Another day, another Saab 900 Turbo cabriolet. This time, it’s an even lower mileage example, with just over 23,000 miles on the clock. When it comes to convertibles, it’s hardly uncommon for a car to show only modest signs of use, especially if reserved for summertime cruising. This 1988 model features the preferred turbocharged engine and appears to come with every last detail as it relates to the owner’s manual, boot cover, and other items that typically get lost over the years. A sale at the current asking price of $29,950 as listed here on eBay will require the next owner to assess whether they can look past the 3-speed automatic transmission.
When I was a young(er) man, I had zero tolerance for automatics. I felt if you were going to drive a car that could be optioned with a manual, it was your God-given duty to only order it with three pedals. I have softened on this over the years in certain cases, but not all. In the case of my 1989 Isuzu Trooper RS, it has a wonderful combination of the 2.6L 4-cylinder and an Aisin-built 4-speed automatic. It’s a great transmission. However, in some cases, it’s harder to make the argument for the slushbox; the Saab 900 Turbo is a car that really needs the 5-speed to be enjoyed to its fullest.
However, in some instances, the rest of the car is simply so good that it’s compelling to look past the automatic, and perhaps even buy it with the intention of converting it to a manual. I did exactly that with my 1991 Saab 900 Turbo convertible, mainly because the swap in the 900 is fairly straightforward (really!) Obviously, you need to track down the parts and find a shop willing to do the work, but as far as conversions go, it’s one of the easier ones to tackle. Given how immaculate this Saab is inside and out, I’d say it’s worth the investment if you want a forever convertible and it needs to have a stick. No cracks on the dash, beautiful leather seats, and really no discernable flaws in the cockpit.
Under the hood is a 2.0-liter 16-valve DOHC inline-four engine, good for 160 horsepower and 188 lb-ft of torque. These are perky little motors, and they really deserve the manual for the purpose of winding them out. Regardless, if a transmission swap isn’t in the cards, you can still enjoy this Saab for in-town jaunts and quick runs to the shore. If your plans include longer-distance drives and the occasional backroads blitz, I’d set aside some budget for the manual conversion. It’s worth every penny. What say you: would you leave it as-is or start sourcing manual swap parts as soon as you got it home?
This is a nice looking SAAB but I’d SAAB if someone converted it to manual, since it’s in such nice original condition. Besides, parts aren’t getting easier to find. A more logical mod to make if you really must would be an (dare I say it) LS swap complete with 4L60 transmission. Forget three pedals, they become tedious if you live in my land of endless red lights and stop/go.
Hi Terry – I look at it differently – If I didn’t have a 3 pedal manual, what would I otherwise do with my time sitting through the endless red lights and stop/go other than be bored to tears? Having lived most of my 70 years in L.A. I know of what I speak. All the cars (no SUVS) in my collection are manuals, and I’m not switching now. But to each their own!
As I mentioned in my comment on the Saab listed yesterday, the auto trans that Saab used in these is terrible… horrible even. Really puts a damper on the driving experience compared with the 5 speed… and is pretty much guaranteed to fail after a relatively low number of miles.
At the asking price, doing any modifications is senseless, It needs to go to someone who love it just as it is.
Jerry Seinfeld had a car like this on his show with several hilarious episodes. The one with Brad Garrett, “The Obsessive Saab Mechanic”, and the golf clubs was tops. Seinfeld said, “Saab represents, everything everyone else is doing, we’re not doing that”. THAT,,,was a funny show!
what else can you say? it’s just a Saab story and i have heard way too many of them. i do not miss working on them. you can have it
a unique and still quirky car in the day–but for $30K–unless you REALLY want a Saab–just too many other fun options. and who is going to fix it??
One of THE yuppie mobiles from the fun filled 80’s.
I can’t imagine sourcing parts for these now can be easy considering SAAB’s as dead as a doornail.
Paul—
Parts are not that hard to come by. The Swedish government actually set up and is supporting a company that supplies parts for Saabs. C900 parts are not hard to come by, and some body parts (fenders and doors) are being remanufactured. Parts for some of the more obscure models like the 99 Turbo and the Viggen are not plentiful, but the Saab community is pretty tight knit and will help you source what you need in many cases.
I have to agree with Luckless and SmtGuy…..low miles or not, get rid of that godawful slushbox. Do it NOW while you have the option, as opposed to later when the torque converter fails and you’re left by the side of the road and have no choice. The gearbox is a known issue in the C900 world, and countless Saabs (my own ’90 Turbo ‘vert included) have had gearbox swaps.
Jim, there are still plenty of Saab techs out there……I’m very lucky to have a great group of guys not far from me that speak Saab fluently. They spent the spring and summer of last year bringing my Viggen back to life after a five year slumber and they have folks bringing in Saabs of all stripes for repairs and refurbishment.
Howard, that Saab in the Seinfeld episode with Brad Garrett was a ’95 with the dreaded Opel V6. In earlier episodes, Seinfeld drove a C900 ‘vert. Then, there was the classic episode with Kramer test driving the ’98 Turbo SE ‘vert until it was practically out of gas.
Saab stories? Bring it!!!
Very nice example, but I could not pull the trigger at that price with the auto. Trans.
Not sure how much it would cost to convert to 3 pedal?
I guess if you can spend 30k what’s another few thousand!
Enjoy the ride, you only live once!
Interesting – the asking price is approx. list price when new. Of course, that much money in 1988 would be would be about $82k now. So it has depreciated by about $50k in that time – lol.
Seller is seriously fishing, car worth 7,500.00 tops. Crazy fake auctions driving the market. I owned a 82′ 900 Sedan, drove it into the ground, blew a head gasket, blew a 5sp trans, lost my brakes.. but when it ran, awesome!
#smashpalace