It's not easy to recommend anyone to buy an OG 9-3. They're very old now and most have succumbed to rust, excessive wear and tear, lack of maintenance etc. I do everything myself and it still costs me a shed load in parts. To keep on top of one, it helps to be self sufficient as they are still a specialist car and require a specialist to identify specific Saab issues. Look for the obvious such as rust around the rear arches, within the engine bay near suspension tops and battery area. Listen for noisy chains and bottom end knocking/rattles. Blue smoke from the exhaust is usually the sign of a spent turbocharger or worn piston rings. Oil leaks are commonplace from the engine and sometimes from the gearbox. Right hand drive models suffer from the bulkhead splitting near the rack mount and servo. Climate controllers and displays have dead pixel issues. Power steering leaks from rotten pipework is common. Rotten brake lines also. There's so much to list. My advice would be to buy an enthusiast owned example or an extremely low mileage (30-50,000 miles), therefore reducing the risk of such things. Many have been fully restored and are worth a look at. Clutches last around 100-120k depending on lifestyle the car's had. Interiors are quite hardy and last for high miles. Electrics are generally good, but not perfect and require a Tech 2 for accurate diagnosis. Suspension struts are prone for rot on the front and bushes can wear at around 80k. I hope this helps 😁

@@stefansworld3351 thank you very much mate. The bloke that owned it has a few. He brought this one for parts but never got around to doing it. Now due to space it needs to go. I will check over the points you have made. Ive been a mechanic for 6 years so pretty handy on most stuff bar taring into engines really. I will let you know how it goes lol

@@stefansworld3351 what I would like to note lol. All my cars are old girls. I have 2 mk1 facelift mondeos ghia x. And also a y reg fabia. Were used to waking up to broken cars 😂

@@stefansworld3351 hey mate. Had a look at the car. Pretty minimal rust round arches and pretty minimal in the engine bay. Boot is solid. Haven’t had a look underneath yet. Will need 4 tires set of pads and probably a couple other bits. Engine is solid. Started in the button after month of sitting. No blue smoke once warm and oil and coolant look good. For 4/500 quid. You think she’s a good buy?

@benblackburn6774 For a few hundred quid it's worth a chance. Mine was £900 back in 2019 and I've spent a lot on it, but it's been gone through with a fine tooth comb now. If you get it, do the basics such as a service with all filters and spark plugs changed, decent oil using only a Saab filter as they have a unique pressure valve design specific to the Saab engines. A code read is recommended to check all of the on board computers also. Good luck 🍀

If it's rotted out where the upright is attached to the axle, that will be the issue. Replacement axle needed. If you can't locate a Saab item, then one from an Astra MK3/Astra F will do the job. You will need to transfer the anti roll bar across, make sure it has the primary bar inside the axle as per the Saab item as well. The brakes/hubs will transfer straight over.

Thanks i hot one from pull a part todsy​@@stefansworld3351

@@TheoPhilpot Thank you 🖤

PB Brakes, online order and configuration. Around 3 months wait after ordering. Shipping fees and import tax has to be paid, but still way more affordable than AP or Brembo.

Probably around a couple of hours

It's adjusted by pumping out the brake pedal, but can also be adjusted inside the vehicle either under the rear bench or by nuts on the cable near the hand lever. It's normally about 5-6 clicks. On the early 900 & 99 models with the front wheels handbrake, it's about 8-9 clicks, but that's a much older design.

Horrible when not looked after properly. It takes alot to kill a 900/99 engine. Great when working properly compared to its contemporaries.

@@dj_paultuk7052 The 9000 up to 1993 used the same system as the classic 900 with the nitrogen filled accumulator bulb. My 1991 model had this system. From 1994 onwards, they used a conventional ABS system with an electric pump to draw vacuum for the brake booster/servo.

@@stefansworld3351 Yes i know, im a Saab Master Technician. But the 9000 one is not Ford like the C900. Its ATE.

The big holes in the strainer was the official mod issued to Saab UK back in the early 2000's if you know anything about Saab. No silicone ended up in the strainer. Please enlighten me as to how you build Saab engines.

I've already checked the crank seal. There's no sign of leakage. The spec of oil for that engine is correct if you know anything about Saab engines.

Old oil? WTF?

Thanks for your "useful" input.

If you actually pay attention, I renewed the oil and filter. When you have a Saab that has been owned by yourself for over 20 years and is 32 years old with 350,000 miles on the clock that still runs well, then you can educate me on car maintenance.

215/45/17 Goodyear Asymmetric 5

I got this for very little back in 2003. They were just scrap value back then if they were high mileage. I bought a taxed and running 8 valve turbo shortly after getting this as a donor car. I drove it daily for a while. Cost me £75!

The auto 'box was an option on all 900 models, whether it be the 8 or 16v turbo or injection, or carburettor models. Pretty ancient design, 3 speed slushbox. Quite short geared, so only average at high speed cruising. Not great in the 900, as engine noise in the cabin is quite intrusive on all models.

Drill and re tighten 👌

You could always look for a 5 pot 2.0 diesel (Volvo engine, not the 4 pot 1997cc PSA one).

Is yours a manual? I want to buy one but they all seem to be automatic😑

@@henry3445 Yes, it's a 6 speed manual. I've not seen many auto C30 models. They're mostly manual.

@@stefansworld3351 oh really? I want to buy a d5 but the only ones I can find are all autos, so annoying

Why gut it tho?

The 9-3 has trionic 7 with automatic boost control integrated within the ECU controlled via the APC switch.

