I Have Unintentionally Bought This

[Torsten2001]

...and I'm very excited! The bloody Midget's going!

[CreepingJesus]

Class! How'd you manage that? And of course, 2-stroke or V4?

[M'coli]

That's tip-top! Get in!

[seth]

That looks like a thoroughly excellent mistake to have made.

 

Have you had one before? Give me a shout if you're not sure of anything as I learnt quite a lot when we had our 95.

[M'coli]

Class! How'd you manage that? And of course, 2-stroke or V4?

L-reg will be a V4. I love the way the windows wind down on these, like they're anchored at one point and the window pivots around that.

 

Edit: It even matches the forum colour scheme!

[CreepingJesus]

L-reg will be a V4. I love the way the windows wind down on these, like they're anchored at one point and the window pivots around that.

I see, that's what I wasn't sure of. The windows I forgot about, it's been so long since I saw one. Typical SAAB eccentricity!

[michiel]

Nice! Midget boring you already? Thought about swap, was going to ask you about it...

[Cavcraft]

Fantastic, there's nothing not to like there. More details please!

[Angrydicky]

That looks GR8! Not very British though...

[Torsten2001]

No, not very British, quite disappointingly not very British, tax free though, quirky and I've always fancied one!

 

The owner died 8 weeks ago, a sad story, his widow wants it gone to a good home so I shall be fetching it on Thursday. It will be a 200 mile journey so I should get to know it but I shall surely be PMing you Seth!

[trigger]

I'm reading this on my phone and nodding my head with approval at it! I'd much rather have that then the Midget personally so great stuff, looking forwards to reading about the road trip!

[steve austin]

Very unique!

[wuvvum]

I fugging love those things. Let me know if / when you get bored with it...

[fotorabia]

jammy jammy jammy bastard sandwich...thats so sweet..

[garethj]

That looks GR8! Not very British though...

I had a 95 and I think the headlights were Vauxhall Viva, you can't get more British than that!

 

The column shift is excellent, and they've still got freewheel for pulling up to roundabouts in eerie quiet

[outlaw118]

U R Winnar.

[skattrd]

I've always fancied one of these, I wish I'd got one instead of 900.

[Shep Shepherd]

That is one of the coolest car purchases I have ever seen on this forum

[dollywobbler]

Lovely. Yes, don't forget the freewheel. Always fun the first time you approach a junction downhill with no engine braking... (though IIRC you can at least knock the freewheel off on these without worrying about destroying the engine).

[Torsten2001]

I know nothing about the freewheel

[HillmanImp]

I always think they look a lot older than they are. Fantastic design in true shite colour.

 

I like the estate versions of these lots. Are these still cheap to buy or are they rocketing in value? I always thought they were the most unlikely rally cars.

[garethj]

I had an estate, and the way it cornered would frighten a 2CV owner or a Weeble.

 

The freewheel is to keep the engine alive when it was a 2 stroke, not really needed on the V4 but I think Saab claimed it as some kind of benefit for fuel economy?

 

I bought mine for £40 and that included the side-exit Janspeed exhaust. The seating position’s a bit odd with the driver’s seat noticeably pointing towards the centre of the car. The column shift is a giggle but the car is easy to drive. As mentioned earlier, the windows wind down around a pivot at the front just like a Lancia Stratos I told myself.

 

Enjoy it!

[seth]

There's a push/pull lever/knob under the dash (in the middle of the bulkhead ish) that you can use to disengage the free-wheel ie. it makes the gearbox work as "normal". Can only be operated when stationary (its out of reach when you're driving) I drove about for a week or so like this just to get used to the rest of the car then re-engaged it and never looked back.

 

Gearboxes can be a little bit fragile and I know that the gearbox oil should be changed regularly so that's probably worth doing if you've got no idea what servicing its had recently.

[garethj]

There's a push/pull lever/knob under the dash (in the middle of the bulkhead ish) that you can use to disengage the free-wheel ie. it makes the gearbox work as "normal". Can only be operated when stationary (its out of reach when you're driving.

I didn’t know that, I used to kick it in and hook it out with my foot when driving all the time.

 

You’re right about the gearboxes being fragile, and I don’t think they’re fitted to anything else so a repair or second hand one is your only choice. The balancer shaft on the V4 had completely knackered bearings on my car but it kept going fine. The heater is about the best of any old car I’ve had so you’ll never have to wipe the screen with the back of your hand again.

[Justin Case]

Great buy, my first Saab was an L reg 96, but in a murky olive green (Verona Green?) Tremendous fun to drive, just remember to keep your foot on the floor round sweeping bends to overcome terminal understeer; it makes me want another one . It looks as if it has the usual rot by the sidelights, they are kept in place by a 'saddle' which is a real mud-trap. It is quite easy to take it off, clean and rust-proof the area if it hasn't gone too far.

[M'coli]

I'd forgotten about the heaters! Cortina heater matrices fit with a little fettling if you're ever stuck without a decent Saab one ! (That'll be the Yoker scrappy again!)

 

The freewheel's a left-over from the 2-stroke - on a long descent the 2-stroke engine would spend a long time on closed throttle, which meant no oily mixture getting to moving parts and seizure of said engine - the freewheel allowed the engine to idle.

[Station]

They're so mad looking!

You can also claim you're an architect, cos Jeremy Clarkson sez Saabs r architect's cars innit?

[scooters]

GR8 4 FREEWEELIN' CHOP IT AND GET IT LOWERD

 

seriously though - lovely motah mate...goinng to a good home and whilst it ain't your usual fodder its up there and will hold its value.

 

I looked at getting one a few yeaers back - you need to watch out for rust undeneath and in the bulkhead areas - if it is clean then every winter give iit a liberal dose of rustproofer...

 

there's a specialist in Hertfordshire called 2 stroke to turbo. They have a bit of a reputaton for trying to sell expensive tin to SUKAZ on ebay - they have been in the tat thread a few times. BUT for all things Saab service related they do know their stuff. Sam Glover recommended them to me if you need any specialist work.

[nigel bickle]

Well- damn good choice- but a bit out of character?

You'll love it or hate it- but either way, it'll make an impression.

 

Have fun -good decision

[pogweasel]

I don't think it's going well.