A local dealer have a few 9000 CD in stock at a seaport. They were manufactured in 1995 and shipped in 1996.
For some reason, they are not sold out till now, that is to say they have stayed there for about 6 years.
I do not know what kind of depot it is, indoor or outdoor? Somebody told me that there must have some problems on these car during hardships of those years.
I'm now wondering what the potential issue
the cars will have? and how deeply they will be affected?

TIA
Rhapsody

Goodness knows why they would have sat around that long!
On any vehicle that has been stored that long, look out for tyres that are perished and if they have not been rotated frequently they will have flat spots - they will probably meed replaceing.
If the engine hasn't been prepared for storage with a little oil in each of the cylinders and turned over now and again there is the possibility of corrosion of the cylinder walls at the point of contact with the rings and worse the rings may be seized in the piston grooves. Or the engine may have been started up for a few minutes at a time to move the vehicle resulting in a build up combustion by-products which would also cause internal corrosion over a period of time. In such cases the oil should have ben changed every few months at least.
Also be wary of brake cylinders that have seized, a possiblity if they have not been kept in a dry environment.
Finally I would expect the battery to be pretty useless unless it has been kept charged but after 6/7 years it would probably need replacing anyway.

And that MIGHT be just the tip of the iceberg:-

Rusted Brake Discs
Rusty Petrol tank if left anything but full
Mossed up rubbers (Wipers/ rubber trim etc)
Possibly damp inside so possible damage to seats & trim etc
Damaged or perished window/door/sunroof seals
Manual cars could have a siezed clutch
Marked/damaged paintwork if left outside where rain/sh*t has been left to stand

God the list goes on & on the more you think about it!!

Yes the list does go on and on - but Saabs have got plastic fuel tanks, so no worries on that count. ;-)

My father used to work at Newhaven port during the seventies. At that time Chrysler were importing through there and cars were being left for months at a time, some up to their axles in water. All this and a nice corrosive salt spray blowing in from the English Channel....
Can't imagine that they lasted long.

On the flipside, my sister bought a Renault Safrane which had been 'found' at a storage facility located near Southhampton. Apparently, due to the vast numbers of vehicles stored, if the details get 'lost' on the computer system nobody notices until an overall audit takes place. This is what transpired. The car was fours years old, but never registered. She bought it through a Renault main dealer, who she knows from many years of happy motoring.
The upshot is that it has never let her down over the last three years she has owned it. There has been no rust problems, and she saved thousands compared to retail price.
HTH
Nick.

PS. Still couldn't say if I would take the risk with my money, have to weigh up the savings etc...

Instead of buying 9000 CD's that have been stored for years, you could spend a mere £2500 and pick up the lovely 9000 CDS 2.3 Turbo I have advertised here....

As a matter of general interest, what price are they asking for these cars, and what spec are they?

My guess is that you're going to have to go to some far away place (no, not Trollhatten) to get one. China, methinks.

Derek,

I never knew that!! Plastic Fuel tanks eh? Nice one!!

Thanks for the feed.

Thanks for the helpful feedbacks gents!
I would study these tips when I make the final decision of buying the car.

Sevenman,
I'm afraid I couldn't buy your car even if it is a nice car, since I'm in China the payment and Transportation will be a big problem. Anyway, Thanks for your recommendation.:-)

Refer to the spec of the cars mensioned here, they are SAAB 9000 CD 2.3 manual, 150hp, standard equipments, ask price about USD31,325. The price will be USD33,734 with leather seats, 6-disc CD player, and alloy wheel. They also have '97 9000 CD 2.0t, automatic, with all the luxury amenities, ask a price USD40,963. It's really expensive compared to the price in Europe due to the higher customs duties in China. :-(

You could always buy a bicycle? ;o)

Mind you from what I remember when out there you'd be insane to have nothing around you to protect you from the "I'm coming through so get out of my way" driving attitude. Makes Paris driving look positively tame!!

From several visits to China several automobile-related impressions will last forever. Most important items on any vehicle: claxon/hooter, insurance, smog filter, and lots of spares for roadside repairs. Driver attributes recommended: cast iron constitution, ESP for bicycles, 360 degree vision. One marque I never saw: SAAB. National vehicle: VW Santana. Emission standards: none.

You're setting new standards in PRC.

pva,
Ensure the place that u've ever been to is PRC not afghanistan ;o) lol...just kidding.

I'm sorry that u've got that impressions during the visit in China. This is a developing country, and there must be so many dissatisfied things in the society. But things r changing, sooner or later, the scenes that u ever saw will be improved.

I should make some little corrections:
VW Santana is not National vehicle in PRC but 'Charlet' a minicar from Japan.
Emission standards r not none but u never know at all, just as u never saw a SAAB at that time

Yes, we r setting new standards in PRC, just like u set standards in NZ.
Come on boy, be positive, let us return to the subject - SAAB 9000 CD.

Rhapsody

Rhapsody

My comments are largely tongue-in-cheek, and I guess their obliquity obfuscates any, other than with an acerbic mind such as mine!!!!

I love China, have been thrice (Xi'an and further north several times, and Beijing), have yet to meet a nation so wholeheartedly friendly, welcoming and passionate, industrious and focussed, and on an financial pathway that looks to outstrip the Japanese and ultimately US economies. Having lived in developing countries, I can only view these attributes with excitement.

But I never saw a SAAB! And city driving beats any Playstation game, although there appeared few accidents.

Only after getting to know my hosts well did I realise that the natural Chinese sense of pride precludes initial criticism or fun, soon to be replaced by a sense of the ridiculous that the English would envy. Some of the best parties and evenings I have spent in your magnificent country.

Happy "SAABing".
pva@xtra.co.nz

Dunno, am I alone in not feeling entirely 'comfortable' about this thread.... absolutely nothing against anything or anyone Chinese/Asian/etc etc btw (and I lived in South Korea for 3 years) just mmmmm......

Agreed, Dave. When the response to my light-hearted comments seemed to reflect offence taken, it was only fair to settle the situation ASAP. I added my email address to allow Rhapsody personal communication, off this bulletin board, and away from yourselves.

Offence never intended.

I'm pretty impressed with gassy's correct guess that the location was 'China'! ESP?

PVA's enthusiasm for the country and description of the hazards of road travel in China concurs with everything I have heard from British travellers - with Rhapsodies few corrections noted. Without a doubt China's ecconomy is expanding fast, with vast investments by western companies (which are shrewdly majority controlled by Chinese companies!)

To change the original thread a little, cars which have only done very low milages are often bad buys because:
- Increased bore wear due to lots of cold starts, with dry cylinder bores (due to oil draining to sump).
- Engines have very rarely reached running temp for long, and can result in demulsification of the oil, blocked oilways, etc. if not changed at min yearly intervals.
- Lots of corrosion in std exhaust pipes.
- corroded brake disks, drums.

SO, beware of cars with low, low, miles, or those stood for ages.

Is it true that gassy is actually Mystic Meg?

...and if so, can gassy contact me off the board to tell me the six key numbers between 1 and 49 for tonight? ;-)

Hmmm... I think gassy just knows' that you can look up a 'profile' for each of us users' or does he know some other way????

No not mystic, and only known as Meg to a few close friends.

The language of the original post was a bit of a give-away, which casueg me to look up the profile.

Ahh.. so that's what the little icon = ? means then on each posting! Too busy reading the interesting threads to take much notice of it before. Nice little feature. Now I know a bit more about who I have been keeping company with over the past year or two. (Don't tell my mother!)

Thats the users profile m8