View Full Version : Saab 60th Anniversary, and 30 years of the Turbo
It's challenge nutter time!
In June Saab celebrates 60 years, and it also coincides with the 30th Anniversary of the Saab Turbo. I just happen to have a first production year Turbo (1978), but it's off the road needing the leaky sunroof replaced, and a replacement engine because most of the gaskets and oil seals in the current one are original and leaking like mad!
Whilst I can't see me getting over to Sweden for the real celebrations, I'd like to have the thing on the road again by then. Sounds easy, but I've been trying to get the time to do the engine since August! I also want to move the battery to the boot and a few other bits and bobs, Fun!
How it can look:
http://www.saabcentral.com/phpgallery/albums/1978-99-Turbo/DSC00004.sized.jpg
http://www.saabcentral.com/phpgallery/albums/1978-99-Turbo/DSCF3865.sized.jpg
http://www.saabcentral.com/phpgallery/albums/1978-99-Turbo/DSCF3864.sized.jpg
How it looked when I got the car in 2003:
http://www.saabcentral.com/phpgallery/albums/album111/DSC00004.sized.jpg
http://www.saabcentral.com/phpgallery/albums/album111/DSC00008.sized.jpg
Von Smallhausen
26-03-2007, 02:37
There is something about the Saab T I just love. When I was at clown college ( police training school some call it ) one lad had a B reg Saab turbo and gave me a drive of it. I just loved it.
Best of luck with the repairs.
Yeah they're very understated, and with a few simple tweaks can embarass a lot of performance cars :D
I scared the ed of the now defunct retro cars with mine round bruntingthorpe. Managed not to spin it though, despite seriosuly trying ;D
Hurrah, some progress :)
Engine and gearbox are out. Need to do some tidying and rust treatment in the engine bay tho' = not pretty in places!
Tomorrow hopefully I'll get the replacement engine onto the gearbox and ready to drop in, then I'll get on with the engine bay.
I forgot to take my camera today :embarassed:
But in the mean time here's some pics of when it was actually working :)
http://www.saabcentral.com/phpgallery/albums/album26/PE.sized.jpg
At Power Engineering the day before I took it out on the track at bruntingthorpe. I forget the output, but it was about 165bhp. I've had 173 out of it, standard is 145.
http://www.saabcentral.com/phpgallery/albums/album26/twins.sized.jpg
Twins! I took it to a car show in Bristol - mine's on the right (easy for me to tell, it's lowered!).
http://www.saabcentral.com/phpgallery/albums/album37/DSCF0406.sized.jpg
And I also took it to last year's classic & retro show. It was on the way back from this show that the clutch went :embarassed: Meant the mini cooper S I was chasing actually beat me :'(
Some singularly unexciting pics, but you asked for them :p
Split the engine off the gearbox and found a nice suprise. Saab gearbox cases are notoriously stiff as cream cheese. In the late 70's they tried various ways of stiffening them up, and one method they used was to add loads of ribs into the castings. And a different casting method, these (very expensive to make) boxes are called chillcast. The only external way to tell for sure if you have one of these "holy grail" boxes is to take the engine off. I got one :D
http://www.saabcentral.com/phpgallery/albums/album73/DSCF0880.sized.jpg
I have another gearbox that from the outside looks identical (even has the same casting number!), but doesn't have those extra ribs on top.
The outgoing engine:
http://www.saabcentral.com/phpgallery/albums/album73/DSCF0882.sized.jpg
The big hole it left:
http://www.saabcentral.com/phpgallery/albums/album73/DSCF0884.sized.jpg
The ingoing engine:
http://www.saabcentral.com/phpgallery/albums/album73/DSCF0885.sized.jpg
The engine going in is nothing special - just a standard one with new gaskets and oil seals. The original engine will (eventually) be rebuilt with a few tweaks :cool:
edit: here's a box advertised as chillcast, but without the additional ribs. Not chillcast http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/SAAB-99-900-CHILLCAST-GEARBOX_W0QQitemZ230087960273QQihZ013QQcategoryZ12 2163QQcmdZViewItem
Me cream crackered!
Engine is in, everything down the bottom connected up (exhaust, driveshafts etc). Started on the top end, still a million things to do. I've ordered a qmax cutter to make the last hole through the bulkhead for moving the battery to the boot - need to finish running the hoofing great cable through :)
Getting there anyway. Amazing what a few days of great weather can lead to! Forgot my camera again tho :embarassed:
Remembered camera, forgot memory card :embarassed: Not that I achieved anything anyway. Put alternator on, found when I'd rebuilt it I'd assmebled it slightly wrong. Took it off and put the crappy unipart one back on that was a temp while I rebuilt the proper one.
