degrees this morning when I left for work.The Guac's heat is... Well, it isn't.
I started looking for a beater daily driver with HEAT for these cold winter mornings. I offered up some woodworking tools as a trade for a car on Craigslist.
The only response with a car I'd be seen in was this one. A 1986 Saab 900s. 16 valve normally aspirated 5 speed 3 door.
Sweet.
It's not my first Saab. I had a 1984 900s 4 door in 1999 and loved it for the short time I had it. The auto tranny grenaded after only 9 months. I couldn't afford to fix it so I junked it.
This one also uses LH-Jetronic fuel injection instead of the CIS that my old one had. Very much like the L-Jetronic on the Guac! Troubleshooting will be similar. And with a 5-speed instead of an auto, the transmisison should last longer than the auto in my 84.
It does definitely need work. The Check Engine light is on, which I suspect is a mixture problem. Either vacuum leak or a bad MAS. Most obvious symptom is the engine dies when blipping the throttle. Also the hydraulic clutch is goofy and needs adjusting at a minimum, the driver's seat frame seems bent, and the brakes need work.
The interior seat covers are in great shape as the pics show. The dash and bezel are bad, there's some hippie wiring under the dash and some trim pieces need fixing.
All in all, I'm *very* happy! A little bit of work and I can take the load off the Guac so it can be taken out of service for some much needed maintenance. Seals, clutch, and other miscellaneous bits.
I'm surprised at just how quick this Saab is. Much faster than my 84 was. I can't imagine what a turbo model would be like!
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