"normal" car

The Biturbo is off the road (yes, yes, surprise surprise). Of course, this happened 4 days after I sold the XR4ti and Alfa Milano.

Somehow the a/c belt (a/c works friggen awesome) wound up behind the timing cover. I noticed an odd sound during cranking, saw the a/c partially behind the timing cover.

I then removed the timing cover, timing belt, and then re-timed everything and installed new belt.

Now, I have -0- compression on #2 and #3.

So, for the time being... I bought a "normal" car.

The $800 Saab 900S:

It was the cheapest running car on CL that didn’t have body damage. Sure, it’s not a Fiat, Alfa, Merkur, Maserati, or something really cool. But it drives ok.

I’ll be the first to admit FWD sucks, but it gets me to/from work and lets me row my own gears.

I replaced the headliner and some interior clips with parts from PnP. I dropped in 30oz of 134A and the air is now ICE cold. The car had been sitting for about a year and a half. Also had to fix a pair of vacuum leaks.

The Maserati has developed a long term plan, or at least the long term plan has been expedited. She will be receiving a later fuel injected engine + megasquirt at some point.

m4ff3w wrote: The Maserati has developed a long term plan, or at least the long term plan has been expedited. She will be receiving a later fuel injected engine + megasquirt at some point.

Now THAT'S interesting.

Good luck w/ the Saab. With luck, it'll serve its purpose for a year.

FWD can be fun, you just have to get used to their quirks. At least you found one without a slushbox..

First book I bought after selling my BMW and buying a VW. Per's book on VW tuning was the 2nd.

You buy a SAAB to be "normal", we bought a SAAB because it was "quirky". With any luck, I'll be where you are in about 10 years

A Saab is very normal in here, and as for the Biturbo, I feel your pain, from the owner of Triumph Stags and a Range Rover

In reply to friedgreencorrado:

What made you go from BMW to VW??

It seems that biturbos have a habit of doing that. The people I bought my milano had one with the same problem. Do they have a really badly designed tensioner or something? Of course being that its a maserati, that may be a dumb question. lol

I am shocked the Biturbo made it that long. The Saab looks like a great deal.

Only around here would a SAAB be "normal". Have fun. I would think it would be possible to get the turbos off of a 9-5 V6 to work on that.

Rusted_Busted_Spit wrote: ONly around here would a SAAB be "normal". Have fun. I would think it would be possible to get the turbos off of a 9-5 V6 to work on that.

Actually there is only 1 turbo on the 9-5. What's weirder is that the turbine only runs off one bank of the exhaust.

In reply to m4ff3w:

I did not realize that, all of my SAAB purchases have been of the 4 banger variety.

If you are interested I have a set of 15in alum wheels and 2 steel wheels I need to get rid of, ie cheap.

Nice looking car! Especially nice looking $800 car!!

So how long did the Biturbo actually last as a DD? Not poking fun, just curious.

Jay wrote: So how long did the Biturbo actually last as a DD? Not poking fun, just curious.

~1500 miles. Just under a month.

It'll be back though. Ideally as a 2.8l, fuel injected, intercooled monster. (none of which it is now)

m4ff3w wrote: The Biturbo is off the road (yes, yes, surprise surprise). Of course, this happened 4 days after I sold the XR4ti

I'm confused. How would an XR4ti help with transportation? You said you already had a broken car.

fast_eddie_72 wrote:

m4ff3w wrote: The Biturbo is off the road (yes, yes, surprise surprise). Of course, this happened 4 days after I sold the XR4ti

I'm confused. How would an XR4ti help with transportation? You said you already had a broken car.

XR4ti and Alfa Milano both run/drive great.

Rusted_Busted_Spit wrote: In reply to m4ff3w: I did not realize that, all of my SAAB purchases have been of the 4 banger variety. If you are interested I have a set of 15in alum wheels and 2 steel wheels I need to get rid of, ie cheap.

I bet you would as the bolt patterns on SAABs are so not normal that they won't fit anything but a SAAB.

clutchsmoke wrote: In reply to friedgreencorrado: What made you go from BMW to VW??

1. Was driving a 76 2002 with 200Kmi., ratty Recaro C seats, a Tii head, and twin sidedraft Weber carbs. I'd planned to restore the car (that car with that equipment was my "dream car" when I was 14yrs old ), but I got a "rebound girlfriend" pregnant. Got married. Instead of restoring it, I kept driving it. When that engine died (two weeks after finding out I was going to be a father), I traded the carbs & head for a used M10 with a single Weber 38/38. Baby was born, the motor I'd dropped in ran for awhile, but dropped a valve seat while taking my 7mo old daughter to daycare one day.

I'd found a pretty clean E28 535, but my (then) wife couldn't see the difference between my previous 15yr old, 200K "project", and a nice 4yr old sedan with only about 40K. To her, they were both "used cars". I lost the fight, and ended up buying a new car instead. 1992 VW Golf Mk2 GTI 8v. Still have it, still love it.

Sorry for the long answer..the short answer is "money". It's just my own goofy self that actually kinda likes FWD nowdays.

Only GRM...

Merc wrote:

Rusted_Busted_Spit wrote: In reply to m4ff3w: I did not realize that, all of my SAAB purchases have been of the 4 banger variety. If you are interested I have a set of 15in alum wheels and 2 steel wheels I need to get rid of, ie cheap.

I bet you would as the bolt patterns on SAABs are so not normal that they won't fit anything but a SAAB.

I want to get rid of them because the are 15 in and will not clear the brakes on my current car. By the way they will fit some Saturns Ponti G6 and some other GM cars. 5x110.

Rusted_Busted_Spit wrote:

Merc wrote:

Rusted_Busted_Spit wrote: In reply to m4ff3w: I did not realize that, all of my SAAB purchases have been of the 4 banger variety. If you are interested I have a set of 15in alum wheels and 2 steel wheels I need to get rid of, ie cheap.

I bet you would as the bolt patterns on SAABs are so not normal that they won't fit anything but a SAAB.

I want to get rid of them because the are 15 in and will not clear the brakes on my current car. By the way they will fit some Saturns Ponti G6 and some other GM cars. 5x110.

Which wheels are they?

Those are not mine, just an example. I got them out of a Pick-N-Pull because my wife did not like the black Steelies her snows were on. But not long after I got them we found out she was pregnant and we ended up getting a bigger ride for her and I took over her 9-5 and we gave my brother the 9-3 these were for.

If you are interested I will get some picks and post them up. I am only looking for like $100 or so.

mtn wrote: With any luck, I'll be where you are in about 10 years

Walking around Texas?

Wally wrote:

mtn wrote: With any luck, I'll be where you are in about 10 years

Walking around Texas?

So what is on the list next for a non normal car? Quattroporte III? Citroen SM? Matra Bagheera?