Went to fit the clutch and I've bought the wrong one - I've changed to a flywheel from a 9000 as it takes a bigger clutch - but somehow I managed to buy a clutch for a 900 :embarassed: too complicated trying to swap bits about! Think I'll get the original 99 flywheel resurfaced and use that again for a while as the clutch will fit that... I hope!
It's running :D Sort of ;D
Wouldn't start to begin with - turned over but nowt else. Eventually diagnosed a duff dissy. Changed that, and then it would cough but nothing else.
Bled the air out the injector lines, and it started yay! But there was a strange gurgling sound. Found most of the oil pumped out the turbo feed line joint, guess I forgot to do that up :embarassed:
Running reasonably now, but the valve clearances need checking I think as it sounds a bit clunky up top.
Some pics:
http://www.saabcentral.com/phpgallery/albums/album73/DSCF0999.sized.jpg
http://www.saabcentral.com/phpgallery/albums/album73/DSCF1002.sized.jpg
And posh hoses arrived finally!
http://www.saabcentral.com/phpgallery/albums/album73/DSCF1003.sized.jpg
http://www.saabcentral.com/phpgallery/albums/album73/DSCF1004.sized.jpg
Thoroughly cheesed off at the moment. Was suppsoed to spend today moving the car out the way so my dad could get the moggy convertible out for it's annual run (ie. to mot station and back ;D ), last time I was under it, I could slot each gear in by hand no problem, but when I connected the linkage up, it jammed in reverse and won't come out :angry:
Fortunatley (for my dad), the car was facing towards the garage, so with a bit of shoving with the clutch down we got it pointing the right way, and then I reversed the car round to the front of the house.
In a foul mood now so figured it best to stop working on it until tomorrow. Going to find a nice violent-towards-cars film to watch now ;D
There's a side panel on the gearbox that hides some of the mechanism - I just hope getting in there will be enough, otherwise it's engine out again :'(
Yay it's in neutral :D
Can't tell if all is well until I've got the linkage connected properly, and I can't do that until I've found the taper pin that I've lost :embarassed: or bought a new one.
Once the side cover was off, it was easy to just move the actuating lever to move reverse gear out of mesh, and that unlocked the change rod to the outside world.
Shame it took well over an hour of taking bits off the car to GET to the access cover! Going to take longer than that to get it back together :( especially as it's tipping it down now...
The decision has been made - the turbo won't be on the road for the 30th Anniversary :'(
Not so much time or effort, but I can't afford to MOT, tax or insure the car at this moment. All it needs apart from that is a tuneup and headlights.
Grr for creditcard bills!
Oh well, the beigemobile is roadlegal, just needs a new fuel tank, springs, bushes and fuel injection fitted. Cheap compared to the turbo!
Dragging this back to the top!
The poor turbo has been ignored :( But no longer! A decision was made - I don't have the time to do the work myself, so I shall be sending it off to a specialist for a medium restoration.
Spent most of last sunday emptying it out (been used as a shed!), and got it running. Runs suprisingly well considering it hasn't been started for almost 18months...
Spent today stripping off the water injection and other goodies to make it a bit closer to standard. Swapped the sunroof assembly over to a more modern one as well that isn't as rusty and doesn't leak!
Need to reassemble a load of trim, and then decide how to get it to the specialist. My brain says pay a car moving company ~£150 to do it, my heart says whack it in for an MOT, hope it passes and then drive it!
I love Saabs, albeit newer ones! I looked at the local dealers the other day, you seem to get a lot of car for the money.
Would you recommend them as a daily car?
Flibster
17-03-2009, 20:21
I love Saabs, albeit newer ones! I looked at the local dealers the other day, you seem to get a lot of car for the money.
Would you recommend them as a daily car?
I personally wouldn't buy one until Saab's future has been decided. However, there are some fantastic deals to be had at the moment. My local dealer has knocked 20% off :shocked:
The older 95 ragtops were fantastic cruisers though. Used to borrow one for the weekends from where I was working at the time - loved it.
The new models ones with their bling glasses don't look as good to me.
I love Saabs, albeit newer ones! I looked at the local dealers the other day, you seem to get a lot of car for the money.
Would you recommend them as a daily car?
What do I know about vauxhalls? ;D
Don't think there's any reason not to think about one for a daily. Only issues I know of that crop up regularly are pre2003 9-3's suffer from bulkhead cracks - and Saab UK are reluctant to fix for free.
