Greetings all!
It has to be said that my recent motoring karma has not been good. This could be traced back to the fateful decision I made to sell this,
2012-06-24144452 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
I loved this car so much - I have never kept a car for as long as I kept this (very nearly 5 Years........)
I sold it because the gearbox was failing and the dreaded rust had started to kick in........Now I realise that I should have got all of these things sorted because from this I got the OG 9-3 Aero which was a nice car but this came to a sticky end when the front wheel came off. Next came the Big red bus ('00 9-5 Aero estate) - which although it looked great, I never, ever bonded with. When the 9-5 started to become a little naughty, Mrs B called time on 'bangernomics' and demanded that we get a sensible and suitable 'modern' car to comfortably seat our now very-much growing 3 children. This led to us buying our XC90 - which to be fair does the job beautifully. This then led me in to selling the 9-5 and then using Mrs B's 9-3 vert. Mrs B as soon as she got her much-wanted XC90, she knew that I wouldn't keep the vert and that she knew I would go 9000 shopping! Of course, as I am not the type to let people down, I started my search.........
What I wanted was a either an Aero or a decent Anniversary. This turned into a long search, mainly because since I got my last 9000 the number of 9000s has all but disappeared!
Eventually, a friend mentioned how he had been to P&P car sales and that they had a real beauty. He had intended to buy this example but then decided I should get it instead. But when I rang P&P they were sorry to report that it had sold. But they suggested I get in contact with DCA Saab as they thought that they might have a 'few' Anniversaries.... So I did - they said that they did indeed have 3 awaiting attention. Daniel at DCA promised he would go up to their yard and see what they were like and pull out the best one. This turned out to be a '97 2.3 FPT auto in Scarab green. Here are the initial pictures he sent me of the said car;
2.3FPT Anni by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
2.3FPT Anni by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
2.3FPT Anni by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
2.3FPT Anni by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
Suitably interested, I asked for more information. They told me that it had full S/H (mainly Main agents and the rest Independent specialists - 19 stamps in all!) and that it had done 123k.
So with that I organised to go view during this past week - however as is often the case with family life plans didn't go to plan. I was then faced with the prospect of cadging lifts and using public transport for another half term. With this I took the brave (maybe stupid?) decision to buy the car 'blind' and get it delivered.........scary stuff!
So the 9000 was listed on Uship and eventually I agreed to have it delivered on Saturday. So when it arrived looking like this;
20171028_145210 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
20171028_145242 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
20171028_145526 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
20171028_145710 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
20171029_114848 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
20171029_114853 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
The spoiler was particuarly manky........
20171028_145535 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
But generally the car is sound and pretty much rust free - but boy is it ever grimy and dirty!
So fast forward to today I was set about giving her possibly the most thorough detail she had have in many a year - this was the regime;
Washed using G3 bodyshop prep shampoo
Clay mitt (G3)
Washed again with Megs Gold class shampoo
Megs Ultimate compound
Scratches treated with G3 scratch paste (loads have now gone!)
3 coats of Autoglym Super resin polish
2 coats of Autoglym HD wax
Interior - thorough hoovering
Leather cleaned and conditoned (Meguiars mirror bright leather treatment)
Door shuts cleaned - more needed
Tyres dressed using Megs Endurance
After around 4 hours this is how she looked;
20171029_162550 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
20171029_162413 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
So what are the priorities?
1. Tyres - they are not good. Looking at quite what to do in terms wheel options. I have always dreamt of set of Exposed nut Superaeros. If not a better set of Anni alloys - in any case a set of Uniroyal Rainsports are the dream
2. Replace number plates - these are ordered
3. Replace front and rear badges
4. Get the code for the head unit - this is being addressed this week too. Now done and working, sort of.......
5. Get the central locking working - module is needed. Sourced!
6. Get better rear spoiler in Scarab
There will be more.............
But - the main feeling is that I am so delighted to be back in a 9000!
As I have said many times before - 'you gotta love a 9000'!
