Does anybody know of a SAAB guru in the Gloucester area? There is a main dealer but I was thinking more along the lines of a specialist garage that wont charge £60.00 an hour

I have had to resort to using my local garage in Cheltenham (and my brother uses another one). They seem to be able to cope with most things (my brother managed to get his non cranking engine sorted out) but for really major sabb related problems I'd probably use WMSS in Birmingham.

Steve

thanks for the update, looks like I need to replace the heater control valve I can put up with the cold but my wife objects

I know Gloucester Saab charge main dealer rates, but,,,, the guys there especially Colin seem to know their stuff, so you don't get someone who doesn't know what they are doing on £20 per hour taking days to do a 2hr repair. I still think Saab parts are a rip off, £500 for new pads and discs, local grease monkey £170.

Have you not tried Jamsaab. 0117 986 9997

Excellent, friendly service and at a reasonable price - cannot recommend them highly enough.

I first used Gloucester SAAB when it was Cook's of Montpelier, - a family business with good, sound values and customer service second to none. I am not sure, but I think that old man Cook died and the family sold the business.
I was less than impressed with the sales and management side next time I had dealings with them.
However Colin has been there for years, a knowlegable guy with a helpful attitude - if he ever went it alone........
I was not impressed with the next nearest main dealer in Ch*******m either.

Alyn

I was not impressed with the next nearest main dealer in Ch*******m either. *[/b]The Cheltenham dealer was good back in 1997 when I bought my H reg off Cooks of Montpellier.. thye services it very well (and usually valeted it too at the same time). Right towards the end they were pretyt bad ...they really didn't want to know about servicing a 9000... too old. It didn't suprise me when they closed down.

Steve

I agree completely with the assessment of the old Cheltenham SAAB outfit. I bought a 93 TiD which suffered from a clonking from the front suspension. All they did was make it worse - no fault finding ability, just replace this, replace that. What do you expect when the mechanics all wore Mitsubishi overalls ! Got it fixed eventually by Concept in Birmingham.

Gloucester SAAB's service department is excellent - can't speak highly enough of Colin. The sales side had a change of staff about a year ago and are now much more switched on. They did me a great deal on a new 95 Aero estate a few months ago.

And when I phoned them about buying a 9000 (having got my preivous one from them) they actually phoned Economy Saab in Bristol and passed my details onto them as they no longer sold 9000s even ones they had as trade ins.

Steve

Spoke to Jamsaab in bristol about a problem with a 2002 9-3 they didn't know it was too new for them.

Jamsaab specialise in the Saab 99, IIRC. They have done some interesting things with Classic 900 T16S engines in 99 turbos http://www.saabscene.com/forum/images/smilies/fawlty.gif

Bristol seems to be rich with Saab specialists - so try a different one http://www.saabscene.com/forum/images/smilies/thumbsup.gif