Selling up :(

[kprm77]

I'm afraid after only 9 months of ownership, I'm having to part company with the 9000 Carlsson. The expensive toy is becoming too expensive. Nothing to do with problems on the car - the insurance and tax are both coming up, and I just haven't the money to pay up.

Anyway, before I sell up, I want to get a couple of problems sorted out. (Hence the reason for posting it here).

The biggest one (potentially) is regarding the TCS. Most of the time on starting the car, the TCS and ABS lights stay on. There's no limp home mode or any loss in performance. If the car is restarted, the lights go off and the TCS/ABS perform as normal. Presume the turning off/on resets the system. Of late, I have got used to turning the key without starting the engine (to get all the TCS etc lights on), then turn off, and start properly, which means I can have the TCS/ABS functional for the journey!

I'm hoping this will just be dirty contacts or something nice and cheap rather than that throttle body housing thing! I've not noticed any loss in fluids of any sort on the car (sure someone said the loss of brake fluid combined with the above sytems, could be leading to a big bill). Any ideas on this one anyone?

Would Ken Jones (Rugby) be a good bet to get this work done? If so, has anyone got his number?

The other job is just some bulbs on the dash.

Whoever comes to see the car, I'll be totally upfront and let them know all the problems I know of - I want to sort the TCS as that could stop the car. Stuff like the non functioning CD player, I find to be a little irrelevant.

Looked on Autotrader last week, and saw only one 2.3 Carlsson (H reg) for sale - they were asking £2800! (Don't know the mileage). I'm thinking of putting the car up for just over £2000, as the car will have had the TCS sorted and 12 months tax (also I'm in no rush to sell, so if someone offers me silly money, I can happily send them packing!) As I mentioned in another thread, these cars are huge value compared to Sierra Cosworths. This week, the cheapest in Autotrader is a 1988 F reg needing work "to finish" for £2200. The next cheapest at £2500 is a 1989 example which hasn't got an MOT!

When sold, I will most probably be Saabless for another 2 years, when my company car lease is up, and I'll either be able to opt for a new basic 9-3, or go for the allowance and get something quick.

[StephenA]

Sorry to hear that Kevin... I hope that you are going to stay round and keep yourself involved in the board.

Steve

[kprm77]

I intend hanging around - I've got to make the 1000 posts! Hopefully, I should still be able to give some advice - I hope I don't become an expert in TCS failure!

[WindyH]

Kevin

By all means give Ken Jones a ring 01788 536036 as I know he has had TCS problems with one of his own cars as well as customers cars so has a lot of experience . I remember him saying it can affect the ABS also. As I've said before I highly recommend Ken as he gets it right every time!

Greg

[kprm77]

Thanks for that Greg - I'll give Ken a ring. I'm sure my car has already had a throttle housing (or was it two!). It's definately on its third gearbox anyway

[kprm77]

If I do get round to selling the car, I might have to put the price up! Saw these today on the 'net:

CARLSSON 16V 2.0 TURBO
Saloon, Black, 1988, 106k, FSH, Leather, Alloys, Alarm/Immob.
Immaculate, New project forces sale
£4500

2.0 CD CARLSSON
Saloon, Black, 1990, 124k, Air Con, FSH, Alloys, Alarm/Immob.
6 mths MOT, 7 mths Tax, recent full service
£2750

Jason - maybe you'll shift yours if you add another grand onto the price!

All of these prices, plus a rather enjoyable unscheduled drive in the Carlsson this morning are making me think of ways of hanging onto her.

[blackcarlsson]

drive something else in the price bracket Kev - you'll not sell then.

Or talk yourself round by insisting that Carly ownership is actually a sports activity/challenge and therefore costs more money

from the pics of your machine I'd say keep it - it looks a minter.

[Anthony B]

Kev, don't sell up, they are getting too rare to get rid of!

Anyway, with the tcs lights etc, mine on the aero stay on for about a minute on a cold start up if the car has not been used for a while and they then go out. Any subsequent starts and they go out straight away.
Do yours just stay on full time at first..might be worth waiting a minute or two.

HTH
Anthony

[kprm77]

from the pics of your machine I'd say keep it - it looks a minter. *[/b]

Thanks for the compliment! I wouldn't say it was mint (my previous CS was in better general nick), though it is certainly no dog. I'm just going off the 3 9000's I've owned - the first 2 were better (almost perfect) bodywise, though this one is by far the most fun, and definately the fastest. I still couldn't think of another similar performance car for that money. Souped up Rover SD1 3500 V8?

Do yours just stay on full time at first..might be worth waiting a minute or two.[/b]

If I don't restart, the lights stay on (well they did for the 16 mile 35 minute trip to work the other week).

If the TCS does turn out to be expensive to sort, it'll probably not be worth selling. Need to work on the Mrs, and the boss at work!

[gassy]

Sorry to hear that you're being pushed down that particular route Kevin.

Maybe there's another option. If the issue is cost of running, and you don't need the cash from the sale, why not take it off the road for a year. No tax, no insurance, no maintenance bills (and by your own admission your going to have to spend before you sell).