And many of the newer cars have "sludging" issues. Not a problem if they've been properly serviced (i.e. ONLY fully synthetic oil) and they've had all the recalls done.
Agree with Mr Flibster - the dame edna ones are hideous :(
The older 95 ragtops were fantastic cruisers though.
95? I'm no expert but think only the 93 comes as a vert?
Flibster
17-03-2009, 21:29
95? I'm no expert but think only the 93 comes as a vert?
It was 11 years ago - My memory is very dubious and I could very well be wrong. I do have that it was a 95 in my mind though... :confused:
It was a very nice place to be sat though. The engine was an absolute peach too.
Looking at wiki - it must have been a 93.... Hmmm. Remember kids - don't do excessive amounts of caffine...
That engine started life as a 1709cc triumph unit! Wasn't a peach then. Saab improved it no end :)
Well after many many hours hard graft, I finished getting it ready for the MOT at 1pm today. The MOT was booked for 2, so cut it a bit fine!
But passed with only 4 minor advisories. Get in ;D
Need to sort out the wastegate as it stuck open on the way to the station (had boost, then none :(), and there's a clonk from the front suspension (one of the advisories) but apart from that, good to go!
Hmm, it's not the wastegate. I seriously hope the brand new turbo isn't seized :(
Justsomebloke
04-04-2009, 08:37
Saab sux the big one.:angry: + ;D
I really hope it's something minor Dude, I'm out of Saabs for good me & am thinking of just scrapping mine, Are my wheels any good to you ? 5 spoke alloys.
Saabs don't suck, vauxhalls do :p Those wheels won't fit mine :)
Justsomebloke
04-04-2009, 08:59
What motors do they fit then, Vauxhalls ?
Probably :) Saab wise, GM900s and 9-3 (probably not the 9-3ss). Possibly late 9000's as well. Are they 5 stud or 4?
As for mine, well that was a fooking expensive turbo for 5 miles :( Took it off, took the turbine housing off and found a fooking turbine housing bolt down there (all were present and correct - it's an extra one) jammed into the turbine blades. Bent to buggery :angry:
Probably over £100 to repair.
So my other brand new turbo is now on, and it's boosting nice :cool::evil:
My dad has had a Saab Sonnet III in his garage since I was a kid. He had some work done on it and resprayed it but its done nothing for over 20 years! Looks a bit like this:
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c240/peatjg/sonett3.jpg
My sister is getting married in the summer, would be so cool if she could be picked up in it, all done up.
Flibster
07-04-2009, 14:37
My dad has had a Saab Sonnet III in his garage since I was a kid. He had some work done on it and resprayed it but its done nothing for over 20 years! Looks a bit like this:
http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c240/peatjg/sonett3.jpg
My sister is getting married in the summer, would be so cool if she could be picked up in it, all done up.
Such a cool car.
Love it.
Cool :) Very very few of them over here as they were US market only. My vote goes for get it going and on the road now!!!
I've been on at him for years to get it running. I once joked that by the time he got it registered for a UK plate they would be on 'T'! The only thing that has been done is the headboard/lining and the windscreen that my mum arranged when she was off work due to a broken wrist. He's had the seats recovered in leather sitting in the loft for god knows how long, how I long to see those headlights pop up again!
Every time I see a Sonnet (seen all 3 versions) I drool! The MkI is sheer beauty, but they only built 6. The MkII is production beauty, but even they're mega rare, especially over here. The MkIII is the uglier one of the bunch, but that's like calling an E-type ugly... Sheer automotive perfection :cool:
What's its history? How did it end up over here?
My dad is American, mum is English. When he moved here the air force shipped all his possessions free, including the car and a huge air compresser! I'm not sure if it was bought from new or not but when I was a kid (must be 20 years ago now!) my dad had it taken away, I think the engine was rebuilt and bored (sp?) out, as well as getting new interior. There's a stainless steel exhaust kicking around somewhere too. Unfortunately its been under a blanket in his garage all this time. I'll take some pictures next time I visit the olds.
Current estimate is 14-16 in the country so it's a rare car over here indeed, go on, get persuading ;D
Mine looks like this at the mo:
http://www.saabcentral.com/phpgallery/albums/Allsorts/DSCF2065.sized.jpg
Took Mr Zirax for a quick spin today. The handling is a bit off, probably need to tweak the toe in a bit. But it's quite quick :evil: and only half boost...
For an older motor that really doesn't hang around! Good stuff.
As Desmo found out to his misfortune Sat, the sunroof has been leaking recently leaving the passenger footwell and seat soaking :(
Just evicted a very wedged and dead piggy-wiggy from the drain tube ;D
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