On this Saab Day I thought I’d share photos of a Saab I recently got to ride in. My friend Amy owns this ’92 900S, and it’s her daily driver. As Curbside Classics go, this one’s not really all that old. But it’s one of the last “real” Saabs – production ended on them in 1993, and all further Saabs were GMs in thin disguise.
Amy didn’t want me to show this side of her car because of a couple rust spots. But they make this car an authentic Curbside Classic – older, noteworthy, unrestored, still doing the job it was meant to do. Under Amy’s care, this Saab should push on for many more thousands of miles. That’s due in no small part to the good relationship she’s built with her mechanic. But don’t underestimate Amy, who is standing on the sidewalk in the photo. She’s mechanically inclined, making her living as a metalsmith. She can drop a mean weld. “My mechanic likes me,” she says, “because I always know exactly what’s wrong with my car.”
The S in 900S means that a 16-valve DOHC engine lies under the hood. When you see an S-less 900, you know it has an 8-valve SOHC version of the same engine, a 2.0 L slanted inline 4. This 900S motored us around Amy’s Chicago neighborhood all day in comfort and style.
Jim,
If you don’t mind me asking, how many miles does Amy’s ’92 Saab have?
I own a ’91 Volvo 740 and it’s my daily driver. It just turned 156k miles and still runs like new. I also own a newer Volvo, a ’96 850, that I use only in the summer.
I don’t know!
Go Amy! CC is probably even more dude-centric than the actual land of Curbsidea, maybe that will change with time. Gem Whitman, when are you contributing? 🙂
Rust is a badge of honor. Be proud of your rust Amy.
Jim, I am pretty sure that all non-turbo 900’s had the 2.1 liter 16 valve engine by this time. The “S” is a trim level, including power windows, locks, and a sunroof, all of which were not part of the base 900.
Good article, though. With Amy’s care, that car should go forever. A friend of mine put 406k on his ’88 in about ten years, before buying a used neo-900.
Thanks for setting the engine record straight.
That is mostly correct as of about 1990 or so. I had a 1985 900 with the 8 Valve 2.0. Then I had a 1992 900 with the 16 Valve 2.1. (that extra tenth of a liter and double the valves really makes a big difference) My power windows and locks were optional in the 900 until 1992 when they became standard. The 900S had standard cruise control (optional in 900) nicer cloth seats and a standard sunroof that was not available in the base 900.
I sold mine about a year ago with 275,000 miles and I’ve seen it around a few times since. I regret selling it and am always casually looking for another one, but with the turbo and sunroof.
I am so happy to see a saab on this site.
Hello Guys, been surfing your great little blog quite a while, now I’m feeling like sharing some knowledge. 🙂
The 900S is also called “soft turbo”, hence it’s a variation of the 2 liter 16V turbo which puts out 141 hp due to the lack of intercooler and some boost, in comparsion to the turbo 16 with its 160 hp.
Also the 2,1 was actually built for only two years and was dropped in 1992 while the 2,0 16V non-turbo made it to the end of production.
throw up some interior pictures please, I had one of these (silver 1988 Turbo 3 door) I should have taken more pictures
These are amazing cars- a real ‘feel good’ factor when driving, due to the great seats and view through that windscreen. They are also MUCH more reliable than people say if you buy one from an enthusiast and either know how to repair it yourself, or have a good specialist. My ’93 has 204,000 miles now, almost no rust, working electrics, cold AC, and uses less than 1/2 litre of oil every 5000 miles. Still on its original gearbox too!
I also have to say, except for two or three real PITA jobs, (what car doesn’t have those) it is VERY easy to work on. They also resist rust very well too. Compare Amy’s car with ANY other rustbelt car of ’92.
Sporty, able to carry appliances, supremely comfortable and quick, what else do you want? Oh- you want to take it around the world, eh? Then you need a Toppola!
http://www.dreamtrip.se/dreamtrip/index.php?setlang=en
I do like these. However, I once knew a guy who had been (in a former life) an auto mechanic in Sweden. I told him that I once considered buying a Saab. His reply was “Never buy a Saab, stick with Volvo.” I think this meshes with VanillaDude’s comments in another thread – do you want a car or a relationship?
Hi everyone!
Im honored to have my Ruby feature on this site. I LOVE this car! It has been a reliable daily driver for me and I can haul all my outdoor art fair setup in it. When Im at shows other artists often comment to me “you fit all that in there?” Makes me smile every time I say “yes I do!” Currently Ruby had 164,00 miles on her. Thank Jim for the feature. Come back again to chicago. Happy to drive you around for the day!
Amy
p.s. Here’s pic of the Toppola
The pleasure is ours! Love your car, and you beat me to showing the Toppola. Now that is awesome. Furnished by IKEA, I assume?
The luggage bay of a Saab 900 is absolutely formidable. I remember the double take I did the first time I looked in the trunk of one. I may have backed up and looked at the exterior of the car again in an effort to figure out how it had such an improbable amount of space under the hatch. When I look at many of the new hatchbacks on the market, their trunk space and hatch openings are pretty pathetic for having had 30 years to copy the 900.
Those can be easily found with over 300K kms down here. Cheap. In the suburb I live there are 3 I’ve personally seen: 2 EMS and 1 S.
I got a GM one, waiting for the bits to get it road worthy and registered again. Very simple to wrench. Still a car with lots of character.
I had a 1993 Saab 900S – Was a virtual twin to this one except was in Gunmetal grey. I liked that car a lot but my patience for driving an older European vehicle with electrical issues was thin. I only had it about a year, and I loved the sound of the engine, the seats and the handling. I didn’t like the squeaks and rattles, the saggy headliner, and the fact that I started having issues with the electrical locks, wipers, the a/c, etc. I had it only about a year before trading it on an ’04 Bonneville which was a lot less distinctive, a lot harder on fuel, and a lot cheaper/easier to repair. Now I drive an 06 Saab 9-2x, the most “neo” of the neo-saabs that GM added to Saab’s lineup in its later years…
I always liked these and looked at a couple back in the mid 90s, but I was too worried about their apparently fragile transmissions. I remember a lot of them would be advertised as having new/rebuilt manual transmissions, at under 100K miles. Never a good sign, and it put me off of purchasing one.
Pity though, because these were beautiful cars.
Nice car! looks to be in great shape and well preserved for a DD. Great to see an enthusiastic owner driving their pride and joy, whatever that may be.
I’ve always loved these 900s. They have so much character and charm, and seem like they’d be fun with the 5 speed manual. Good luck with yours, Amy!
production ended on them in 1993, and all further Saabs were GMs in thin disguise.
Pity the poor forgotten 9000. Not a milligram of GM in those, and they soldiered on bravely until 1998.
I know some purists say the 9000 wasn’t a real Saab either, but in my book a car co-developed with another manufacturer (the FIAT group in the 9000’s case) is a million miles away from a thinly restyled rebadge of your new corporate overlords’ other offerings (all subsequent Saabs).
That looks like Dad’s last Saab, down to the color. Fond of that red.