Saab 900 S 1998

[SambaS]

Hi Folks!

Here's my Saab 900 NG in copper bronze metallic. I forget when we bought it, perhaps 2019 in England. Have since exported it to Bulgaria where it lives a hard life but the MOT (Pregled) is always an easy pass.

[Vantman]

Nice car,lovely colour.

[SambaS]

So this Saab, I sold in 2021 to my stepfather, and he officially imported it to Bulgaria, paid the Eco Tax and various other things... later in the year the oil light kept illuminating.

This car had brought us all over from UK with no issues and was happy to sit at 120mph for prolonged periods on the Autobahn and I used it for 12 months here myself.

He had a garage change the big end bearings and I did some research and warned of the oil pick up pipe in the sump blocking - good advice for a common problem with these engines. The mechanic cleaned it all up - so he says.

January 2024 after buying the car back from my stepfather, on the way to Vidin the engine died a death.

Had it collected by my local garage and they said the engine is toast, it has overheated and destroyed the big end bearings and cylinder walls. You could fix it but better to source a replacement engine, given it's recent history. And there was metal filings everywhere.

So what can you do, we bought another Saab.

Another 900 S 2.0 this one had LPG fitted. I did briefly consider using the black one but the seller said it was parts only no documents. Until we had removed the engine then he tried to sell the paperwork for an extra £250. 🤦‍♂️

A week later the gearbox tried to part way from the car because the mechanic had not done the job properly. Either had not bolted up correct, or had over tightened and fractured the casting in the gearbox.

So another expensive job, having the gearbox from the black car fitted.

2024 wasn't a very lucky year for me and motoring.

Halloween 2024 we went to Shishentsi to look for ghosts, on the way home going up a long hill this car died, as if the petrol had ran out.

Shishentsi is the last dead town down a long dirt track near the Serbian border. It was an expensive taxi ride home.

The garage diagnosed a faulty fuel pump and had that fixed within a couple of days and a new filter and I was on my way.

The next time this car was on the back of Nedko's recovery truck was a few months later when I pulled out of Lidl and it just died.

That was caused by the rotor arm or dizzy cap failing I forget which.

Not long after that , on the way to the fuel station right outside my mechanics, the car stopped working.

That was caused by the new fuel pump imploding , so had that changed again. And he said, stop running it on fumes!

[SambaS]

Still I do love this car. 

After the beaurocrisy of sale from my father:

Day1:

1. Have car officially valued at insurance brokers and a document produced.

2. Attend a lawyer with translator and draw up a sales contract paying 10% tax on the official valuation.

Now you may drive the car for upto 1 month.

Day 2:

3. Take car to my local KAT (traffic police) with the sales contract to get the talon (V5) transfered on their system into my name and a new big and small talon issued.

This is a free for all, you join the queue of dealers and private entities, park on the road outside the night before to get near the front of the queue, or like me pull up at 8am on the morning at the back. Say goodbye to your day 🥱

4. Traffic Police inspect engine numbers on car, and VIN, must be the stamped number on the chassis. If it can't be read you must take the car away, clean it up and come back another day.

5. Pay all and any outstanding fines.

6. Have correct regional number plates fitted

7.  Lose the MOT in the process.

8. Update my fathers insurance policy with the new registration number, in person. To allow a few weeks of remaining policy to be used.

9. Drive to MOT station and have new MOT. To MOT a car in Bulgaria you must have paid the village tax upto date...

10. Trip to municipality to pay outstanding village tax bill.

11.  Put on new Vignette (road tax)

12. Take out new insurance policy when my fathers had expired.

 

I don't like car ownership in Bulgaria 😔

[loserone]

Wow that is some bureaucracy 

[Mally]

5 minutes ago, loserone said:

Wow that is some bureaucracy 

I like Saaabs, but I'd have binned this one long ago.

Full marks for perseverance.

[SambaS]

This Saab is in bits currently because the radiator has a hole in it, and finally after tipping 1 - 2 litres into the expansion tank on the daily for months I've found some enthusiasm to do the job myself.

I've actually put it all back together now, but left the lights out cause this way people are not harassing me for lifts to places.

I'll pop the lights in whenever I need to use it myself.

Thankfully I didn't have to take all the undertray and front bumper off like I'm told you must on the Turbo models. 

The hardest part was getting the air baffles on the sides, the A/C condenser and the radiator all to line up to put the screws back in.

 

I hope to take it for an A/C re-gas, it's kind of necessary as the temps here reach 44 degrees.

[HMC]

What became of the star of shitefest 15  (for me) - the alpine?

[SambaS]

The Alpine LE is in dry storage in Kent with a friend. I actually gave them the car.

We do discuss progressing it. Some new seat material was purchased from France to retrim the car. And his subsequent restoration of another Alpine won Festival of the Unexceptional.

Its tricky as I have spent so much time being busy, HGV license, dental implants all kept me up north. Then 2023 onwards in Bulgaria.

[Matty]

Just now, Mally said:

I like Saaabs, but I'd have raced this one long ago.

Full marks for perseverance.

Might as well get the last dregs out of it 🤣