NG900 owners, what are you opinions of it?

Compared to other Saabs you have owned? Compared to other cars you have owned?

Nearly time to get rid of the Celica. I'm coming home. A C900 is off the cards, unless it is a Cabrio, and most of them are outside my price bracket (missus says a C900 hatch is too big, but a C900 Cabrio is fine). A 9000 is too big too (SWMBO says so, even though I would love to find an aero). But when out for a drive yesterday, I pointed to an NG as we went past "What about one of those?". "Yep, Maybe, that doesn't look too huge".

What year did they switch back to hydraulics for the clutch? Apart from the Talladega, what are the better model specs to own. As the NGs hold their price even worse than the C900's, I'm going to get the best most powerful model I can find, if I can't convince her that a C900 is still the same size as the Cabrio, or a decent Cabrio doesn't come up soon, cheap (yeah right).

Reply to
Sleeker GT Phwoar
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Yay!

She's crazy. How can it be too big?

It's *shorter* than a C900!

Have you driven one? Before you pursue this, drive a few and see how you feel.

Reply to
Grunff

"She" is the operative word. =20

Hence a C900 hatch is too big too, but to quote her "A convertable is a=20 whole different thing and might be cool", so she isn't totally barking.

There is a nice black one on Ebay, everything good except, it pops out=20 of reverse. It is on with no reserve, and is at arround =A31200, but the=20 seller is a classic car dealer and has the same car on his website for=20 =A33999 with no mention of the reverse gear fault.

I asked about the fault, and it is "a bit more than an annoyance". I=20 wonder if it is the one that can be fixed with swapping a part arround.=20

Not yet. I'me weird with cars. I drive all of them crap for about 6=20 months and then decide whether they suit me or not. Only just gotten=20 used to driving the Celica, and decided I'm not keen even with the boost=20 up, and the aircon regassed (and it is holding charge too).

I really do fancy the C900 but don't have garage parking.

--=20 Carl Robson Car PC Build starts again.

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Homepage:
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Reply to
Sleeker GT Phwoar

Most likely, either that (the spring) or the engine mount.

Ah, didn't realise the law had changed to make garage parking for C900s mandatory ;-)

Seriously, is it that important to garage it?

As for the NG900, most disappointing drive of my life. And I've driven Triumph Heralds.

Reply to
Grunff

If I get a 'vert, which I would like, it makes parking at night without paranoia easier. We can't all afford msaaive country estates with our own parking and workshop "Block", with stables, you know.

Reply to
Sleeker GT Phwoar

Ok, fair point.

How about a C900 saloon? Does that not solve the big boot problem?

Reply to
Grunff

in article 42d28e55$0$7809$ snipped-for-privacy@news.zen.co.uk, Grunff at snipped-for-privacy@ixxa.com wrote on 11/07/2005 16:24:

They've got none of the "go" of either the C900 or the 9000, none of the style of either and certainly none of the luxury of the latter. Very poor cars, IMO, both for performance and for safety. The Talladega might sound like a special car, but it just doesn't feel like a SAAB. Given that fact, why not go for a fast Vectra or a turbo Astra?

When I was in a similar position recently, fed up with putting up with little problems that I could sort out at my leisure if my C900 was a "second car", I started looking about and came to a number of conclusions:

  1. There are very few cars that are anywhere near the style, power, performance, stability, fun and "wow" factor as the C900. I would say, for the price, but they are very special cars.
  2. As a C900 owner, the NG900 simply does not stand up. In it's own right, it does not compare to other cars of its peerage. Again, I would say for the price, but BMWs of the era out-class them and are no more expensive. Heck, even the Vauxhall Vectra is definitely a better car!
  3. A "daily car" would need to be very much an exact opposite of the C900 for me to be interested. That, or be another SAAB, which is where I started to look very seriously at 9000s and drive a few 9-3s and 9-5s to see how I liked them.

I found the 9-5 to be a very nice car indeed; more so than the 9-3, but that's my opinion. The 9-3 did not feel to have anything like the C900 in the good ways, but the 9-5 had very much the feel of the 9000, but less spacious. More like the humble C900 (updated, of course) in many ways, I felt.

What about a 9-3 of the right vintage for the price? I gather the very early ones were almost a simple re-badge of the former NG900, but I could well be wrong. 1999 seemed like a good year to take as a starting year when I was looking :)

Of course, someone who has owned a NG900 as a daily driver may well have a very different story to tell, but do bear in mind that they are now a couple of years older since you last owned a SAAB and as a general rule of thumb are cheaper than C900s in the "trade". That, in itself, is starting to tell a story.

