But your 9-3t started as a 900 NG with a little facelift. My point is to go to original branding and engineering, not whatever GM was trying to do we 9-whatever.
My 9-3t was the year SAAB sold entirely to GM but SAAB was still doing all the builds. So, no, no GM anything in it. Not a single American part (which made getting OEM replacements a pain in 2020.)
I'm super confused. All 9-3s came from 900NG, which was made during 50/50 ownership on GM-platform (Opel Vectra). SAAB had a habit of throwing away half of the platform and doing things themselves (see 9-2X). Go check your coolant expansion tank cap, it will literally have GM logo molded on it. Maybe your mechanic (or you) didn't realize you can look up parts by their GM number instead of SAAB's.
Sure there weren't "American parts", but there are a fuck ton of GM parts. Opel had been a wholly owned GM subsidiary since 1931.
Also why are you calling it 9-3t? There was never 9-3t and all 9-3s sold in the US had turbo.
Or just bring the 9-3 Turbo back!