Rusty But Trusty

While trolling around for older Saabs, I spotted this tasty piece. I haven’t yet featured relatively modern machinery, but it maybe helps (or scares) you to remember Saab 900s are already at least 16 years old, and as such are pretty far along Depreciation Lane. A well cared-for Saab will also last a long time, so I would not let higher mileage scare me off. I’ve had a soft spot for these since my parents had a 1975 99 WagonBack when I was a kid, plus I’m a sucker for the sound of the 900’s four. Much like yesterday’s feature, this car also has a huge load area that will hold a Christmas tree, 3-seat couch, or whatever you want to put back there.

Today’s feature car is this 1989 900 SPG in SE Portland, OR for $2750. By all appearances, it’s been well-kept and has had a fair amount of work done:

From the shot above, you can already see the modified 3″ cat-back exhaust, which helps amplify that happy sound. The car has had much work done, including a new head gasket, tweaked APC (are the latter two related?), drilled discs, and some suspension work. That should cover some of the things that have worn out over its 181,000 miles.

Seller says the body is excellent, with no rust underneath. Many of the Saabs of this vintage on the market are abused old beaters or just plain worn out, but this one still has a healthy gloss to the paint and a really clean body. Also notice the 9000 in the background; it’s always comforting to buy a car from an enthusiast who cares for their car.

For a final shot, this side view. The later OEM Saab wheels (from a 9-5, if I’m not mistaken) fill out the wheel wells nicely without looking silly on the car, as some modern wheels do.

Side commentary: many sellers on craigslist seem to post exterior pictures only of their cars. I think (unless they have something to hide) they’re missing a real opportunity not posting engine and interior shots. Cars like this would best be shown with a rear 3/4 from one side, front 3/4 from the other, engine compartment and a shot across the dash and front seats. That stays within craigslist limits while giving a more accurate representation of the car.

Tags: 900, saab, SPG, swedish, turbo

This entry was posted on June 17, 2009 at 5:28 pm and is filed under Feature. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.