"Slant6" (slant-6)
07/10/2014 at 22:09 • Filed to: Budget Convertible
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"Slant6" (slant-6)
07/10/2014 at 22:09 • Filed to: Budget Convertible | 5
| 8 |
I bought this car for $750 off my local Craigslist. Im doing this as a little series to show that there are still cheap cars out there that can be fun to own. Ill start taking more pictures (I thought of doing this after most of the work was done).
3 things were major problems when I bought this car. The top wouldn't go down, the drivers seatbelt was stuck, and the Climate control knob is broken and stuck on defrost.
I have solved 2 of these so far.
The convertible top was the first job. Last night I got home from work and did a quick wash to get rid of all the caked on pollen. I then compounded the hood and gave it a coat of spray wax just so it wouldn't look too bad. The paint cleans up well. Not bad at all for what I payed for it.
After it was washed I backed it into my garage and began trouble shooting. A common problem with these tops is that they loose fluid. I checked the little fluid tank and it was dry. I filled it up with a combination of power steering fluid and some jack oil I had.
That fixed it. I have a top that goes down now.
The seatbelt was harder.
I had to take the interior panel off to get to it. Once I got it off I disassembled it and found a piece of plastic had broken inside. I somehow got it to unwind and used some cleverly applied JB weld to replace the broken piece.
By fixing the seatbelt I also caused an airbag light to go off, which is nothing but annoying and not quite as safe.
Either way. The car is basically new now.
Total invested so far:
Car- $750
Hydraulic Fluid- already had it.
mrazekan
> Slant6
07/10/2014 at 22:32 |
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Great find. These engines can be easily tuned for more power should you desire.
Watch out with the seat belt fixes. A number of the parts in there are specially calibrated to lock the seat belt in the case of an accident or strong deceleration.
Junk yards often have these cars, or something close enough. The climate control nobs, or even the parts behind the nob can be had for cheap.
Enjoy the summer!
PRBot II
> Slant6
07/10/2014 at 22:32 |
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The top takes fluid? I'm frustrated that I didn't know this >_<
Where is the reservoir for it?
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Slant6
> PRBot II
07/10/2014 at 22:59 |
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With the pump behind the rear seat. I actually over filled it because I didn't know there was a fill line.
Previous owner never put the top down in the 5 years he owned it so I think it deserves extra fluid.
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PRBot II
> Slant6
07/10/2014 at 23:01 |
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Man, I've had the same issues with my 9-3. The knob, the seatbelt, the top...
You're gonna love it when your fuel pump goes. And it will. Probably anywhere between 160,000 - 260,000 miles. It's like a right of passage for 9-3 owners.
The cool thing about the 1999 Saab 9-3 is that you can get a decent BOV sound just from pulling one hose out. The 1999 model runs the T-5 system, but the 2000 - 2003 9-3's ran the T-7... and as a result this little trick works perfectly with the T-5 9-3's. On the T-7's, doing this will trip the check engine light.
I did this on my '99 9-3, and it's run beautifully for years. You just have to plug up the air intake with one these puppies which you can see in the video.
I put 17" wheels from a Saab 9-5 on her. I thought the three spokes were a little dated.
Also, you're going to get a lot of miles out of your 9-3. Mine is still going strong at 270,000 miles (!).
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PRBot II
> Slant6
07/10/2014 at 23:16 |
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How do I find it? I'm assuming I'll have to put the rear seats forward, but do I need to pull some panels out too?
bob and john
> PRBot II
11/06/2014 at 14:07 |
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you see, seeing stuff like this makes mty want to get mine out from storage (2000 5 door, base, with auto, 125k miles) but It need an exhaust expansion, brakes, and a new SSID2 unit, and I dont think I can convince my parents to put down that cash for a 14 year old car. ESP since I kinda want a car with a manual.
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PRBot II
> bob and john
11/06/2014 at 14:39 |
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With the cash needed for those repairs, you could probably just buy a different Saab, but in better shape. They're so cheap, and yet the engine is solid. Interior on the other hand...
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bob and john
> PRBot II
11/06/2014 at 14:42 |
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here is the other hand...I KNOW who, and HOW, well that car has been maintain for the past 100K miles. The turbo was replaced at 110K miles. And the int is solid. and no rust.
is...I'm in a middle ground. I'm tempted to just say fuck it and buy a Acura 04-08 TSX, even if a good one is 10K