PrinceRupert

Apparently the oil leak is from the crankshaft seal. A quick youtube video suggests it isn't too hard a job, so one I'll probably try and tackle myself. Tips welcome. It seems I need a very large pair of circlip pliers, if anyone can suggest where to find a pair.

Got the Saab recovered to the local garage today and have checked it out already. Apparently the pulleys etc are all fine, suspicion is the belt degraded and failed due to the oil leak. They're going to chuck a new belt on, plus replace the seized caliper - 271 quid. Then hopefully it will be on its way South come Friday, with no further problems ... Oil leak will be first on my to do when it gets here, fixing myself if straight forward, otherwise into my local garage.

Thanks! It's also currently broken after showing a range of oil pressure related faults last week. Currently three cars, none fully working 😃

lol

Don't worry about it chap these things happen with cars of this age. Will be sorted and back up and running in no time.

So the Saab was meant to be making its way South on Friday. Plan was my dad and brother would drive Aberdeen to Falkirk, pick up my uncle, and continue down to York where my stag do is being held. Weekend of merriment and then me and two friends would drive to London on Sunday. Except disaster has struck. My dad took it for a quick shakedown today and one of the rear brakes seized on. Not a huge problem, he could strip and clean and grease and should be back on road in no time. Then a few miles later the aux belt melted and fell off. Oh dear. Presumably a seized pulley. Now the race is on to see if he can get it seen to by his mechanic at the start of this week. Otherwise it will be trains to and from York and a flight north and very long drive home in the 9-3...

It might have been easier for the tester to list the things not corroded! That has to be a picky tester though...

That's why you don't prod too hard 🤣

I suspect a TVR may be cheating, but a few: - If I press the fan button a little blue light comes on. I don't have aircon, so it literally serves no purpose. Once the car is up to temperature, the fans only deliver roasting hot air, but are almost impossible to direct to face you, only up the windscreen and then straight into your eyeballs. Not that you need to, it quickly becomes a sauna in there. - The frosty roads alert, which beeps constantly even after you turn it off. I suspect the suggestion is that if it is frosty, you shouldn't be driving it. - Dials for window operation. What's wrong with an up-down button? Anyway, they rarely do what you ask of them.

Ah thanks, my assumption was it is an old seal or something that might need replaced or perhaps massaged with rubber grease or something. Perhaps whatever my parents are complaining about regarding the boot / roof interaction is unrelated to the water ingress, and may or may not be user error ... will have a look when I get it.

12k - so 974 quid incl vat for the service alone Str8Six just put their prices up - 85 an hour + VAT now It just adds up e.g. the boot solenoid was 150 quid, the engine mounts 276 quid despite one only being a year old, etc. etc. I also got it detailed and ceramic coated last month, wasn't cheap, and within a week a fox had climbed over the top of it and scratched it 🤣 I'll check with them - the leak is into the passenger footwell I believe, where the roof isn't sealing (which was spotted when my uncle viewed the car, so was expected). They haven't complained of any error messages!

Fleet update: 75 is still clunking away despite having received two engine mounts, and I have powerwashed a hole in the front wing and the o/s sill is looking rather grotty. Will be scrapped when Saab arrives if not sold. Will be missed, we love that car. Split_pin's Saab 9-3 vert is at my parents in Aberdeen, and will make the long trip South at the start of April. They seemed to quite enjoy it on the trip home, though it has some sort of fault with the roof that needs attended too - apparently it is sitting a bit high on one side, such that it prevents the boot closing properly after it has been used without a bit of fiddling, and is letting water in on the passenger side. Attending to a minor oil leak and front arb bushes is also on the to do list. MG4 is on order, to arrive in June. TVR is in for its bi-annual major service, and the damage is a rather punchy £1716, plus a note that tyres will likely need done within the year (another £800). The rears are apparently approaching 3mm - they only went on 2k or so miles ago! Nothing major, just little things that add up - boot solenoid, exhaust hanger, two engine mounts (got one of those last year too ...), an oil pipe, handbrake cable... my better half struggles to understand how it can cost the same to service the TVR as to buy both the Saab and the Rover!

I've replaced two of the three mounts and the third looks visibly fine but still getting clunking and engine movement. Dont really understand.

I had to sell a car recently and that was genuinely the reason 😃

Similarly, the classic "age related marks". Just show me some decent pictures of the bodywork showing any damage, please.