Home » Classics For The Mechanically Inclined: 1983 Saab 900 vs 1987 Mitsubishi Montero

Classics For The Mechanically Inclined: 1983 Saab 900 vs 1987 Mitsubishi Montero

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Good morning! We’re back with a couple of clean ’80s cars that both need a little wrench-turning before they’re ready to roll. But we’ll get to those soon; first we need to finish up with Friday’s time capsules:

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Easy win for the Dodge, as I knew it had to be. Even if the prices were more on par, that would be my choice. Economy hatchbacks with automatics are just sort of pathetic; economy convertibles with automatics are at least convertibles.

Both of Friday’s choices were ready to drive off, but for either of today’s cars, you’d need to call a tow truck to get them home. Once you get it there, crack open the toolbox, order up some parts, and be ready to devote a Saturday or two to it. Only then will you be ready for the barrage of “wow, haven’t seen one of those in a while” comments at car gatherings. Which one is worth the effort? Let’s take a look and see.

1983 Saab 900 – $2,000

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Engine/drivetrain: 2.0 liter overhead cam inline 4, three-speed automatic, FWD

Location: Gurnee, IL

Odometer reading: 86,000 miles

Runs/drives? Nope, turns over but won’t start

The Saab 900 is a car that challenges conventional wisdom about what a car should be, such as “Which direction should the engine face?” and “Where does the ignition key go?”. But for all their weirdness, there’s no denying that Saab’s way of doing things works, if you approach the car on its own terms. It’s just too bad there ultimately wasn’t a place in the market for such weirdness.

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But even an oddball car like a Saab 900 requires the same things to run as any other car: air, fuel, compression, and spark. This 900 is currently lacking one of them, and the seller suspects fuel. It’s being sold by a dealership that seems to specialize in oddball project cars; if you’re feeling brave, check out another one of their listings that I decided not to use. Places like this often won’t spend much time getting to the bottom of a car’s problems; instead they just slap a price on the windshield and hope for the best.

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Even in its non-running state, this Saab is a nice car. Its interior is spotless, and its russet-colored paint looks nice and shiny. With only 86,000 miles on the odometer, it’s about as close to a new 40-year-old Saab as you’re going to get. The automatic is a bit of a letdown. I don’t know how hard an automatic-to-manual swap is in these, but it might be worth looking into, especially if you know of a wrecked or rusty stickshift 900 somewhere.

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Personally, I’d rather have a hatchback 900 than this sedan with a normal trunk, but it’s still a handsome car, in that gawky ’80s Saab sort of way.

1987 Mitsubishi Montero – $3,300

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Engine/drivetrain: 2.6 liter overhead cam inline 4, five-speed manual, part-time 4WD

Location: Charlotte, NC

Odometer reading: 167,000 miles

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Runs/drives? Nope, blown head gasket

Mitsubishi’s charming, boxy little SUV was known as the Pajero in the rest of the world, named after a South American wildcat. Mitsubishi’s marketing department didn’t do their homework, however; “pajero” refers to something besides a cat in Spanish slang. In Spanish- or partly Spanish-speaking countries, therefore, this truck is known as the Montero. It was also briefly sold by Dodge dealerships in the US as the Raider.

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Short-wheelbase two-door SUVs like this are almost gone from the US market, and that’s a shame. Yeah, I know, they roll over more easily, they aren’t safe in crashes, blah blah blah. They look so cool, though. And as our off-road-loving editor in chief will tell you, shorter vehicles have better angles. The Montero lacks one ingredient in the off-roading recipe – a solid front axle – but its off-road chops are hardly in question after a dozen Dakar wins.

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Sadly, this particular Montero isn’t ready for off-road adventures. Or on-road ones, for that matter. Its 2.6 liter four has a blown head gasket, which will have to be replaced, and the underlying issue that caused it to fail will need to be addressed as well. Usually that means overheating, so the entire cooling system should be checked out. The seller says it was running well before the head gasket went, so with a little luck, repairs should be straightforward.

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The rest of this little 4×4 looks solid, and these are already starting to gain some collector cred, so it’s worth doing the mechanical work to put this one back on the road.

With the prices of classic and collector cars climbing all the time, the thrifty way to get in on the fun is to find a car that needs some mechanical work, and be willing to do it yourself. Nobody wants to deal with rust repair, or upholstery, but the oily bits are relatively easy to deal with. So which of these are you willing to take on: the Swedish sedan with the fuel-delivery problem, or the Japanese SUV that lost its cool?

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(Image credits: Craigslist sellers)

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Acrimonious Mofo
Acrimonious Mofo
1 year ago

These both seem oddly appealing, but I am more inclined towards the Montero.

