Roffle SAAB - WBOD PRICE DROP £295 or £5 a ticket, 12 Months MOT - WEDS DRAW! SOLD OUT!

[Guest Hooli]

Apart from earlier which was after a lot of stop start traffic its been the same as since I got it.

 

I'm too busy trying to rebuild my bike & pack everything up to get my own place to take it apart currently. Once the bike is on the road it'll hardly get used anyway, so a couple more weeks should do it.

 

Ordered that thing, but it looks so low I'll have to guess a bit for now.

[Guest Hooli]

Found some ATF locally that was the right spec for £28 a gallon, I know it's cheaper online but after discovering it was barely on the dipstick I didn't want to keep running it that low. After extrapolating with the assumption of a linear relationship continuing* and based upon the min - max difference being 500ml I've added 1.5ltrs which should put it in the middle of the correct range. I'll recheck monday night after its hot driving back from work.

 

That's 2.5ltrs I've added since I found the leak, no wonder it was playing up worse than normal!

 

*Sorry, I was feeling wordy this morning.

[Guest Hooli]

SiC when you used to check the level did you find it more accurate the first time the stick came out or after you'd wiped it & put it back?

 

I'm still getting 1/4" on the stick when it comes out & after putting it back it smears oil everywhere so the level is about 2" above the gearbox...

[SiC]

I did it a good 3 or 4 times. If you've filled it up recently it will smear. Pretty thick stuff.

[Guest Hooli]

Well it drives a lot better again & has somewhere between bugger all & loads in...I'll check it again at some point, see if I can decide what level it's at.

 

Oh, ticked over 2,000miles with me the other day, thats about 0.001% of it's life it's spent with me lol

[SiC]

Pretty much double what I did in the 3 months or so I owned it!

[Guest Hooli]

Half considering a quick lap of the Highlands in it soon, got a few days holiday left to use this month & need a break...

[SiC]

Half considering a quick lap of the Highlands in it soon, got a few days holiday left to use this month & need a break... and change the valve body

FTFY.

[Guest Hooli]

What's the obvious thing to do when you've booked thurs/fri/mon/tues off work to use up leave & have a car with a dodgy gearbox?

 

Exactly, I'm glad you agree. I'm leaving for a lap of the Highlands tomorrow up in SVM land. I'll check oil n water in the morning & point it northwards for a couple of days.

 

WCPGW?

 

 

Must book B&Bs etc soon, might do that when I get up..

[320touring]

Sure we can cobble together an svm welcoming committee if you pap up a thread with your plans

[Guest Hooli]

Just got up, looking for hotels now. Then I'll check oil n water etc.

 

Rough plan is -

 

Today - Fort William/Spean Bridge via Glencoe etc

Friday - tour Cairngorns + Loch Ness, back to FW/SB for the night

Sat - Applecross etc to Ullapool

Sun - Unapool bridge, Durness etc & maybe JoG (it's crap but a good photo op) not sure where stopping yet, but somewhere in the NE corner

Mon and Tues - head home, probably down the A1 to see Lundy Island.

 

Found out at midnight last night my ex can't look after her dog so I've got a road trip partner Just got to find dog friendly hotel/BnBs etc now.

[Guest Hooli]

Well all is good so far....done about 600miles & all I need to do tomorrow is pump up the slow puncture on the NSF.

 

The Saab looks at home in this sort of scenery

 

and my road trip partner seems happy enough in the back.

 

Amazing sunset at Speen Bridge tonight too.

[Guest Hooli]

Been over Applecross today, the gearbox didn't get funny till the last but one hairpin & then it only got as far as banging into second. Proof that driving in towns isn't what cars are for..... Now sat in Ullapool planning tomorrow after Haggis Pakoras (yes really) and chips for tea.

 

Pics...

 

They put a statue of my dog up at Glengarry....

 

The standard tourist pic

 

Applecross

 

Great roads

 

Sunset at Ullapool

 

 

[320touring]

Drop into the ferryboat inn for a small libation;)

[SiC]

Great photos! Glad that you're still enjoying the car, even with its few foibles.

