The Saab love affair continues

[BBuzecky]

Hi everyone. I recently posted on my 2005 Saab 9-3 convertible that I've had one year and the changes I've made. Well as fate would have it another Saab came online that i simply could not ignore. My 2004 Mazda 3 with 150k has been having starting and transmission issues, so now I'm the proud owner of 2 Saab 9-3's with the black now serving winter duty.

The 2005 Black 9-3 Arc has 138k on the clock and this new one is a 2010 model. 45k miles, one owner, never seen salt was kept in a heated garage during winters. Have changed the oil, ATF (pictured below, very dark brown), air and cabin filter (pictured, many people forget these and yuck). Plan to do a few other things, drove 5 hours to Michigan each way to get her for $8,500, it was $45,000 sticker back when it was sold. Obviously love the way these drive and the turbos, and contrary to what most people think seeing that the company is out of business parts are plentiful, and they seem to last a very long time. Anyway, hope you enjoy the pics!

 

[01rangerxl]

Nice! Always good to find a clean example of something you love.

 

[EA82]

 

[NormanBuntz]

Good luck with the new wheels. I had two 900's in the 1980's. I know it had few options, but if Saab had it to do over again, would it still partner up with General Motors?

 

[4WD]

Maybe an aircraft maker since that's how they are born ...

 

[Lolvoguy]

Originally Posted by NormanBuntz
Good luck with the new wheels. I had two 900's in the 1980's. I know it had few options, but if Saab had it to do over again, would it still partner up with General Motors?

GM only provided funding to SAAB to keep them afloat (as they were in very poor shape when GM acquired them).

GM finally grew tired of SAAB's quirkiness when they refused to streamline products with many of GM's offerings.
That was essentially the end of SAAB.

 

[joekingcorvette]

Nice cars!

 

[greenjp]

I had a 2003 9-5 Aero, bought it new and sold it in 2015 with 206k miles. Loved that car.

That era of GM-ified Saabs weren't really "quirky" despite the reputation. A stick shift, turbo, semi luxury sedan was definitely an oddball in GM's product line but the car itself was pretty conventional. Sure it had the ignition in the console by the parking brake but I think that was more of a nod to Saab's history than any substantive quirk. It did have all sorts of relatively minor, thoughtful design features (huge trunk opening, big pass through, flip forward rear seat bottoms, built in roof rack mounts) that after living with a car like that for a long time you find notably lacking in a lot of other cars, but that's all just good design stuff, not weirdness.

jeff

 

[NormanBuntz]

Originally Posted by Lolvoguy
Originally Posted by NormanBuntz
Good luck with the new wheels. I had two 900's in the 1980's. I know it had few options, but if Saab had it to do over again, would it still partner up with General Motors?

GM only provided funding to SAAB to keep them afloat (as they were in very poor shape when GM acquired them).

GM finally grew tired of SAAB's quirkiness when they refused to streamline products with many of GM's offerings.
That was essentially the end of SAAB.


I really blame GM for the killing of the Saab brand. When there were several foreign suitors with bonafide offers on the table in the final two years, GM put the kabash on any deal that had any remote Chinese participant because it was so concerned about losing its technology and design secrets to China.

 

[fdcg27]

A Honda or a Toyota or even a Subaru might have legitimate concerns about losing its technology to a Chinese concern, but GM?
Please.
What advanced tech does GM think it has these days?
One is reminded of Roger B. Smith proclaiming the Quad 4 as superior to Japanese designs of the time even when it was very obviously not even close to them in any way.

 

[dishdude]

Originally Posted by fdcg27
A Honda or a Toyota or even a Subaru might have legitimate concerns about losing its technology to a Chinese concern, but GM?
Please.
What advanced tech does GM think it has these days?
One is reminded of Roger B. Smith proclaiming the Quad 4 as superior to Japanese designs of the time even when it was very obviously not even close to them in any way.


I'm sure the Chinese are clamoring for those 20 year old Toyota powertrains and Honda engines they forced a recall on that dump more fuel in the crankcase than cylinders.

 

[fdcg27]

The Chinese are looking for leading edge solutions for enhanced fuel economy and reduced emissions.
Both Honda and Toyota could deliver these and both offer class leading hybrid designs.
GM, Ford and FCA not so much.
If the Chinese were clamoring for big displacement pushrod tech, they'd already own FCA.

 

[AC1DD]

Always loved SAABs...my father had two of them 84, and 86 non turbo models, but they were very nice cars for the money, and the seats even in the base models were amazingly good I'd say on par with Volvo. Thanks for sharing. I wish SAAB was still around they had qualities that the marketplace liked, a better partner would have been VW or FIAT...since actually during the 80s and early 90s SAAB partnered with FIAT on the new large car which was the 9000. FIAT got the Chroma, Alfa the 164, and Lancia the Thema...all were excellent.