Paul

Vart tog vägen vägen? SAAB : Nothing on earth comes close

Reply to
Paul Halliday

in article 42d2936e$0$7899$ snipped-for-privacy@news.zen.co.uk, Grunff at snipped-for-privacy@ixxa.com wrote on 11/07/2005 16:45:

'Aye ... Some of us a Northerners, you know :)

Paul

Vart tog vägen vägen? SAAB : Nothing on earth comes close

Reply to
Paul Halliday

Well, I had a 1994 NA NG900 for about a year and pleased enough with it. But - I uprated a couple of things to improve the way it handled the road.

Basically - you are looking at a cable clutch for the early models - this is good and bad in that you avoid the hydraulic slave rebuild when the time comes - but you are putting in new wire every 20,000 or so miles if you don't lube it.

The overall handling is *radically* improved by fitting a set of 9000 rear KYB shocks with stock struts in the front. You need to grind back the lobes a little bit on the 9000 shock rings - but they otherwise fit perfectly.

I set the toe out about 2 degrees and had the alloy wheel's all press straightened. This removed several incurable vibrations (the 5 bolt SAAB alloy's all seem to be more soft than they should be - but are easily trued in trade). Mostly, setting the toe out *really* made it steer much better around town and on the highway. The steering was a sort of 'twichy' for my tastes at factory settings.

The early NA NG900 engine is one of the last 16 valves with a bosch rotor and wires and it is remarkably peppy for what it is - mostly it is relatively cheap to service and *extremely* reliable. Turbo's and DI in the NG900 is pretty much the same game as the 9000 - and all that means.

The body shell is prone to door rust in the lowers - but that is cured with annual treatment and careful attention to drains and the sun roofs don't seem to back up and leak as much.

The radio is very good as is the general electrical in the NG - but the trade off is the sort of cheapo interior as compared to the 9000 or even the C900. That said - it was always rattle free and pretty quiet at highway speeds. I had the folks at my local shop tighten up the shifter joint, which made it more precise shifting (5 speed is the way to go if you go NG900 NA).

On the whole, given they are cheap as the dogs breakfast on the market usually, they are not a wholly bad choice. However, I found the parts over here in Canada slightly more expensive (no ball joints - whole control arms for example) than 9000's.

As to 9000 "being too large" - that is simply not correct. The CS 9000 is wider overall than the 900 and thusly not nearly as sporty. However, they are shorter and frankly, I still believe a much better value in the long term. I think that while your missus may find the machine a little large just looking around - she will be very pleasently surprised with a couple of test miles under her skirt.

What happened to the fixed up aero on ebay at the end of the day? I think it really was the best option you were looking at in terms of a utility classic.

Reply to
Dexter J

Well, you and I know they are physically just about the same size. I think it is the long nose that upsets her in terms of car size.

Reply to
Sleeker GT Phwoar

I agree, that is why I was hoping an owner who has had both either at the same time, or one after the other for a decent period of ownership could come up with some info.

I know what you mean. Instead of being in the Mercedes/BMW league it is in the Vectra/Modeo class with bits on.

Thats good, because the price of 9-5's is starting to come down, although I do admit, I like the excellent space in a 9000 after a 900.

But if the NG900 is a bad car, then surely a rebadged NG900 at a steeper price will equally be a bad car but more money?

Agreed. that is why I was asking. NG900's even 2.3's and turbos are appearing at prices closer to low end 9000's than C900's. It tends to be V6's that are rock bottom, but even turbos are cheap. I would be back in a Saab, it would be a lot for the money, and the missus would be happy.

Reply to
Sleeker GT Phwoar

I left all theaeros I saw. As soon as I mentioned bidding, I got that look that said "Have you even advertised the celica yet?".

Reply to
Sleeker GT Phwoar

Perhaps I was not clear in my other post regarding NG900 Turbo's - very heavy expenses keeping them going and not really worth it considering the platform. It is one thing to keep a 9000 Aero with the full leather package and all the bells and whistles on the road at 125 quid minimum visits - quite another for a NG900 that nobody feels is worth the lolli to even swipe much these days.

As to V6 - avoid at all costs - over here it is actually cheaper to re-ring and gasket a Mercedes than to simply do the timing belt (a rubber belt) on the V6. Which you need to do every 25,000 according to the book.

The great advantage of the early non-DI NG900 bone stock NA is the engine rather than the platform - in that it truly is *reliable* under the hood. It trades that off for a lot suspension and cabin wise, but it is really very OK as a no-fuss no-dash lumpy looking daily that rusts away quietly about the time you'll become interested in one of those hoopy cooper Mini's from BMW on the used market about 4 years from now.

As to maintaining the greater marriage.

Yes - you will at least have to put the Celica in the paper before making noise about a 9000. Which again, despite the piercing look, is the SAAB you and her want to end up with at current prices if you can.

