Real Road Test: Saab 900 Turbo - with breakdowns!

[@AlfaGiuliaQV]

Shoutout from Finland here :) Throughout the 70's and 80's, Saabs were very commonplace in Finland due to most of them being made here, and i think the government were more easy on the taxation of home made cars, thus making saabs a bit cheaper to buy then the competition. Taxation on cars has always been ridiculously high in this country otherwise. They were very suitable cars for our climate, coping well with temperatures below -20c for prolonged times in winter, and also being fwd in the 70's ment better handling and stability in heavy snow and ice. I think the winter features kind of topped the fact that they had an appearance only a mother could love...

[@AlfaGiuliaQV]

@@Oldsmobile69 Traction in 30cm snow, my friend, traction. Heavy front makes a significant difference, although it may not have been so good for a stint at nürburgring...

[@jamesfleming6773]

MrMayonEgg I owned a 1973 Saab 99 it had the triumph dolomite engine I was 25 years old it was 1976 I saw that the local vet had one. And he always had Saab .everyone thought it was a bit weird but I loved it.as I remember all the brake pipes were inside the car and the ignition was near the gearbox and locked it in gear.i wish I still had it

[@sannmarc]

'..had an appearance only a mother could love'. true! but it grows on you.

[@Grant0610]

I will hear nothing bad said against these cars. Proper Saabs were a joy to behold! The 99 was the star and the rest were not far behind! :-)

[@Grant0610]

@ Ha ha ha ha! There is the Finnish built 90 as well. That was basically a 99 at the front and a 900 at the rear. The 99 also had the best headlamp washer wipers of all time! You must love them, I am sure?

[@laurieharper1526]

@@Grant0610 The final two year runs of 99s were also built in Finland. I had one (a 1983) and the missus had another (a 1984). Lovely cars.

[@dazt103]

I like Saab, simply because they dared to be different. Too many cars are the same but with different badges on the front..

[@paulfro1958]

Very true. It's a shame that Saab's last new model the new 9-5 didn't have time to get established. I had one for a year nice car very GM though

[@welshskies]

RiP Saab.😢

[@SutherlandCharlie]

aircrash tupolov love to see a hubnut review on one of those

[@MrGoogelaar]

The problem with a lot of things that are "different" is that they don't stand the test of time. Trying to be different just for the sake of being different is no good, sort of trying to be reinvent the wheel is wasting your time and money. In Saab's case trying to be different was the same, all those quirky "differences" did not make them better or helped them to survive.

[@dazt103]

@@MrGoogelaar My point was simply that Saab tried to be different.... Ultimately, they and other's like them, suffered the consequences of poor business decisions..

[@adamhickford5502]

Nerd point: the water left in front of the driver by the wipers doesn't stream up the screen. It follows the curved glass round to the side.

[@stefansworld3351]

I can confirm that as the aerodynamics force the airflow around the sides of the 900.

[@grevberg]

No confidence in the old SAAB said a man driving to Croatia in an even older 2cv..

[@DogsBAwesome]

a 2CV is far less complicated than that shoehorned in engine.

[@paulfro1958]

I love the way that a 2 CV can have it's front panels removed to gain very good access to the oily bits. It reminds me of my old Triumph Herald. If anything the 2CV seems to offer better access. If only you could do that to modern cars like a BMW Mini diesel. Not a lot of room for spannering in that engine bay

[@dandare2586]

Every time I pass the British Army it looks like the antiques road show, but I guess its durable and easy to fix like the 2CV.

[@sidneylarkin7002]

at least his neighbors will have some peace and quiet, and the roads in west Wales will be safer !

[@welshskies]

At least you would have a slight chance of surviving an RTC in a Saab, in a 2CV not so much. ⚠️

[@erik_4125]

Complaining about a saab and loving crap cars...

[@BEGGARWOOD1]

he doesn't like anything thats not crap .

