Before I write about this possible course of action, here's some sage advice from The Auto Prophet. If you're considering buying a new car in the next.....say...... 50 years, then read this first.
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Now......
I've occasionally written about cars for sale as part of my content here on SU. In 99% of cases, it's because the car in question has some sort of curiosity value and the fact that it's become available for sale is what's brought it to someone's attention. They see it, they write to me and I write about it here on site.
Emails like the one below don't happen frequently, but often enough for me to wonder if it's worth making efforts to take some action.
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I got an email a few days ago from a reader who's looking to offload his Saab Turbo X prior to his lease expiring. He's looking for someone to take over the remaining lease payments, which he will part subsidise so that they're capped at US$450 a month (based on 1,000 miles/m).
The car is in Philadelphia and the last lease payment will be in July next year.
If you're interested in a short term Turbo X lease and that structure suits your needs and budget then let me know and I'll put the two of you in touch. It'll be up to you to ask all the right questions and it'll be up to Ken to provide full answers, but at least I can put you in contact.
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Whilst I'm interested in helping Saab sellers and buyers connect, this is not the normal sort of thing that should be featured on the Saabs United website.
So..... would people be interested in surfing/using a separate but related site, publishing posts about Saabs and maybe Saab parts/accessories for sale? Posts would be categorised so that you could look up models, model year, country, etc. A weekly summary could be posted here on Sundays telling of new vehicles added during the week.
If you're a dealer, would you find this service to be of value?
I'd propose that a small charge would be levied for each ad, which would stay online but be amended once the car was sold.
Thoughts?
As a web surfer looking at a Saab Classified advertisement, what would you like to see? Is there anything different that can be done to make the ads more relevant?
1. I plan on selling my NG900 this coming summer before going off to grad school.
2. I want to see her go to SAAB-loving hands.
3. SU deserves my support much more than other websites like Saabnet.
It maybe will be possible to add some "searching for" ads for a lesser fee.
I think classifieds would do very well, especially if the interface is good.
About the article you linked, I disagree with their take on rustproofing. You may not need it if you live in a warm and dry climate, but it's a necessity here in Canada.
Two things you should know about rustproofing:
"Electronic" rustproofing doesn't work. If anything, it will make your car rust more. It's a $10 box (with a blinking LED) that the dealer sells you for $800 and that guarantees that you will need a new car within five years. Lexus in Canada has now banned their dealers from offering these scams.
Rustproofing isn't just for the body panels. It coats every fastener on (and under) your car, making servicing cheaper/possible in the future. Lots of cars get scrapped in Canada just because no mechanic wants to work on them. Saabs have good brake and fuel lines, but American and Japanese cars are notorious for needing expensive replacements within the first decade.
That being said, dealer rustproofing is probably NFG. It's cheaper and better to go with a reputable specialist.