C.A.R. Doctor PhD
C.A.R. Doctor PhD
1 year ago

In my experience, and I have replaced a head in one and head gaskets in the montero and a Mitsubishi pickup of that vintage (along with a balance shaft delete for bad bearings if i recall, which necessitated a new timing set up), it doesn’t really take much to blow the head gasket in these. Neither one I dealt with had ever been overheated (according to the gauge and no evidence of an overheat while driving). Just being too hard on the engine seemed to do it. And they were pretty simple to fix (I did it in a driveway), and I’m not a mechanic, just reasonably inclined. The head gasket, bolts, etc, were all pretty cheap and available then, and who knows if thats true anymore. But pending some research about the parts cost/availability and the cost of getting the head sorted out if needed, I vote for the Mitsubishi, since at least I know what I’m getting into.

Cheap Bastard
Cheap Bastard
1 year ago

“pajero” refers to something besides a cat in Spanish slang”

Perfect for cosplay commuters and mall crawlers.

GreatFallsGreen
GreatFallsGreen
1 year ago

I like both, the Mitsu a bit more, and the Saab not running detracts in this pairing.

I’ll get the Montero, maybe swap out for Pajero badges and park it next to a Buick LaCrosse and see if it alarms any trilingual individuals.

CRG
CRG
1 year ago

I own one, and I’ve owned three in my years; Some Are Always Broken, but there’s nothing like a Saab.

ExAutoJourno
ExAutoJourno
1 year ago

Montero, but just barely. If the Saab had a manual, would probably be a different story.

Have had a couple of head gaskets head off to that Great Rebuild Shop in the Sky, and if the oil had the coffee-and-cream look, I’d rethink this again.

Vetatur Fumare
Vetatur Fumare
1 year ago

I voted for one but I instantly changed my mind. Then I changed my mind three or four more times. I want both.

Mark Schmitz
Mark Schmitz
1 year ago

My vote is Montero – not because I don’t love the Saab. Problem is I had an 83′ 900 Turbo 5spd. Loved the car! It was quick, unique and super comfortable for long trips. What I learned in 2 years of ownership in the early 90’s is you want to avoid the pre-84′ 900s. Timing chain tensioner issues at 85K miles required removal of the entire engine/transmission as engine is “backwards” in the engine bay. It’s a slant-4 with the clutch/TC in the “front” with the transmission joined to the engine with a big long gasket front to back. I spent $2K fixing a $4K car just to get the timing chain fixed. Next month the final drive gear failed in the transmission… Sold it broken for $800 just to stop the bleeding. Apparently everything that went wrong with my 83′ was addressed in 84+ with the new 16V engine. So, a big “nope” from me on an 83 Saab 900.

Inthemikelane
Inthemikelane
1 year ago
Reply to  Mark Schmitz

Had an ’85 (or was it an ’86?), 900T 5 speed 4 door and it was a great car, so much fun. Stayed in that age range just for what you mentioned. Heard from more than one person about theproblems.

Diana Slyter
Diana Slyter
1 year ago

The Mitsubishi’s are underrated, and I’ve got a friend that would probably give you a good deal on one that actually currently runs. 2003 Montero Sport 5 door, 4×4 automatic with the 3.5 liter V6, 200+K miles but uses no oil and only surface rust in a few places. Reason for sale is that my buddy owns it and he’s in his 70s and trying to survive on just Social Security and fuelling the thing is keeping him broke. So if a dead Mitsu SUV is worth(?) $3500, a live one outa be good for at least $5000. Located in southwest Minnesota, make a good offer and hopefully my buddy will part with it and buy something that gets decent MPG.

Bill D
Bill D
1 year ago

The stickshift conversion in a SAAB 900 is pretty easy, you just need a donor car. The automatics in these are notoriously weak, there’s something in the final drive that breaks pretty easily. I had one that that happened to, was considering doing a 5sp conversion to it and ultimately decided to junk the car and get something else.

Man With A Reliable Jeep
Man With A Reliable Jeep
1 year ago
Reply to  Bill D

To be fair, the manuals aren’t really much more robust. The 900 would’ve been a mileage king like the 240 if it had an Aisin-derived auto. But no, they had to have their odd engine/transmission layout.

Canopysaurus
Canopysaurus
1 year ago

I put over 500,000 miles on my manual 900 turbo. Still had original clutch and going strong when the “frame” rotted through and broke its back.

Dogisbadob
Dogisbadob
1 year ago

An older Saab that isn’t gray? 😮

Last edited 1 year ago by Dogisbadob
Manwich Sandwich
Manwich Sandwich
1 year ago

Irrational vote for the Saab for me. Though I wish it had the manual instead of the slushbox.

Man With A Reliable Jeep
Man With A Reliable Jeep
1 year ago

This might be the first time I wished there was a third “Why not both?” option on SBS.

I know I’ll be in the minority here, but that 900 sedan is gorgeous. I’ve always liked the gawky proportions of the sedan as much, or a little more, than the hatch if only because they always seemed to be rarer. On this specific example, the Cherry Red color pairs perfectly with the tan interior…and manual cranks! And that velour, what a feast for the eyes!

