Today's Nice Price or No Dice Saab 900 Turbo is described in its ad as "a well-kept driver, not a concourse car." That's fair enough, but will that description and the car's presentation make us want to spend five figures for this sweet Swede?
The first part of Dante Alighieri's allegorical poem, "The Divine Comedy," is the "Inferno," a sightseeing tour through the nine circles of Hell led by the spirit of the poet Virgil. This is the best-known and most thoroughly dissected part of the poem, with "Purgatorio" and "Paradiso," similar explorations of purgatory and heaven, getting the short shrift in studies and fandom. The use of the term Hell is also popular in contemporary discourse, where it's used as both an affront—"Go to hell!"—and for emphasis—"It's a hell of a deal!"
Carroll Shelby used the term for a high-performance version of Dodge's econobox Omni model in the 1980s, resulting in the GLH, or "Goes Like Hell" edition. We looked at a 1986 Dodge Omni GLH Turbo on Monday, and while it looked nice in the ad's pictures, the seller warned the car had age-related paint issues, a sagging headliner, and a non-functioning A/C system. Those problems, along with a general distaste for the model as a whole, led to a lot of consternation surrounding the seller's $9,500 asking price. In the end, the naysayers won out, as the GLH dropped in an incredibly narrow 53% 'No Dice' loss.
A triumph of an engine
While today's 1991 Saab 900 Turbo convertible doesn't have any sort of Shelby connection, like yesterday's Dodge, it does have a four-cylinder, turbocharged engine driving the front wheels. And, in true Saab fashion, that engine's layout is pretty unusual.
First, this Saab's engine is a derivative of the motor that debuted in the 900's predecessor, the 99, developed by Britain's Triumph, and also found under the hoods of that marque's Dolomites and TR7s. In the Saab, the engine gained both a twin-cam 16-valve head and a turbocharged intake. For the 900, it's also mounted backward, with the engine's front facing the firewall.
It sits atop the five-speed transaxle, with power sent down via a chain drive. In this model, that engine displaces 2.1 liters and makes a reasonably healthy 140 horsepower and 133 pound-feet of torque. According to the ad, that has pulled the Saab to a total of 125,300 miles, and the seller claims it still "starts easily, idles smoothly, and pulls strongly under boost."
The best wheels
This Saab also looks pretty good. The Beryl Green metallic paint still shines, paired with equally tidy bumper caps, side strips, and a new Robbins top. Since the 900 wasn't originally designed as a convertible, that top adds another quirky feature: a big rubber spoiler that surrounds the top's base, separating it from the trunk lid and housing the third brake light. It's wonderfully weird, but it does make you wonder where all the water goes when it rains. Ohter qui the Saab's wheels, wonderful three-spoke alloys that are minimalist pieces of art. Those look to be in good nick, still maintaining their center caps and, enticingly, wearing new Falken tires.
We don't get to see much of the interior; the seller only offers shots of the back seat and the dashboard. The latter is claimed to house a "period-correct aftermarket sound system." That said, both the seat and dash look to be in reasonably good condition, with the dash showing its age only in some bubbling on the glovebox door and that period-correct stereo head unit.
Some fixin', some sweatin'
Coming with a clean title, this 900 is described by its seller as a "longtime rust free Montana car." Its upkeep has supposedly been a regimen of regular maintenance, most recently including replacement ignition components, PCV parts, a new cam cover gasket, and a new fuel filter. Other new parts include the power antenna and, happily, the windscreen wipers, since the rainy season is upon us.
Still on the honey-do list is figuring out what's wrong with the A/C, which the seller says is on the fritz. They claim it may need a "service or a recharge," but admit they haven't delved into the diagnosis beyond realizing the cold air is gone. I'm not sure if Saab had already phased out R12 from their cars by this model year (It was officially banned in the U.S. in 1994), but if the car needs major work to bring the A/C back from the dead, a conversion to a more modern refrigerant should be on the books as part of the process. What might all that cost? I'm betting a lot.
It's convertible season
That might be more important to some than to others, as Summer is making a last-ditch effort to stick around on the West Coast, while Fall has fully established itself across the rest of the U.S. That makes a convertible a wonderful option at this time of year, even if the A/C isn't working, since cabin cooling or defogging the windshield is likely not on the agenda. Plus, driving around in a convertible that's a quirky classic from a beloved but benched brand just adds to the fun. We'll have to decide whether that Fall fun is worth $11,500.
That's the asking price, and remember that we might want to factor in the eventual A/C repair, if only for safety concerns around windshield defogging. Plenty of cars without A/C defog the windshield just fine; it just takes longer, and a lot of people are used to A/C helping the process these days.
What do you think about this classic 900 and that $11,500 price tag? Does that seem fair given the car's condition and potential for quirky fun? Or is that too much for an old Saab that can't keep its passengers cool?
You decide!
Missoula, Montana, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
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