Being a Snaab
I’d like to take a moment.
A moment borne from my recent posting on the Aero X appearing in a GI Joe movie. A moment where I put my hand on my heart and say without fear that I stand here before you as a proud, discriminating, unforgiving and entirely unrepentant Snaab.
Snaab = Saab Snob.
Do you recall Jeremy Clarkson’s story on the Saab 9-5 where he spoke of his dentist having that patronising grin? (at 7:30 in that video) I’m willing to bet that dentist was a Snaab. I’d put my house on it. When Steve B wrote “Mainstream. Who Needs It?” on the Saab Car Club of Australia website, he was being a Snaab - no doubt about it. And when I pooh-poohed the idea of the almighty Saab Aero X being cast in a GI Joe movie, I was doing so quite comfortably from within my own Snaabiness.
I am a Saab snob.
I choose to drive what I drive for a reason and the plain fact of the matter is that Saabs deliver what I want in a car better than any other make. Not only that, but they spoil me with a level of comfort and convenience that I could only aspire to in my youth, when my first automotive impressions were formed.
I don’t know about you, but I didn’t grow up with money. The first brand new car my parents ever bought was a 1979 Ford Cortina. It was a big deal, too, as it had the 6 cylinder engine and metallic paint. In 1979, metallic paint was relatively rare in Australia.
Several years later, my mother finally secured something that I’d always dreamed of as a kid growing up in Melbourne’s hot summer weather - a car with cloth seats! No more burning my legs on the vinyl seats that were so commonplace in those days.
Fast forward seven or eight years and I had my first experience in a Saab. It was a Saab 9000 Turbo and it totally shifted my automotive paradigm. I went from feeling fortunate if my car’s heater worked - forget about having a/c - to experiencing a car where you could dial in the exact temperature you wanted! From a seat held up by jamming a football between the front and rear seats to the wondrous comfort, support, and real leather smell of Saab seats.
And then there was the acceleration. Oh, mama!
I grew up with blue collar, generic, garden variety vehicles in our blue collar, generic, garden variety driveway. I now work a white collar job and I’m pleased to say I live in a home that my parents couldn’t have purchased, partially because they spent a decent sum on the education that allowed me to be who I am. But I can still recognise generic from a mile away. It’s burned into my psyche like the face of a 5th grade bully.
You might be able to buy a Nissan that will outperform a Saab for less money than a Saab. You can buy a Camry that will have more room, and if someone lived in a strange parallel universe and decided to plant their right foot, the Camry might even go quicker off the line. Here in Australia I could buy a Commodore with a powerful V6, ESP and the Saab 9-3’s own handbrake - but I wouldn’t.
I’ve driven modern Japanese and domestic vehicles here in Australia and I wouldn’t touch their cookie cutter, old-in-5-minutes designs with a barge pole. I can’t spend more than 20 minutes in their seats before I need a buttectomy. They might actually be quick and functional but they’re as dull as a banker’s trousers. Toyotas are modern-day proof that you really can engineer 100% of the interest out of a car by making it reliable and quiet. I wouldn’t pee on one if it were on fire.
I’ll take my squeaky, comparatively slow Saab 900 from 1985 over any modern Toyota, Mitsubishi or Nissan. I’d hesitate for three or four seconds before rejecting a Honda, too. And despite the relative decline in character from 1985 Saabs to today’s Saabs, I’d happily say the same about a modern Saab, too, and take that over all and any of those generic, high volume sellers. Is it blind loyalty? I hope not; I see it as a pride in where Saab have come from, what they’ve done, and a design ethos that still makes sense in 2008.
I’m proud of the fact that Saab designed split brake circuits back in the early 1960s. In 1979, when we were buying our geometrically-verified-as-square Ford Cortina, Saab were selling the magnificent 900 Turbo. Could there have been a bigger difference in car designs? I love to marvel at Saab’s 1970s color palette - especially for the interiors - and compare them with the primitive interiors we Aussies had to make do with here from our generic car companies.
But it’s not just a matter of Saab vs cheap Aussie crap from the 70s and 80s. I’ll take Saab’s eccentricity over any of the other Euro models as well.
That smug Saab smile displayed by Clarko’s dentist was partly due to the fact that he knew, absolutely knew, that his Saab 9-5 could out-pace anything on the highway at that time. And he knew that as he powered through the midrange faster than the lawyer in the BMW in the next lane, that he was doing so in a beautiful and ergonomic interior, with his derrière couched ever so gently in a seat more comfortable than the lawyer’s office Chesterfield.
And the aforementioned banker in his dull trousers would be sitting on his leather Audi seat, somewhere further back on the road, wondering if his car was a sports car or a luxury car. There wasn’t enough of either in it to convince him one way or the other. But geez, it looked good when he rocked up at the golf club, eh?
To paraphrase John Cleese, I may not know much about cars, but I know what I like. I know that my 900 can do extraordinary things - be it cruising long distances in total comfort, carrying a go-kart in the back, or zooming along a road used every April here in Tasmania as a tarmac rally stage. I like that.
I like the fact that I enjoy every minute that I drive, knowing that I chose the car for that very reason. When I had my Viggen, I liked the fact that it was totally nuts and unlike almost anything else out there on the road. It was truly unique and a pleasure to own.
I have never, ever chosen to buy a car that would be a mere appliance for the purposes of transportation. Even when I had a bland car I made sure it was driven in the manner of an interesting one. And when I finally got to the stage where I could get what I wanted instead of what I could afford to buy and maintain - well, you can bet I didn’t go mainstream.
And I never will again.
You can take your JD Power rankings and shove them where the sun don’t shine. You can stick your Car and Driver subscription and kiss my hairy, belligerent, Swede-loving butt. I wave my private parts at your BMW. Your Mercedes is a hamster and your Volvo smells like elderberries!!
Sorry, I’m channeling John Cleese again.
I am a Saab snob. And I’m proud of it.
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Swade,
You’re right. Very well formulated.
Except the waving of private parts, I bet even you won’t do that at a 2002 or a 3,0 csl (altough it makes sense if you consider the 80’s, 90’s so called drivers cars & more recent crap like Bangles BMW’s).
The saab snobbery just stops when you consider you might get arrested for showing some obscenities.
But indeed, who needs mainstream ? There is more than enough mediocracy.
I have stopped trying to convince my inner circle of friends and colleagues why I chose the road which which went left at the Y-fork - that is, not mainstream. Bar the obscenities which may get you arrested as Wilfried has said, I think the prose is well composed and basically reminded me of so many reasons why I chose the 9-5 above the offerings though tantalizing from the bridage of VAG, Bavaria Motorwerke and Daimler (Mercedes Benz) bar the C.
Well said sir. You are a gentleman and a scholar.
Swade: I do agree with this post and thank’s for another well done job. I have a few friend that keep trying to get me into the Audi dealership. As much as I try to like the look of the convertible, it just does not look good to me. Interior or exterior. ANY Saab convertible makes it look sick, in looks, class, reliability and dealer service.
I suspect I live by that book, too…
I don’t think I could be considered a Snaab.
Everytime someone comments on how they like the look of my 9-2X (even while driving!), I reply that it’s really a Subaru underneath.
There are three kinds of car owners.
1. (The majority) Those who buy a car because they have to. These are the appliance drivers.
2. Those who buy a car because somebody else likes it. These are the posers/image conscious.
3. Those who buy a car because they like it. These the real enthusiasts.
I’ll note that very few Saab drivers fall into categories 1 and 2. I’ll also note that there are plenty of people in category three who don’t drive Saabs. They simply have a different set of criteria for their car needs. All Snaabs fall into category 3.
As a former (and surely future) BMW driver, I’ll say it again. The worst part about the car is that it’s recognizable as a BMW (And therefor assumed to be worth as much as a house.)
Right now, I’m a Snaab. I respect other people who are also Snaabs.
If you can draw conclusions about someone based solely on the brand of car they drive, does that say more about them, or you? (Okay, okay..! The conclusions are probably right more often than not, and what’s a little compulsory fun-making if not a grand ol’ time now and again, right?)
In the meantime, keep the shiny side up.
*********
Swade, I know you live on the other side of the world, but hasn’t Friday the 6th come and gone, mate? (I’m not complaining.) I think the reduced postings are just fine, and I’m (selfishly) happy to read your entries.
Take care, and know that a free beer awaits you in the greater Lake Tahoe area of Northern California if ever you make it here,
~Peter
‘93 9000 Aero, 5spd, 94K
Reduced postings ? Sort of. Swade seems to be a bigger Snaab than he is a Snob - “Say No On (to much) Blogging”.