That Montero is a beaut’ too. It appears to be rust free, equipped with those sweet steel mags, an altimeter, the whole package. These aren’t getting any easier to find, especially in this shape, so the ask seems pretty reasonable, even with a blown HG.

If I’m perfectly honest, I might be leaning toward the 900, because I’ve always had a soft spot for the red-headed Swedish child brand (and I already have a Jeep), but it’s damn close. I didn’t vote for either because I couldn’t really, not in good conscience. Shoot, this might actually be one of the few cases, where I considered reaching out to the seller to buy one of these rigs. Great lineup today, Mark!

The Stig's Misanthropic Cousin
The Stig's Misanthropic Cousin
1 year ago

Both are good choices, but I prefer the Saab. I am skeptical that it will be an easy fix, though. I don’t know much about Saab values, but any semi interesting car in this condition should be worth well over $2000 if it runs well (i.e. the $4,950 Dodge Shadow last Friday). It seems odd to list a car at a fire sale price over a bad fuel pump.

Cheap Bastard
Cheap Bastard
1 year ago

“It seems odd to list a car at a fire sale price over a bad fuel pump”

I’ve gotten newish condition bikes for free with just a flat tire and/or a sticky shifter.

Tbird
Tbird
1 year ago

While I think the Montero may be easier to get running, my heart is with the Saab.

Nic Periton
Nic Periton
1 year ago

SAAB, If anyone is interested I was doing some shifting of stuff over the weekend, big heavy boxes of crap that will come in handy one day. One is labeled SAAB 900 gearbox ( new)!

Gilbert Wham
Gilbert Wham
1 year ago

SAAB. A: I like them, and B: it’s a nicer colour and cheaper. A non running Pajero shouldn’t cost in excess of 3 grand, that’s just wrong. But then, what isn’t these days?

MaximillianMeen
MaximillianMeen
1 year ago

2-door, boxy, 4×4, SUV with some actual off-road capabilities? Sign me up!

XLEJim700
XLEJim700
1 year ago

Saab stole my automotive-enthusiast heart the first time I saw a 2-stroke 96 model smoking down a cobblestone street.

I’ve never owned one, but somehow today’s vote brings me a little closer.

Mike Harrell
Mike Harrell
1 year ago
Reply to  XLEJim700

As the owner of a two-stroke 96 I now feel obligated to find a cobblestone, or at the very least a setted, street.

DDayJ
DDayJ
1 year ago

I’m sure I’d regret it when trying to get it running, but I’m going with the Saab. It’s a car of “how bad could it be?”. Fixing fuel delivery issues? How bad could it be? Manual swap? How bad could it be?

TheHairyNug
TheHairyNug
1 year ago

I couldn’t possibly live with that autobox that’s in the Saab

NewBalanceExtraWide
NewBalanceExtraWide
1 year ago

As much as I appreciate the Montero center gauges, I’ll take the Saab. It fits my aging-hipster vibe a little better.

Squirrelmaster
Squirrelmaster
1 year ago

I had a coworker who was a Saab 900 enthusiast, and while I like the quirks, I’m an off-road enthusiast and can’t help but see how much potential the Montero has.

Icouldntfindaclevername
Icouldntfindaclevername
1 year ago

I’ll take the Montero. One wonders, did they drive it to the shopping mall or tow it for the picture?

Drew
Drew
1 year ago

I like to imagine (probably incorrectly) that it broke down there or very close, so they just went ahead and took some photos for the sale listing.

Also very possible they took the photos some time ago while it was running.

MaximillianMeen
MaximillianMeen
1 year ago
Reply to  Drew

Maybe that breakdown was the impetus for the sale?

Drew
Drew
1 year ago

When someone offers up a non-running vehicle, I generally assume the breakdown is the reason.

Church
Church
1 year ago

I thought it confusing that the photo of the dash looks like it was taken on a highway at what looks like 60mph?

10001010
10001010
1 year ago

I guess it depends on how blown the head gasket really is. It could be driveable but just trailing white smoke from the tailpipe.

Drew
Drew
1 year ago
Reply to  10001010

This Montero ran good when it did run but currently it does not run. Put a few hundred dollars into it recently and assessed that the head gasket needs to be replaced. 

I wonder if it had been drivable when the seller was putting a few hundred dollars into it, but it sounds completely non-running, per the ad.

10001010
10001010
1 year ago
Reply to  Drew

Yeah, I think you’re right. Now I assume these photos were taking before the blowing of the gasket.

Drew
Drew
1 year ago

A blown head gasket vs a Saab with unknown issues…the Saab looks nice and has the better price, but I don’t know much about that era of Saab and don’t know if I want to chase down the problem. Besides, the Montero looks like fun.

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