Spot the grot
Check this lot before buying
and will shrug off a surprisingly big impact, but check the front inner wings and boot floor for ripples. Also check the shut lines for the tailgate, bonnet and doors. If it’s not tight it’s not original.
Oily bits
The first 99s featured a 1709cc engine that Triumph developed for Saab; in 1971, the capacity was increased to 1854cc. Because the engine had too many design flaws and Saab wanted to fit it with fuel injection as well as a turbocharger, a heavily reworked version was launched in 1972, with 1985cc. Smooth and refined, these later engines are bulletproof and as long as they’re maintained properly they’ll happily notch up 250,000 miles. Most durable of the lot is the 1985cc H-series that was introduced in 1982.
The 1709cc and 1854cc engines are rare now, so we’ll focus here on the 2-litre units. Early 2-litre engines featured an integral water pump that was driven by a jack shaft that’s not strong enough. The pump can also leak, sending coolant into the sump with predictable results. Replacement pumps are available but costly at around £300.
Another weakness is the duplex timing chain that has a Reynolds tensioner that fails. Listen for a loud rattle and brace yourself for a £600 bill to fix things as it’s an engine-out job. Another glitch to look out
for is a cracked exhaust manifold, especially on the Turbo – listen for the exhaust blowing, particularly when the engine is still cold.
The H-series engine is tougher and has a belt-driven water pump that’s much more reliable – it’s capable of dispatching 200,000 miles unless neglected. Leaks are the only issues – coolant from the core plugs and lubricant from the oil pump. On 99s and eight-valve 900s it’s best to let the turbocharger cool before switching off the engine. If this is done it’s possible to get 70,000 miles between rebuilds; budget £500 to have a reconditioned turbo fitted. A water-cooled turbo was fitted to 16-valve engines and these will last at least 150,000 miles between rebuilds. A failing turbo is betrayed by lots of exhaust smoke, or, if you can, disconnect the curved aluminium pipe that connects the turbo to the inlet manifold. There are likely to be traces of oil in there, but if the deposits are thick, the turbocharger is on its way out.
The 99 and 900 started out with a four-speed manual gearbox although the 900 Turbo was available with a five-speeder instead. This became standard on all 900s from 1981 and optional on the 99 from 1982. The gearbox is the Saab’s Achilles’ Heel and unless the oil is changed every 25,000 miles you’ll be doing well to get much more than 80,000 miles out of one. If the box jumps out of gear or it whines, allow over
‘The 90 is very rare and early 99s are pretty much extinct’
£1000 to have a rebuilt unit fitted. Post-1976 cars got a dipstick on the offside of the engine, so you can check the condition of the gearbox oil.
As with any car, after 80,000-100,000 miles you can expect the rear springs to go soft, the dampers to be weak, the suspension bushes to wear and wheel bearings to get tired. But repairs are easy.
The 99 was fitted with ATE brakes until 1974. These featured a handbrake with a small drum inside the front discs, but in 1975 Saab switched to a Girling system, but then reverted to ATE at the rear. The Girling mechanism is prone to seizing but it can be fixed within a couple of hours.
From 1988 Saab moved back to an ATE system all round with a conventional handbrake mechanism at the rear – this set-up is the most reliable. This move means wheels are not interchangeable between pre-1988 cars and later models.
Trim and electrics
Sagging headlining is always a problem. Gluing it back into position isn’t straightforward – especially if there’s a sunroof fitted, as this has to be dismantled to do the job properly.
If the large oval section of the dashboard has worked loose on a 900, don’t underestimate what’s involved in putting things right. The same goes for the heater controls; poor access means putting this right is also time consuming.
There’s an oil reservoir for the electro-hydraulic roof that’s fitted to all convertibles. If the oil level is low the mechanism won’t work properly, so check for leaks and make sure the roof goes up and down smoothly. Also check the condition of the fabric and all of the seals, as replacing a hood costs around £1000. The loom and the basic electrical system tends to be reliable, but the instrumentation and its lighting can fail on the 900 because of circuit board glitches; repairs are fiddly. The circuit boards for the 900 saloon’s rear lights can also cause problems, but adding extra earths usually fixes them.
Check that the electric windows work as the motors can seize up or the teeth on the regulators get stripped. Electric sunroofs can also fail and with a new motor costing over £400 it’s expensive getting the roof working again.