[@earthbarnes6694]

Didn't make sense to me either, You have to understand Saabs, its not much wrong with that car at all that i could tell

[@stevel9914]

For a company producing approx 50,000 cars per annum (balance made up with 9000), SAAB in 1988 produced the following models a 2 door sedan a 3 door hatch a 4 door sedan a 5 door hatch a convertible in the following power plants a carburettor an 8 valve injection a 16 valve injection an 8 valve turbo a 16v turbo in several interor colours inc blue, beige, grey, brown and red with options of 3 versions of velour plus an option of leather trim No wonder they didn't make as much money as many manufacturers. The cars were almost hand made... when you buy a SAAB 900, it's probably as close as you're going to get to a Morgan or Aston without buying one of those. kzbin.info/www/bejne/i6qtaYiunrtsgJI

[@piuthemagicman]

Not nearly hand made. My uncle was at the production line and I've seen a documentary of the Uusikaupunki Saabs, pure mass production.

[@chriscross9505]

No no no no no nooooo !! This was/is an epic car. Made you feel special in that plane inspired cockpit, hardly "old fashioned" but instead different and distinctive. Seats are sooo comfortable too. Won't thumbs down but thinkya off base on this one!

[@chriscross9505]

@@shugthehornyhaggis . . and?

[@rich_edwards79]

@@shugthehornyhaggis Volvos are superior to Saabs in pretty much every way - comfort, safety, reliability, looks, and ease of maintenance (that back-to-front engine must be a nightmare to work on, compounded by that daft hood).

[@chriscross9505]

@@rich_edwards79 Which 1989 Volvo in particular beats a 1989 Saab 900 convertible in the "looks" department? I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder but lets keep it real here 😂

[@chriscross9505]

@@shugthehornyhaggis Not sure how Volvo's even got interposed into this thread tbh :)

[@chriscross9505]

@@shugthehornyhaggis I see your '89 Volvo seats and raise you some '89 Ford Granada Scorpio ones :)

[@Hairnicks]

Enjoyed that Ian, you have such a great way of putting stuff across, I have no interest in the clinical presentation of car tests as you get on the old telly, it's like going out for a fun drive with a mate to try out a car. Always brings a smile.

[@boxstersjm69u]

I have one and still working on front calipers and slave pump. Great car to drive for over 30 years, my panel beater is shocked to find no rust at the bottom and side panels. Mine is a saloon 16 valve turbo, love the huge sunroof. Hope would start driving her again soon.

[@guth21776]

a great review, never had a saab, always volvos back in the day [ the 144 and the 244 dl] when cars were proper cars without computers

[@llewsep]

LOVE the 900 SAAB. Need one again! :D Thank you for the vid HubNut!

[@stevel9914]

gear change will be poor bushes and possibly engine mounts As far as suspension is concerned .... a lot of issues are sorted with new rear springs ... sagging/weak back springs mean the front lifts and the backs drop. A bit mean on the washers .. the water has to go somewhere.

[@torresalex]

I enjoy these long videos thoroughly. Keep safe on your trip, Mr. Hubnut!

[@tech4pros1]

the depth of the screen stems from Saab's fighter jet heritage, a fair amount of cross pollination of aircraft engineering ideas went into Saabs of the 80s and 90s.

[@bcsunter]

The deeply curved windshield kept the A pillars well out of the driver's forward field of view, as well as reducing wind drag. The pillars themselves were designed so that their cross-section minimized driver blind spots. I had an '83 4 door sedan (non-turbo), and I loved Saab's fanatical devotion to safety and smart engineering, and doing it their own way. They did have their quirks and weak points (yeah, that shift linkage wasn't the greatest, but it wasn't the worst either among other front-drive transaxles from the early 1980's). I'm sad that Saab is gone; they were unique.

[@Eis_Bear]

The 99 had a 2 liter engine as well, from 1972 onwards. Did you know that Saab wanted more power than the stock engine and were originally interested in the Triumph V8 that the Stag uses? They did some testing and decided the engine was not reliable enough (rightly so) and needed too much re-engineering, that's where the idea of turbo-charging came into play.

[@Eis_Bear]

@@Oldsmobile69 What models did you drive? I would concur that the models before the 99 were quite slow. (Although they were good at rallying) But from the 99 onwards they were quite adequate in my view.

