, it sounds like a fun trade to play with for a couple of months until it sells. that sound right to you guys?
This.
I had to do the DI cassette this summer, the biggest concern for me was to verify that it was bad without having a spare. Set the digital camera on a tripod to video the exposed plug ends while cranking! (no sparky X4...) and they aren't that cheap that you would casually carry a spare.
Good Luck !
Chebbie
His willingness to trade it probably suggests or confirms how difficult they are to get rid of if you need "value" out of it. I'd avoid it. Last thing you want is a car you didn't choose in the first place, and that no one else wants, either.
ZOO wrote:
His willingness to trade it probably suggests or confirms how difficult they are to get rid of if you need "value" out of it. I'd avoid it. Last thing you want is a car you didn't choose in the first place, and that no one else wants, either.
Thank you.
Most of you guys seem very adept at buying a car cheap, driving it for awhile, then selling it for an alleged profit. Or so it seems.
As for me, it has always cost me money to get out of a vehicle I don't want and into something I do want.
In reply to 1988RedT2:
It seems like a great idea at first blush, but then again getting rid of a Saab is about as easy as getting rid of herpes.
Other then the DI cassette are there any other problems to worry about?
Here is a thread on maintaining a Saab 9-3
http://www.saabcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=199141
redrum said:
We're all Saab fans here obviously so you may get some biased replies. I love my car, but being from a Saab family and having owned mine for about 6 years now, I can say that they are not a cheap car to own from a repair standpoint. Routine maintenance is the same as any other car though.
Once you get above the ~80-90k mile mark, things will break frequently and expensively. I've had to replace many things on my Saab that are fairly common with these cars, that are never even a mention with other vehicles. DIY repairs (parts) are pretty inexpensive, but if you dont have the ability or time/place to do them, you'll be stuck going to either the dealer ($$$), or an indie shop.
Apart from the whole thing sounding fishy, my personal search filter avoids the convertible Viggen. Check Autotrader and you'll see plenty of them. Makes you go "hmmm." My guess is you'd get more cash out of your truck.
Take any negative aspect of the regular Viggen and double it. Then cut utility in half relative to the 3 or 5-door version.
I just read that Saab de-tuned it, as well, probably because the hacked-up chassis couldn't handle the torque load. (I can't verify whether this is true.)
But then, I speak out of fear. I haven't owned a convertible Viggen and don't plan to. Now, a 5-door inspires lust in me despite it's shortcomings.
well, im going to go look at it tomorrow. they just seem sorta cool, and like it would be an enjoyable weekend car for a little while.
the deal WILL be for cash and saab. if i can get 2k out in cash (meaning only 3900 in the saab), would i get hurt?
and the question of more cash out of the truck:
i have had very, very few hits on it. heres the craigslits link. maybe that will help sway y'alls decision.
http://charlotte.craigslist.org/cto/2088547108.html
That is one good looking truck sir!
the only saab viggen you should be willing to trade for is this one:
