In a recent post, Tasmanian blogger Swade asked his readers to respond with the best car they have owned. I was able to narrow mine down to two cars: 1982 Jaguar XJ-S and 1988 SAAB 900 Turbo. As you can see, cars have always been a fun part of my life.
I had always appreciated the design of the Jaguar XJ-S. And the fact that it had an exotic V12 engine in it, made me wonder if I would ever have the opportunity to drive one. Never did I think I would be able to own one! But then a search on eBay Motors revealed someone trying to get rid of his and it was only a bus trip away from Painesville. And the price was very affordable. If I remember correctly, I paid approximately $2200 for this one. Not bad for an exotic car from the 1980’s.
We eventually found out that purchasing and maintaining a Jaguar are too entirely different occupations. Someone accurately said that you don’t have to worry about Jaguars leaking oil (which this one did quite well); it’s when they stop leaking oil that you have a problem! I carried a case of oil in my trunk the entire time I owned this one and the 1990 Jaguar XJ6. But we still had plenty of happy drives and memories in this wonderful car.
The other fun car I had was a 1988 SAAB 900 Turbo. It was silver with red leather interior (and don’t forget the plaid door inserts). It eventually got the upgraded SPG APC box from a scrapyard. While it only added 5 hp, they must have done something special to the torque because acceleration was incredible after it was installed. The only complaint I had was the stiff suspension. It was great for zipping around corners and up and down back hill roadways, but every day driving was a bit rough over northeastern Ohio potholes.
At the end of the 2006 school year, I coached the track & field team for Mentor Christian School. We trained for 1½ months for a one day event in Zanesville, Ohio. Besides the stretching and running, some of the kids pushed the 900 up and down the side of the soccer field. Nothing like Swedish strength & conditioning techniques! The team posed on and around the car for this shot. Many good memories with this car.