State of Nine – Free Shipping & MA Saab Rally Now Jan 21st, 2012
December 31, 2011 in State of Nine
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by StateofNine
by StateofNine
Free US Shipping from State of Nine Monday & Tuesday Only
December 12, 2011 in State of Nine
Free US Shipping from State of Nine Monday & Tuesday Only
by Swade
Help wanted – armrest booster for Saab
February 22, 2011 in Saabology
I got the following email from Nigel P earlier today and I think there’s probably someone out there with some knowledge of a solution.
I am looking to buy a Turbo Edition 9-5 , one of the last made. For fuel consumption reasons I may go for the 1.9 TiD and have it “Hirsched”, but may go for an Aero having had 3 in the past.
My question is: I need to have a customised arm rest. I had a stroke last year and my left arm gets very tired on longer trips so it needs to be supported. The current one is not really high or long enough.
Do you know of any company that can provide a customised arm rest for a 2008-2009 Saab 9-5?
I’ve already pointed Nigel in the direction of State of Nine, who sell armrest boosters for a variety of Saab models.
Does anyone else know of any solutions? There might be someone else out there with a similar need and all advice would be welcome.
by Swade
Saab 9-5 accessories at Saab USA Parts
October 12, 2010 in sponsors
I get product updates from time to time from the sponsors here at SU and I was chuffed to see one recently from SaabUSA Parts, who are now stocking new accessories for the new Saab 9-5.
As is their way, they’re stocking them at pretty good prices compared to list price as well.
Examples:
- New Turbine 19-inch wheel, which is listed at $485, is being sold for $388 per corner. The same wheel in black is $100 off list price.
- Noise cancelling wireless headphones for the entertainment system are $12 off list price, at $46.62.
- Roof racks are $42 off list price, at $185
Their feature product this month (the Saabtoberfest sale) is a new keychain from Saab. It’s got a new padlock style locking mechanism, some classy white stitching and a more durable clear coat for a longer life.
Like everything else, it’s at a good price, too, at just $13.95.
They’re all genuine Saab accessories, too. You can check out the full line at SaabUSA Parts and I’ve put up a little gallery below showing some of the stuff that’s available.
My thanks to SaabUSA Parts (and all the SU sponsors) for their continued support.
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by Swade
Hanging out with State of Nine
October 6, 2010 in sponsors
I’m fortunate to have a group of great, long-term sponsors with this website. They’ve all been with me for a number of years now, which is a great show of support and more importantly, a show of their commitment to Saab and the people who drive them.
It’s a double-blessing for me when I get to visit them and meet them in person. Such was the case back at Swedish Car Day, when I got to meet Dan De Vlieger from State of Nine and spend a bit of time getting to know him and his business.
Dan sweating it out at SOC 2010 (photo by Eggs).
For those who are unfamiliar with State of Nine, it’s a small business run by Dan out of his base in Boston, MA. SoN specialises in supplying aftermarket accessories specifically tailored to be two things – (1) perfect for the Saab model they’re designed for, and (2) the best products in the field.
On a personal level, Dan is one of the most pleasant blokes you’d ever meet. We had a couple of lunches together, along with Pierre from Charles River Saab, and had a great time getting to know one another.
Dan is in his late 30s. He lives in Boston with his wife and two young children and maintains his SoN office as a single-room sublet in a grand old house that once hosted some of Boston’s social elite, with rooms in the house now converted into individual offices. Dan has a beautiful Saab 900 convertible that doubles not only as magnificent transport, but also as a test rig for many of the products he sells.
The SoN warehouse is located about an hour or so out of town, maintained as part of a larger logistics operation. When you place an order at SoN’s website, it’s sent to Dan. He checks it and sends it on to the warehouse, where the goods are selected from stock, carefully packaged and prepared for postage.
I think what impressed me most about meeting Dan and getting to know SoN’s operations was the sheer commitment that it takes to do what he does. He sells great stuff and asks a higher price than some people expect for it. He’s taken a bit of flack for that from some people, but when all’s said and done, he knows two things.