[Guest Hooli]

Little dog got to play in the Atlantic again today, it is funny how much she loves water considering she can't swim! Staffies tend to sink as they are too dense & short haired.

 

It was a touch calm this morning

 

 

First beach at Achnihiard

 

Most remote public toilet in the UK...

 

Some bridge at Kylesau

 

Beach near as poss to Cape Wrath

 

Smoo Cave

 

I been Laid....

 

Kyle of Tongue crossing & where I hit 1,000miles on this trip

 

A busy A-road on the last bit to Lairg for tonight

 

Homeward bound tomorrow already started south off the north coast. I will get to see Holy Island at Lundy on the way back but as always I want to stay in the Highlands forever.

 

 

[320touring]

Looks like you've seen a fair few of the sights:)

[Guest Hooli]

It's bloody rude not to see everything once you're up here. I always seem to do 1,500-2,000miles in a week when I get up.

 

Oh the front tyres are now on the wear markers, must be those times it triggered the ESP in 3rd uphill I wasn't even caining it that much, surprised a few sports cars I've passed though...

 

These motors make great tourers, comfy, easy to drive, fun on the twisties (for a FWD) & enough grunt to clear the dawdlers.

[Guest Hooli]

Back

 

Got home late last night/early this morning & just got up.

 

1,575miles done & the worst problem was the 'bong low coolant' once. Can't complain really, can I? Oh finally got used to using the flappy paddles, they are good when pressing on & may be partly to blame with getting the Saab airborne a couple of times on the A93, done in homage to Saab's aircraft industry of course...

 

I'll sort out pics of the last day later, but here is my entry for the next year's calender!

 

[Guest Hooli]

Oh I forgot to say, Scottish roadworks are bloody strange. They have people working on them! never seen that south of the border.

[Lacquer Peel]

You got some brilliant weather, it's miserable in the Highlands now.

[Guest Hooli]

It was perfect everyday, manky as hell here today too. That's how it normally goes when I head up, only had one really wet trip.

[RobT]

Looks like you had a great time.  It's giving me ideas for my next road trip...!

[Mr_Bo11ox]

Great work Hooli, looks a total joy

[Guest Hooli]

Another good thing, all those long long steep hills up there meant I could keep the Saab on boost at highish revs for aaaaaaaaggggges. It's good for it, it's a lot smoother sounding working hard & more responsive now. It's too quick to get an Italian tune up like that in flatter places.

 

See you owe it to your car as well as yourself to do the same.

[SiC]

The Highlands I always imagined what rural Sweden must be like. It's where that car belongs - not couped up in heavy stop+start city traffic.

[Guest Hooli]

I've just fixed that damn wobbly foglight as it'd fallen backward far enough to look shabby. Cut that buggered bolt out & just used a normal one. Adjusted the driver's door lock too, it shuts tight now. Wish I'd done that before I went as it whistled in strong winds, I just expected it to need an impact driver.

 

Waterleak is now worse, it is the waterpump from where the little puddle is. I don't mind spending on it now it's behaved for a proper trip. Plus next month the bike is back so this won't be doing the miles & gives me chance to fix it without any rush.

[SiC]

I didn't even know the drivers door lock was loose! Most of its miles has been done as driver only so makes sense I guess.

 

I wonder if the squealing of the belt is related to the water pump. I'm glad I never changed the belt as it probably would have pretty quickly killed that pump.

[Guest Hooli]

The lock wasn't loose, but do you remember the door always sat 1/8" proud when shut? It doesn't anymore so it'll seal properly. Tbh you could only hear it when it was windy & the radio was off, hence I hadn't bothered before.

[Guest Hooli]

Another good thing, all those long long steep hills up there meant I could keep the Saab on boost at highish revs for aaaaaaaaggggges. It's good for it, it's a lot smoother sounding working hard & more responsive now. It's too quick to get an Italian tune up like that in flatter places.

 

See you owe it to your car as well as yourself to do the same.

 

More on this.

 

I've been shopping as no food in the house, it's now starting instantly & surprising me every time (no more half a sec churning, just vroom). Guess it did even more good than I thought.