[@paulfro1958]

The non turbos could be a bit sluggish. The worst of the bunch seemed to be the very slow accelerating and even slower selling Saab 90 a pauper spec model that found a place at my local dealership as a service courtesy car. Apparently our main agent managed to sell three of these lowly specced and short lived models. I wonder how many 90's are left in the UK?

[@Eis_Bear]

@@paulfro1958 The 90 was a weird car, created to fill a non existent void between the 99 and the 900, and they took that quite literal. It had the front of a 99 and the back of a 900. A pointless car, but rare by now.. so maybe a future collectable?

[@Eis_Bear]

@@Oldsmobile69 odd how impressions can be so different, the 96 (V4 model) was the one that always felt rough and sluggish to me.. although the charm of that car more than made up for it. The 96 2-stroke was more zippy, not a great top speed but the engine had some zest. The 99 and 900 always seemed to have okay performance, better than for example the Volvo 140 or 240 series.

[@paulfro1958]

@@Eis_Bear I doubt there are many 90's left as there were not too many sold here In the UK. As I said the only one I ever drove was a loaner from the main agent I did see one other 90 but that one had a short life. When I saw it it was on the back of a recovery truck having been driven through a wall and rolling over several times. Its driver escaped unhurt. The Saab's injuries proved to be terminal. The car was written of as a total loss I wonder how many are left?

[@jamesgoodwin2450]

The guy will probably be not so keen to lend you his car again hahahahaha

[@rich_edwards79]

Why not? Sounds like he fixed it :)

[@geneva760]

Greeting all on this SUNDAY (a rather dull one here) - have a nice day all. CHEERS from AUSTRALIA.

[@davidhayes4814]

Hey Ian, I am twenty years older than you but almost certainly not wiser. One thing I do remember from the 70s and 80s was that folk were NOT obsessed with massive horse power. That was brought in by the big German companies in the 90s and unfortunately still exists. The Saab turbo was Uber cool. It was aspirational, beyond vulgar hot hatches which may have out performed it. Doctors, Architects those folk had them. Those cheese cutter wheels from the late 70s........ I had a 2CV, then a Fiat Panda. Stupidly I traded down but I had to get to work.....

[@chrisbury4635]

Love the classic Saab 900’s, I’ve owned 5 Saab’s, 3 of which were the classic version, all tin tops 😎👍🏼

[@brixtonsaint]

Bought a $700 1990 16v Combi Coupe auto when first arriving down under in 2011. Slow and desperately vague, she was an absolute joy that served me well for a few years. Took on Melbourne to Sydney return and also Melbourne to far North Queensland and back when my brother decided to visit.

[@pauldavies6037]

As usual lack of maintenance your friends have the same problem

[@paulfro1958]

Not necessary Paul. My Wife had a 900 do exactly the same thing on a test drive. The car only had around 500 miles on it. Wifey sulked and bought an Audi 90 instead. Still got the Audi i

[@MrRohanThomas]

There is a reason saab went bankrupt, figure it out

[@ravinperera4255]

Covert Person ....a lot of brands have gone to the wall, not necessarily because they were bad products

[@mpluggty6]

Hubnut most popular saying appears to be " didn't quite go according to plan" well done Ian hope your road trip is going " according to plan".

[@Biggles]

I'm kind of surprised that you were relatively unimpressed by the Saab given how quirky, different and interesting it is, but each to one's own. I love them. We had many in the family and I always remember the signature very specific sound they make which you hear in the video here. Notice the ziiiiiiiiiiiiiing noise it makes as you accelerate through first and second gear. The turbo isn't a slow car, it's all about the mid -range grunt.

[@kenlight2923]

I.have.always.loved.my.saabs.because I.GIVE ALL OF..Saabs.all The.love.I.csn.give.to.them.alive

[@akcameraSOC]

Agreed. Given the ingenuity of Saab his complaints are so layman. Griping about the ignition placement ...please.