First, his business does supply the best products he can get his hands on. Whether it be wind-screens for convertibles, rubber mats for those northern winters or the best Saab clothing, his stuff is specifically sourced because it’s premium quality. I got one of his Classic White Saab Lands’ End Dress Shirts and it’s without doubt, the most comfortable shirt I own.
Second, if Dan’s going to keep serving his client base and feeding his young family, he’s got to stay in business. That means he has to earn a living. To do that, he needs to sell the best stuff he can find, which is exactly what he does.
Like his customers, Dan’s a Saab enthusiast who happens to also make a living serving the needs of other Saab enthusiasts. Thankfully, there’s enough people out there, especially in the north-eastern US, who agree with him when it comes to providing the best Saab official and aftermarket accessories you can find.
I’m proud to call Dan a friend, and especially grateful that State of Nine is a long term Saabs United supporter and sponsor.
by Swade
Thursday night snippets
September 30, 2010 in Saabology
Another bunch of small-ish Saab stories that are bouncing around amongst all the BMW engine stories……
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It looks like someone from Autospies has been staying at the Swania in Trollhattan. They’ve done a pictorial ‘tour’ of the town that pretty much features Saabs parked on Storgatan, the street the Swania’s on.
I miss Swania.
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Here’s another story stating the BAIC plan to release their remodelled Saabs by the end of 2011, and they’ve built 30 full electric test vehicles based on Saabs already.
They hope to build 150,000 full electric vehicles per year by 2015. And Pete D the AutoExtremist thought Volkswagen’s targets were ambitious!
Still, good luck to them. The better they go, the better off Saab’s relationship with them should become. Does that make Saab BAIC’s BMW?
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By the time you read this there will be mere hours to go on the auction, but it might be worth a look.
Selling via Ebay in the US is a rare Saab 900 rear spoiler
(and no, I don’t know the seller). Apparently it’s a genuine Saab part, though not seen very often. Below is an image of the spoiler attached to an actual 900.
Definitely different.
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A few US Saab events coming up this weekend that locals might want to check out…..
People are gathering at various places for a drive up Mount Washington, New Hampshire, on Sunday 3rd October. There’s a Facebook Page for the gathering, so check it out if you’re nearby and in the mood to take on one of Mr Pastrana’s favourite roads.
The Mitchell Saab and Volvo dealerships in Simsbury, CT, are having an Annual Swedish Beauty Contest Car Show. Send photos, please.
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Don’t put your eggs all in one basket, or your executives all on one plane.
TROLLHATTAN, Sweden — Whoever books Saab’s charter flights at the automaker’s headquarters here apparently thought this was a good way to reduce costs.
The plan was simple: Put Saab’s senior management, everyone scheduled to be at the Paris auto show, all on the same plane today along with journalists from Europe and the United States.
When the plan was discovered, and fearing the potential for disaster to the small automaker, several executives were taken off the list and issued plane tickets on a commercial aircraft. It is not known when the plan surfaced and was quickly modified.
Saab Automobile Chairman Victor Muller and Saab Automobile CEO Jan Ake Jonsson remained on the two-hour charter flight. Their time was spent in interviews with journalists.
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by Swade
Saab 9-5 wheels that can maketh the car
August 3, 2010 in Saabology
You know I love wheels, right. They maketh the car.
I hadn’t seen these wheel options that being made available for the new Saab 9-5, so I figured I’d better share them here as some of you may not have seen them either.
These are taken from the options available on the Saab Sweden website. Click that link, select Fälgar from the first drop down, then the appropriate Saab 9-5 options from the second and third drop downs. You’ll then see something like this:
Those are the available wheel options for the car.
Patrik B, who emailed me about this, made some good selections that I’d like to share with you as well. On the right color car, these could look awesome.
Click to enlarge.
Saab’s new turbine wheels in black!
Light, Medium and darker shades of Edge wheels.
And the 20 inch Turbostar wheels for maximum bling!
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by Swade
Saab Washer Fluid and Maptun Air Filter – done
November 11, 2009 in sponsors, Troll Stuff
Tonight I managed to squeeze in a couple of the jobs I told you about last night – fitting the Maptun air filter and filling up with the Saab washer fluid.
