Martijn’s Saab 900 convertible

• you bought for? 580 euros
• Owned for how long? six years
• how many owners At least twenty
• Kilometers traveled? More than 30,000
• The biggest plus? Working on the car is very convenient
• Biggest drawback? It is difficult to keep costs under control
• biggest account? Transmission replacement
• How long do you keep it? fifteen years at least

The Swede was never worth more than 580 euros, according to Martin. “Only the bodywork was fine, but there were a lot of glitches in the technology, like the engine, gearbox, steering and hood. Not surprising: The 900 was delivered new in Italy in 1995, and it’s had no fewer than five owners there, Then followed export to Germany. There, Saab also eroded from five owners, until Sunflower ended up in Holland in 2002. Here he knew seven owners. He finally found peace with me: for the next fifteen years I want Mr. Satisfaction – That’s what I call it – start having fun.

Martijn has really turned the Renault Laguna II into a reliable car

To let people know how this happened, Drent uploads his baptismal certificate. “I was destined to become a farmer, but when I was 17 years old, a drunk driver took me off my motorcycle. As a result, my walking was difficult and I could not do farming. Since then I have been given an allowance of 70% of the minimum wage. Not much, And that’s why I eat bed and breakfasts here in Ruinen.So I like to deal.I’m not very technical, but I managed to improve my Renault Laguna II – the disaster-generation – so much that it became a reliable car. The Laguna still works as a family car elsewhere, because I sold it for parts Saab spare parts”.

Already already Saab 90 to port bottle

Saab is therefore a brand that has an advantage with Martijn. “That’s why: In 2016 I got a Saab 90 for a bottle of outlet. You understand: there’s still a lot to do. I picked up on the challenge and that’s what made me appreciate Saab: premium parts, thoughtfulness and class in all … a superior brand.”

Entry-level work is tough. Taste like more, time for a bigger challenge. He found him in Cofordon, where an abandoned 900 Cabriolet from 1995 had been gathering cobwebs in a shed for two years. “Technology had been largely neglected. The starting point was the boring buggy and worn-out interior. Then the hood was updated. That’s how I started to really enjoy it. That was a good thing, because under the skin a lot of things turned out to be wrong. Over the years, it’s really been fixed.” The whole engine. I’ve done a lot myself, but if I can’t figure it out, I got help from a guy Wim Timmer from Saab Specialties in Meppel, called ‘Trollhättan van Drenthe’ by me.”

The Saab 900 Cabriolet has covered more than 300,000 km, but we are not shocked by this.

For wishbone rubber for forging

Martyn went to the village blacksmith for another job: the wishbone-like rubber had to be replaced. “In Berlin I found an original set of Mapco multi-link rubbers that Saab used themselves too. The blacksmith pressed them into my wishbones. I honored all the Saab scrapyards in the north and east of the Netherlands with a visit. In this way I got spare parts for very little money, Because my budget is still limited. Hence the Laguna sale. On the other hand, I ordered everything to be original Saab: the best quality. “

The interior got an update, made one of 3 Saab radios

There is always room for improvement, even after work and a thorough cleaning. Finding a good automatic gearbox on his way, Martijn bought it, and later had his “technical buddies” install it. The interior design also received an upgrade. For example, he made one well-functioning copy of three Saab radios. Unfortunately, the hood operation continued to cause problems. “What ended up? The martyrs had bitten the wires. The resulting short circuit disabled the complex surface computer, so recalibration was necessary.”

The headlight wipers also work again.

All in all, after €580 to buy, Martijn spent a total of about €8,500 on restoration. “I didn’t know what to expect in 2017. The purchase was a real leap of faith. Everything about the rebuild was disappointing, but real car enthusiasts pick that up and move on. But beware: do it yourself, not for the money. Only then will you enjoy it.” And I’m enjoying my 900 Cabriolet. That expensive luxury car I saw driving around in the ’90s is now mine. The driving is great. The car is already worn out by many of its owners. I hope to enjoy it for at least another fifteen years. If necessary, I can drive it all over the world “.