[@spainter1985]

I think it's a bit of a shame Saab no longer exist, they made some really quirky and distinctive cars. Shame about the Vauxhall era...!

[@paulburger8710]

The blower motor works, you just need to have the air distribution knob set at something other than zero. I'm happy that you did a road test of one of these. I think you would love to drive one in proper running condition. I have one of these convertibles and two turbo coupes in near showroom condition for you to try if/when you do a U.S. tour. I wouldn't call the 900 a sports car, but they're fun to drive and very reliable companions if they are maintained as any 30 year old car should be maintained, with rubber hoses that are not dry rotted and falling off!

[@waltertaljaard1488]

Dutch Saab guy here. (2009-2012; 93 2.0 SI 1999, 2012-2018 95 T 2.0 2004, 2018-present; 95 2.3 T Aero 2009) New shock absorbers probably would improve the ride and the handling massively. They tend to wear out rather quick and when they do the handling becomes wobbly. Turbo should kick in at 2000 rpm. Steering is power assisted, thus light. But very precise when the rubber bushes at the front are in good condition. You can push this car hard over bendy roads and compared to for instance a Citroen Xantia the FWD oversteer isn't that bad. It's a big and heavy beast, but when you push it doesn't feel like that at all. Reminds me a lot of my first car; an Alfa 2000 GTV 1975 Providing of course that it's well maintained. Gearshift is not sporty indeed, but once you're used to it easy and light. Needs to grow on you. Requires some finesse.

[@anthonyholland2669]

I love these old Saab's , this one's a beauty , a great review !

[@richardyarwood2747]

The MD where I worked in the 80s had one. I was awstruck - to me it was the ultimate car. Now I've met my hero. Oh dear!

[@mantriccaravan8228]

Hell yes! Owned 4 of these turbo and non-turbo and nothing handled the snow better than my old Saab 900. Btw easiest car in the world to do regular oil changes and reg maintenance. Thanks for the review esp a nice black convertible. Great show and we Yanks appreciate your effort tho it seems you spent too much time criticizing the car(total unwarranted).

[@KidMillions]

The heater fan probably does work, the third switch was on O, you have to select which vent. For smoother gear changes some MoS2 additive will help. (Liqui Moly 1040) The ultimate engine Saab made was the B204 in the 900 gen.2. Then for the 9-3 they started using lighter components. Also thickness of bodywork was suddenly lighter.

[@Gilesby59]

When I was a lot younger early 2000’s I worked in a scrap yard. Folk used to scrap 900’s all the time even though there was nothing wrong with them. I remember some bloke bringing one in complaining that it wouldn’t start and he didn’t want to throw money at it etc. Gave him £20 for it looked underneath it and it was mint. Pulled plugs out gave them a good seeing to with the wire brush, fired straight up. Stuck £695 in the window and it was sold by lunch time.

[@Lyingleyen]

That was excellent Hubnut - thanks, I really enjoyed it. An ex's brother had one - it was quite glamorous back in the day.

[@mikecooper7816]

Do like the old saabs, brilliant video Ian.

[@MrFlazz99]

The joys of an '80s turbo engine - I remember my father's Renault 18 Turbo and the way it would literally lift up its skirts and fly once past 3000rpm. The noise and the feeling were addictive.

[@klwthe3rd]

In the United States, the ignition key in the center console was always the main quirk of the 900's. Most people opted for the turbo in any variation because the normally aspirated versions were a tad bit slow. Saab was one of the ONLY vehicle manufacturer that truly believed that turbo charging their 4 cylinder engines were superior to offering a V6 motor. Everyone else was going bigger and bigger in size to get more horsepower yet Saab kept it's line with 4 cylinder turbo as their premium offering. I love Saabs because they were always different. I like different. I don't want to drive what everyone else is driving.

[@chrisbarrett5132]

I had one of these, It was the first properly quick car I owned - properly quick for the time, that is. The turbo lag taught you the value of anticipating traffic conditions, it always took a second or two to get spooled up if you floored it. The other bugbear was the dreadful fuel consumption, you were lucky to get 19 mpg on a run. Did give you a proper shove in the back once it going though. I was also wonderful in the snow, you could just leave following cars behind.