I strongly suggest you waste some car dealers time over the next little while and take the missus out in a couple of reasonably clean 9000's. Yes, it is big, but it drives relatively small and one or two good whiff's of that recarro leather - you might have a good chance at talking her into one.

Any continental arrangement is a difficult three way relationship even with a progressively minded long term marriage. Bringing in new Scandinavian beauty before the Lotus blossom has been at least given notice could well be considered a little much - considering her obvious generosity of nature regarding your ongoing dalliances with several sultry foreign ladies so far...

.. :) ..

Reply to
Dexter J

What I don't get is, she would be happy to see my trotting round round with a sexy topless model, but not a lady of a fuller figure with her own exclusive leather range.

Reply to
Sleeker GT Phwoar

LMAO !

Btw - it's very true that a 9000 appears at first sight to be almost intimidatingly large. As soon as you drive it, that sensation vanishes. It's very nimble for its size and is truly a driver's treat.

Graham

Reply to
Pooh Bear

Oh I know. When my C900 was in for repair I was given a 9000 LPT CDE. I know the LPTs are cruisers compared to the more sporty Aero and Carlsson models, but apart from a couple of corners I got a bit wrong at speed, it was a great drive. Much tighter feeling than the 900, but maybe that was garage/dealer maintenance because it had 10k more miles on it than my 900.

It felt good to drive, and roomier on the inside, but it was good to be back in the 900.

Reply to
Sleeker GT Phwoar

We ran a 1983 900GL (9000 CSE too) for 11 years and 'traded up' (ha!) the C900 for an NG900. Not a patch on the C900 IMHO. Far too much GM in evidence, clutch felt 'notchy', back seat was a pain to lower (compared to C900), the interior storage space was a joke, and the 'floor' of the boot was a kind of floppy carpet abomination that just collapsed if you put anything heavy in it. And you couldn't sleep in the back like to C900 hatch. We ran it for a year and just got more and more depressed about it. Eventually we could stand it no longer and went looking for a 9000. Eventually bought a 2.3 LPT. Now I know some purists will say the 9000 isn't a real Saab, but it sure as hell feels like it - especially after our NG900 experience. Wish we'd kept the C900 now as well....

Reply to
Pidgeonpost

Cheers. I will test drive a couple of NGs, but apart from the odd tip run or carrying the bikes to Delamere, I don't think a lot of storage space is needed this time (although it would be nice again). Biggest thing thing wrong with the Celica is the amputie class rear seats. Almost as silly as a Lexus SC430, now they are comedy.

Reply to
Sleeker GT Phwoar

Mon, 11 Jul 2005 23:54:13 GMT, snipped-for-privacy@lamelamelame.org suggested: : : The great advantage of the early non-DI NG900 bone stock NA is the engine : rather than the platform - in that it truly is *reliable* under the hood. : It trades that off for a lot suspension and cabin wise, but it is really : very OK as a no-fuss no-dash lumpy looking daily that rusts away quietly : about the time you'll become interested in one of those hoopy cooper : Mini's from BMW on the used market about 4 years from now.

I can vouch for this. I have a 1995 with the NA 2.3L 4cyl, and the engine has been rock solid for 185000 US miles so far.

Reply to
andrewunix

I disagree on your last point, all round EW are standard options include aircon, leather etc if you look hard enough.

Hell why not go for a Punto Sporting?!? I mean the guys looking for a Saab, he's done the other marque thing, so lets not move the goalposts eh?! ;-)

I totally agree with Paul on this one!

Sorry Paul but I strongly disagree on both points, having had a NG900 in the family for four years. As you know I also own a C900 Aero, and for performance and fun the NG900 doesn't compare, although our NG900 is non turbo so it's not really compaing apples with apples is it?

Onthis we agree, if you can afford a 93, preferably 1999/2000 then you'd be happier. I know a man who has a 2001 185bhp 93 Turbo in cosmic blue with FSH for around £5k. Looked at her today, looks great but we went for a 9000 Anniversary instead, see some posts later tonight.

Merely that C900's are becoming more and more sought after by us enthusiasts, it's merely supply and demand thats keeping C900 prices high.

Sadly many of the C900's are no longer with us, i.e. the supply is dwindling, whereas there are still plenty of good NG900's to be had.

Many of our number (wrongly IMHO) poo poo the NG900.

Paul, none of my ripostes above are meant as a personal slight, so please don't take offence! I don't really think he wants a NG900, it is after all a completely different kettle of fish to a C900. BUT a NG900 is a far better car IMHO than any Vauxhall, and I'm a Vauxhall fan, I drove em for 12 years before I finally got the C900 I'd always hankered after.

Al

Reply to
Al

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