But there is a viscious circle in this blog. The more he posts, the more we react, the more he keeps on posting. Putting the ‘end’-factor in the postings mobilised even more reactions etc. . I’m no expert, but I believe in psychoanalysis and in social behaviour studies they have names for these kinds of processes.
Keep your health & family in mind, Swade.
As long as the Alfa-virus doen’t take over completely, it’s fine by me if he keeps on Snaabing. If well balanced.
One more post! One more post! One more post!
The waving of private parts, if you haven’t seen it, was a reference to this film of John Cleese from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. Very funny stuff.
Well done Swade. Love your work. If this is indicative of the quality from a lower post rate then even one post a week will be well worth it.
I notice that SNAAB plates are still available here in VIC. No mind, I have an even more provocotive set of plates on my 9000 and leave people even more confused than they usually are by seeing a SAAB.
Turbin, do tell…
Just for the record everyone, swade is NOT hooked…he can give up any time!
PGAero, since you asked the plates are ‘MADDER’. These came off the 350hp V8 ute (pickup) I had that had no TC or ESP and a leaf-sprung rear. The tuning was docile at anything under 3500revs but if you kicked down everything went sideways as the revs suddenly were above 4000. The plates were provocative then and would result in alot of others trying to prove they were in fact madder than me.
The result of putting them on 9000 is that people are a bit bewildered. They want to prove me wrong but are conflicted about being seen to be drag-racing against a SAAB. The badge is reasonably respected amongst those who know but many still treat me as a snob, you can tell by their road manner. Even though my 9000 is very docile compared to your Aero, I do drive it like I stole it alot of the time. As a result I don’t always have a very good relationship with other road users.
In the end if I do upset somebody on the road they can’t say they weren’t warned, I am a SNAAB and a madman, what other clues do they need?
turbin,
I once bewildered the driver of a late-model (The latests they made) Pontiac Fire Bird. It had four exhaust pipes, and was surely running the 350 V8 which, at the time, also found it’s home in the ‘Vettes.
I was following the Fire Bird, and he was following a trailer-towing P/U on a windy two-lane highway. I know the road very well and know that passing areas are few and far between. I also know where every one of them are.
I decided to pass the pair, but the Fire Bird driver noticed what I was doing and figured he’d get in on the action too. He pulled out in front of me (inches from my bumper) and hammered the throttle. (The sound of those V8s when wide-open are fantastic.) Anyway, I was in third gear and was able to not give up an inch in the 45-75 sprint. (We only needed to get up to 55-60, but I think he wanted to make a point of putting space between he and I, which he did not succeed in.) I backed off at 75 and settled in to a comfortable 55-60mph for the remainder of the road (I caught up to him). When we got into town (where the road turns to four-lanes for a brief period, I passed him just before I exited. The look on his face said it all. A combination of dis-belief, and I’m sure he was looking for some badge to make him feel better. I don’t think that the minuscule “SAAB” on the grille was readable, and if it was, I doubt he slept any better that night.
…I wonder if a “2.3t four-banger getting 30 mpg” badge would have spelled it out? Probably not.
*Shrugs shoulders*
*recalls the moment*
*realizes that he’s a Snaab*
*clicks “Post”*
*returns to work*
PGAero, that’s classic! You’re a true SNAAB. Now I’m looking to upgrade the 9000 to FPT but need the APC solenoid and hoses etc., have the ECU. If you have had to replace the hoses at some stage ( I presume you might have), where did you get them? I can get the APC solenoids but the hoses are a problem.
turbin,
I’d look at hose techniques. (I think their webiste is hosetechniques.com)
I just got all new silicon hoses for all the vacuum hoses on my car. I’m sure they’ll have what you need. If you aren’t sure of lengths or something, drop me a line. email: pgammelg -at- gonzaga -dot- edu
Check the diameter on those APC hoses. They aren’t the same size as the vacuum hoses.
Cheers,
~Peter
Awesome work, Swade!
And I must mention PGAero’s story is cool and I bet many of us Snaabs have had similar moments of joy and snaabery.
I’m a Snaab and proud of it too, it fact all three of us are.
Speaking of plates - I’d like to get the plates “MVDMND” (Moved Mind)
Since I can’t afford them any one here is welcome to them.
Awesome gravatar there, Simon. Love it.
A brilliant piece, Swade!
