Dead Saab

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The Saab is DEAD... the differential bearings are on the way out, it can't be driven at much over 20mph and it probably needs a gearbox.  I'm done with throwing money at it so it's for the chop, and a replacement is being sought...

First candidate, this CLK.  At the top of our budget but good history, no rust, new tyres, interior tidy (driver's seat often get ripped up on these), but there's just the small matter of it being 150 miles away in South Wales.
We decide it's worth the trip and hoof down the M4 in the Jaaag.  Within 5 minutes of arriving we're on our way home again - there's fresh overspray and even MASKING TAPE on the front wings, and the rears contain wob that must have been applied by Lionel Richie's girlfriend.  New tyres are a mix of Chinese rings'o'death with about a dozen coats of tyre shine.

We stop at the services near Cardiff, where they have about 4 sandwiches for sale.  We head back to England, blowing the bridge on the way out - FUCK WALES.

Today, it was a trip to Croydon to look at this Saab 9-3 (yeah, we've not learnt our lesson...):
Looks good, decent Pirelli tyres, bit mileagy but the cream interior looks very clean.  The dealer has decided to close early so we have to get a move on, which isn't easy in London.  

We pass the place 3 times before we spot it - it's a single garage next to a shop, which is like a rabbit warren that leads into a large garage.  Good news, it's not rusty!  Wait, what's this flashing light on the dash?  Traction control failed?  Apparently the owner of the garage 'personally tests all vehicles to ensure satisfaction', did he not notice the big flashing icon?  Surely he would have noticed the broken aircon too, given the recent weather?  

We leave, but not without sitting in a jam on the M25 for some time.  What better way to spend a sunny summer afternoon?

Other stuff we've rejected included a CLK430 (with the V8).  It looked pretty good but the dealer was just a bloke with a mobile phone, I'm sure he'll be easy to track down when I bring it back for a refund because a sidelight has blown.

All this grief has made me consider a PCP, but the deposit is almost as much as these cars cost outright and I doubt there's much chance of ever seeing that money again.  So the tour of the UK's dodgiest car dealers will continue (unless I buy one privately, which seems scarcely any more risky at this point).

Oh yeah, the KTM broke down last week, it just went dead at about 70mph.  The negative battery terminal had become disconnected within the battery, never seem that before - it was a Nitro, I recommend you avoid.  It was only about a mile from home so I pushed it, but it was bloody hard work in the heat. 

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