It has to be said that my recent motoring karma has not been good. This could be traced back to the fateful decision I made to sell this,
2012-06-24144452 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
I loved this car so much - I have never kept a car for as long as I kept this (very nearly 5 Years........)
I sold it because the gearbox was failing and the dreaded rust had started to kick in........Now I realise that I should have got all of these things sorted because from this I got the OG 9-3 Aero which was a nice car but this came to a sticky end when the front wheel came off. Next came the Big red bus ('00 9-5 Aero estate) - which although it looked great, I never, ever bonded with. When the 9-5 started to become a little naughty, Mrs B called time on 'bangernomics' and demanded that we get a sensible and suitable 'modern' car to comfortably seat our now very-much growing 3 children. This led to us buying our XC90 - which to be fair does the job beautifully. This then led me in to selling the 9-5 and then using Mrs B's 9-3 vert. Mrs B as soon as she got her much-wanted XC90, she knew that I wouldn't keep the vert and that she knew I would go 9000 shopping! Of course, as I am not the type to let people down, I started my search.........
What I wanted was a either an Aero or a decent Anniversary. This turned into a long search, mainly because since I got my last 9000 the number of 9000s has all but disappeared!
Eventually, a friend mentioned how he had been to P&P car sales and that they had a real beauty. He had intended to buy this example but then decided I should get it instead. But when I rang P&P they were sorry to report that it had sold. But they suggested I get in contact with DCA Saab as they thought that they might have a 'few' Anniversaries.... So I did - they said that they did indeed have 3 awaiting attention. Daniel at DCA promised he would go up to their yard and see what they were like and pull out the best one. This turned out to be a '97 2.3 FPT auto in Scarab green. Here are the initial pictures he sent me of the said car;
2.3FPT Anni by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
2.3FPT Anni by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
2.3FPT Anni by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
2.3FPT Anni by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
Suitably interested, I asked for more information. They told me that it had full S/H (mainly Main agents and the rest Independent specialists - 19 stamps in all!) and that it had done 123k.
So with that I organised to go view during this past week - however as is often the case with family life plans didn't go to plan. I was then faced with the prospect of cadging lifts and using public transport for another half term. With this I took the brave (maybe stupid?) decision to buy the car 'blind' and get it delivered.........scary stuff!
So the 9000 was listed on Uship and eventually I agreed to have it delivered on Saturday. So when it arrived looking like this;
20171028_145210 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
20171028_145242 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
20171028_145526 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
20171028_145710 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
20171029_114848 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
20171029_114853 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
The spoiler was particuarly manky........
20171028_145535 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
But generally the car is sound and pretty much rust free - but boy is it ever grimy and dirty!
So fast forward to today I was set about giving her possibly the most thorough detail she had have in many a year - this was the regime;
Washed using G3 bodyshop prep shampoo
Clay mitt (G3)
Washed again with Megs Gold class shampoo
Megs Ultimate compound
Scratches treated with G3 scratch paste (loads have now gone!)
3 coats of Autoglym Super resin polish
2 coats of Autoglym HD wax
Interior - thorough hoovering
Leather cleaned and conditoned (Meguiars mirror bright leather treatment)
Door shuts cleaned - more needed
Tyres dressed using Megs Endurance
After around 4 hours this is how she looked;
20171029_162550 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
20171029_162413 by Mark Blewitt, on Flickr
So what are the priorities?
1. Tyres - they are not good. Looking at quite what to do in terms wheel options. I have always dreamt of set of Exposed nut Superaeros. If not a better set of Anni alloys - in any case a set of Uniroyal Rainsports are the dream
2. Replace number plates - these are ordered
3. Replace front and rear badges
4. Get the code for the head unit - this is being addressed this week too. Now done and working, sort of.......
5. Get the central locking working - module is needed. Sourced!
6. Get better rear spoiler in Scarab
There will be more.............
But - the main feeling is that I am so delighted to be back in a 9000!
As I have said many times before - 'you gotta love a 9000'!