OLD (MAN) SAAB LOVER - NEW TO THE FORUM

[BigHal]

[FONT=comic sans ms]I'd like to say hello to you all, having just joined the forum and here goes with 'war and peace':

I've been driving 9-5 Estates for the past 10 years now (over 300,000 miles collectively!) having bought my first almost by accident.

I'm currently driving a 2001 Model Year 2L, which I got for less than £200 (yes, I'm British) thanks to eBay. It needed a new head gasket (the head was more than slightly bent) which I did myself and repaired or replaced just about everything cosmetic (both door mirrors, centre arm rest, dash louvres, SID, seatbelt surrounds, door trim, carpet clips, etc, etc, even the sun blind had been snapped through the metal hanger! I guess the previous owner - a very tidy blonde lady - was either a covert female wrestler who practiced in the car or she used it to transport bears!

It has now developed a very noisy rattle (which I am pretty sure is the timing chain slapping the casing) after 6000miles. When I did the head I also cleaned the sump strainer, did the proper Loctite-581 remount of the sump, used only Mobil 1 (and changed it after the first HUNDRED miles). Post head repair it sounded sweet for most of the 6000miles, now it sounds much like a diesel (whatever they are). I've checked the tensioner (such a nicely accessible service item), which seemed to be out almost to its limit, so guess the guide may be failing? Watch out for future posts when I come to address that issue.

I've also got an Aero that I got as a project and have already posted about the issues with that!

This forum seems to be populated by a smart, witty and knowledgeable community and I look forward to getting to know some of you, as I get to know (and share) more about my Saabs.

Hal[/FONT][FONT=comic sans ms]
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[rpiereck]

Well, welcome to Saab World, I see you are a guy who doesn't mind getting dirty with your car, a commendable thing!

...[FONT=comic sans ms]did the proper Loctite-581 remount of the sump...

Hal[/FONT][FONT=comic sans ms]
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Hal, I'd like to hear more about this Loctite 581 remount...

[Burnsside42]

welcome! post some pictures. My father just lost his first Saab with only 183,xxx miles in - accident this past Sunday. He wants another 9-5 (wagon preferred) to replace it.

[BigHal]

Cheers guys, I will try to contribute to the correct forums and happy to add pics, once I have found my way around (and making sure I'm not patronising the crew or replicating topics already covered)!

Sorry to hear of the loss of your father's Saab Burnsside (especially before it had even run in). Sounds much like he's been bitten; once you've had one, there is little out there that comes close to offering the same utility, performance, comfort, level of extras and above all of those, fun!

My 9-5 Estate (wagon?!) serves to carry Kayaks, Mountain Bikes, Windsurfers, Kids and Friends, I even used her to move a chapel organ recently, I can drop the seats and sleep in the back and have lived out of her on weekends away. She then serves as a very smart car for work and to visit clients and even though my 'boy racer days' are distant memories, I love playing with Golfs...with only the R32s being serious competition...!

If time and budget allowed, I would seriously consider remapping and upgrading some of the running gear, but in the meantime, I would love to get my Aero up and running to experience 250Bhp, not the mere 150 of the current SE!

[Shazam]

Welcome to the site! How about some pictures?