Since the Saturn-list stuff I have seems to be obsolete, I'm asking this of
you autocross folks. If anybody can steer me to a current Saturn list, I'd
be happy to take it there. It just seems this is the most likely place for
me to find reliable help.
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I am being offered a 1991 SL1 in the Twin Cities area. Asking price is
$2800 USA.
Upsides:
Nice metallic red color
Looks very clean. Been detailed inside. In fact, I think they used
Armorall on the top of the dash. There are some annoying reflections in the
windshield. Is there something you can rub on to dull down the Armorall?
Drives well. No shakes or shudders.
Has all the power I would expect from a Saturn single-cam. Power is very
smooth.
New tires.
A/C blows cold. (Is this new enough to have a non-R12 system?)
5-speed. Wife would shoot me if I brought home a slushbox.
Clutch is strong enough to drag the car down the street on the parking
brake.
Can't tell if it has power steering by driving it. I like that in a car.
I would expect this car to get way better gas mileage than my Suburban or
Syncro.
Downsides:
Lotsa miles. 170,000 miles. Maybe a salesman's car. There are some floor
mats in the trunk, and the driver-side one shows major wear. The
passenger-side floor mat shows minor wear. The rear floor mats are as-new.
Has mouse belts. Better than airbags. Upside is lap belts are solid, not
inertia-real.
The headliner trim around the mouse-belt track is loose on both sides of the
car. Is this typical? What's the fix for it?
Some discoloration and corrosion on the black window surrounds on the doors.
Looks like some rust under the paint on the front left corner of the top.
Not sure if the clutch point is a bit higher than it ought. Indicative of
clutch near end of its life. I don't know how much trouble a clutch change
is in a Saturn. Drop transaxle or pull engine?
Neither up nor down, just information:
It is not a wagon. I really like wagons. But I have the Suburban for big
stuff. The seat on the Saturn does flip down.
Does this engine use a timing chain? That would be good, as chains seem to
be forever, and timing belts have a nasty habit of breaking and messing up
the valves.
How have Saturn single-cam engines with this many miles been holding up?
One thing that may lend them longevity is that fact that they seem to be
rev-limited to only 5500 RPM.
I have never seen a Saturn advertised hereabouts this cheaply. What do you
all think?
Phil Ethier Saint Paul Minnesota USA
Lotus Europa, VW Quantum Syncro, Chev Suburban
LOON, TCVWC, MAC
pethier@isd.net http://www.visi.com/mac/
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