1990 Saab 900

SPG Hatchback

B202 2.0L DOHC Turbocharged

Manual

YS3AL35L1L3001928

Clear

Gasoline

1990 SAAB 900 SPG Two Enthusiasts Have Owned Since April 1996 - Well-Loved Classic SAAB Fresh Eriksson Transmission, Alternator, Water Pump, Battery & Much, Much More A Very Special, Well-Known Example of the Last "Real SAAB" Prior to GM Now Seeking A New Enthusiast to Carry On the Passion Offered for sale is my personal Talladega Red 1990 SAAB 900 SPG (Special Performance Group) - a car with an interesting, known and documented history going back almost 20 years. Not many people have two decades of history with any car, let alone one that is "just" 26 years old. This is such a car. Note the Euro H4 headlamps instead of the DOT lamps originally fitted - a major improvement over stock! I bought this SPG on Monday the 29th April of 1996, my birthday was the Friday prior, with 89,992 miles on the odometer out of the back of Reinertsen Motors SAAB in Denville, NJ. The one and only owner reportedly had a weekend house in New England and used this car for that purpose, not as a New Jersey commuter in which service it would have been junk. I thought it would be a nice gift to myself and thus it was my everyday car for about a year and some 20,000 miles. Foolishly (on my part, probably good for the car's sake), I swapped it to my friend Ed in northern Virginia for a Jaguar that I wanted. He used the car sparingly for a few years and when its needs became greater, he opted to park it in a tightly-sealed garage, where it would spend the next six or so years. As I became aware of the car sitting, rather than being used, I began to pester Ed about the car. That pestering paid off and in the winter of 2007, I bought a bit of a project, which I promptly sent down to my friends at the former S&S SAAB Specialists in Warrenton, VA. They put a new steering rack, four new shocks, four new Michelins and a vast array of other service parts on the car to get it back up to snuff again. As it had been in 1996, I gave myself a car for my birthday yet again in April of 2007. Now with 133,000 miles on the odometer, it was back in service. With returned use came more needs that popped up and nothing went unattended to - among other things, the clutch, radiator and air conditioning needed to be revived and I tackled those projects so that by summer of 2007, the car was back to full functionality and reliability. I drove it to the National Owners Convention in Detroit in 2007 as well as many other SAAB enthusiast events over the next few years. Until I moved to Georgia in 2014, the car never saw the inside of my enclosed car trailer, it was always driven, and then only as I needed to do that for logistical reasons. A more or less comprehensive service log is farther down this page, I have kept a log of all of these as I've done much of the work myself; I was a SAAB technician and ran a vintage SAAB parts and restoration company for a long time. Classic SAAB 900s are pleasant to work on and very rewarding; despite its age and Saab's demise, quality parts remain available to service and repair one of these, so they are not terribly exotic - though thin on the ground in this condition! The paint throughout is original with the exception of the hood and left front fender and left door. I was keyed in my first ownership and the dealer's body shop in Newport News, Virginia repaired the car. The rest of the original lacquer shines up nicely. In the summer of 2014, I had a clutch hydraulic failure in traffic. I attempted to limp the car home sans clutch and ended up damaging the third gear synchro. On arriving in Georgia, I shipped the car to S&J in Atlanta and had them install a fresh transmission built by Nat Wentworth at Eriksson Industries in Connecticut. It is still very fresh with well under 1,000 miles on the rebuild! S&J also addressed a number of other small issues, installed a fresh clutch disc and hydraulics as well as some minor things. On receiving the car back from S&J, I installed a new battery, alternator, water pump and main battery cables, which I've just completed. The car was exhibiting some minor electrical issues that are unusual to experience in an old 900 and took a while to track down! Since the alternator was original and the brushes worn down to nubs, it was replaced as I was concerned more about long-term reliability. I did the water pump as well since I was already there and it was likewise original. The interior is completely original save for custom speaker enclosures in the front kick panels. This system dates to 1996 when I traded some computer work to a stereo installer