[@geneva760]

"...climbing this hill in 4th gear - that's not a sensation I am used too..." - HA

[@adriansimon6679]

Seriously surprised by this review. Used a 900 turbo for many years and never encountered any of the issues this raises. It was a coupe and not a convertible. I enjoyed it so much that I recently bought another with +250k km on the clock, that I drive every weekend while fixing bits and pieces.

[@mitchurchin2]

I had a 1986 900i, struts in the rear hatch broke, held it up with a broom that I carried with me. The car was super reliable, but drank petrol like a demon. Sadly went belly up when I gave it to a pal to run. Very comfortable.

[@canturgan]

I had a 96, 99, 900 and a 9000. I loved all of them. Great handling and comfort.

[@karmone11]

What a splendid Channel.. Pure GOLD.

[@stevel9914]

3000rom is when the vacuum advance timing changes ,, so below you're still timed up for low boost/fuel/air ... then the timing is changed. That's what the gears are for Ian... lol

[@Lyingleyen]

Just a shame the gearbox was so lame, as Ian was at pains to make clear.

[@stevel9914]

The gearbox wasn't at fault .. the maintenance of the gearbox was at fault

[@welshskies]

Yep, 150,000 and in need of an overhaul. Saab gearboxes were always a know weak spot though. Another great Saab feature was being able to replace the clutch without taking the engine out.

[@stevel9914]

It's worse than that Nick ... the connecting bush could be well worn, an engine mounting fubar, no grease in the gearshift lever ball.. a worn ball. These are all things that make a gearchange that was always merely adequate (rather than Ford escort rifle bolt) much much worse than it should be.

[@stevel9914]

There's virtually no lag on a late car set up anyway. Why people change to a system that has 9000 9 3 and 9 5 owners carrying spare Direct Injection coil packs ... I do not understand. Sure the old system has it's drawbacks but no more than after swapping to trionic... just different drawbacks

[@antonioercolino6087]

I remember nearly buying a 1990 convertable saab and feeling tremendous body scuttle. This video confirms no regrets! ,

[@owensteele1274]

First time I've ever seen a half-hour-long review on a Saab without mentioning 'fighter-jet cockpit'. HubNut managed it. Quite an amusing wiper sweep pattern on these cars indeed.

[@klwthe3rd]

Yes the cockpit fighter theme was a huge marketing point for Saab.

[@sonofrobert]

He also didn't even point out how the battery is protected by a heat shield. Guess what happens is the shield is gone..lol

[@jeremyfine1464]

I happily owned a 9Kturbo manual which I bought at auction as a 10yr old hi miler. One of the most perfect cars I ever had. Whatever went wrong was always a cheap fix. Everything worked incl headlamp w/w system. The transmission was precise with overdrive unlike Ian's POS. Ultra comfort for 4 with the versatility and utility of a small station wagon. She was my love until one day after 2 years hard use she expired and gave her life to the Kidney Foundation as scrap value. Saab, fondly remembered, always.

[@welshskies]

The key in the middle locked the gearbox in reverse, I never considered it would be there to avoid hitting your knee on so that is a new one to me. I owned two 900s back in the 90s and a 9-3 TTID in the noughties, the twin turbo diesel 9-3 was a wonderful car, 200bhp and 45mpg, they were all wonderful cars. I think that 900 16v turbo needs a lot more work and to compare it to the Fox was not really fair either, the Fox was a complete know quantity. With sophistication comes complexity and with complexity comes more chance of failure, you can ask NASA about that (the Space Shuttle).

[@____stu____]

Used to love my dads beige Saab 99 it was like driving a mildly rapid tank!

[@RetrocarStyle]

Boy boy boy.....@ 0:12 look at that countryside. Not a cloud in the sky with a light breeze. What beautiful scenery.....and then the frosting? SAAB. You sure picked the perfect day to film.

