Headliner Saab 9000 CC
At Saab meetings you can see them ... the 900 and 9000 with hanging headlining. It is often held up in a very individual way. Sometimes as a pincushion solution or glued, stapled or completely dismantled. Bare metal instead of sky. A kind of Saab purism.
Aside from the fact that after 25 or 30 years the fabric is behind it and has become dirty and unsightly - there is no reason to expose yourself to an unkempt ambience. Our 89 Saab 9000 CC knows this problem. The headliner is on the way forward from the rear seats, the fabric on the C-pillar is curled, as is the A-pillar. Time for action!
Since screwing is more fun when you're not alone, a good friend helps. Quickly the handles on the roof are unscrewed, then follow the sun visors. The screws are visible, everything is explained almost by itself, even if you should not be an accomplished screwdriver. Saab has worked with quality screws, no comparison to today's disposable screws of Far Eastern origin. What you can unscrew, you get the later reassembled.
After the sun visors, the interior light console comes in the front, then in the middle. There the glass is carefully removed and then dismantled. It's all easy, probably too easy. Because at the very back, in the area of the tailgate hinge, there is a clip that resists. The clip is attached to the sheet metal of the vehicle roof by barbs; with a lot of feeling and a long, narrow screwdriver, it can be “fished out” without being destroyed. Admittedly, this is not easy, you should have a little patience.
After the clip, it's the turn of the C-pillar panels. Carefully loosen the reading lamps from below; they are hooked into place with a clip underneath the cover. Then pull the cable, remove the lights. It is not necessary to remove the filigree glasses, which are very fragile. The cover of the belt guide is only clipped, it can also be easily removed. To unthread the belt, the belts must then be loosened at the fastening point. Until then everything was fine and non-destructive. Until now !
What we did not have on the plan was the speakerphone (where our base CC are no speakers) unscrew. The disguise of the C-pillar is also to be removed, in a destructive way. It breaks off two retaining pins. Happened happened, at the next 9000 we know better.
What is missing is the A-pillar trim. They are clipped on, can be removed with a little feeling without damage ... if no one was on the window frame with too much glue. With our 89 CC everything is in the green, the window frame looks like in the summer of 1989, when the Saab rolled off the assembly line in Trollhättan.
Done? Almost. The sky is still very tight, we loosen the door seals on all 4 doors, the sky literally floats towards the tailgate ... At the latest you should work in a team. The sky should get out of the car without quirks and breaks, helping hands are required!
After 90 minutes, the headliner is dismantled. Experienced screwdrivers, and those with 9000 CC experience, should be brisker. The work is fun, you learn a lot about the elaborate designs from Trollhättan. An old car is also a contemporary document. The sky was produced on the 26.06.1989. 8 weeks later, the Saab was in Germany at the dealer and was approved. A order vehicle? Maybe we'll find out.
And now? Off to the saddler or do it yourself. In the course of my Saab life I have gained some “heaven experience”. From home-made, through service at the dealer to work at the saddler.
Saddler or self?
The good compromise means: remove and install yourself, new cover at the saddler. That saves money, the critical work is done by a specialist. With the saddler of confidence, I choose a fabric that matches the original. The 9000 CC should get 2019 H-mark, he should stay close to the original. One problem is the red A-pillars. A corresponding fabric is not in sight, we will first remove the door panels, which must also be obtained, and then go back to search.
By then, the saddler will have reupholstered the roof lining of the Saab 9000 CC. I will describe in the sequel whether the Saab 9000 headliner meets my expectations and what it costs.
The 9000 CC 2014 was bought in the summer for little money and not ready to drive. He is logged out, but is regularly moved. After receiving a comprehensive service, changing all fluids, he runs fantastically well. Yes, he is not a turbo. Only one 9000i. But with a cool, bold 80er years interior. Such cars have to be preserved! The mission: H license plate 2019. He will be back on the blog theme again and again.
If someone travels to the USA, there is a wide range of headlining fabrics in different colors and thicknesses in the large “fabric stores”. Also take the spray adhesive with you from there (I think it was a 3M product), these are better than our adhesives here in Germany, above all they are more resistant to humidity. At that time I paid around 40 euros per headlining (sold by the meter) including glue.