Swade, it’s nice to see that you blog, only if it is just one entry a day. I hope you can shut of your Saab-world in between.
Part of being a Snaab is that you don’t show it’s. It is like Jeremy describe it, what is that makes people that drive Saab have that grin on their face…
That is a true Snaab to me, the one who knows “better” but he doesn’t tell anyone
NineTwoX: you must get out of the habit of telling people you’re driving a scubby. It’s like the rest of the saab world saying they drive Opels and Chevies… It ain’t gonna happen. You got a good car there and the turbo 4 pot is more liking to a Saab than the V6 in the current 9-3. Even Evo stated they think the 9-2x is better than an original Impeza. Remember it’s the Saab engineering you paid for not the design.
———-
PGAero. I’m interested into knowing why you consider yourself a future BMW driver. Is it the better quality plastics? better perceived driving experience? reliability? fuel economy and emissions? Status? I’d love to read a comparo test from you between two equally matched vehicles. Most comparo test here are from people who have a bias toward the Saab. Swade’s writeup on the BMW 335i
http://www.trollhattansaab.net/archives/2007/10/saab-9-3-viggen-vs-bmw-335i.html
is a great read but he was or will, ever consider buying a BMW. It would be good to hear the opinion of somebody who’s looking to head down the BMW road.
———-
Very nice read swade. People have asked why on earth I didn’t just buy a nice economical and reliable VW Golf for the same money? Even when I bought my Viggen I had a choice of buying a very respectable diesel 9-5 estate.
But basically it boils down the one word. Passion. I guess I’m a Snaab too
-
WooDz, even if you’re driving ‘a very respectable diesel 9-5 estate’ you can call yourself a Snaab, I guess.’s just a matter of perspective.
As most roads,except the highways, have limited speed of 70 km/h over here, the diesel is just fine.
I think you’re right about the 9-2X. Even if it’s mostly regarded as an outcome of a bad badge engineering operation, especially among Snaabist, it is a pitty the saab-subaru link never came to more results because of the premature end of their relationship.
About the BMW’s, I must admit technically they are pushing it over new frontiers at the moment. Motor-engineering on the edge, balanding between reasonable economy and powerfull sportiness. Munich must have a concentration of clever engineers.
Generally there are 2 things that hold me away from a BMW. One thing is the price, i.e. a 1-series convertible costs more than the more spacier 9-3. Another thing is the brand-imago. It doesn’t fit me.
Oh yes, the better quality of plastics can be a convincing argument, especially when not in sight. The plastic handle of the steering wheel adjustment on my 9-3 did not resist my subtle tactile intervention. Now it’s broke.
Spot on Swade.
Although are you not supposed to be on holiday hiatus hernia break?
More comebacks than Sinatra mate.
The Snaab thing is very true. When i turn up somewhere social in the 9-5 amid a see of Audis, BMWs and those horrid Honda things, I have to admit to feeling slightly superior about the statement my choice of carriage makes.
about me. Deeper down its more about the chocies - safety comfort and design -than about the pose. But yes, rocking up in a Saab , does indeed make me feel snaaby.
On another matter, Saab are still using weak cheap plastic for the current 9-3 steering wheel adjustment lever and yes, I have seen a snapped one in the dealer’s showroom -typical low rent, accountants bean counting that ruins teh brand integrity. Shame on them.
Saab- please fix this vital component in your otherwise excellent car. And how can youa sk so much for a Turbo X and then fit it with a piece of child’s toy plastic for the steering wheel adjuster?
Madness.
Anyone knows if those bean counting accountants drive the products they worked on, ever use their adjusters in their saabs or do they simply sell the cars after one year or even commute to Rüsselsheim by train & bus ?
Bean counting really cools down the passion.
This is yet another entry for the “Best Of”!
As far as “snob” goes, i have to respectfully dissagree, as i view Saab as the underdog of the automotive industry. That’s one of the many things that make Saabs attractive to me.
I will have to disagree with laying all the blame on some imaginary “bean countes” sitting behind desks in Detroit wearing their cheap suits. At the end of the day, each Saab model has a budget, and I’m sure to a large degree they have the choice what to spend the money on. It’s not like they get a call from Detroit instructing them to use cheaper plastics on the steering wheel adjustment handle, or…
We all know Saab has world-leading engineers, but if they had it their way a 9-3 would probably sticker for $60K. It would be an amazing machine, hands-down, but who would buy it? If BMW and Audi can produce comparativel equipped vehicles with similar pricing and what is perceived as better interior quality, then they must be doing something right.