[@tonecontroller]

I had a BX16V as well. Yes, it did have a lot of power for a NA 1900cc motor, but a totally different beast to the Saab. It was as if someone decided that people with families might want hot hatches, too. Saabs are for proceeding rapidly, not hooning about like a wally.

[@willxlclamp9014]

You would think he would take it easy after the first time it blew a pipe. No he hits boost again and wonders why it came a drift again?.. I was nervous on the corners and I wasn't even in the car.

[@johncook5872]

I have owned two 99's , three 900's and after a small sojourn in Sverigue in the early 2000's when I dumped my Saab 900 at the local Skotbolget, I bought a Jeep Grand Cherokee. After 630,000 Km I scrapped it and went back to my passion of Saabs. I own a 95 and a 93 Aero. The best of them was the 900 Turbo with Michelin 930 TRX tires it was incredibly stable and I can remember going through Knutsford services at 130 Kpm with just a finger on the steering wheel. The main problem was the High Pressure turbo, It used to glow red, burn of all the paint from the inside off the engine compartment and crack the exhaust manifolld!

[@frazzleface753]

The Saab had its revenge on you, Ian, with the breakdown!

[@CarshowRellStudios]

Great video the breakdowns were crazy i needed the laugh tonight. I just picked up a non turbo 900s myself

[@club1fan552]

Great new look Ian.

[@CaptHollister]

I owned 2 of the 9-3 versions back to back, both with the 16V 2L Turbo. I can absolutely vouch for their outstanding long-distance comfort. One year I used the hatchback to take the family around the Gaspé peninsula (2000km round trip). The next year, my wife and I used the sedan(ie saloon) for a memorable run up the James Bay road ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Bay_Road ). It was unpatrolled at the time, so the SAAB legged it along at speeds that would normally have my loved ones learning how to bake cakes with files in them.... while returning astonishingly good gas mileage. As a pure coincidence, today I returned from visiting my daughter who lives 600km away and remarked to my wife how much more comfortable the SAABs were for long-distance drives than my expensive German SUV and that I would be happy to trade it in on a nice used 9-3. However, when you filmed under the hood, I was reminded of how I had to remove the air box and the battery just to change a burned driver side headlight bulb. Or how quickly they went through windshield washer fluid: one squirt and no fewer than 10 nozzles activated, 6 on the windshield and 2 on each headlight, which even in the slushiest Canadian winter day is still overkill. Then there was the night panel function. Not only did it turn the illumination off for all the gauges except the speedometer, but it actually turned the gauges off. The speedometer itself remained partially lit, showing only the numbers up to 140km/h, but if you approached 140, the rest of the numbers lit up (or so I'm told *cough*). A wonderful quirky feature, but useless and a waste of engineering resources. (edited for spelling; I doubt if my wife would appreciate being referred to as my "wide")

[@legambaz]

Very old. But still interesting. And it's always nice driving through beautiful countryside like ones in your videos.

[@tupaei01]

Best regards from Finland!

[@PaulinesPastimes]

It makes you wonder how long everyone else has been putting up with that boost gauge pipe coming off and not bothering to fix it. Good old Hubnut to the rescue with simple roadside maintenance. Cheers.

[@robinwells8879]

I had a jet black 16V s aero that was beautiful as a cruiser but as you say it never sounded entirely happy pressing on. It was however stunning enough to lure in my wife of twenty years! The next engine development was much better balanced and refined. Most comfortable seats of any car I have ever owned.

[@error079]

I used to own two Saab 900, then I discovered Citroën... A brand with even more quirks. :)

[@rich_edwards79]

The difference being that Citroens are pretty to look at.

[@tonyfisk8081]

@@rich_edwards79 The Dyane? The 2CV? SOME Citroens...

[@Pmjs]

In 1988 my BF had the SAAB 900 Turbo it blew & had to be replaced. I found the 900 to be very comfortable good ride&handling

[@RichieRouge206]

I love the Saab despite its faults. Really annoyed that GM killed them off like Holden. Really great roadtest too - faults included!

[@lewis72]

One of the favourite cars that I've ever owned was a 3-door 900 Turbo 16S. It flew.