In addition to the APC, I've included the manual controller between the wastegate and APC solenoid to increase the boost even more so. If you watch my video about making a boost gauge, you'll see how much it peaks and then holds. I was surprised by the results.

It's faster than many I've driven. Minimal turbo lag and it holds boost higher in the rev range. I've removed the cat, more free flowing silencers, higher flow stainless steel fine mesh air filter. It was an LPT, but it's now got the full blown turbo gearbox, longer geared, faster 0-60 time as you don't have to shift to 3rd to get to 60. No APC , but a bleed valve fitted along with many hours of fine tuning the actuator rod to get the perfect balance of high boost, no lag. I'm actually running less boost than I used to, as the gearboxes don't like repeat hard driving with high boost, so it's not as fast as it was. Nothing fancy. I estimate it at 200bhp. It must be, because it'll go straight off the clock. The speedo needle just presses against the trip reset button, so the top speed is around 155mph (249km/h). It does still pick up, but I always run out of road.

@@stefansworld3351 That's impressive for an LPT. Nice fettling. Is it the same physical turbo unit as the HPT model?

@wideopen125 Yes. It's the Mitsubishi unit found on 900 models, LPT and HPT fitted after 1990. Smaller physical size compared to the Garrett, but less lag, more reliable and seems to hold boost better.

My first car was a 99GL. I had two more then started on the 900 range with a 1984 900 Gals.

The only thing that let the 99 turbo down was the non power assisted steering especially because l had wider tyres on. The 2 l had were the boot /sedan 2 door which l prefer loved the stumpy boot especially when viewed from. Behind low slung looked really purposeful. The 900 turbo was obviously a more refined car but l loved the rough and ready non nonsense 99 turbo l had to sell the second one which l used to see on a regular basis l made a mistake but l needed the money. Where l worked we had a local Saab dealer Woolford motors in Tottington . There was also a new fancy dealer in Manchester. I went one day for a part l needed when l pulled up there was a red haired guy stood outside who l vaguely recognized l nodded at him and he said hello which people as you know always did when you had a Saab .when l came out he was walking around my car and admiring it then it came to me who he was he was one of the presenters of "tomorrows world" cannot remember his name he had a fantastic looking 900 turbo 16v aero with all the body kit on but was totally blown away by my red devil!!! All the best mate

@catfish828 I have a brochure from Woolfold Saab dealership for a 99. I've had it since I was about 12 years old! We used to trade with Saab Manchester back in the day. I found that the 99 handled better than the 900 due to the shorter wheelbase and overhangs. I had a 1980 99GL 4 speed which I managed 120 out of it on a long run down the M61. It had a strong engine that had been rebuilt at some point before I owned it. I paid £40 for it back in 1999 and ran it for 18 months. Those were the days 😁

Complete opposite to the UK.The 900 rots very badly here.

I've only ever driven one 2.1L. It was a LHD someone brought to the garage. Slightly more torque, but hardly worth the messing around with bore sizes, larger inlet ports, inlet manifold for such little gains. The auto box is woefully outdated, even back in the 80's. ZF units were way better, as used in the 9000 and other car brands.

@@stefansworld3351 my favourite piece of trivia about ZF gearboxes is this... ZF stands for Zeppelin Fabrik. Yes.. that's right. Those boys that make the gearboxes started off making the freaking Hindenburg.

There's so many German corporations that have their roots back to the second world war interests. Dr. Oetker provided the German army with food, Siemens did the communication systems, Hugo Boss did the uniform designs, Adidas provided the boots, BMW some of the plane engines. It's logical, but in my mind, just a bit creepy, considering these companies still exist.

@@stefansworld3351 if you ever find yourself going up an escalator made by Schindler. That's him of the famous list.

Yeah, I always forget!

Just the headrests. The 9000 seats are completely different in construction.

Nothing modded apart from the EGR valve being removed from engine management, DPF removed and catalytic converter removed and the remap. A solid 42mpg/5.6L/100KM. 140mph/225km/h. It was done by a professional and experienced Volvo tuner.

Seems strange. Do they say they can't go past 480 or is that a good place to stop to prevent damage to other components? I expect the limiting factor would be the transmission for autos or clutch for manual. 480 is 20% over stock which doesn't seem like a sketchy leap but I have no idea what the limits on stock drivetrain and internals are.

@@papapetad no they say they can't get over 480Nm since most of them share the same map for stage 1. Maybe I should get a custom tune on it, hopefully they'll get a bit more out of the engine

Just the brake disc (rotor) dust shield backing plates are from another vehicle. Opel/Vauxhall Insignia which is similar to the Buick Regal (2010's model). The brake kit was brand new for the Saab fitment, also the same fitment as a Saturn L series.

Yeah, if they're running healthy boost, normally 3rd or 4th gear gives up. Mine's on it's fifth or sixth rebuilt gearbox 😂

@@stefansworld3351 Its the APC boxes that kill the gearboxes with the sledgehammer torque curves. On the ones i convert to Trionic5 they have no gearbox issues and run 220bhp.

Same engine.

They've been on for nearly 2 decades and have done their job 👌

Behave!!!the D2 is a garbage Peugeot engine,They've kept my shop busy thankfully.

@@jamie-hb8gy wrong it is not the pda engine that is in ford Citroen and peugot

It runs fine, very low mileage, didn't want to mess around with it. I doubt there would be any carbon build up in such a low mileage engine. The engine oil that I removed was like new!