How to buy a Saab 96 or 95 in Finland?

[G.Triebeoel]

Terve finish Saab-Drivers,

my name is Uli. I´m from Bamberg in Germany and I drive a nice green Saab 900 Convertible from 1993 (last run, made in Finland). I have a crazy idea and would like your advice:

How is it possible to buy a nice Saab 96 or even better 95 V4 in Finland and make a nice Summer Tour with it (no export)? How does it work with insurance, taxes, car registration and katsastus? Are there special regulations for or old (historic) cars and for cars who are only used some month a year?

My wife´s family is from Finland and she has some nice relatives there. We come to Finland often in Summer. The way by car with ferry is expensive. Flying to Helsinki is ok, but rental cars are expensive and I don´t like to drive with Hyundais, Skodas or Toyotas. I would like to have a beautiful old Saab, that we can use when we are in Finland.

Thank you for your support!

Uli

[tturku]

Hi Uli, If you want to have a old Saab here in Finland as a summer car:
1. Find a deacent one from this board or www.nettiauto.com
I would say that you need money from 1500-4000 € for a driveable one. With 4000 you should get a historic registered.
2. The car can be normally registered to finland, the trafic insurance (compulsory) for v4 is less than 350€/year, and you can put the car to standinsurance (it's called väliaikainen liikenteestä poisto) = the trafic insurance is not running. Also a yearly paid vehicle tax of amount about 100€ / year has to be paid. This tax doesn't run also if you have the car in standinsurance. Change between standing and use can be done in internet or by phone. Costs less than 10€ to change the status. For example if you use the car only 1 month a year, you insurance and taxes are about 450/12 =~40€.
Historic registered cars have cheaper insurance, but can be driven only 1 month per year, also inspection is not every year, I think.
Normally registered car must be inspected every year, inspection time debends on the register plates or the day car taken to use as new.
For getting a car from normal register to historic register the car has to be in original condition and is a bit costly prosess (in other words you have to find a really fine example). Inspection is about 70€ if the car passes the test.
3. The easiest way could be that you own the car but have one relative for example as a car user in the car papers, and this guy would take care for inspections and taking it to use when you come to finland. Finding a place to have the car standing can be also expensive depending on the geographical location.
96 and ecpecially 95 are nowadays rare and parts and stuff can be harder to find fast if something brokes.
Early 99 and 900 can be found still easily and spare parts also and could be easier to maintain have here.

[9000CD23T]

Would not it be better if the car owner would live in Finland.
But the owner would be a foreigner.
I wonder if this is not even succeed ...?

Here are a few options
http://www.nettiauto.com/saab/96/4135332
http://www.nettiauto.com/saab/96/4125917
http://www.nettiauto.com/saab/96/4122673
http://www.nettiauto.com/saab/96/4123708
http://www.nettiauto.com/saab/96/4106682

[G.Triebeoel]

Thank you for your excellent answers. Now I know what to do and that it is not too expensive.
If you should ever need some information about buying cars from Germany I would be glad to help you.

I check the Saab 96 offers at nettiauto.com every day, but could not find the perfect one.
Saabs 95 are hard to get in Finland, too?

My favorite would be:
V4
Year 1970-1977
Ready to drive
Body in good condition
Colors: red, blue, green or black

I like this one
http://www.nettiauto.com/saab/96/4122673

but if I understand there is some work to do for katsastus and it is located quite up in the north.

If you know other cars for sale, that are offered in other media than your forum and nettiauto.com I would be glad to get to know.
Do you think that cars will be for sale at the Int. Saab Meeting in August?

Thank you for your support!

Uli

[9000CD23T]

I doubt that Saab int event, not to sell cars.
But I shall may be wrong.

[lucaf]

I like this one
http://www.nettiauto.com/saab/96/4122673

but if I understand there is some work to do for katsastus and it is located quite up in the north.
Uli

"Tarpeettomana hyväkuntoinen saab 96.Ajoaikaa vuoden loppuun ei ajettu katsastuksen jälkeen. Katsastettu 12-2010"

=> In good condition, useless. Not driven after the last "katsastus" (made in december 2010). Katsastus is valid until the end of this year! Does not sound bad at all?

[CDTA]

First, sorry my bad English

What about this, I don't know is it already sold, but you can always call and ask
This is probably very good summer car too.
http://foorumi.saabclub.fi/viewtopic.php?f=18&t=112826

[9000CD23T]

I realized that the search for a completely original condition of the
car.
So the car is almost in the same condition as it was from the factory
departure.

1, a self-made upholstery ...?

[CDTA]

Ok.

[Tero_s]

One possible option is to buy a 95 from sweden and import and register it to Finland. In Sweden there are more cars available. Car tax of old 95 is not going to be very big. I think it could be few hunreds at most.

[G.Triebeoel]

Thanks to you for your support I have an offer for a nice Saab 95.
I´m serioulsly interessted in buying the car.
I will fly to Finland next week for summer holidays and could see the car and maybe buy it. One of my finisih relatives would register the car for me. The car is registered as a historic car ("Museoitu 3vuotta sitten").

How does the transaction work? Can I pay cash and take the car with me?
What kind of papers do I get with the car? Please tell me the finish names of the documents too, because the owner does not speak english.
Within how many days after the transaction do I have to register the car? Where?
Which insurance company would you recommend?

Once again thanks for your help!

Uli

[Juha96]

Thanks to you for your support I have an offer for a nice Saab 95.
I´m serioulsly interessted in buying the car.
I will fly to Finland next week for summer holidays and could see the car and maybe buy it. One of my finisih relatives would register the car for me. The car is registered as a historic car ("Museoitu 3vuotta sitten").

How does the transaction work? Can I pay cash and take the car with me?
What kind of papers do I get with the car? Please tell me the finish names of the documents too, because the owner does not speak english.
Within how many days after the transaction do I have to register the car? Where?
Which insurance company would you recommend?

Once again thanks for your help!

Uli

You were lucky to find a 95, they are not too many of them around You can very well pay in cash and take the car and the documents with you, that is how it is usually done.

The paper you need for registering the ownership of the car has the text 'Rekisteröintitodistus. Osa II / Ilmoitusosa' top right. The seller must sign this document. Other documents you will get are 'Rekisteröintitodistus. Osa I / Tekninen osa', which confirms z.B. that the 'katsastus' is still valid, and 'Museoajoneuvotodistus' or 'Museoajoneuvolausunto' (same paper but two different names depending on the year when it's done) that confirms the historic car - status.

There is seven days of time to register the car, you can do it in any 'katsastus'-office or in the insurance company.

If you take only the mandatory traffic insurance, I guess there is no significant difference between the insurance companies and the fee will probably be only about 30 - 40 € / year. If you want to take more than the mandatory and minimum insurance, Tapiola could be the place to ask.

[9000CD23T]

http://www.ake.fi/AKE_EN/

[G.Triebeoel]

Thanks to your support and the support of Jari from Saab95.net I bought on Wednesday a Saab 95 bulit 1973 in good condition.

http://saab95net.kuvat.fi/kuvat/Tori/fo ... or%20sale/

The first 250km were without problems and a great driving experiance. I will try to come to Int. Saab Meeting on Saturday afternoon.

Thanks again!

Uli

[torque]

That looks like a jewel. Coincidentally, I saw a very similar one a couple of times, parked in a yard on an island in SW Finland, this week, could it be the same car?