I may head up to Manassas; what do I need to look for?

A few important maintenance areas must have been done on time:

Regular oil changes, cooling system problems & transmission fluid changes. I'd want to have some records of service history of some kind if possible.

If not, before starting, pull off the oil fill cap and shine a flashlight inside. Check for any undue amount of sludge buildup that might indicate the oil changes might have been stretched. Pull the dipstick and check the oil for white or milky appearance that would indicate coolant leakage. I would expect the oil would have been recently changed (in preparation for sale) too. Run the engine and listen for any timing chain noises. Pull the dipstick on the transmission and check the color an smell of the fluid. It should be bright red (not dark or black) and should not have a burnt smell to it. Drive the car and be especially observant of how the transmission behaves. The autoboxes are particularly prone to breakdown, which can be expensive. Make sure that you get full boost from the turbo. They often fail oin a mode which will give you "base boost" only (maxes out at about half way on the boost gauge). While not a serious problem, it can be $$ to sort out due to the electronics involved.

By all means have an *experienced* SAAB mechanic give it a full inspection. They will know all the weak points and the warning signs.

-Fred W

Especially look at the "overall" state they're in. If the interior looks clean and has no damage, and exterior is good (wash, polish & waxed)thats a good sign, tires ofcourse, look for uneven tread wear (don't know if that's correct english, forgive this dutch guy please ;-)) dents and stuff.

Then ask for maintanance papers, clean, a flawless dealer maintanance booklet is great, otherwise you might run into neglect. Check the engine, pull the oil stick, smell it, does it start easy, does it run well, is the gearchange smooth etc.

If the owner/garage/dealer has a problem with a test drive leave it and look further.