Saleofcar.com :Saab

Saab 9-3 VIGGEN (2000)
for sale

Price: US $6,000.00

Description:

If you're an enthusiast and know about SAAB Viggens, you'll like this car. If you don't know much about SAAB Viggens but have always loved the classic profile of these cars, read on - you will love this car.
This is a beautiful 2 owner 2000 SAAB 9-3 Viggen that has spent its entire life down South in North Carolina where we have mild weather and nice smooth roads. I am the second owner of this vehicle, it is my 3rd Viggen, and the 5th SAAB I've owned.
Owner 1 drove it very gently. It became his 3rd car in 2005 - as you can see the annual mileage drop from the carfax. I went there to to Charlotte to view it and discussed the cars history with him - it was garaged its whole life and he took really nice care of it. Man probably in his 50's, very nice house with 3 car garage in nice neighborhood. Car had a nice life...
I purchased it in March 2012 with approx 95k on it, and brought it home to the Raleigh area. It has been primarily a 3rd car for me as it currently has only 121k. It has been garaged and maintained extremely well under my care. The mileage averages out to @7, 500 mi/yr, and it shows.
I love these cars which is why I've owned 3. I've also owned 2 SAAB 9-5 Aeros. Both of these models use the same 2.3l high output turbocharged engines. So I'm an enthusiast you could say. Detailed specifcations and performance data information can be found online about these cars. I'll give a summary about what makes these cars special.
Viggens were SAABs equivalent of BMW's M-Series Series vehicles with upgraded performance and exterior / interior trim & amenities. 9-3 Viggens were actually manufactured in a different factory than their standard 9-3 counterparts - Viggens were produced at Valmet Automotive Factory in Finland along side the Porsche Boxster. (Valmet is a boutique automobile factory and today they hold a contract to produce Mercedes Benz GLC SUV) Compared to SE models, Viggens had larger 2.3l high output turbo motors, performance ecu tune, performance gear ratio, racing clutch, sport tuned stainless steel exhaust system which sounds amazing, upgraded intercooler, high performance brakes with slotted rotors that are extremely responsive, 17 wheels, sport tuned suspension with front and rear stabilizer bars, shock tower brace, deep bucket seats, different front bumper cover with lower air valance, lowered side skirts, and a different rear bumper that also had a lower air valance. They were only available in 5sp manual transmissions. They had 230hp, 258ftlbs of torque. and were rated at 0-6 in the mid 6 seconds. This is a very fun car to drive.
They are VERY RARE - why? First - SAAB never really had sizeable market share compared to say BMW - so not many SAABS in general came into the USA. Of the relatively small quantity that did come to the USA, 9-3 Viggen models we're special limited production units. They were sold as 4 door hatchbacks, 2 door coupes, and convertibles and were produced between 199-2002. Some convertibles were produced in 2003. Only 4600 Viggens were ever produced worldwide between 1999-2002. Using some rough math taking total M3 some data floating around on BMW forums stats that BMW produced @40, 000 e46 M3s between 2001-2006. That works out to be about 6, 670 M3s/year. So in the same time period that 4, 600 Viggens were produced, 26, 700 M3's were produced. Thats nearly 6x as many M3s. Only 94 silver Viggen convertibles like this one were shipped to the USA in 2000, none in 2001, and 71 in 2002. There are no 2003 numbers stated.
ALL NEW HYDRAULIC CONVERTIBLE LINES & REBUILT TOP HYDRAULIC CYLINDERS BETTER THAN FACTORY SPECS:
This is a big deal. The convertible top system is automatic, operated by a switch, and uses a rather complex mechanism which includes 5 Hydraulic Cylinders, Hydraulic lines, pump, and a bunch of micro switches, and a pivoting framework. This system does not last forever and the components are not cheap. 1 single original equipment SAAB cylinder is list priced at $750 and the going rate is easily $450 EACH. Hoses list at $250 EACH, can be gotten for $185 EACH - and there are 10 hoses... If you do the math, parts alone cost a fortune, and the labor cost to have a reputable convertible shop do the work is extremely expensive - usually the labor cost is equal to the cost of the parts. This is another reason why any of these SAAB convertibles from this vintage are so rare. Once these components fail, the cost to replace it all ends up being prohibitive. Standard 9-3 convertibles or SE's aren't so desirable that its worth really putting that kind of money towards it - car is done and goes to junk yard... Viggens because of their special appeal, have fighting chance, but if there in bad shape - they're done too at this point. I believe this is the #1 reason these cars end their usable lives and why finding them these days in nice usable condition is becoming more and more difficult.
But this car has ALL NEW lines and all rebuilt to better than factory spec cylinders. They were installed in March of 2012. System works perfectly and this is the main reason you want this particular car. It can be driven with confidence for years knowing major top issues will not come up. No battling leaking lines or cylinders and unexpected top malfunctions... With this major concern out of the way, the rest is just regular car maintenance items that one could expect from any car as it is operated over the years. Honestly, it would be worth replacing the engine if it ever failed because that would be way less than doing the convertible system over.
Maintenance:
This car has been very well maintained. I have brought it to local SAAB specialist for certain items, had my regular shops do different work, and I have done some maintenance myself. Again, its my 3rd Viggen and I've had 2 9-5 Aeros and I've looked after all of them. They're quirky but pretty straight forward to maintain. I'm the type of person that fixes stuff immediately becuase I want my car running perfectly all the time. Full Synthetic Oil changes every 4-5kPVC6 update kit - this is a PCV system upgrade that needs to be done to these engines to avoid oil sludging issuesDropped Oil pan and cleaned out pick up screen - this is done to check if oil sludge is an issue and is preventative maintenance to ensure oil flows through the engine optimallyValve cover gasket replaced - there was a small seepage because this gasket was going bad - common maintenance itemOil Pressure Switch - 103kNew Clutch at 105k New serpentine belt & idler pulleyNew upper radiator hose, t-stat, & fluid change, oil pan dropped & cleaned at 110kNew 02 Sensor - 111kNew DI Cassette - ignition system component that sits on top of the engine goes bad sometimes and simple to replaceBrand new battery Autocraft gold 48 month battery just installed 5/22/16

