buy my car.

 

Get a 9-3 if you can.

 

I dunno...I'd go with a 900 SE if you want easy mods...it has a very accepting engine management system that will make the modding process easier and cheaper.

 

1998 NG900 SE or a 1999 9-3 SE

More reliable clutches and bigger brakes than earlier models.
Easier and cheaper to upgrade than later models.

EDIT: SE has better suspension than S models, with lower springs and thicker front ARB; all models got improved front control arms mid-year 95.

 

1998 NG900 SE or a 1999 9-3 SE

More reliable clutches and bigger brakes than earlier models.
Easier and cheaper to upgrade than later models.

Yea I forgot about the 1999 9-3...do that if you can..

 

I second what Mike Saunders said. Both the 1999 9-3 and the 1998 900 are VERY similar. They are more similar to each other than the 1998 900 is to the 1994-1997 900, and the 1999 9-3 compared to the 2000-2002 9-3.

They have different bumpers but share many similarities in terms of brakes and engine managment systems and their clutches. Essentially the 1998 900 is the best NG900 that you can get, and the 1999 9-3 is likely more reliable for tuning than the 2000+ 9-3 due in part to its more durable motor, and the fact that a tunes ECU is a bit cheaper (nearly 1/2 the cost) for the '99 vs the '00-'02

 

Glad you made it cuz.

Saunders said it right. 98 or 99. Hydraulic clutch, T5 (most manageable) and has all the service updates and OEM upgrades.

 

The Hydraulic clutch is key if you plan on putting more power out. I need to upgrade my 96 to one but havent had the money readly available to do so. Im on my 3rd clutch cable in a little over a year.

I thought the '97s recieved the better brakes as well, if so it might be cheaper to find a '97 and then when tuning have the Hydraulic clutch conversion done then find a '98.

 

interested in the prices

what is the prices on the conversion of a 1997 to the hydraulic clutch?

 

there is actually more feel with the cable clutch. i learned this when helping cooper adjust his shift linkage after he got the new motor in there.
and once you find the right cable (aka a strong one, you should be all set).

and another thing, how do you guys keep snapping cables, as long as you arent revving to 6k and sidestepping the clutch, you should be fine. once the clutch is out, there is no pressure on the cable. its only during shifts that it would be under tension.....

 

i know at our shop we don't see very many snapped cables. what we see are mainly stretched cables which people keep driving on untill they kill the clutch.

 

Hey Mark. I'm with you. I'm installing a Hydraulic clutch as soon as I get my tax money back this April in my '97 900 SE. I'm also going to upgrade my clutch.

 

I personally like the 95's myself, living in NY the twin O2 OBDII of the post95 can be handfull "sometimes" with major mods. 95 has everything you want besides the brakes. I prefer the clutch cable, lets see you change a slave in 15 minutes. Good luck in what ever you decide.

 

probably the 95, and keep a cable in there, it's worth it, feels much better

 

my 97 also has the bigger front brakes, same as 98, and 99 9-3. apart from the hydraulic clutch, i thought those were the only 2 changes between 97 and 98. am i wrong?

 

If I was just going to get a car for daily driving, or snow beater, then any of them would work. If that was the case, then I agree with Saaboost and Bosz13. The mid-year 95 (or a 94 with the contral arm upgrade) would be even a BETTER bet than the later ones because they're so inexpensive....You can get a high-mileage one for under $2,000 up here, and at that price, they;re basically disposable. Run it into the ground, run it into a moose or over an embankment, then get a new one...

If you're going to upgrade the power, you'll eventually need/want to upgrade the clutch and the hydraulic is definitely the way to go for handling power. The switch was one of the first things I did with my 97, because I commute 40 miles each way to work, and I knew my cable would break at 2 a.m....along a dark highway...in freezing rain.

...and if you're upgrading power, you'll eventually need/want to upgrade brakes. All 9-3/9-5 after 97 use the same size hubs front and rear, so you can inexpensively upgrade your brakes to the large ones found on the Viggen or 9-5 Aero...or the even larger ones found on the 06 9-3SS Aero.

 

If you're going to upgrade the power, you'll eventually need/want to upgrade the clutch and the hydraulic is definitely the way to go for handling power.

Not to start arguement, please. You can call me ignorant but how does a Hydraulic clutch HOLD more power? I know the PP's changed in 98, is that what you mean?

I knew my cable would break at 2 a.m....along a dark highway...in freezing rain.

What are you doing out at 2am on a dark highway in freezing rain anyway? Nah I see your concern, but they usually give you a heads up before they let go.

My main stink is that mail order Ecu's can and we all know do have a chance of triggering a CEL, and in NY post95 vehicles won't pass the yearly inspection with one. I don't care who the tuner is, or if it's T5, T7 and T8 it can happen. I've had a 94SE running a rich mixture code for years. This is all just my opinions, I perfer 9000's myself anyways. Something about have GM parts on my Saab gets to me.

