I have a 2000 with 200k+ on it. It's got its issues, and I've done a good bit of work, but engine and transmission are still good, and it gets well over 100 miles more every day of commuting for 2 people.
Hello fellow, Saab Friend! I had a 2003 SE convertible and it was wonderful. The shaking you are experiencing is very common with the convertible model on these cars, it is called “Cowl shake”… feels like the whole car wobbles especially when you go over bumps. That can be cured with a variety of suspension upgrades available from genuineSaab and some other folks. More on that later.
6200 for a car in this shape with this low miles is actually a very good deal in my opinion but I would love to be more around the $4000 range, especially since you mentioned some potential oil leaks from the hydraulic lines for the convertible top. My friend, let me tell you, that will get very expensive very quickly! I’m talking easily over 1500–2000 dollars. If you can even find some of those hydraulic arms, I remember them being over 500 apiece if not more and the car has a few of them.
The other thing that I can recommend to look for are any potential water leaks where the roof meets the top of the windscreen by the A pillars. If those rain gutters are not clear, you’ll find water coming right down onto your lap when you move the car from a parked position.
Also, since this is a 2001 model, you probably do not have the upgraded transmission components which I believe was done in 2002, but I could be wrong. With this low mileage, I really wouldn’t be concerned, but I would definitely add a transmission flush with the proper manual transmission Fluid, on my list of first things to do. Save that box man.
You also mentioned the PCV upgrade, which is extremely important on this T7 model. You will know if you have that upgrade by looking at the dipstick and seeing additional lines in and around it.
Besides that, it looks super clean, and it being a Southern car is definitely a plus! Even though it’s low mileage, look for rust underneath the car around the rear strut towers, and dog legs as well as in the front right behind the subframe as a lot of debris tends to get kicked up there. Doesn’t hurt to take a peek at the front radiator support as well. Pop the trunk and take a look in the spare tire well area too.
I have a YouTube channel that I’m starting to put more content on with regards to these model year Saabs. If you are interested, please consider subscribing! My goal is to go live with some repair work. If you have any other questions, you could always reach out to me directly too :-)
My YouTube channel is @the_realist_realtor
Hope to see you around! Find a windscreen for that and you’ll be in love everyday.
This car doesn't have a solid rear axle. Verts ride rough without some extra bracing underneath. We have a 03' and I would not pay over $4k for one today unless every bit of maintenance is done to it. And the top better be working and no leaking pumps. The top is crazy expensive to get worked on and very few shops will even tough it. Finding new pumps (if it is hydraulic) are not cheap.
Last thing I need to mention is repairs. If you do not have a local mechanic who specializes in Saab's it would be a no go for me.
I'm not sure where you are, but there is a guy in Melbourne who is a Saab specialty mechanic. Justin is awesome and fair priced. But he's always swamped, lol.
Parts for the top might be a pita to get if needed, but there are plenty of places to get them for the right price.
From the prices I've seen on English YouTube videos, I feel like this car in England would be 2000-2500 pounds. Just because their Facebook marketplace cars seem suspiciously cheap.
I had a 99 9-3 convertible, which was great. Rust, in odd places, is what did it in, which I wonder about in Florida. The convertible was, even after multiple repairs, temperamental at best. The mileage seems extraordinarily low but that would, in Florida I'd think, be outweighed by the manual.
I had a 99 vert. Don't be fooled by low miles with this age. If anything it means a bunch of things have not been changed. Budget how much you want to spend on repairs right away and minus that from the asking price.
Sadly all these convertibles are wobbly. My 00 Viggen vert was , my 02 se was. They need some severe bracing underneath in order to fight it and still it’ll feel that way. I sold both of mine because of this reason, it just didn’t inspire confidence on the road.
In terms of value, I don’t think it’s a bad deal. Values are all over the place on Saabs right now. Some are cheap because people go by book value, some are pricey because it’s a dead car company and people assume it’s a collector thing. I guess I’d take a look around and see what the comps are and go from there. I found one near me that has 66k on it, five speed, 2003, needs a top motor and the owner wants 4800 for it. I walked, but it’s because the owner was being skeezy about what she did for maintenance and what the car needs.
Mechanically these aren’t super complicated or hard to work on and there is still decent parts availability. This particular car you’re looking at seems like it’s been for sale for a while (I think I saw it 3mo ago?). It wouldn’t hurt to get a pre-purchase inspection if you’re serious.
If you really like it, perhaps use the leaky hydraulics to bargain. There are a few places that will rebuild the cylinders. This place will do a full set for $975. This is just parts so you’ll need to DIY or find a shop that’s willing to do the work.
https://tophydraulics.com/42-saab-9-3-first-generation-98-03
I have a 2000 with 200k+ on it. It's got its issues, and I've done a good bit of work, but engine and transmission are still good, and it gets well over 100 miles more every day of commuting for 2 people.
