GI: 2005 Saab 9-2x Aero (Built EJ257 20g)

Thinking about selling my car… It’s about time for me to upsize vehicles (getting married, kids eventually, etc) and frankly, the way I use and drive this car does not do it justice to the way it has been modified. If somebody really wants it, I will need time to pay the loan off and get the title and also get all set to buy my next vehicle.

The car is a Desert Silver Metallic 2005 Saab 9-2x Aero, which is a re-badged WRX wrapped in Saab skin. Other differences from a standard 2005 WRX are a better suspension (somewhere between the WRX and STi), the steering rack from the STi, and a higher quality interior. This car is the “premium” trim level; which includes a moonroof, 17” wheels, heated seats, heated mirrors and heated wipers. The only options not on the car are leather seats or xenon headlights. Also installed on the car is a towing package, which I have only used to tow a light trailer with my motorcycle in it and to tow a light boat a couple times. I have also added a Pioneer double din Navigation head unit with Bluetooth. Right now the car itself has 100,xxx miles on it.

I traveled all the way to Detroit to buy it in June of 2010 from the original owner. The original owner was an air conditioning developer for GM and was very anal about the car. He took very good care of it. I bought the car just after it turned over 50,000 miles.

Just before the car turned over 70,000 miles, I decided to buy a TBE and get a stage 2 basemap flashed. I wanted to leave the car that way and just enjoy the extra power of stage 2 without modifying it any further. Unfortunately, somewhere around 72,000 miles the stock 2.0 decided to eat a bearing for no obvious reason. I was going to just find another 2.0, but had the money and decided to do a nice build.

Having never extensively modified a car, I found it crazy how a $4500 project can turn into a $12,000 one very quickly. After a few months of work, another blown motor (ordered one from an out of town shop that will remained unnamed, it never ran right), and a lot of headaches, when the dust settled the build ended up being a hybrid EJ257 setup, with chamber matching on the 2.0 heads done to the 2.5 specs tuned conservatively to somewhere over 300whp. NF Performance has done all of the most recent work, and honestly the car has ran great without a single hiccup for the past 25,000 miles or so. I’m sure I’ll forget things, but this is everything that has been added/installed/modified in the build:

EJ257 shortblock with:
Manley Forged Pistons (Stock STi size I’m pretty sure, also need to check paperwork to see if they are coated or not)
STi Rods
ACL Race Bearings
STi Nitrate crank

EJ20 Heads, freshened up for the build
- Chamber matching done by Fuji
- Stock, or close to stock compression – will check on that as well.
- Stock Cams
- No AVCS

Synergy 20g Turbo TD06 with 8cm hotside 2.5” inlet
- Grimmspeed wastegate bracket
Deatchwerks modified 900cc injectors
Tial 38mm EWG
Grimmspeed EWG Uppipe
Turbo XS 4” Downpipe
GMS 3” CBE (You’ll love the exhaust sound unless you like it really loud)
’07 STI TMIC (The #1 limiting part of the setup)
KS Tech 65mm Intake
Grimmspeed MBC (Had the ebcs but ended up with the mbc)
Stock Intake Manifold (painted as STi)
ACT Street Clutch
Walbro 255
11mm STi oil pump

Nuke Tuned; conservatively as a daily driver, around 22 psi I believe, 91 octane. I know the power can be turned up, but as is it’s faster than almost anything on the road as is and I’ve never had an interest in racing it so I’ve left it this way.

For gauges, there is a clock replacement triple pod with Prosport Boost, Fuel Pressure and Oil Temp – Also on the steering column there is an Innovate Wideband … Unfortunately right now all of the gauges light up but do not work. They worked for 10-15k and individually kind of stopped. Everything has always run so smooth that I haven’t gotten around to diagnosing the gauges – most likely sending units.

This setup is all ready for E85, which I have always wanted to switch to – however, I spend a good part of the year in northern WI where it isn’t available.

Due to the injectors, sometimes she has to crank a little extra to start, and will blow a little smoke out of the tailpipe when it does. I hear this is fairly normal for this type of setup, and has never changed or been an issue.

The transmission is the stock 5 speed. It still shifts flawlessly with no hitches or grinds, goes into first easily while moving. The transmission is another reason I’ve kept the power down - I haven’t wanted to push it. Running Uncle Scotty’s Cocktail.

Other odds and ends:
-Tinted windows
- Ipod interface with the head unit, charges your Ipod or phone and you control it on the touchscreen
- At one point I had a subwoofer in the back, all of the wiring is still all there ready to hook up to subs and an amp
- Really nice stainless shift knob. Forgot the brand, but its super heavy and was expensive
-Recent new tires, Continental Extreme Contact DWS. Surprisingly good tires, even in the snow!
-New front brakes this past fall, thought about upgrading them, but didn’t.
-Freshly replaced A/C lines
-New windshield
-Brand new nice battery

The car has 100k on it and is in good shape for the age and mileage. Though, there is the expected wear and tear. The worst of this is a solid ding in the hood from a rock, a good PDR place can clear it up fairly cheap though; and the front bumper has a crack in the lower fascia – that might be a bit more intensive to fix, but isn’t so bad as is either. Also, one of the wheels is missing the Saab center cap - I think they are $20 or so online.

