Saab: 1997 Saab 900 SE V6 Convertible, nina nina, salvage yard

Question
Hello, I'm looking to buy this car, and would like to know, according to this information what kind of repairs should I be expecting to make and approximately how would it cost to do so.

131,586 miles
5 speed manual transmission
2.5L V6 engine

Reverse gear, the power top, and the speedometer do not work. The car is certainly driveable though.

(Answered by the seller when asked: odometer doesn't work, reverse hasn't worked at all, power top power features don't work)

Thanks

Nina

Answer
Nina:
 As noted in my profile, my hands on experience is limited to the older 900s only. The following therefore is an extrapolated estimate for the model in question.
   Saabs are quite expensive to fix. The book value of the car you describe is around $4,500 if everything were functional, assuming average condition for a fifteen year old vehicle. Doing the transmission could cost from $1,500 to $3,000, with the cheaper option simply replacing the existing transmission with a used one from a salvage yard.
 For the convertible top, I can only estimate anywhere from $150-$600 since the defective area was not mentioned.
 Also, at that mileage, I would recommend getting a timing belt & water pump replaced which would be in the neighborhood of from $500 to $700.

 Consider an outlay of from $2,000 to $5000.

Of course there could be brakes, exhaust system, and a host of other possibilities to consider.
 Unless you can buy this car for very little(LESS THAN $500) or unless you are "in love" with it, I would be very very hesitant about making this purchase.

         Hope this helps,
         Jerry