I am looking for a cool, cheap beater. The local CL has a 1990 Volvo 740 wagon, and a 93 Saab 900s 3 door hatch, for similar money. There's also a Saab 9000 CSE floating around out there, but I think that may be a money pit. I have owned both brands, and enjoyed both.

The cars are in decent condition, they look presentable enough to park in the driveway. We're talking about $1000, or a smidge over, so the expectations are limited.

I'm leaning toward the 900s, largely because it's a 5 speed (non turbo thankfully). Any thoughts?

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2002 Ford ZX2
2 x 2013 Honda Civics

Go with the 1990 Volvo 740 wagon. The B230 is indestructible and very easy to maintain and work on, especially the non turbo, one of the best engines ever build.

Saab's are great cars but a hassle to work on.

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1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

Aesthetically speaking I like Saabs- owned an 87 and 91 900s. Safe and fun to drive for fwd, reliability is so-so. I had a bad accident with the 91 and it may very well have saved me from seroius injuries.

Volvos are ok, no personal experience with them.

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'07 Yukon 2500
'13 Subaru Outback 3.6R
'13 Orbea Carpe 9-speed

Currently Benzless
Formerly: 300TD, S600, E55, 560SEL

---= The forest breathes, listen.
-Native American elder

Saabs are aesthetically more pleasing then the wagon and sedan 700's and the interiors are very nice. Not as nice a my Volvo 780 Bertone tho, but that one was build in Italy.

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1979 Black on Black, 300CD (sold), 1990 Black 300SE, Silver 1989 Volvo 780, 1988 300CE (vanished by the hands of a girlfriend), 1992 300CE (Rescue).

SAABs are one of the best cars, built like tanks. (not the poor GM thing)

a freind of mine had an old 9000 Aero - which was a bit mad to drive. you booted the pedal and shifted from 1-2 gear like a grampa, then the super long second gear and the turbo pushing it hard would launch it like a cannonball. Talk about toying with sports cars.

They are quite a pain to work on though.

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2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

I'd go with the Volvo.

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Jim

Buy a Mac... I meant, BUY A VOLVO, the older ones in the 240 series are bullet proof as they say. Our 1986 240 wagon had 300,000 miles on it when I sold it, and I saw it drive past my shop 5 years after I sold it.

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For the Saved, this world is the worst it will ever get.
For the unSaved, this world is the best it will ever get.

Clk's Ebay Stuff BUY SOMETHING NOW!!!

The trouble I've had with beaters is that I get something I like and then waste money trying to turn it into a non-beater.

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Whoever said there's nothing more expensive than a cheap Mercedes never had a cheap Jaguar.

83 300D Turbo with manual conversion, early W126 vented front rotors and H4 headlights 400,xxx miles
08 Suzuki GSX-R600 M4 Slip-on 22,xxx miles
88 Jaguar XJS V12 94,xxx miles. Work in progress.

My beater is more beat than your beater.

Beater fight, beater fight......

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For the Saved, this world is the worst it will ever get.
For the unSaved, this world is the best it will ever get.

Clk's Ebay Stuff BUY SOMETHING NOW!!!

I have had no actual experience with either, but I would go with the Volvo. The later SAABs, including this one are GMs. I religiously scan the CL ads and see a number of SAAB needing engines. Never a Volvo of that ilk. I personally like the older "classic" SAAB, but even that would not be as reliable as a Volvo B230.

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80 300SD (129k mi) 82 240D stick (193k mi)77 240D auto - stick to be (153k mi) 85 380SL (145k mi) 89 BMW 535i 82 Diesel Rabbit Pickup (374k mi) 91 Jetta IDI Diesel (155k mi) 81 VW Rabbit Convertible Diesel 70 Triumph Spitfire Mk III (63kmi)66 Triumph TR4a IRS (90k mi)67 Ford F-100 (??)

IF you choose the Saab 9000, make sure that you DO NOT get the autobox.

The most SAABs I come across that need engines are usually ignition cassette jobs or timing chain slap caused by using jiffy lube service.

Or a turbo failure causing to smoke like crazy.

The SAAB engines are very tough to kill. Meaning just like our MB diesels - if you pour jiffylube 10W40 gasser oil in it and run it for 10,000 miles between changes then MB is not to blame for bad workmanship.

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2012 BMW X5 (Beef + Granite suspension model)

1995 E300D - The original humming machine (consumed by Flood 2017)
2000 E320 - The evolution (consumed by flood 2017)

Parts availability comparison?

"timing chain slap caused by using jiffy lube service"

please explain...