Hi

Until today I have never ever touched a Saab.

Is $3000 a good price for a '97 non-turbo Saab 900s.
Good tires, body etc. The only thing I was told (I'm no mechanic)
that one headlight motor is broken. 130,000 miles.


Thanks for any help or tips you can give me about this vehicle.

Paul

Paul,

The 4-cylinder, non-turbo S engine is also good, and may get slightly
better fuel economy than the turbo. Both get pretty good highway
mileage, but suffer a bit in town (see fueleconomy.gov in the US). It's
the 6-cylinder in the non-turbo SE that has a bad reputation around here.

But it sounds like you're just looking for a good car and found the
Saab, so you may not care about getting an exact feature set (which is
good: with Saab's limited production volumes, you could be looking a
long time).

There were a few upgrades in the early years of the NG900 (different
steering, bigger brakes) that you'll benefit from with a 1997 model. The
1997 is the last year of the cable clutch, and clutch cables can pop at
any time...fortunately, it's a pretty simple and straightforward repair
(maybe $100, I think). I don't think anyone can predict cable failure
(except if it's been done recently, you're probably OK).

It's generally a good idea to pay a mechanic for a pre-purchase
inspection, regardless of the make of car (or plane). If you're in the
US, you might look at the list of recommended mechanics over at
saabnet.com to find a knowledgeable shop in your area.