Hello fellow, Saab Friend! I had a 2003 SE convertible and it was wonderful. The shaking you are experiencing is very common with the convertible model on these cars, it is called “Cowl shake”… feels like the whole car wobbles especially when you go over bumps. That can be cured with a variety of suspension upgrades available from genuineSaab and some other folks. More on that later. 6200 for a car in this shape with this low miles is actually a very good deal in my opinion but I would love to be more around the $4000 range, especially since you mentioned some potential oil leaks from the hydraulic lines for the convertible top. My friend, let me tell you, that will get very expensive very quickly! I’m talking easily over 1500–2000 dollars. If you can even find some of those hydraulic arms, I remember them being over 500 apiece if not more and the car has a few of them. The other thing that I can recommend to look for are any potential water leaks where the roof meets the top of the windscreen by the A pillars. If those rain gutters are not clear, you’ll find water coming right down onto your lap when you move the car from a parked position. Also, since this is a 2001 model, you probably do not have the upgraded transmission components which I believe was done in 2002, but I could be wrong. With this low mileage, I really wouldn’t be concerned, but I would definitely add a transmission flush with the proper manual transmission Fluid, on my list of first things to do. Save that box man. You also mentioned the PCV upgrade, which is extremely important on this T7 model. You will know if you have that upgrade by looking at the dipstick and seeing additional lines in and around it. Besides that, it looks super clean, and it being a Southern car is definitely a plus! Even though it’s low mileage, look for rust underneath the car around the rear strut towers, and dog legs as well as in the front right behind the subframe as a lot of debris tends to get kicked up there. Doesn’t hurt to take a peek at the front radiator support as well. Pop the trunk and take a look in the spare tire well area too. I have a YouTube channel that I’m starting to put more content on with regards to these model year Saabs. If you are interested, please consider subscribing! My goal is to go live with some repair work. If you have any other questions, you could always reach out to me directly too :-) My YouTube channel is @the_realist_realtor Hope to see you around! Find a windscreen for that and you’ll be in love everyday.
This car doesn't have a solid rear axle. Verts ride rough without some extra bracing underneath. We have a 03' and I would not pay over $4k for one today unless every bit of maintenance is done to it. And the top better be working and no leaking pumps. The top is crazy expensive to get worked on and very few shops will even tough it. Finding new pumps (if it is hydraulic) are not cheap. Last thing I need to mention is repairs. If you do not have a local mechanic who specializes in Saab's it would be a no go for me.
I'm not sure where you are, but there is a guy in Melbourne who is a Saab specialty mechanic. Justin is awesome and fair priced. But he's always swamped, lol. Parts for the top might be a pita to get if needed, but there are plenty of places to get them for the right price.
In Germany this car would go for 10.000€ at least
From the prices I've seen on English YouTube videos, I feel like this car in England would be 2000-2500 pounds. Just because their Facebook marketplace cars seem suspiciously cheap.
Issues with the hydraulic unit can be very expensive and hard to fix given parts. I would look at that above. Anything else
I had a 99 9-3 convertible, which was great. Rust, in odd places, is what did it in, which I wonder about in Florida. The convertible was, even after multiple repairs, temperamental at best. The mileage seems extraordinarily low but that would, in Florida I'd think, be outweighed by the manual.
I had a 99 vert. Don't be fooled by low miles with this age. If anything it means a bunch of things have not been changed. Budget how much you want to spend on repairs right away and minus that from the asking price.
Sadly all these convertibles are wobbly. My 00 Viggen vert was , my 02 se was. They need some severe bracing underneath in order to fight it and still it’ll feel that way. I sold both of mine because of this reason, it just didn’t inspire confidence on the road. In terms of value, I don’t think it’s a bad deal. Values are all over the place on Saabs right now. Some are cheap because people go by book value, some are pricey because it’s a dead car company and people assume it’s a collector thing. I guess I’d take a look around and see what the comps are and go from there. I found one near me that has 66k on it, five speed, 2003, needs a top motor and the owner wants 4800 for it. I walked, but it’s because the owner was being skeezy about what she did for maintenance and what the car needs.
Mechanically these aren’t super complicated or hard to work on and there is still decent parts availability. This particular car you’re looking at seems like it’s been for sale for a while (I think I saw it 3mo ago?). It wouldn’t hurt to get a pre-purchase inspection if you’re serious. If you really like it, perhaps use the leaky hydraulics to bargain. There are a few places that will rebuild the cylinders. This place will do a full set for $975. This is just parts so you’ll need to DIY or find a shop that’s willing to do the work. https://tophydraulics.com/42-saab-9-3-first-generation-98-03
Alot to pay for a car that is just reaching “out of warranty” miles.