Maptun Air Filter
It was definitely time to change the stock filter as it was quite dirty at one end. As expected, the Maptun unit fitted straight in and I was off for a drive.
Once again, like the BSR open unit I had before, there seems to be a slight increase in urgency, though that may be psychological. I did take the car on a good sprint before changing over, though, and another one straight after. I therefore think my conclusions are reasonably objective as I was driving in the same conditions both times.
Any increase is marginal, at best. Still, it’s good to have it in there and know that I won’t have to think about it again for a while.
The other good news is that the irritating noise that got me to pull out the BSR unit hasn’t made a return with the Maptun unit. One thought that crossed my mind with that noise is that it could have been a minor split in an air hose somewhere and the noise was accentuated by the increased airflow. It hasn’t returned, though, so I think I must have got one made late on a Friday afternoon.
The BSR unit feels solid and there’s no splits anywhere as far as I can tell. I’ve heard good things from everyone else about them but unfortunately it just doesn’t seem to have worked for me. I’ll definitely miss the noise.
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Saab Washer Fluid
The Saab washer fluid comes in a concentrate form and costs just A$10 here, so it’s very good value for money.
This is pretty clever stuff, actually. The fluid concentrate has got a high alcohol content. This will not only prevent your washer fluid from freezing in the winter, but it also means quick, streak free drying when you actually use it. The fluid has a lubricant in it, too. Modern Saab washer systems have a one-way valve in them and the lubricant in the fluid keeps this valve in good working condition.
Oh yeah, and it cleans the glass pretty darn well, too.
The before shot from my little snap test this evening:
And the after shot…. pretty clear though a few stubborn spots remain as this car hasn’t been cleaned in some time (and I need to clean the inside glass, too)
The part number for the Saab washer fluid is 12799116 and if you quote that to your local Saab accessories place, they should be able to put their hands on it pretty quick. At $10 here in Oz, it’s pretty cheap and I imagine it’s equally good value where you live.
Though there is one issue……
A note to Saab about this fluid bottle
This is a concentrate, but I couldn’t find any instructions on the bottle as to the right ratio I was supposed to use to mix it.
I looked in my owner’s manual and whilst it recommended the use of the genuine Saab fluid, it didn’t mention a ratio, either. It just said to follow the instructions on the bottle (or box). The washer fluid reservoir is 4.7 litres so I just guesstimated that around 300-400ml would do the trick
I received my bottle as you see it there. Maybe when you get it over the counter it comes in a box with the instructions printed on it.
I think it’d be a good idea to have the mixing instructions on the actual bottle, too, because there’s a distinct possibility that some buyers would throw the box away after opening it.
Just a suggestion.
by Swade
New site for Saab scale model cars
November 2, 2009 in Saabology
Some of you might already have some scale model Saabs. Personally speaking, I’v e got a dozen models at my office in 1:43 scale, most of which come from the Saab Expressions catalogue. They range from UrSaab right through to the Aero-X and there’s even a 9-7x amongst them!
Last week I heard about a site featuring Saab model cars that absolutely knocked my socks off!
It’s called Dimini.ch and is run by a couple of Saab nuts who are avid collectors of Saabs, both full size and scale models.
Here’s a sample. Click to enlarge.
And one of my personal favourites – a two-door Saab 99 Turbo:
Dimini.ch is a partnership between a couple of guys from Switzerland – Dmitri and Frederic. Between them they own a collection of 13 classic Saabs as well as a few other distinct Europeans.
Here’s a quick message about Dimini.ch from Dmitri:
Since forever, I’ve been a car and a model car collector, fascinated by the automobile and especially Swedish cars. I was frustrated not to be able to combine my passions because Swedish cars and more particularly Saabs are not easy to find as model cars.
In my professional career, I have been working more than 10 years in the world of model cars. Because of this, I now have all the necessary connections to begin the sale of these model cars in order to fill this void for collectors.
The online shop at www.dimini.ch is now open and it offers to all the collectors and model cars fans, especially Saab, Volvo, Valmet, Scania and other Scandinavian brands, a wide choice of models that were previously difficult to find.
Do not hesitate to visit our site and ask for the models you are looking for, and please send us your comments so that we can continue to improve our offering.