Overall Condition:

Michelin Pilot Sport A/S Front / Michelin Pilot Sport Exalto Rear with plenty of life leftCosmetically the car is excellent - interior 8.5 / exterior 9Power seats fully operational, leather in mint conditionConvertible top is in excellent condition - clearly obvious it was garagedBody minor dings, paint still shines, no accidents, front lip is intact and undamagedNo accidents - all panels line up, seams are consistent, no problemsNo leaks - I can't stand leaks, just replaced a seeping valve cover gasket, NO LEAKSAll dash LED Pixels are operating - Had both units refurbished so they have full illumination like new and all info is legibleHVAC System fully functional - AC Blows nice and coldAll windows raise and lower and track properlyAll interior lights workStereo & CD works / CD Changer in trunk worksPower antenna works
I wouldn't hesitate to take this car on a long road trip

Upgrades:
Replaced the Viggen wheels (which are notorious for bending like silly putty) with newer generation 17 SAAB 9-5 Aero wheels - one of the few that maintains an 8 width to match the stock Viggen sizeBone stock otherwise - was planning on doing stuff but just lost interest and didnt drive it enough
So whats the bad?
We'll its 16 years old so its not brand new off the showroom floor of course. I used it and drove it like a regular car. Let it get dirty, cleaned it when it got too dirty and just used it. Wife used it, and I drove my baby girl in her car seat strapped in back. (She loves driving in it). So there are some scratches and chips on the paint here and there, a parking lot ding or two, and some minor wear in the interior. I wipe it down with good leather conditioner every so often to keep the leather nice and supple. SAAB used really high quality leather in their cars and their seats last a long time.
Why am I selling it?
Wanted to keep it forever but we have 3 cars and I'm wanting to just go down to 2 cars. I have a 3yr old and another one on the way so need to do some re-configuring of vehicles.
The next owner just needs to enjoy it and maintain it like they care about it. It will gladly accept upgrades. I could suggest a few.
Selling Notes:
Title in HandPlease contact for a viewing if you are localSelling only to the continental North America / USA - No Overseas buyers Trucking arrangements are buyers responsibility - I have a good location for truck to pick upNo warranty provided - I'm a private seller and this is a used carI reserve the right to end the auction at any time.$500 deposit required within 24 hours of auctions endBalance due within 72 hours of auction end via cash or wire transferVehicle will not be released until car is paid in fullThank you for visiting my auction
_{update: 2016-07-13}