for something different and he did an excellent job. The Eclipse head unit he installed was found faulty and a new Nakamichi took its place. The top of the dash has some very minor and small cracks emanating from the original speaker grille openings. I just haven't gotten around to repairing them. The windshield was replaced a few years back with a Genuine SAAB glass and seal, one of the last in captivity, this did not make it into the records for some reason but I may have a receipt for the work which was covered under insurance. The driver's seat remains supple and comfortable. There is a little bolster wear but no tears or sun damage. The passenger's seat is even nicer! I don't think the automatic seat heater works, but the 3 stage one is fine on the driver's side. The rear seat is lovely as you would expect. I had the headliner replaced in 2007 and it's holding up well! More of the same. No sag! Mileage of today, a few more have been and will be added before the listing ends. The new Nakamichi stereo. Yes, the climate control works, heat blows hot, air conditioning blows cold and is still R12! Apart from the aforementioned passenger seat heater, I can't think of anything that does not work in this car, even the cruise control operates as it should. One more shot of the comfy driver's seat. A fresh leather treatment will clear up some of that light wear to the bolster. I just haven't detailed the car lately. Born in September of 1989, just months before SAAB and GM went into business together! You'll also notice the VIN sticker at top right higher up on the door panel and they are everywhere, there is no replacement sheetmetal on the car, no need for it, as the car has never been in a crash or rusty. A smattering of documents, service records, photos, the original books, keys and an article featuring this car by Grassroots Motorsports publisher Tim Suddard. I wrote a piece at his request on the SPG for a later issue. Both of these magazines along with all of the above items will convey with the car. I also have a backlog of digital photos with this car in them and would be happy to share those with you. I have a lot of history with this car, the above left snapshots are from the winter of 1997 on the Colonial Parkway outside of Williamsburg, VA and it is time for the next generation to enjoy it as I have not given it enough attention from behind the wheel in recent years. Fun reading. The original tools, spare tire bag and white gloves in the tool kit. A spare wheel (one of the originals that I bent and had fixed), a steering wheel with slightly less distressed leather (the one in the car isn't bad), a good box of new and used spares including some rare new old stock items, the original fog light covers, a pair of side vent covers and some other items make up the spares that go with the car. The spare wheel, a warning triangle and the subwoofer and amplifiers from the 1996 audio system. The sub is in a custom enclosure and is not boomy. The audio in this car is minimalist and yet still impressive 20 years later. If you are so inclined, it's all deletable down to the original Clarion radio connectors behind the radio... but you won't. The SPG's engine is the same as any other 900 Turbo in 1990 except for the Mitsubishi turbocharger, an EGR system and minor tweaks. I tweaked the APC controller very slightly in 1996 so that it boosts right up to the red line on the gauge (14psi) but knock detection still works perfectly. The car also has a Motor Sport Service exhaust system that I've replaced once and I think the muffler is on its way out again, so I've asked for another one, which should be coming in this week. I also put a high-flow catalytic converter on which made a noticeable difference. This is just a good honest example of a wonderful car - I've not gussied anything up or detailed it for these photos. I hope that shows. Inasmuch as I can't make any guarantees about it being perfectly reliable forever and ever, I think it's a very durable and reliable car for many miles to come and hope that a new owner will give it the love and attention that Ed and I did for two decades. Old cars survive with multiple good caretakers... so hopefully this will go on and on and on! A log of known service work from memory and records on hand follows: 1990 SAAB 900 SPG, VIN YS3AL35L1L3001928 29 APR 96 - 89,992 - PURCHASED, REINERTSEN MOTORS, DENVILLE, NJ FRONT GRILLE, FUEL PUMP O-RING REPLACED AT TIME OF PURCHASE JUN-AUG 1996 - ECLIPSE 5301, CLIFDESIGNS 4" SEPARATES, JBL 10W6, ZAPCO AMPS A/C BELT IDLER PULLEY, ABOUT 95K - FULL CLUTCH JOB (SLIPPING) OIL & FILTER CHANGES AROUND 