Those of you who like to collect scale model Saabs ought to bookmark that site as I have a feeling it’s going to be a great resource for Saab collectors.
The frontpage site is at www.dimini.ch and the web shop is at shop.dimini.ch
by Swade
Product review – those little Saab wheel nut covers
August 22, 2009 in Saabology, sponsors
David from Saab Australia was inspired to send me these little plastic wheel nut covers after he saw this photo of my old Viggen’s wheels, which I linked to a little while ago.
Doing a quick product review of something as basic as wheel nut covers might seem a little rudimentary to you, but I didn’t know about them before so I figured maybe some others don’t know about them either.
Take a look at the photo linked above and you’ll see some beautiful clean wheels and some very ordinary looking wheel nuts. It’s the same situation with my Monte Carlo (although the wheels themselves could do with a good cleaning), just as it probably is with your car.
Here are the Monte wheels and wheel nuts, photographed before putting the wheel nut covers on around lunchtime today.
Click any of the photos to enlarge…..
In the package, you get 20 of these little plastic wheel nut covers, as well as a tool for getting them off the wheel nut.
Do NOT lose that little tool as you’ll have a very hard time getting the wheel nut covers off without it. Mine went straight into the center console after use today.
Here’s a SU-tool-tip for the similarly unlearned: Use the removal tool to put them on as well. I found my first few attempts to get the covers on ended up like the one below, with the cover jammed in on an angle. There wasn’t enough room around the nut to get my fingers in there and get it on straight. You can use the tool to line the cover up accurately and the press the cover on with your fingers.
Finally, here’s what they look like with the covers on. Much better.
It’s a very cheap and very effective little cosmetic change. Compare the shot below with the the first one and I think you’ll agree the wheels look much tidier with the covers on.
If there was one thing I’d like to change about these, or at least try out, it would be to get a set of these in silver plastic rather than black.
I could always paint them silver, I suppose, but I can see the paint chipping off pretty easily, leaving the covers looking like the nuts underneath.
If you want to get some of these for yourself, the Saab part number is 12771404 and when I said they were cheap, I meant it. This set of 20 caps with the removal tool costs a miserly A$10.50 here in Australia.
by Swade
One-off bargain wheels at Elkparts
August 13, 2009 in sponsors
Site sponsors, Elkparts, have a one-only special going on a set of very sweet 17-inch Double Evo wheels.
Twitter can be useful!
Here’s the story from the Elkparts site.
ONE SET ONLY!
Delivery mileage alloys – these alloys were put on a Saab at the factory in Trollhattan, Sweden, did a couple of miles around Saab’s test track, on and off transporters and did only a handful of miles. Please note that these alloys have had tyres fitted and removed and are supplied as alloy wheels only and, as such, are not sparkling like brand new ones as they show evidence of tyres being fitted. Nevertheless, having been used for only a few miles, these alloys represent huge savings over the cost of boxed, new equivalents.
These wheels normally sell for £1,186 for the set of four. This particular set of lightly used wheels, still boxed, are selling for £699.99
What’s the catch?
Well, aside from having done a handful of miles, one of the rims has a slight scuff on it. You can see a picture of the mark at the Elkparts gallery at Saabphotos.
The wheels maketh the car – and this is a bargain for a set of very smart looking wheels.
Click here for the full story and order page.
by Swade
Special offers from Saab Australia – 9-5 decor panel and Inca alloys
July 31, 2009 in sponsors
RE-POSTED for the benefit of any Aussies who missed it the first time.
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As you may know, Saab Australia’s genuine parts and accessories division is now a sponsor here at Saabs United and from time to time, they’re passing on some great special deals on genuine Saab accessories and parts for your late model Saabs.
I just fitted the genuine Viggen shocks and springs to my 9-3 Monte Carlo and the difference they’ve made, along with the Hirsch ECU and steering rack clamp, is absolutely amazing.
Saab OZ have just informed me of another pair of limited offers and as SU readers, you’re getting the best exposure to them.
