They're abundant, cheap, often equipped with a manual transmission and really, really suck to drive. Like a heavy, complicated, torque-steering & expensive-to-fix Chevy Cavalier that gets marginal gas mileage. But can they be made to not suck? Suspension kit? Engine swap? They do look pretty nice with the Viggen aerodynamics and 17" wheels.
I am not sure the GM900 can be made not to suck.. but the 9-3 is a better car to start with.
Transverse LS V8 swap from an Impala SS OR Grand Prix GXP maybe? But then it would be an overpowered, I'll handling, torque-steering Cavalier that's no longer cheap :/
No swap necessary - you can push 400HP on stock internals. Trionic 5 is an incredible engine management system that the community figured out long ago; you can even make serious power with just a downpipe and tune. I have tried to extol the virtues of these cars multiple times on this board, but everyone just thinks I'm a moron...
Start poking around on genuinesaab.com and you'll get an idea for what these cars can do. The flexy-flier chassis issues were resolved long ago with the brace kits they offer. They aren't THAT heavy and can be made to go around corners very well with the right parts.
Also, marginal gas mileage? Really? I knocked back 30MPG+ with mine, if you stay out of boost they do very well.
In reply to SlickDizzy:
Cool! What suspension mods in particular? I really want to like these cars (I already like how they look)
In reply to M030:
Subframe brace and steering rack brace really stiffens the front end and gives you BMW-like steering feel. Then you have multiple choices for suspension; Koni Yellows and Vogtland springs are the more street-oriented choice, but there are nice coil overs available too. A big ass RSB is also available and really makes the car feel a lot sportier, even if you do none of the above.
These are the Northern European equivalent of a 90's DSM. They figured out how to make these cars go fast and turn well a LONG time ago, and they respond very well to simple mods.
In reply to SlickDizzy:
Cool! Thank you. You know some cool stuff, Slick!
No problem. I think these cars are pretty severely underrated. I picked up a GM900 for SWMBO a few years ago for real cheap, expecting it to be a total pile. I was surprised by the potential in the platform and the breadth of their aftermarket; if I was given $5k to make the fastest, best handling car possible, I would start with one of these (a '99 9-3 SE, to be specific). There are a few stupidly difficult jobs on them, no doubt, but their complexity pales in comparison to the VAG products that everyone seem to love so much...
I hope to test these suggestions on the $50 Saab soon. 
Also, in response to mad_machine's earlier comment; the 9-3 is NOT a better platform to start with if you are looking to build a performance car, at least not after '99. In 2000 they went to T7 engine management, got rid of the piston oil squirters, and introduced the problematic oil pickup that caused the ridiculous sludge problems 00's Saabs are so well-known for. The '99 9-3's still have T5 management, but the SE has a TD04 instead of the T25 turbo (same as the Viggen), which lets you start with a much higher performance ceiling. T7 EMS is a give-or-take change but T5 has more support. And at the end of the day, they all have the same dumbass firewall-mounted steering rack, which is why these cars handle like crap out of the box. If you do ONE modification, do the steering rack brace; if you do two, do that and the big RSB from genuinesaab.com. They basically transform that E36 M3ty Opel platform into the Saab it should have been in the first place.
what makes the 99 SE the one to have?
In reply to old_:
TD04 turbo, same as the Viggen, while retaining the T5 block and EMS. For all other years and models (Viggen excepted) you get a T25.
slickDizzy said: "There are a few stupidly difficult jobs on them,"
From experience, you NEVER want to do a starter in a V6 model. Trust me.
In reply to M030:
Well, to be fair, you never want to OWN a V6 model. The turbo four is better in every single way, no exception. The only reason they built a V6 one is because GM told them to at the barrel of a gun...and it's the same engine that is very well-loved in the Cadillac Catera, if that tells you anything.
yes.. the V6 was a total pile.. and yes, I was thinking of the original 9-3s.. not the later ones. The T-5 injection can be accessed easily with a laptop and the necessary software and adaptor. It is stupid easy to make power with it.. which is why I am converting my 900 to t-5
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