93,000, 96,000, 100,000, 104,000 OCT 1996 - SPG RIMS, NEGATIVE CAMBER ALIGNMENT, CLUTCH MASTER CYLINDER, UPPER RAD. HOSE. EARLY 1997 - INNER DRIVERS, BALANCER PULLEY, MSS CAT-BACK EXHAUST - SUTTLE MOTORS APRIL 1997 - LF FENDER, DOOR, PART OF HOOD REPAINTED - SUTTLE 26 APR 97 - 112,890 - TRADED TO ED 17 NOV 98 - 117,822 - OIL & FILTER, TRANSMISSION OIL, COOLING SYSTEM FLUSH - ESC, LEESBURG, VA 24 FEB 99 - 119,632 - VACUUM LEAKS REPAIRED, CLEARED CODES - ESC 25 MAY 99 - 120,901 - OIL & FILTER, A/C COMPRESSOR SEALS, R12 CHARGE - ESC 7 AUG 00 - 132,008 - A/C RECHARGE, LEAK TEST, MANIFOLD HOSE, RECEIVER/DRYER, EXPANSION VALVE REPLACED EGR VALVE REPLACED - ESC 22 AUG 00 - 132,889 - EGR VALVE SENSOR, REAR PADS & ROTORS, OIL PRESSURE SENSOR, BELTS, BYPASS HOSE, RIGHT MOTOR MOUNT, ALL VACUUM HOSES AND ELSID HOSE, WIPER BLADES, RH TIE ROD END FRONT END ALIGNMENT - S&S, WARRENTON, VA. 15 JAN 07 - 133,398 - KIRKLAND BATTERY, CLUTCH MASTER & SLAVE CYLINDERS REPLACED - ED & SHANNON 16 APR 07 - 133,398 - PURCHASED BACK FROM ED 24 APR 07 - 133,398 - OIL/FILTER, TRANS, COOLANT, BRAKE, P/S FLUIDS CHANGED WASHER FLUID CHECK VALVES, VALVE COVER GASKET, SHIFT SHAFT SEAL, HEAD RETORQUED STEERING RACK, MICHELIN MXV4 195/60/HR15s, ALL FOUR SACHS SHOCKS - S&S 4 MAY 07 - 133,592 - CLUTCH R&R, INPUT SHAFT & RBC SEAL, COMPLETE CLUTCH. CAP/ROTOR/WIRES/BCPR7ES PLUGS O2 SENSOR AND TURBO EXHAUST ELBOW (OLD SENSOR FROZEN) 11 MAY 07 - 133,635 - FUEL FILTER R&R, GLIPTONE LEATHER 14 MAY 07 - 133,700 - HEADLINER R&R - RICHMOND AUTO UPHOLSTERY 28 AUG 07 - 135,902 - OIL/FILTER CHANGE, DOOR ADJUSTMENT - S&S - WARRENTON, VA 16 DEC 07 - 137,906 - RADIATOR, UPPER HOSES, FAN THERMOSWITCH, T/B WATER HOSE 20 AUG 08 - 138,684 - OIL & FILTER CHANGE 4 QTS MOBIL 1 OW40, M1-102 FILTER, TIGHTENED TRANS BOLTS ET.C. 28 OCT 08 - 139,955 - ROTATED MICHELINS 15 MAR 09 - 139,990 - NEW RF WHEEL BEARING, TURBO-CAT HEAD PIPE - PETE MILLAR 07 MAY 09 - 142,684 - OIL & FILTER CHANGE 4 QTS MOBIL 1 0W40, M1-102 FILTER 12 OCT 09 - 143,204 - AC BELT IDLER PULLEY, P/S FLUID FLUSH 14 APR 10 - 146,057 - REPLACED MSS EXHAUST (1997-2010), ORIGINAL CAT. CONV WITH MAGNAFLOW DIRECT-FIT - VERY NICE! 13 MAY 10 - 146,650 - OIL & FILTER CHANGE 4 QTS MOBIL 1 0W40, M1-102 FILTER 17 OCT 10 - 150,562 - OIL & FILTER CHANGE 4 QTS MOBIL 1 0W40, M1-102 FILTER 2 DEC 10 - 150,700 - H4 EURO HEADLAMPS WITH HELLA H4+ BULBS, SUSQ. ADAPTER PIGTAILS 26 FEB 11 - 150,856 - ANTENNA MAST 1 JAN 12 - 153,675 - OIL & FILTER CHANGE 4 QTS MOBIL 1 0W40, M1-102 FILTER 20 FEB 12 - 153,703 - LF WHEEL BEARING, ALL AXLE BOOTS, CVs CLEANED/GREASED IN/OUT, BRAKES FLUSHED WITH SS HOSES, DOT4 TRANSMISSION DIFF GASKET AND SIDE PLATE GASKETS RESEALED, 3 QTS BG SYNCRO SHIFT - PETE MILLAR 21 MAY 12 - 153,800 - GLIPTONE LEATHER 12 DEC 12 - 154,811 - FRONT MOTOR MOUNT - P. MILLAR 23 AUG 13 - 155,225 - AUTOCRAFT GOLD TYPE 86 BATTERY, GREAT FIT 30 MAY 14 - 157,188 - OIL & FILTER CHANGE 4 QTS MOBIL 1 0W40, M1-102 FILTER 30 AUG 14 - 157,850 - CLUTCH HOSE, MASTER CYLINDER - MILLAR 20 JAN 15 - 158,100 - TRANSMISSION, BATTERY UNDER WARRANTY, OIL CHANGE, ET.C. RELATING TO DRIVETRAIN PULL - S&J 22 DEC 15 - 158,530 - ALTERNATOR, WATER PUMP - WCWL payment/shipping Payment is due within seven days of auction close and in the form of cash (only in person, not via the mail, eBay employees!), cleared wire transfer or bank check in my account prior to transfer of title or delivery unless cleared with me in advance. I am not a bank and do not extend credit, so if you need a loan, I'd be happy to suggest JJ Best or Woodside Credit, both of whom offer great collector car terms. Your successful bid is a contract to purchase, not to consider, so please bid only if you have the ability to complete the transaction. Following payment, I will send you clear title in my name so you may transfer it into yours and then tag it and come here if you want to drive the car home. Shipping or pickup here in Augusta, GA should take place within two weeks of auction close unless cleared with me in advance. I can store the car for up to thirty days and refer you to a capable enclosed delivery service if you are unable to come for it in person. I strongly suggest flying or driving in to Augusta and letting me introduce you to the car unless you are at least somewhat familiar with the Classic 900. I am a car broker and dealer by trade and love unusual classics and sports cars such as this, so if you have a fun car you'd like to trade with me (up, straight or down) I could be interested, feel free to share it with me. QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? CONCERNS? E-MAIL ME OR CALL 804-357-4926 (cell)