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Saab Inca alloys
As you know, the wheels maketh the car and these genuine Saab alloy wheels look sensational on all current generation Saabs. They even looked the goods on Kaylan’s old Saab 9000 Aero (pre-toasting, and if you’re thinking of these for a 9000, then make sure you check the stud pattern).
These wheels are normally around A$2,000 for a set of four.
Saab Australia are doing a special offer on three (3) sets only – for $990 inc GST.
To take advantage of this special offer, contact the Accessories people at your local Saab dealer and ask them for the special deal on Saab Part number 32025941.
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Saab 9-5 rear decor panel
This is a really quick way to pretty up the rear of your 1998-2001 model Saab 9-5. This rear decor panel takes about 30 minutes to fit and looks like a million dollars.
These are going out the door at $132, inc GST.
To take advantage of this offer, contact the Accessories people at your local Saab dealer and ask them for the special deal on Saab Part Number 400106233.
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Actually, if you’ve got a 98-02 model Saab 9-5, these two offers could transform the look of your car in a day.
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David at Saab is also going to send me a bag of wheel nut covers. He got the inspiration after seeing the Viggen wheel photo that Stu the Lens Genius took, featured earlier this morning.
Ordering part number 12771404 (for the five-stud pattern) gets you a bag of 20 covers as well as the special removal tool to get them off again when you need to.
All that for only $10.40 inc GST.
I’ll post some before and after shots when the covers arrive.
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If you’re reading this from outside Australia and seething with jealousy, remember that our other site sponsors also carry some genuine Saab parts and accessories, as well as some top shelf aftermarket stuff, too.
- State of Nine (USA)
- Elkparts (UK)
- MobilForum (Germany)
- SaabUSA Parts (USA, duh)
by Swade
Specials on Saab Accessories for Aussie Saabers
July 6, 2009 in Archive
UPDATE – I thought I’d re-publish this for any Aussies who missed it last week and might be interested in these limited-quantity special from Saab Australia.
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I’m pleased to welcome Saab Australia to the left sidebar as a sponsor of Saabs United.
They’re interest here is making sure you all know about the importance of using genuine Saab spare parts and accessories.
Clicking on the advertisement at left will take you through to the Saab Australia accessories page, where you can look up all the available bits and pieces for your car’s specification and model year.
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To kick off Saab Oz’s campaign here, they’ve sent through a number of specials they’ve got going at the moment.
There are some great bargains here, but they’re in limited numbers. If you see something you like, write down the part number and get in touch with your local Saab dealer. Point them to this entry if you need to and make sure you get the advertised price.
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Carbon Fibre dash kits to suit 9-5 MY98-05.
The kits include the instrument panel, shifter surround and ashtray.
Was $1190, now just $349.
Part No. 400 112 553.
Steering wheels to suit the 9-3 Sport Sedans.
First, there is the Leather/Wood version in polar brown to suit the MY03-05 cars, which is normally $690. There are two only at the special price of $219.
Please note this excludes the audio controls and airbag which can we swapped from the vehicles original items.
Part no. 12791542
Also, we have a Sport version to suit MY06-09 normally $490. There are four available for only $219.
The wheel is finished in black leather with extra thumb grips. Again, this excludes the audio controls and airbag.
Part number 12757703.
OG9-3 Cupholders
For original 9-3 owners (1998-2002) there is a cup/coin holder, which fits into the centre armrest, these are great value at only $16.50.
Part No. 400126504.
As you can see, these items are in limited numbers, are genuine factory items and are at great prices.
My thanks again to Saab Australia for their support of Saabs United!!
by Swade
Saab Disagrees T-Shirts
July 2, 2009 in Archive
I thought I’d just give you a heads-up about these latest additions to the Saab Design T-Shirt Shop that Ivan and I run through the site.
These shirts are based on an old Saab promotional video. I think it was from the 1980s (I’ve lost the link) but it featured some great lines that were very independent minded and very Saabish.
We’ve chosen one of those lines for this particular T-Shirt design.
Conventional wisdom measures performance by the single dimension of speed. Saab disagrees.
It’s available in two formats, with the message all on the front, or the message split between the front and the back.
The shirt is only available through the US-based stores, which everyone can order from.
