Two of something is not always automatically better than one, but it doesn’t necessarily hurt, either. And when you find two of a kind that happens to be quite rare, well – it gets even better. Now, that’s not to say the seller of these two Monte Carlo Yellow Saab 900s is going to retire off of these cars, hardly. He just knew they were special enough to be worth saving, especially since the Saab faithful tend to go crazy for these rare yellow variants. One is a 1998, and the other is a 1997, and both have a variety of mechanical issues. The seller is offering both for the low price of $2,500, with the option to submit a best offer. Find the Saabs here on eBay and located in Carsonville, Michigan.
Pictures are pretty awful for both cars, so my apologies for the horrible photos. The Monte Carlo Yellow tradition extends back a few years, with Saab first unveiling the eye-catching shade in the United States on a 1991 900 SE Turbo convertible. Production numbers were limited, and despite being quite collectible today, your typical Saab buyer in 1991 wasn’t interested. Talk to Saab dealers who were in business in 1991 and many of them will tell you they had to push these things off the lot. Perhaps it was something about the typically conservative nature of Saab buyers that the loud colors didn’t appeal to them, or maybe price gouging was just as rampant in the early 90s as it is now. The ’98 is a five-speed; the ’97 is an automatic.
Now, most of the buzz over a genuine Monte Carlo Yellow 900 is tied to the earlier model from 1991. In the case of the seller’s cars, the enthusiasm drops a bit. There’s just the natural second time around phenomenon, where the buzz is simply lower because the idea of a yellow Saab is no longer novel. Also, this era of Saab was really showing the drawbacks of GM ownership, as quality control took a dive and the interiors were clearly a mash-up of shared parts bin specials. The seller lists a number of flaws, including the need for an exhaust downpipe on the ’98, and a non-working top on the ’97. Still, it seems like you can bring either car back to life, and let that sexy yellow paint job shine one more.
I was a Saab technician when these were sold new. I was so impressed with the technology I bought a 94 when they first came out. Sold it not even a year later. Saab’s attempt to make a Opel into a Saab was a big fail. When the new convertible debuted Saab had contracted ASC who did the classic 900 to make the top for the NB 900. Total crap of a design with failing motors, sensors, and switches. You need to use the factory scan tool to calibrate these tops and it’s best to avoid the 95-97 models. In 98 they scrapped the electric actuation and went back to hydraulic which make them much more reliable. When the 9-3 debuted in late 98 they improved a lot of what was a total letdown with the 94-98 models. They are a decent car once you fix the oil sludge issues that cropped up with the revised crankcase breather kit. The Saab 9-5 that replaced the 9000 was a really good car as well. Just stay away from the V6 in both models. Early ones were nothing but trouble to owners.
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The 98 is $2500 and the 97 is $4300.
Alphasud, you are spot on. The 2.5L V6 was a total dog, with weak idler pulleys and a timing belt that needed to be replaced every 30K. Not a cheap job, either. The engine was interference, so if the belt broke, the engine was rubbish. The V6 was rated at 170HP and the turbocharged engine at 185HP, so clearly, the turbomotor was the one to have.
Yes, the top motors were rubbish in the NewGens….the spindles would bend ever so slightly, so the tonneau covers wouldn’t open and close. The real 9.3s were much better cars….better designed and thought out. The sludge issue was with the early 9.3s…..99s and 2000s. A lot of the issue was owners that just refused to change the oil, but the oil pickup screens were so fine, it didn’t take a lot before the sludge proliferated and the engine packed up. Using 5-weight oil didn’t help either…..Saab later went to using zero-weight oil and that seemed to help quite a bit.
I have a ’95 900 SE Turbo, and she’s been pretty bulletproof since the day I got her. She had to have been built on a Wednesday morning. I also have three real 9.3s (not those horrid fake things that GM foisted upon Saab in 2003) and the 2000 SE five door and the Viggen have been absolute joys to own. My 2000 and I have gone practically all over the country together, the Viggen as well. The ’02 SE five door is slowly destroying my bank account….never buy a car sight unseen. I rescued the 2000 from the crusher….she had been horribly abused by the second owner, and I pretty much rebuilt her from the wheels up. She has repaid me many times over.
MC yellow is definitely for extroverts!
I’m not a yellow car person but the right shade on the right car does look good. Like the MC SPG convertible I worked on. Pretty special. I miss the classic 900. They were fun cars. I really liked my 9000 Aero’s and the 2000 9-5 Aero I bought, replaced the engine with a 05 unit and later sold to my friend who still owns and loves it. I hate how careless GM was to dump Saab effectively killing the company. Saab should have remained a quirky low volume maker. I think they would still be in business today. How many other manufacturers have gone mainstream to appeal to the many, loose their identity, then fail to meet the appeal to everyone.
Coming from a Saab family I’ve had a few including a 93 2 stroke, several 96 with the v4, a 99 and a 1994 900SE stick. I skipped a few years and then bought a 2004 9-3 convertible V6 which was indeed a disaster with both the top and motor trouble. I dumped it quickly I still have a 2009 9-3 Aero 2.8 turbo V6 as a second car. MY main driver now is a 2008 Mercedes CLS63 AMG.
I bought a new ’94 900, 4 door, hatchback, with the V6, Opel body, engine built by Vauxell, designed by Opel, other than the narrow back seat – three adults did not fit – it was a great car. Had it serviced by dealer from the start, by the book, repairs were twice as expensive as my Dodge Caravans, but happened half as often. It went 230,000 miles, in 10 years, in New England, winter and summer, garaged some years, not others, but, at 230,000 clutch was original and needed to be replaced, one front coil spring broke, time to change engine belt again (along with water pump, idler pulley, etc.), and tin worm was beginning to invade. But went 5000 miles on a quart of oil, was geared too low – 2500 rpm at 65 mph – so used more gas than it could have with a higher gear ratio. It was quick, nimble, and a joy to drive. We have not had a car since that my wife likes as much at that Saab.
I was never a fan of GM, but now, I despise that company. I, like a lot of other Saab people, tried to save Saab….I wrote letters, I drove to Save Saab rallies. Had GM allowed Spyker to use some of the technology that they stole from the Swedes….not to mention a lot of the stuff they sold to the Chinese…..Saab might well still be in business. GM tried to turn Saab into a volume car company by making it an all things to all people brand, but that failed. I love my Saabs because they are like nothing else ever produced.
Quick, nimble but oh so quirky, they truly were not for everyone.
I have my own stash here in the barn, the garage and the back yard….two 99s (including a ’78 Turbo), five Classics (including an SPG and a ‘vert) a NewGen 900 and three real 9.3s. Some run, some don’t, some need rust repair, but they aren’t leaving.
NEVS, the Swedish-Chinese conglomerate that more or less took over the ashes of Saab have thrown in the towel, so the car biz is effectively dead.
A yellow topless car looks good to me
The downside for me was the front wheel drive
I bought a speed yellow porsche boxter with blacktop, black leather interior , now that was a blast to drive
the full run were excellent cars. Said on the Studie (in this ‘issue’) Y do the good die young? (mismanagment? not japanese?…?