[@niklaswejedal463]

My first car was a Saab 90, which I loved and hated (the breaks caused endless trouble) - but mostly loved. It had a lot of quirks too, that probably not were designed to be there, like the way the speedometer needle would stray off from time to time. Once it went up to 130 km/h on a local road, where I probably was driving in 90ish... As you mention, the gearbox/levers are a weak spot on old Saabs - in the end I was forced to sell my 90, when the reverse gear started to get rebelious... could have been expensive to fix. Non the less, I love the 99/90/900-cars - even though I would hesitate to drive one now, in fear of getting my illusions and great memories crushed...

[@martinda7446]

I love the styling of the 99 and 900. The build and solid feel too. Never had one though, but always intended to... Edit: You did the owner a favour blowing the pipe off.

[@somerandomguy3868]

Seems willing to go and that is somewhat surprising considering the engine is fitted wrong way around, nice day for a drive thanks for showing us this unicorn of a car, I'd heard of them but never got a look under the bonnet

[@christophermason1574]

I bet Phil knew about the turbo pipe problem, I reckon he pulled up just outside the pub and reconnect the pipe then idled into the pub, but hubnut fixed it, It may have took a few attempts, but hubnut fixed it.

[@notmanynamesleft]

Bought a 2004 93 Aero for £550 last October on 118k put around 6k on her by January and recently sold but had no issues and she was heavily modified running around 250hp from the factory 210 too,cheap as chips for what they are now,I'm sure the Aero's will start appreciating soon too. 👍

[@MC93SE]

I owned a 1984 3 door turbo for almost 10 years and I can't say that the gear shift was ever that bad, so that one clearly needs some work. It was only an 8 valve turbo without an intercooler so not too powerful by modern standards. Around 145 bhp I think. Probably the most characterful car I've owned and I still miss it, especially the space under the big hatch.

Super luxury dentist jet turbo ftw! You need to find one of those 'Saabaru' wagons next!

[@jesuspobre88]

The bonnet reminds me of 70's and 80's BMW's. Nice design I think.👍

[@timgillingham7698]

I love HubNut and this review is no different. But... a properly sorted tin-top Turbo 16 900 (preferably a 2-door as the bodyshell is stiffer again) is one of the best all-rounders out there and not for silly money. I would say that, as mine has 63,000 miles and is still as fit as the proverbial! The turbo lag is all part of the charm to me. Keep up the great work, Ian :)

[@simcroy7648]

that bonnet action is awesome!

[@oldcarnut1]

With the engine backwards you can change the clutch without removing the engine or transmission.

[@jamesdecross1035]

Got mine down to just 20 minutes!

[@davidanderson3425]

Nearly bought one back in the 90's. "Buying Cars" magazine ran an old high-miler and it impressed me. When it came to the crunch Mrs A said she thought it was an ugly car so we ended up getting a BMW E30 instead.

[@FlightSimXtreem]

Something is calling me out here.... Yesterday someone rememberd me at a car paint store that I've had a 89 saab 900. I've had that one for a few months 900 2.0T 8v Red Arrow limited editon with an airflow kit. I sold it and I've regretted it ever since. I can't come across another 900 I just can't find one. And now again hubnut showing a 900 T CL. Am going to lose my mind and thee, I want one back and ASAP!

[@Qwerty1235945]

What incredible roads you seemed to have pretty much to yourself!

[@gregoryhill7553]

Nice presentation, learned a few new things, thanx for that, good work!

[@Sophiechic]

I had a couple of these. good Sunday video to watch

[@MrSonicAdvance]

Love the styling on the rear spoiler, that's a nice design!

[@sefikempowermentcoachvilla7843]

Really enjoyed the wifes 51plate 9-3 conv 2.0t only a 150bhp lpt but plenty, and in gear acceleration plenty. Seems to have come along way from this 900 . Great video Ian 👍👍

[@stabbs_15]

The same Valmet Automotive factory is now making the new A-class I remember my family having a white 3 door one and got replaced by a Mercedes 190E which is still in family.. One of the cars which I own love to have...

