UKSaabs

Howdy,

Thought I would start this thread as I purchased a 900 Carlsson in a rather sorry state on saturday which is my first Saab. I am however no stranger to the marque having grown up in a family with a terrible case of Saabitis having owned several 96s, 99s, 900s, A Sonett III and even a 9-3 over the years. We still have the Sonett III which I helped put back on the road and did quite a lot of work on but it looks like this one may be even more of a challenge.

It has been left standing for 2 years after a coming together of a kerb and the front Airflow bumper which did not end so favourably for the car. Consequently a lot of things have degraded over time and left the car which I will probably name "Sven" in a very sorry looking state indeed. I don't have many pictures at the moment and I am travelling to pick the car up on a trailer on Thursday so will post some more up then when the full extent of what I have let myself in for dawns on me. I am determined to save it though and not let it end up as a breaker. The one major plus is the car seems relatively solid all over apart from a couple of areas that need attention and has full service history and thousands spent on the mechanicals. I am hoping a bit of TLC and a damn good clean will put it well on its way to tearing up the open road again.

Here are a few pictures which are pretty terrible but as I said I will take some better ones when I have access to the car:














The main problems that spring to mind at the moment other than the usual cleaning are:

Problem selecting 5th reverse, have been advised this is just a threaded pin that needs adjusting in the bottom of the selector rod
Headlining needs replacing (Surprise Surprise)
Sort drivers door rust (door bottom is still solid we think surprisingly)
Drivers front wheel arch needs welding from where front bumper has dropped and allowed water to rot the inner lining
Drivers/Passenger door mechanisms need repairing
Full service and soaking bores in oil before attempting to start engine (turn over by hand and on the starter first)
Iron out a few electrical gremlins (could be fun that one)
tidy up bonnet mechanism (surface rust)
Source a replacement chrome grille/ rear decor panel as they are damaged (could get pricey)
Wheels off and check over brakes/suspension.
New rad possibly

No concrete plans as of yet but I would just like to get it back into its former glory and then maybe a FMIC and a 3" JT system, some bilsteins and remove the front ARB and source a leather interior and I imagine that would keep me happy for a fair while!


Anyway, watch this space for some proper pictures and updates of the horrors I find as I take it to bits (if we all cross our fingers it will be ok )

I am mechanically competent but new to 900's so I am going to need alot of help with this so await the torrent of threads that will undoubtedly appear in the workshop section

_________________
1990 900 Carlsson
1973 Sonett III

Looks great already!!!
Torrent away, look forwrd to following this project.

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Have a heart that never hardens, a temper that never tires, a touch that never hurts.

Definitely one to watch for me.......

_________________
......Gotta love a 9K..........

1996 9000 Aero
2001 9-3 Aero convertible

this one has definite potential

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Rich
CC Carlsson - shhh! The colour's a secret
CSi - midnight blue

nice looking car,and even nicer wheels on it.

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i bought a saab, where the roof is faster than the engine

Quite right - great rims!

_________________
......Gotta love a 9K..........

1996 9000 Aero
2001 9-3 Aero convertible

Wow what an exhausting few days!

Picked the car up yesterday, weather was okay until 20 minutes before we arrived when the heavens opened and didnt stop till we made it back the 130 odd miles on the trailer with the car. The whole day was in jeopardy when we turned up to pick up the trailer I had booked for hire to find it didn't have a winch because it had been taken off to be repaired. Not a good start . There was no way a car that had not moved in two years was going to be pushed up onto a trailer and I thought it was going to be a wasted trip but some quick thinking from my dad saw us depart to pick up the car plus one "turf winch" and 20m of 3/4" thick steel cable .

When we arrived we had to find a way to rig up the turf winch to the trailer and then had to jack through the 15 or so metres of unnecessary cable before the car even moved an inch. Not fun I can tell you but at least thats my exercise done for the year. After removing various bits of trailer that the winch shackle fouled on its way up (the car didnt have a towing eye so tied some ratchet straps round the lower wishbones as a quick bodge) the car finally was dragged kicking and screaming onto the trailer after having fought us for over an hour in the pouring rain . Maybe it didn't want to leave.