I’ve been running Rotella 15w 40 through it and change every 2,500 miles or so. I know how controversial and opinionated oil selection is, but this is a safe oil for the setup and it has always seemed to work well. The car doesn’t really go through oil… Every so often I may have to add a little, but I don’t think that is out of the norm for a built motor.

I have a lot of blood, sweat and tears into this car, it’s my favorite car that I’ve owned. It’s fun to drive, fast, has been extremely reliable since the build, great in any weather, gets solid gas mileage (I’ve gotten over 30mpg in some situations and never worse than 22), and hauls a lot of stuff. I haven’t beat on it, I know it would take it, but I have lost my “need for speed” and really only open it up here and there too stretch it’s legs and make sure everything is still working right. I know that I will never recoup the money or time I have into this car, and it will be very hard to part with, but I guess nothing lasts forever. I would like to get $12,500 for her, I have no idea if that is too steep or too cheap... I guess that is why I’m gauging interest, to get some feedback.

I know there are things I am forgetting, and can answer any questions you may have. I want this car to go to the right person, someone who knows what they are buying and who will take care of it. I will not sell it to some 18 year old with their parent’s money who wants a fast car and knows nothing about these cars. Thanks for looking, and sorry for the long-winded ad!

The day I bought her:


The head unit after install:


Towards the end of the build:


Taken this past August:


Taken just before heading back to Texas in September:


Taken three days ago:


I can snap pics of whatever you’d like, but at the moment she is dirty. Will post more after I clean her up.

Gauging Interest Price: $12,500

 

:-( This makes me miss my saabaru...and very tempted by this! Nevertheless, that looks like a very solid build and the exterior looks pretty clean. I would say your asking price is very fair. I posted mine on craigslist and got a ton of interest, and actually ended up selling it to the first person that looked at it. It would be nice to see this go to a club member though!

 

I think your choice of transmission fluid is more controversial that the engine oil. Nice build and price. Love to have it as a daily driver. GLWS.

 

Some one buy this and sell me the top mount, lol.

 

Thanks guys! I'll probably wait a while to see if there is interest here before posting it elsewhere. Another thought I had was to sell the motor/aftermarket parts to someone and trade for their stock motor/parts to return the car to stock... That is probably a long shot though, it would have to be the ideal situation. Just throwing that out there though.

 

Damn wish I would have seen this before I got my WRX

 

Update: I'm running down to Texas this week in the car to move out of my place, and then I will be back next week with it. It will have a couple thousand more miles on it at that point, but I plan to change the oil again and get her detailed for the sale. If I have time I may stop in at AWDtuning and throw her on their Mustang dyno so I have some official numbers for the car. I will turn this thread into a FS thread when I get back and leave it up here a while before throwing it to the Craigslist savages.

 

When do you return from TX?

 

PM'd

 

Also PM'd

 

Okay I'm back now from Texas. There has been a good amount of interest, and the car should be ready to show by Tuesday. A couple updates: I forgot to mention the car has a Forge BPV. Also, after talking to Nuke I realized the rods are STi rods, not Eagle. The old setup had eagle rods, and I remembered wrong when listing everything in the first post. Shouldn't be a deal breaker, but I want to be 100% honest about everything. The STi rods are pretty beefy. Let me know if there are any other questions!

 

Last call before Craigslsit! Have had a lot of interest here, but I'm set to buy my next vehicle and need a buyer soon. Will throw in a tactrix cable and possibly a set of winter wheels and tires if the price is right! Just had the oil changed and the car is in the process of getting detailed right now. I've also paid the car off, just waiting on the title in the mail.

 

Okay, here are a bunch of pics that I just took, and a couple videos too. The exhaust sounds rappy I think because my iphone mic was so close, but in person it isn't so rappy and just sounds deep and mean. Let me know if there are any other pics or videos wanted!

 

A little snowy after the five mile drive back to work.

 

Pending sale...

 

No, I haven't heard back from him. A guy off of NASIOC is flying in from Kentucky to buy it, he sent me a deposit last night.

 

Well... It's going to be another turbo/awd vehicle. But, I'm not sure if the term ecoboost is allowed on this forum...

 

Let's leave it just in case for now - I've had crazier things happen. Glad I'm not the only one here who crossed over to the blue oval.

 

Grats on the sale David. I've been busy all weekend. Thanks again for all the time you used to reply to me about the vehicle. I should be picking up the X, some time this week. Will post pics.

 

Sold. Bittersweet day...