Saab do need to improve their QA. Little embarassing things like the cheap plastics on the steering column or the stapled leather on the armrest of my expensive special edition Turbo X have nothing to do with bean counters, IMO. If Kia can have a properly put-together arm-rest in their econoboxes that cost 1/4 of Saabs, there is absolutely no excuse for a premium storied European manufacturer with some of the world’s brightest engineers on payroll to let such a thing slip.
Woodz,
Let me start by saying a couple things about my car buying methods. I don’t buy new cars. I buy used cars that have been very well taken care of and have depreciated most of their value. For example, I’ve owned three cars (And driven many more between my parents’ and brothers’ collections):
Car 1: 1985 BMW 325e
Purchased for $4000 in 1996
Totaled by a stop-sign running motorist.
Car 2: 1989 BMW 325is
Purchased for $5000 in 1999
Original Sticker Price: $25K +/-
Sold for: $4000 4 years later.
Car 3 (Current car): 1993 Saab 9000 Aero
Purchased for: $7400 in 2003
It had 44K miles on it when I bought it, and has 94K now.
Original Sticker Price: $41000 +/-
I don’t see this trend changing very much in the future.
You asked me why I will drive a BMW again in the future, and you asked me if it had to do with perceived driving experience. The short answer is that, no, it does not have to do with perceived driving experience. It has to do with experienced driving experience.
I’ve driven more C900s than I can count on my hand. I’ve driven 3 different 9000s (’92 9000S, ‘95 9000 CSE (FPT), and my ‘93 Aero (5 spd). I drove my brother’s NG 900 (5 spd, manual boost controller, and eventually Eibach springs and new shocks.) and I’ve driven my dad’s ‘01 9-5 (lpt, 5 spd). I’ve driven my neighbor’s ‘06 9-5 (Auto, sport package… this was an Aero, but they didn’t call it that for that particular year.) This is more than a spin around the block. Sometimes these drives included CA->WA or CA->MT one-day 800+ miles, etc. (My record is 1100 mile sin one day)
As for BMWs, I’ve driven a couple 2002s, my two e30s, my brother’s e30 325iX (That’s AWD, and it was a ‘91), my dad’s ‘89 e30 M3, and one e36 3-series. Probably a ‘95-’96. And, a very special drive in a ‘91 M5.
I will say, without a second’s hesitation, that the DRIVING experience in the BMWs I’ve driven is more enjoyable than in any of the Saab’s I’ve driven. Granted, I’d rather drive an Aero or Viggen than an entry BMW (read: no sport package suspension). My 9000 Aero is no slouch and leaves very little to be desired… what is left to be desired can, for me, be satiated with a romp in a nice BMW.
At the end of the day, I see myself with an e30 325 or perhaps an e36 M3 sometime in the future. The feel of the shifter, the feel of the steering, the feel and handling response of RWD, the smoothness of that inline 6… There’s just something about it that I cannot get from a Saab. At the same time, there’s something about my Saab that I cannot get from a BMW. Generally speaking, Saab made (and makes) fantastic cars which blend, nearly perfectly, that balance between sport and practical. And, somehow, they’ve managed to remain non-status symbols. (I love that part.)
I’d love to drive an e46 (3-series’99-’05) or e9X (3-series ‘06-present) BMW. I’m sure they handle great. I’d not hesitate for a minute to drive a 335i. Wow, I can’t imagine that it would disappoint. Also, the 5-series cars (especially the wagons) appeal to me because they are of similar size to my Aero. The only downside to a nice 5er wagon would be winter traction and gas mileage. (Just get a 530xi to solve one of those, huh?)
One comment on seats: Without fail, a Saab will have outstanding seats. Seats you can sit in for hours on end with minimal fatigue. The only BMWs I’ve spent long hours in have been the e30 3-series that I (or my brother) owned. All of those (and my dad’s M3) have had the optional Recaro Sport seats. Those seats give up nothing to any in a Saab, with the exception of the 9000 Aero seats. And that difference is mostly due to the cool factor that the Aero seats have in looking, quite simply, like a million bucks.