You can get it either pre-formatted in one our chosen design combinations, or you can go to the DIY store and set it up exactly as you want.
Well?
What are you waiting for??!
by Swade
Some notes and offers from Saab Australia
May 19, 2009 in Archive
Last week I brought you a special offer from Saab Australia on Saab Parking Assist foe the Saab 9-3 (03-07 models).
I’ll repeat that offer below for those who may not have seen it, and as a reminder for those who have!
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First things first, though….
Saab Oz are cleaning out the sheds and have dug up a one-only offer – there’s only one of each of these accessories available so it’ll be first come, first serve.
Saab 9000 owners who want to get in early on a Spring clean and spruce up of their car have a rare opportunity to obtain a Genuine Saab Walnut Dash trim and a set of matching walnut door caps to suit RHD 9000 CD/CS from 1992 to 1998.
Part numbers:
Dash – 136103405
Door – 136103033
Both of these parts are going for the one-only special price of $220 each. That’s $220 for the dash and $220 for the set of door caps.
Just contact your Aussie Saab dealer and they will order your part in and note that Saab Oz only have 1 of each at this price! Definitely no rain checks.
If your dealer has some problems, contact me and I’ll try and put you on to the right person.
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You may recall that just before I sold my 1985 900 Aero, I replaced the clutch in it. The replacement cost me around $800 installed.
When Saab Australia emailed me about the 9000 interior bits for sale, they also provided me with a nice little reminder about using Genuine Saab parts in your repairs.
I was reading recently your article about service costs and you mentioned that you had used a non-genuine Sachs clutch kit in your Classic 900 turbo, which from memory cost around $800 fitted. The RRP inc. GST for the Saab Genuine clutch and pressure plate kit is $286 plus $53.90 for the bearing, (the injected kit less again – only $198!). Standard time is 2.1 hours to fit, so even with some fluid and extra time it would be cheaper to go 100% Genuine.
Hmmmmmmm [he thinks to himself, rather embarassed]. Thanks.
It’s a good reminder to definitely count going Genuine in your research when something needs to be done. I had no idea that I’d blown some extra cash.
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Oh, and by the way, regarding the new owner of my 1985 Saab 900 Aero and the catastrophic engine failure……I received a quick explanation via email.
It started like this:
I went in a race with a friend….when the engine started to sound strangely.
Apparently the friend was in a turbocharged Nissan Skyline and the little Aero was acquitting itself quite well when it decided to quit.
Grrrrrrr.
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I’m very pleased to be able to pass on a special offer from Saab Australia.
They’ve sent out brochures about this to customers via their normal contact methods, but knowing that some people’s details may no longer be correct, they figured it wise to extend the offer via other means as well.
So if you’re an Aussie with a Saab 9-3 Sport Sedan, SportCombi (2003-2007) or a Saab 9-3 Convertible (2004-2007) then please read on and consider this excellent value offer from Saab Australia.
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Whilst your eyes might be immediately drawn to the sexy twin pipes at the back of this 9-3, what you should be looking for is the little dimple you can just see there in the black bumper strip. Click to enlarge if you need to….
That’s Saab Parking Assist. When you put your car in reverse, those sensors detect the proximity of walls, vehicles, etc that might be in your blind spot, and the sensors beep at an increasing rate depending on how close you get to the object. Parking Assist is a genuine help when you’re parking in a tight spot and has helped thousands of people avoid costly repairs to paint and bumper panels.
So what’s the offer?
Saab Parking Assist is normally a $790 option for the 9-3 Sedan and Combi, and an $890 option on the Convertible.
Then you’ve got fitting costs as well, which at 1.4 hours for the sedan/combi and 1.7 hours for the convertible brings the normal total cost to around $1,000.
Until the end of June 2009, owners of 2003-07 9-3′s can have Genuine Saab Park Assist fitted for only $495.00.
Yes, that’s fitted!
That’s a genuine bumper-saving item for a genuine bumper price – around 50% off.
If any of you Aussie Saab 9-3 owners want to take advantage of this offer, just call your local Saab dealer. They should know all about it.
Alternatively, you can call Saab Central on 1800 50 SAAB (7222)
