1991 Saab 900 Turbo convertible: $11,500 and a broken A/C

Jalopnik is asking readers to weigh in on a 1991 Saab 900 Turbo convertible listed for $11,500 on Craigslist in Missoula, Montana. It is the latest entry in the site's Nice Price or No Dice series, where a car's asking price is put to a vote.

The seller describes the Saab as "a well-kept driver, not a concourse car." It has 125,300 miles and a clean title, and the seller calls it a "longtime rust free Montana car." Recent work includes replacement ignition components, PCV parts, a cam cover gasket, a fuel filter, a power antenna, and windshield wipers.

Under the hood sits a 2.1-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 140 horsepower and 133 pound-feet of torque. True to Saab's quirkier era, the engine is mounted backward, with the front facing the firewall, and it drives the front wheels through a five-speed transaxle. Jalopnik notes the engine traces back to a motor developed with Triumph that also appeared in the Dolomite and TR7.

The convertible body was not originally designed as a convertible, Jalopnik points out, which gives the car a rubber spoiler around the top's base that houses the third brake light. The Beryl Green metallic paint is described as still shiny, with a new Robbins top, three-spoke alloy wheels, and new Falken tires. Interior photos show the back seat and dashboard; the dash has some bubbling on the glovebox door and a "period-correct aftermarket sound system."

The catch is the air conditioning. The seller says it needs "service or a recharge" but has not diagnosed it. Jalopnik raises the possibility of a refrigerant conversion, noting R12 was banned in the U.S. in 1994. That could add to the cost of the car.

The question, as with every Nice Price or No Dice, is whether the price is fair. Jalopnik notes plenty of cars without working A/C can still defog a windshield; it just takes longer. The fun factor of a quirky, top-down classic is part of the argument on the other side.

• classic cars
• convertible
• Jalopnik
• Nice Price or No Dice
• Saab
• Saab 900