Greetings, Uli
Tip for Himmeldemontage: Straps!
Just cock it around the roof and under the sky. Then the sky is secured after loosening all the screws, etc. And nowhere rudely falls on it and possibly broken.
Then you can carefully loosen the straps (this very simple rich) and set the sky so slowly.
Great report that is helping me a lot right now. I'm in the same situation and my bokhararo interior should also be renovated by spring. Especially a cover fabric is difficult to find, I am also looking and I hope to be able to save something from the original fabric ...
Keep it up and thanks!
The fabric is usually behind it. Detached from the porter - cannot be saved 🙁 If my saddler has found what he is looking for in “bokhararot”, I'll post it here.
A white 9000 with a red interior looks classy to me. My 900 turbo is also an 89er with a hanging headliner including C-pillar trim and can also look forward to a restoration. With the help of these instructions, you can safely do the expansion yourself with a few helpers. Thanks for the contribution. I'm looking forward to the sequel - and at the expense of it.
Great, I did not know your white 9000 yet. Such reports are really helpful and certainly scare one or the other of being self-employed. Keep it up !
Thank you! The CC gets relatively little attention, usually in winter when time is. He will not be allowed in front of 2019, there is still some time left and no screwdriver stress.
Clean, thank you for the report. In the Saab Forum is a report about gluing and which glue you should use. The same task is about to happen, so I know how to do it and what to watch out for. Thank you, I look forward to the continuation ...
Please always take the glue from Bonaterm (http://fortispolster.de/kleber-polsterkleber-kontaktkleber-universalkleber-0-8kg-bonaterm-as-bt.html) and allow to cure for a few days. Then rest for the next 20 years.
Hello Tom
Thanks for your tip
Had yes after I had bought the CC last year, the head gasket, the heat exchanger u. Have the brakes completely repaired. It can not be due to the candles. I'll contact FFM because that would be the next way (115 km) for me
We in my family drive 3 Saab's. My daughter had now bought a 9-3 convertible SE from Bj 2000. I am driving a convertible Aero 9-3 from Bj 2005 with now 386000 km u. For my wife I'm looking for an 9000 AERO (of course for me). I have been Saab driver continuously since 1978. that only for a little further info.
FFM is a good choice. The diagnostic skills of Gerard Ratzmann for small or large Saab problems are legendary.
Hello
I also have a 9000 CC from the Bj 87. Here is the same problem as you describe. I have now found a saddler who renews everything for € 700.–. I think that's a great price. What is still not working on mine is the idle, very irregular, from u. to he goes out u. no workshop finds the error at the moment. Not even a Saab service dealer. Maybe you have a tip for me. Otherwise mine will be an oldie u in February next year. then I let him out on the street. There is no rust at all. I'm also looking for an original radio. History is known u. Inspection service booklet is available & completely. I am happy when the time comes. I wanted to let him in now in April but the tax costs € 500.– a year as no cat or anything else is attached.
Another CC ... I'm happy! Remote diagnosis is of course difficult. We changed the spark plugs on the 89er, which was a huge improvement since the old plugs were behind them. I would have the CC checked at an “old” Saab dealer who already knew the vehicle as a new car. This is targeted and should bring quick success! Incidentally, the traditional dealers (e.g. Saab Service Frankfurt / Kiel / Bamberg etc ...) often have old radios in their stock. A friend got a very nice one for little money in FFM, you just have to ask.
Hello Michael,
I also had a 9000CC 2,0i from '87 and a 2,3i from '89, both of which also had idling problems at the young age of 3-4 years and went out. If I remember correctly, the idle regulator (?) Was swapped for both and everything was fine.
Tom, such reviews are really helpful, great! Behind the sky, the CC looks like new
Meanwhile the door panels are down, report will follow. The CC is amazing. Everything, really everything, looks super clean and like new behind the panels. No rot, no rust, nothing. When I think that the CC almost ended up being used up ...
Yes, I also believe that many of them were “used up” too early. Some are better than the first external impression suggests. And if you don't just have your thumbs, you can still lend a hand on the 9000 yourself.