[@stevenjones19-m8i]

Hi Ian,that was fun,drive a Saab and it breaks down,not the ideal review on the car LOL,but you solved the problem, awesome video.

[@garethifan1034]

Nice 'SAAB-SCANIA' badge on the steering wheel - I drove a lot of Scanias, but never drove a Saab car. I've got to say that the Scania is head and shoulders above most other trucks in quality of build, power, reliability etc. Just my two pennies worth. Nice review!

[@jasonleedham5678]

quite possibly the most Hubnut executive car made. Suit you sir !

[@veritasvincit2745]

My mate's 16V Turbo was the first genuinely quick car I ever drove. I'd only lurched around in sub 90bhp clapped out sheds until that point. It reminded me of a Yamaha 350 YPVS I had at the time. A bit of flatness before it woke up then shot up the road in its powerband like a stabbed rat.

[@timrennie7496]

"Torque... that's not a sensation I'm used to" 😅 Great to see a Saab review Ian. Happy trails in the 2CV!

[@colmone5592]

I drove one of these for a while. It was amazingly FAST. I think your car is poorly sick.

[@stevelarkin3285]

Beautiful scenery and country side, car looks good too

[@rydermike33]

Real Roadtest with Running Repairs, RRRR. I still have a soft spot for Saabs though. Thanks HubNut.

[@willtricks9432]

Had a SAAB 99 with the Triumph engine, it was fantastic and quite easy to work on compared to the 900. drove like a speed boat. Fast and comfortable, Cheers

[@martinhaskell376]

I believe the 'verts were built at the Sisu truck factory in Raseborg, Finland.

[@SutherlandCharlie]

Really enjoying the content. Good stuff hubnut. “Salutes”

[@billybellend1155]

Ian cracking video very entertaining with a dash of comedy, interesting cars and beautiful scenery keep em coming. 👍🏻

[@claymore2k1T10]

I remember taking the distributor drive shaft out of my 99 (I cut a hole in the bulkhead) but the most interesting thing was that the distributor drive shaft had all the cam lobes on it ( the distributor was down on the side of the block and not like the one in this video)

[@kevinsmith6269]

Totally agree with you about 80's turbos. A friend has a near standard Escort RS Turbo. Up until 3000rpm it feels pretty much the same as an Escort 1.6 injection Ghia then if you're using full throttle sudden wheelspin and torque steer until 4000rpm then back to nothing!!!! Also as the boost comes in so high you can only legally use boost in first or second gear! I do prefer the XR3i of similar vintage to be honest the power delivery is so much more predictable. Great review and thanks for keeping it real :)

[@petergouldbourn2312]

I liked this video HubNut Good car and great presentation Thank you. Pete UK

[@garryclark4653]

The ignition key was placed there because the key locked the gearbox in reverse as a security measure, not to save your knees if it was placed in the normal place! A measure used in the 95/96.

[@klwthe3rd]

I never knew that.

[@joshjack6127]

I had a 2003 93, key was in the same place, but the car didn't need to be in reverse to take the key out. So I think Ian's theory is correct

[@garryclark4653]

Well, my 1975 Saab 96V4 had a column gearchange with the key just ahead of it in the dashboard, and you definitely locked the car in reverse otherwise you couldn’t take the key out, my 1990 Saab 900 8v Turbo had the key down between the front seats, and you also locked that in reverse if it was a manual, or Park if it was an auto, it was a well known Saab security feature.

[@rheinerftvideo2647]

I have the Saab 900 II SE 2.3i convertible 1996 with 150 hp. It´s a real youngtimer with everything basing on GM / Opel Vectra. So spare sparts are unexpensive. The car itself is unexpensive, they don´t sell any higher than 4.000 Euro right now. I would never choose the Turbo. But something good to keep for the future, it will be a classic car in 10 years or so. The roof is pretty good for winter and you find out this car was designed in Scandinavia, it´s pretty tough in bad weather being a convertible. As usually with Saab, the front lamp wipers do not work... Cheers from Germany, Bernd