 

If I was to do an all out built up ng/9-3 I would do a 99 9-3. I would make it look like a Viggen, go to town on the suspension, and build up the engine. It would be very similiar to what KY did, but a bit more streetable and with the 9-3 as a base rather than the 900.

 

I don't know that all 98s have a hydraulic clutch, being that my N/A definitely had cable. There was no fluid reservoir.

 

I don't know that all 98s have a hydraulic clutch, being that my N/A definitely had cable. There was no fluid reservoir.

There's no separate clutch fluid reservoir, as the master cylinder uses the brake fluid. There's a little nipple on the brake fluid reservoir that feeds the clutch.
What's the build date on your car?

 

The only warning my cable gave me was 2 seconds before it snapped, the second time.

 

What Saunders was saying is that if you plan to upgrade your clutch (which is necessary to get the power to the ground without your clutch slipping up the ass) then leaving a cable in there is simply retarded.

After changing my clutch and pressure plate to a Stage 3 spec w/ Viggen PP (which is stiffer), I've gone through about 3 cables. I've never recieved any remote heads up before it snapped, which was why i had to leave my car sitting damn near in the middle of the road off a busy intersection just before a hill.

Hydraulic is necessary if you plan to have a Stage 3 clutch / PP, which is necessary for a good amount of power. Bottom line, unless you want to change cables every 6 months.

 

What Saunders was saying is that if you plan to upgrade your clutch,
Hydraulic is necessary if you plan to have a Stage 3 clutch, unless you want to change cables every 6 months.

Geez, no need for harshness, This would of been just fine, in which the response makes perfect sense. I don't wanna start an arguement with a site adim, I'm not gonna get sent to the (how did you word it) Sad rug, the corner, the bad chair, I can't remember.

As for cables with stock PP's I have sold 128 of them so far this year and only about 12 that were snapped, and those 12 were owned by teenagers who also go through shift joints just as fast. So my comment of they "usually" give you a heads up is pretty justifiable. If your running a Spec then yes you should have a spare cable in the trunk and you better get good at replacing them on the side of the road.

 

Eh I dunno if thats necessarly true Blaque - I love the feel of the cable in my car and Im running the Spec Stage 3 clutch setup...I do also have a hydraulic clutch unit sitting in my basement just in case I get sick of the cable, but even Paul of Automotion is still running a cable in his silver slut (probably close to 400whp...) and he claims to prefer it over the hydraulic unit as there is simply less to go wrong - its really only one thing that can go; easy diagnosis and easy fix.

 

I can understand an easy fix. It takes me about an 40 minutes to change one. It just can get annoying to have the cable go out so somewhat frequently.

 

If you guys cant drive a car home without using the clutch pedal, your retarted.

I drove home from another state with a blown slave cylinder.

 

Yeah anyway! That is exactly what I was thinking as I read down through. If the cable snaps start the car in 1st.

My slave cylinder went out at a car wash and I drove it home in downtown traffic. Then a few days later I drove it to the shop that's about 12 mi. away.

 

If someone was riding with me, they would have no idea anything happened. The only weird part is cranking it in gear in 1st. Other than that, you wouldn't even notice a difference

Maybe If I did a clutchless downshift from 5th to 2nd. Most of the time I can do it without it grinding, though..

 

Back on topic....

When I got my 99 about 3 years ago I had the same questions as you. For me, as bad as it may sound, I felt the 9-3 just had a much more modern presence and feel. I really couldn't describe it, but it just seems like a lot newer car.

My vote is a 99 9-3.

 

I just recieved a message from the author of the thread saying the Saabs in his location were pretty expensive for what he wanted. He'll be getting another car instead.

 

i found some options and am looking into them presently. so still considering a ng900.

 

I blew out my original throwout bearing so I had to replace that and I knew I was on original clutch with just over 100k miles on it. With the mods I had done it was slipping anyway. So I replaced the clutch (viggen), presure plate (viggen), throwout bearing, resurfaced the flywheel, and I didnt have enough for a Hydraulic conversion at the time so I put a new cable in. The increased stress from the upgraded parts just kills the clutch cables. And like Cedric said there is no forewarning to it, I was driving normal and easy went to grab 3rd felt a little resistance then boom my pedel hit the floor. I knew right away what it was.

 

http://www.genuinesaab.com/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=56_39&products_id=156&osCsid=6e331d43076d8d1e4f663fd78584a765

there it is.

 

nice.

actually that's not too bad for the kit... i found some cheaper ng900 options and have a few more places to look. the one i am looking at presently is a 1997 900se 4-door hatchback 5-speed turbo. for $4,180 something... is that reasonabe or if i pay cash what could i possibly get this chopped down to? i know little about car buying. i have 4,500 cash for a car but would like to not spend all of it seeming that i want the clutch upgrade and a turbo-xs type rfl blow off valve, and eventually a nordic ecu. i would actually prefer the 2-door. but i'll settle for the 4. i am still considering a saab, but if not a honda crx si.

 

This is an interesting thread to find and i'm going home to buy a 99 9-3. Gonna love it but seriously miss that 9k.