Permission Granted - Saab 9000 collected - It's cool

[dollywobbler]

Woo-hoo! I've got the green light for a new purchase! That's the good news - the bad news is that I've not got a massive budget to play with here. That's my own fault for blowing my Landy profits on a new camera...

 

I'm trying to keep it to £500, but can stretch a bit more. Must be 1991 or older. Must be good for jumping in and driving long distance. Must be comfortable. 30mpg is a minimum figure, would rather have something closer to 40 (I've talked my way into this by pointing out that it'll be a BX replacement). I fear that all this sadly rules out the Carlton GSi 24v on Ebay at the moment. Shame. Would love some digi-dash action.

 

I'm not asking you to make suggestions (Horsey Horseless is definitely out) but I'll leave this here and we can see if what I actually end up with meets any of the above...

[pogweasel]

Why pre-91?

[dollywobbler]

Has to be on my classic insurance. Mind you, I think FJ might be more flexible on Jaguars and MGs. Hmmm.... LPG converted X300? What could possibly go wrong?

[pogweasel]

Nice 1992 bmw?

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/1990-VOLKSWAGEN-S ... 0798821020

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/honda-ballard-crx ... 0603331498

[Angrydicky]

Austin A55 Cambridge - mine manages 30mpg easily. Westminster looks without the fuel consumption

[dollywobbler]

Nice 1992 bmw?

 

The one you've been swearing at so much?

 

Len - that 'Ballard' has been picked up during a search, but ruled out for the slush box.

 

This makes me want to ignore my MPG wishes. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Saab-9000-2-3-199 ... 0761468685

[Guest]

PRE-91 IS COMING

[scooters]

Mr B's Cav?

[scooters]

bout time you had a 240 Ian.....go on crazy swedish brickieness awaits!

[Guest Leonard Hatred]

This makes me want to ignore my MPG wishes. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Saab-9000-2-3-199 ... 0761468685

 

It'll do over 30MPG easily and up to 40MPG with a bit of effort if my 9000 n/a 2.0 is anything to go by. The 2.3 should be less stressed and more efficient I think.

 

How about a Citroen BX 1.9D estate?

[dollywobbler]

I'm not sure getting another BX NA diesel this soon after my last is a wise idea. I really do like that Saab. Mind you - my 900 16v used to resolutely stick to 30mpg, though I didn't work out the MPG too often, and it did have a binding brake for some of that.

[scooters]

buy that saab - it looks great never had a 9000 always wanted one - such high spec and still a proper saab as well!

[messerschmitt owner]

Ian

 

buy this - I nearly did

 

http://www.gumtree.com/p/cars-vans-moto ... o/77054214

[pogweasel]

Nice 1992 bmw?

 

The one you've been swearing at so much?

 

 

Aye. When it works, it's glorious.

Recently had a run of silly jobs that have all been arseache, but once they are done they are done.

[Cavcraft]

If you can do your own work my 190E (manual) will be within your budget. Needs a fuel pump relay (though I'm told the old one can be dry soldered), probably a small weld on the driver's floor and a service for MOT.

[dollywobbler]

Thanks Billy. A colleague already has a 190 - a 250D. A shame as there's a W124 250D not too far from here and I was quite tempted by it! Nowhere near as clean as the Saab though, and quite a bit more dosh. Hoping to see the Saab before the week is out.

[Shep Shepherd]

Late model Volvo 740?

 

[dollywobbler]

Tell me more...

[Shep Shepherd]

Tell me more...

 

The Volvo's not for sale at any price* - the photo of it was the most convenient to hand that showcased the awesomeness of the 'Alt 2' 740

 

 

*After eight years of ownership, I consider it to be more than just a car and as such I am loathe to get rid of it, even though TV2 does the whole Volvo estate car thing a lot better than it.

[dollywobbler]

Ah, no worries. Fully understand the not-selling. See my 2CV. Did find a 740 saloon on my doorstep, owned by an 80+ year old who was now downsizing. Can't think of many cars built in 1990 that still have overdrive!

[Shep Shepherd]

Ah, no worries. Fully understand the not-selling. See my 2CV. Did find a 740 saloon on my doorstep, owned by an 80+ year old who was now downsizing. Can't think of many cars built in 1990 that still have overdrive!

 

The Volvo has become big part of who I am since I've owned it, so much so that my friends and family can't envisage me ever being without it, although no doubt terminal rust, mechanical failure, accident damage, poverty or apathy will see us part one day. Here's a photo of it taken on the day I bought it in late 2003:

 

 

Got to love the late 740s fitted with the Laycock overdrive. I think a few 940s had it as well

 

Pawnote: The Volvo specialists Lakes Autos in Bedfordshire have a tidy silver 1990 740GLT 16V saloon for sale, or at least they did when I visited their premises a few weeks ago.

[garethj]

I reckon you'll struggle to hit your mpg target with a 740 now you're in rural Wales, 25mpg is my best on winding B roads.

 

I think 740s like mine have the highest rear axle ratio, even taller than 940s, which is why on motorways it uses no fuel whatsoever. In fact the tank slowly refills.

 

LPG kit on the Reliant could be a slightly sensible choice?

[Station]

You simply need a Metro.

[dollywobbler]

Been to see the Volvo today. Has the advantage of being very close - much more so than the Saab, which is a 150 mile round trip away. It's £700 and really rather tidy, bar a couple of scrapes. 144k, FSH and I mean full - serviced every 6k miles. Goes very nicely, but it did leave me wondering what on earth Volvo were doing fitting a 'luxury' car with such hideously cheap plastic. Those squeaks and rattles could get very annoying.

[Station]

I've seen people use this when rattles get a little bit too much:

 

[Shep Shepherd]

When I first bought The Volvo, it was riddled with rattles. Replacing various trim clips and screws, tightening various screws and bolts, greasing the rear seat catches and lightly whacking various things with a rubber mallet got rid of them

 

I also wonder why why a supposed luxury car which cost over £20,000 new has such cheap interior plastics and such crappy dashboard instruments. I don't think that I've gone longer than six months without The Volvo's gauges malfunctioning since I've owned it - at the moment, the odometer and trip meter don't work and neither do the panel lights, due to a duff cog in the speedo head and a foxed instrument panel PCB respectively, both of which I'm finding very difficult to source.

 

If anyone has a spare VDO-type 740 instrument cluster in good working order going spare, I'd be very interested in buying it.

[dollywobbler]

Had fun today driving the Volvo and Saab near enough back-to-back. I really liked the Volvo, but compared to the Saab, it felt like it was truly from another age. That's not actually a bad thing - dare I say it but I felt like it was a grown up Cortina. But the Saab got the nod because it felt much tighter overall, didn't have several parking dings and had less miles. In fact, the Saab really is very tidy. 118k, full dealer service history - it has barely covered 500 miles since the last one - and reading into the service history, it seems to have been done every six months regardless of mileage. There's barely 2500 miles between some services! Probably why the timing chain is still nice and quiet...

 

More details and pics later. I'm not collecting it until the weekend and need a bit of a lie down. 150 miles in a 2CV on Welsh roads (no straights - at all!) is hard work.

 

Oh and I narrowly beat some chap from near Brighton who wanted to buy it sight unseen. Wasn't you was it Nigel?

[Pillock]

1994 BMW? Like Pog's but less sweary.

I've got it on classic but your firm may be less receptive.

[dollywobbler]

Here she is. What a stunner!