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Re: $aabs

Lee Levitt wrote:

> Yikes. I'd stay away from this one. Older Saabs typically have tranny
> problems, and to fix/replace the tranny, you have to remove the engine.
> You'll also end up doing a variety of other expensive mileage related
> things between purchase and 200K.

An aquaintanance of mine once owned an '89 900T 5sp. That thing was so quick we 
called it a *Mad Hare*. Exhibited a horrendous torque steer, tho, if you rev it up 
and drop the clutch. Nothing like a civilised and progressive rush of a Turbo 
Quattro.

The design of the car seemed to be so user-unfriendly, it looked as it was done on 
purpose:

- The tranny is mounted to the BOTTOM of the oil pan. In case of a minor repair, 
like of the oil pan gasket leak, one has to drop the tranny!

- The belts and pulleys are on BOTH sides of the engine. Mostly on the rear side. 
The water pump is there also. The gap between the pulleys and the firewall is 
hardly more than 20mm. Got a water pump leak? Too bad, now you've gotta drop the 
engine and the tranny.

- If you're standing in front of the car and wave the driver to open the hood, it 
jumps at you by no less than 1 ft forward, hitting you in the area 
of...hmm...reproductive organs. I still remember my surprise, when it happened to 
me for the first time.

- If you want to leave the car in neutral (what if you need to a wheel during a 
repair?) and take the key out and drop on the floor - forget it. Saab feels that 
you are so dumb that you should be FORCED to leave the shifter in reverse.
I for one, have a habit of leaving the car in 1st instead.
I also have a long standing habit of not working under the car if the ignition key 
is NOT laying on the floor.

- Saab has the hood that opens like on a BMW, leaving you only two sides for 
access. Any medium sized repair forces you to take the hood off. When afterwards 
you put it back on you have to realign the gaps. PITA. The last time I delt with 
such a dumb design was when I ownd my last Lada. 
No, I'll take it back. In '90 I briefly owned a 320i. I disliked it so much that 
sold it in two mos. No wonder do I seldom recall that I ever owned a Bimmer.
-- 
Igor Kessel
'89 200TQ - 18psi (TAP)
'98 A4TQ - on order...again. For the third time and counting.
Philadelphia, PA
USA