It's not going to depreciate a damn and it's a car you obviously love - how easy would it be to replace if you sold it now and wanted to get another in 12 months.

Besides which you'd still be a 9000 owner and could still contribute and moderate here in a clear conscience (if you could bear to, without actually driving). I'd let you come for rides in mine whenever I could

[adrian]

Kevin, follow gassys advice. If you sell when you come back to Saab very little will match the raw power of your Carlsson. OK an Aero maybe but you will struggle to get on as good as the one you have without shelling out lots of pennies.
Take the car off the road, it'll cost you nothing except the garage space. On the insurance front have you looked at classic car insurance?

[kprm77]

Maybe there's another option. If the issue is cost of running, and you don't need the cash from the sale, why not take it off the road for a year. No tax, no insurance, no maintenance bills (and by your own admission your going to have to spend before you sell). *[/b]

It is the cost of running the car - I am very wary that in August I will need to tax and insure the car, which will cost at least £400 (if I go classic insurance again). One of the problems is that I need to get a normal insurance policy before next April, to save my no claims. I am allowed to carry my 7 years NCD for 2 years without insurance (classic insurance doesn't count towards this), and as I drive a company car, the Saab is the only car I can get the insurance on. Classic Insurance for the car was £227.50 last year - I've had one quote on the net from Tescos which was £478 fully comp. I know this will sound cheap to a lot of you chaps paying closer to £1000, but for a car that sits in a locked garage 6 days out of 7, and will struggle to do 3000 dry miles in a year, it is a lot to me.

I'm thinking if getting insured as first driver on the Mrs's Golf to keep the NCD going - or even insuring a pseudo car for a year.

The maintenance on the car shouldn't be too bad, considering the low mileage it now does - last MOT (£950) included all brakes and tryes are still good, so think it should walk the MOT. Just a little concerened about stuff like the Timing Chain, Gearbox and TCS - though there's only the TCS which is playing up.

If the car is kept in the garage for a year (for example) are there any links to pages for advice on what to do - i.e. should the car be started now and again; how do I stop things seizing up, and so on.

struggle to get on as good as the one you have without shelling out lots of pennies[/b]

Don't know where this myth has come from that the car is perfect!

My previous 9000 had more miles than this one, but I'm sure was smoother and a little quieter. Body was better too. There are just loads of little things wrong on this car - nothing potentially serious (apart from the TCS). None of them stop me enjoying the car, but there must be loads of 9000's out there without these niggling problems. I get the feeling that the car was perfect before the last owner got his hands on it. He ran it for 18000 miles without a service, then he had to fork out £950 for the MOT. The tyres must have been done for the MOT too, as they have loads of tread, but are no name [expletive deleted]. I had the car serviced as soon as I could - the major service setting me back £469.

I'm sure he has had an accident in the car too. The front headlights were replaced (not something you do unless you need to at the cost they are). And this has resulted in rust starting on the very front of the left wing at the indicator. The doors on the drivers side don't seem to shut properly, though this may be just sagging as opposed to due to an accident. (The car comes up HPi clear for everything apart from the number plate changes).

It's very hard to say, as I've never seen a similar age Carlsson, just my two other J and K reg 9000's - so I can't really compare.

On the plus side, the car still goes like stink, and I have a 2 inch thick wad of invoices for the car from new. It does look good too, as you will have seen from the many photos Suppose I can't expect the car to be perfect after 160,000 miles!

I've just thought of something that may be affecting my perception of the car - after selling the old CS and before buying this Carlsson, I got my brand new company VW Passat. Suppose it is possible that I have become used to a car that has done bugger all miles, and may be trying to apply the same standards to an 11 year old 160,000 miler......

[captain aero]

Kevin, this may be a dopey idea as I don't know your work situation but have you worked out another way of keeping in the SAAB fold?

Sell the Carly.

Dump the company car (if your employer will let you!)

Use the Carly money as a deposit on ....a 93 (at least it keeps you "SAAB"!) ..and run a Personal Contract Plan.You'll get 3 years free servicing if registered by June.

Now of course this idea falls apart if Income Tax saved doesn't pay the monthlies - or a worthwhile part of. Also the 93 that's going to be available to you isn't likely to match the Carly's performance, and the current 93 is due to be chopped...

I said it was a dopey idea.

[kprm77]

Dump the company car (if your employer will let you!)[/b]

This is the sticking point - they wouldn't let me. Also with the miles I do, I am currently better off with a company car as opposed to the allowance - though it is close enough for me to seriously re-consider at the time the current lease it up (May 2004).

I think it is either sell the Carly or leave it uninsured / untaxed for a year....

[john]

Kevin, suggest you look at a "laid-up" insurance policy. That way you can leave the vehicle in storage but it will still be insured against fire and theft risks.

Also, I have been advised by my broker (I have asked on more than one occassion) that I will not lose my NCD after two years since I have other cars on a classic policy during this time and can prove I have been driving. It is just that NCD does not apply to the classic policies.