Well - I wrecked her..

Glad you're OK, my friend.

Thx brother Hinz.

Like I said, mortified at being at fault - but as everyone involved was otherwise fine - I guess it was a great accident.

Not a lot of damage to the other machine - fairly beaten off Budget Rental Dodge 1/2 ton quad cab. Caught him about halfway along the rear quarter and down low. My take is that his rear tire is what pulled off my front end. It was a *very* soft impact as we were pulling rather than pushing on each other.

A few seconds earlier or later and I would have seen him and all this would have been avoided. Rats - my 89 really was running nicely otherwise. Yet another argument for the hatch I suppose - better darned visibility..

In article , snipped-for-privacy@lamelamelame.org spouted forth into alt.autos.saab...

Now to honour it's memory by buying another one.

You can be one of those proud to say "I always buy Saab, because the safety aspects saved my behind at least once".

Well the three candidates at this point are:

I should say that I only carry PI/PD - so my current machine isn't providing any funds for the next one.

The Lincoln has a lot of appeal from a driver point of view - front wheel drive Aluminum V8 and a *very* deep luxury kit. It's at an auction yard and while I've fired it up - haven't and really can't take it out for a test run to be sure..

The Jetta turbo diesel is supposed to be a very fine runner and notably long lived. It's local advert so I haven't been by for a test run yet.

The 9000T has all the luxury appointments, looks a lot like an AERO and I now will have a fair selection of spare bits depending on the deal. Howeverthe owner is asking considerably more than the figure quoted. I think he might be willing to move down as I don't think he'll get very many offers on the machine at any price.

Not sure what we're going to do really - depends on how things turn out..

Uhh, that was bad luck. If you find another 9000, then you have a store of spare parts. Had silly accidents myself, but luckily none in my 9000 touch wood.

Thx brother Johannes - it's just as embarrasing as you can possibly imagine.

in article snipped-for-privacy@news.eastlink.ca, Dexter J at snipped-for-privacy@lamelamelame.org wrote on 16/11/2003 05:23:

Argh! Ouch!

Glad to hear the Saab did it's last job right :)

I'm having a personal wake as I type. Sad news indeed.

Paul

Salutations:

Thx brother Paul - I *really* hate having wrecked a good high mile example.

I was whining a fair bit about the cost of paint and bushings and such. But while it was starting to get rough - it was all running very well and the shell itself was clean as whistle.

Like I said - very embarrassing - as the years go on its a terrible shame to ruin good OEM ones.

Had a rabbit 1980 diesel. Ran well, just needed the lifters adjusted every 30K miles, always change oil. Depends on whether or not you want a diesel. Can't comment about the turbo and turbo lag, since I never had one.

Jetta is not a luxury car, looks like a bmw at best. Same German design philosophy, and you might not have the same feel as a Saab.

Might not, never driven a 9000, just a 9-5, but I'd prefer the saab.

Harvey

Welcome brother Harvey and well, so do we really.

The SAAB is our favorite ride and while I'm a 9000 man myself, the 9-5 is nothing to sneeze at.

I'm very impressed with the fact that my 9000 is still working well (you know, aside from the missing front end thing) at 310,000km. Moreover - it provides an almost Tardis like trade regarding amount of space inside against it's total wheelbase. This is a family car and I have the crayola stains on the back of the drivers seats and loose soil in the trunk to prove it.. :) ..

I think I'm on record here as once saying that of the great many machines we've had over the years - I think the interior and ergonomics of the 9000 are pretty much perfect in every way except the lack of a floor start key and the flipping wide door pillars.. arrggg..

The 1995 Continental isn't the yacht it's TownCar sister is and given several million kilometer examples I've ridden to the airport in - no slouch on the longevity or ride/drive sides. It will never be as good on the fuel as the 9000 and it might also start getting expensive as the various first generation electronic controls (suspension, tranny, steering rack) start to age..

The 97 Jetta is supposed to a real tank - I expect it's about as well appointed and rides like one too. I get the impression it's not very roomy inside, but it gets around 35-40 miles to the gallon on anything from Lamp Oil to Bunker C. While no SAAB, the turbo is supposed to make it fairly good engine wise. My understanding of the machine is that it is easily a

The only real problem with the SAAB in question will be the price the current owner (local garage) will let it go for. While I note $8000 as what I might offer - he is asking considerably (and somewhat unrealistically) more. It's in good shape - but it's no peach. Moreover - while I would have spares - not a lot of the fairly expensive stuff bolts over and it's a darned automatic I've been looking for a 5 speed..

