Bought an '87 900 Turbo Convertible 5 speed for $800 this weekend... Body is really solid and it runs strong. Has a stack of service records too.

And the bad.. the guy I got it from decided that after a stick poked a hole in the convertible top, it was best to just leave it uncovered for about 3 years while it sat. Hopefully there won't be any electrical surprises. So far it all seems to be functioning except for the perpetually on brake lights. Needs a master cylinder, exhaust, and some other odds and ends to make it decent.

First task is to not make it smell like a moldy bag of shit.

Congrats! That is a car I will own one day. I don't care if it's convertible or coupe.

I had one years ago and after it died we left it in my uncles barn, which he sold and eventually the property was abandoned.

I returned to that barn 2 years ago hoping it was still there. (it wasnt)

One day I'll get another (not convertable though)

Post some pics

moldy carpet stew-

i've done a clutch on a Saab 900 Turbo.... took a grand total of not even an hour.
My Beretta had similar issues with carpet stew when I got it... the trunk seal had leaked (fixed), the passenger door seal leaks and someplace on the drivers' side cowl still leaks... every time it rains I have to keep a beater absorber in the car and change for the publi-vac.

Posted by Samurai i've done a clutch on a Saab 900 Turbo.... took a grand total of not even an hour. My Beretta had similar issues with carpet stew when I got it... the trunk seal had leaked (fixed), the passenger door seal leaks and someplace on the drivers' side cowl still leaks... every time it rains I have to keep a beater absorber in the car and change for the publi-vac.

Good to know about the clutch! This one seems to grab pretty decent, but I only drove it onto a tow dolly, then up my driveway.

My ex-gf's Corsica did the same exact thing, except it was the passenger side cowl. Body style maybe?

As for the Saab, I think I'm going to pull the seats and carpet out so I can dry it 100%. I don't want moisture sitting on those 25 year old floor pans...

That is a glorious car... I'm jealous.

Posted by DelbertGrady Good to know about the clutch! This one seems to grab pretty decent, but I only drove it onto a tow dolly, then up my driveway. My ex-gf's Corsica did the same exact thing, except it was the passenger side cowl. Body style maybe? As for the Saab, I think I'm going to pull the seats and carpet out so I can dry it 100%. I don't want moisture sitting on those 25 year old floor pans...

yeah, the engine is in backwards, so you can get to the clutch easy.

As for the L-bodies, yeah, they had hit or miss build quality. I think with mine its the fact that the kid hit everything he could find!

Saab oddity number 1- while checking tie rod ends and ball joints, I noticed the front wheels wouldn't spin. Turns out the e-brake controls the front wheels and not the back.

Posted by DelbertGrady Saab oddity number 1- while checking tie rod ends and ball joints, I noticed the front wheels wouldn't spin. Turns out the e-brake controls the front wheels and not the back.

there was something awful about the 900 Turbo engine and I can't remember what the fuck it was... something about the crank and transmission sharing stuff or the transmission being very fragile and hard to find. I;d ask my friend Travis who had the car, but he's kind of a guest of the Pennsylvania State Correctional Service for a while.
Kind of unavailable at that address.

One of my friends inherited a SAAB 90 from his grandfather. Now, his grandfather drove it in the spring only so it was pretty clean. My friend drove that as his daily driver, but every year for some reason, he needed to replace the battery. I could never figure this out as the alternator checked fine both with one of those alernator testers and with an oscilloscope. Also measured draw while off...nothing! Thought it might be the wrong alternator in it.

My friend Jeff has a Saab 900 rally car. It's pretty great. We call him Stig now.

Exhaust is smelling excessively rich and it's starting hard when cold... I'm gonna chalk that up to sitting under a tree for 3 years I guess.

Posted by DelbertGrady Exhaust is smelling excessively rich and it's starting hard when cold... I'm gonna chalk that up to sitting under a tree for 3 years I guess.

I'll let Bandi comment further, but my car was only driven lightly for many years, and I suspected it a bit gummed up in the carb department (all four of them), so I dropped half a bottle of Bardahl Injector & Carb cleaner into the tank (30L tank), and in two days of running, the car starts smoother, idles faster (dropped the idle speed down accordingly), comes off idle smoother, and feels much better at high RPM (8000+) too.

Suggest a bottle or two over a few tanks would not hurt?

I've always consider such additives snake-oil, but thought I would try. I will use again. I hear Sea Foam supposedly just as good for the same purpose as well. Neko.

Posted by Kuroneko I'll let Bandi comment further, but my car was only driven lightly for many years, and I suspected it a bit gummed up in the carb department (all four of them), so I dropped half a bottle of Bardahl Injector & Carb cleaner into the tank (30L tank), and in two days of running, the car starts smoother, idles faster (dropped the idle speed down accordingly), comes off idle smoother, and feels much better at high RPM (8000+) too. Suggest a bottle or two over a few tanks would not hurt? I've always consider such additives snake-oil, but thought I would try. I will use again. I hear Sea Foam supposedly just as good for the same purpose as well. Neko.

This car has only run about an hour over the past 3-4 years, so I'm not going to get too excited yet. I still have to do a tune up, and it needs to be driven a bit. Who knows how old the gas is either?

Drain the fuel tank, fill it up with decent brand name fuel and run a good injector cleaner through the first two tankfulls.

Posted by bandi Drain the fuel tank, fill it up with decent brand name fuel and run a good injector cleaner through the first two tankfulls.

Speaking of which, I put a new clutch master cylinder on the miata and then it wouldn't start. Run for a second and stall. I checked the fuel pump, runs. So been knocking my head checking wires etc. Pulled the pump to make sure its not clogged and the tank is full. Half water. I drove it home with zero issue like that. Guess I'll be draining the tank and changing some filters.

An old friend, (seriously he's 86) has one, nice car, 2 door hard top, slushbox though. I think you got a rarish car for a good price. Have heard changing the alternator is a huge job, but other things balance it out. Clutch in one hour? That's impressive. Can do that on an air cooled Beetle too.

Posted by A. Lien An old friend, (seriously he's 86) has one, nice car, 2 door hard top, slushbox though. I think you got a rarish car for a good price. Have heard changing the alternator is a huge job, but other things balance it out. Clutch in one hour? That's impressive. Can do that on an air cooled Beetle too.

I was changing the master cylinder this weekend and noticed the alternator location... I think the brake booster, ac compressor, master cylinder, and maybe 79 vacuum hoses have to come out.

So after changing the master cylinder, I attempted to bleed the brakes, and heard squirting somewhere. It turns out I have a busted brake line. That would be all well and good, but 900's have their brake lines run on the INSIDE of the car along the floor. Good thing I was planning on pulling the carpet any way.