Woodz, I hope I’ve addressed your inquiry satisfactorily. I will always be a Snaab, I’m sure. I just might also drive a BMW from time to time.
Here’s my testing grounds, my “backyard” so to speak:
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/125/397409749_1f82371c5f.jpg
Cheers,
~Peter
“….belligerent, Swede-loving butt.”
Does this mean you also love the music ABBA?
I guess when people talk about a new vehicle the assumption does not lean toward a used car.
I too have driven both of those styled BMW’s and both left we wanting to own one when I could afford them. Then I found Saab and for me things have changed.
Like you have stated a BMW cannot give you everything you require from a car and likewise a Saab. Ultimately neither car hits the sweet spot for you from what I can read however; both come close. The fact that price or more over that your purchases occur once the majority of a vehicles depreciation has elapsed is buying clever in my book but it might be while before a Saab V6 comes along at the right price, even longer for one with XWD. Maybe then will a Saab hit the nail on the head for you.
———-
To me this underlines why AWD is so important for Saab’s future. I love my Saab because it a very good ‘all-rounder’. FWD suits my driving style but I understand this is a natural enemy when it comes to cornering for the driving enthusiast.
There are better performing or reliable cars out there but if you want premium for Europe that means a limited choice of a German brand or a German brand and that is where the problem lies. I pull up at a set of traffic lights and I am surrounded by German cars. Ok I live in Germany but that’s not the issue if I were to live in France I would be surrounded by Renaults and Citroens and in France; premium still means a German brand so you can’t et aay from it. I don’t want a German car. They might be better but I am different and driving a Saab is a way of showing that. Drive any Premium German car today and your going to be pigeon-holed in the status league. For me; I’ll take the sacrifice of torque steer and that pigeon-hole that comes with it too and I’ll have the same smug grin as all my other tight fitting tweed jacket wearing friends do.
Woodz,
I think you understand my perspective. And I understand yours. Saabs are just so good, it’s hard to seriously consider anything else.
My (within reason) dream garage:
‘03-’05 9-5 Aero Wagon (5 spd)
1991 BMW 325is (or an M3, but those are hard to find and expensive)
4×4 pickup for camping, skiing, exploring, hauling, and generally beating up (read: driving places that I wouldn’t want to take the other two).
Total expected budget: $25K (?)
Right now, the 9000 Aero is just so much fun, and so unique, and so fast, and so comfortable, and in such nice condition (some people still assume I bought it new a few years ago… those were the same ones who thought I spent $30-40K on my BMWs and that I was a snob for having such an expensive car). I recently ordered new suspension bushings and sway bars for my car. I have no plans to sell it any time soon.
When I see a nice e30, however, I take a long look at it.
Cheers, and happy Saabing to ya!
~Peter
Seeing the BMW/Saab conversation, I must admit my Turbo X smoked an E46 M3 convertible today on my way home. Didn’t even rev over 4K. I think mainly because he severely underestimated my car, or he can’t drive, or both.
The “oh, but I drive a monstrous Teuton” attitude cost this guy public embarrassment as he had the top down, the engine revving and the whole lot. Funny.
Technically speaking, even an E46 packs more horses than my Turbo X and on top of that is supposed to be a second faster in the 0-100 km/h sprint. I’ve got more torque, and XWD, which probably didn’t add much to my advantage as it was perfectly dry.
At the end of the day, it’s the sleeper factor of Saabs that I find is so dear to me. “Hey look, I’m different and I can still give you a pretty run for your money, even suck your arrogant German doors if I want to.” I just couldn’t come around myself driving one of those cars - frankly, BMW are amazing cars, but their image and average sample of owners really puts me off.
ditto
re #28.
i rechecked the the armrest on my ‘08, 9-3. there are no (visible) staples. it’s professionally finished.
a. i don’t know what i did to deserve it; or
b. something was overlooked in turbo-x land.
Saab9x, you need to slide the armrest forwards and then lift it up.
exactly.
when i get home, i’ll take pics and post links.
i kid you not–there are no (visible) staples for my ‘08, 9-3 armrest. anywhere. (and i’m not trying to be a “fanboi.”)
whoops! i see s t a p l e s. (went home for lunch, went in the garage, greeted the 9-3, slid its armrest forward, and lifted.) yes, the staples are visible.
point, kroum!–you are correct, which i suspect everyone, except myself, already knew.
my apologies for the confusion, doubt, and incorrect info.