Anyway - as we can't be without a car for any length of time - we're going to have to make a call shortly. Maybe we'll just buy a beater for a while and see what comes up. Nobody is happy with that idea, but cars tend to get fairly cheap after New Years around here..

In article , snipped-for-privacy@lamelamelame.org spouted forth into alt.autos.saab...

Dexter, silly question, but is the auto to 5 speed conversion as doable in the 9000 as in the 900 (lot of work but doable)?

ISTR that yours was body rough, but mechanically solid? Might be worth converting the pedal box and transmission from yours into the other one, and selling off the Auto box and pedal box from the newer one if it is even remotley likely to make any money, to offset the cost of the conversion.

An excellent question and perhaps a good idea. As a matter of fact it - was - possible to drop a 5 speed into current 1989 (also a auto).

I have access to a rebuilt 1986 5 speed and was thinking seriously about dropping it in the 1989 had we been able to proceed with the restoration. I'll have to do some reading to find out if it will mate with the 1996 2.3 block/clip.

First things first though - gotta make an offer and see if the garage with the '97 is interested in a really sweet parts machine as part of a greater deal.

'Tis why I got one in mid August this year (2000 9.5 LPT). While taking the wife to the hospital (routine thing, but 6:30 in the morning).

What with a lack of sleep, I managed to wipe off the foglamp turn signal socket by running up on a parking "stop", those detestable things that are designed to wreck the front end of the car. Some delayed hysterics later (several days after, when I actually saw it), I talked to the dealer/service shop, and they very kindly gave me a new lamp holder/socket. I wired it in, (two layer heatshrink), and spent part of an afternoon doing an epoxy job on the bits and pieces of the foglamp assembly. Successful, but traumatic....

I'd be tempted to do a repair job, if possible... But then again, perhaps time for an upgrade if not financially feasible.

then it was a 900 that I drove.

probably so, the electronics is not going to be cheap.

Had a mid 80's jetta, think something like a 9-3 in intent, but very germanic.

was a diesel, non turbo, ran well, but not spectacular.

One thing, though, the grounds are established through the motor mounts, so they are quite important.

Had all the lights on the dash light up (1980 Rabbit diesel), and the car stop... eventually sold it. Found out about that much later...

Hmmm, not sure here... but you're on the scene, and I'm no expert.

Some of the car places (wholesale dumpers) might help, but hard to say. Harvey

Damn. Glad to read of your continuing good health. Be wise. Part with the remains post-haste. I tried to make the best of a balled-up 9000 and found no gain in it. Sold it to a local SAAB specialty repair shop and now I have to watch her slowly parted out. Painful.

Hyperdog ME

Welcome brother Hyperdog - and yes - I'm afraid that's what's in store for her. I might pull the and properly mothball the powertrain and some choice electrical/console bits depending on what, if any, value she might have as a parts trade in on the next ride. I expect it's more of a pain in the behind for most sellers around here - so maybe it'll live on again in boat or a kitcar some day.

.. sniff ..

If you want to try something different, try a cheap winter beater to get you through to spring.

If you like the other brand get a good one, and keep the old one as a spares car, or sell it on/scrap it and use the grace time to save for a decent 9k again.

That may well be how this all shakes out - found a high mileage Mercedes

Haven't heard from anyone with regards to what, if any, claim the good folks at Budget Rental want to make and I feel a little like I'm awaiting sentencing. The truck was a long term roofer rental and literally on it's way to auction when we brushed one another. I took a very close look at mine in the sun the other day and all there is a short black scuff mark along the front of my panel to where the bumper once hung - so I think all I might have caught was the tire.

I'm not making any claim (PI/PD is all I can carry) - there is good argument it will cost Budget more than it's worth to claim - but as I've heard nothing from anyone, I'm going to have to hold on for a bit and see what happens.

It could be my little family and I may well be getting a lot of exercise in the coming couple of years - depending.. :( ..

Man - this has been a crappy year all told..