That left us with this:





Got home still soaking wet but happy with my purchase (so far) wondering what surprises the next day would bring. Put some oil down the bores to soak for tomorrow through the spark plug holes as the engine had not turned in over 2 years. On taking off the plug lead cover I was greeted with an immaculate head underneath with clean new plug leads and plugs. A good sign for things to come perhaps.


Which brings me to today. First job, source a new battery. The battery on the car was virtually brand new before it was laid up but 2 years left standing had left it with 0.5V open circuit across the terminals. The battery tester wouldnt even recognise it as a battery, Oh dear I thought. I had read that sourcing a battery for a T16S was nigh on impossible as the standard 900 battery shoves the heatshield right up against the turbo elbow and I didn't want the engine clanging into it as it rocked about under the immense torque of the engine that hadnt run in 2 years. Every motor factor catalogue we tried listed the standard 900 battery dimensions for the T16S and I was beginning to give up hope but a final visit to Warwick Batteries in, well, Warwick surprisingly saw us strike gold. The man who served us saw us approaching with the Saab battery and instantly new of the problem we were talking about, without even taking any measurements he walked into the back and came out with the correct sized battery fully charged with a 3 year warranty after about 20 seconds. Fantastic service. If any of you T16S owners are having a similar struggle to find the correct battery then I suggest you pay them a visit.


Then the usual change of filters and fluids (and ending up minus one sump plug - severly mangled trying to get it off) and the car up on axle stands to have a check over revealed a surprisingly solid car underneath, better than my '98 Rover anyway! The front right wheel arch after a good prodding is quite badly corroded where it meets the wing but as far as we have found so far this is the only rot on the car that needs patching! Result

First I turned the engine over by hand, then on the starter to build some oil pressure, then plugs back in and leads on and the moment of truth had arrived...

..

.....


In true Saab fashion, started up on the first turn of the key. Apart from a HUGE cloud of white spoke from all the oil in the cylinders and a noisy hydraulic tappet which quietened down after idling for 5-10 minutes it ran sweet as a nut.

Still have brakes, Still have clutch. Managed to find all the gears although the linkage needs some adjustment as 5th is a pain to find, almost as if it is not gated.

There are a few niggly problems however. the rad is weeping down the passenger side and the temperature gauge appears to be broken but other than that much not to complain about mechanically or electrically.

Does anyone know how to test the heated seats? I have heard you can spray deodorant on the metal bulb to send it below 5 degrees and that would have the added bonus of getting rid of the musty smell inside the car!

Next Job was to give the car a thorough clean. I didn't really have time to clay, polish and wax the car but this will get done as soon as I can spare a weekend! The paint is pretty badly swirled but surprisingly few dents dings and scrapes for a car of this age.

Here he is post wash talking to our other Swede, the Sonett III:









In the final pic you can see where the bumper is held on with copious amounts of gaffer tape. A job that will have to be tackled sooner rather than later.

There are a lot of niggly jobs on this car to do but so far I haven't uncovered anything too serious and I am chuffed to bits. The 900 burble on tick over is fantastic if you ask me!

_________________
1990 900 Carlsson
1973 Sonett III

So, major progress update! We are onnn the roadd again!

Needed surprisingly little to get it through an MOT and I am rather pleased with the car

On running the engine on my drive it became apparent the radiator was shot so that was replaced and whilst having a good dig around the car found a few more slightly dodgy areas of rust.


I am not in a position to weld the car right now as I am supposed to be writing a dissertation (eek!) and the rot isn't structual so I made the decision to kill it, paint it, and forget about it until summer comes along when I have time to effect a proper repair.

The radiator removal is in my opinion no where near as easy as the bentley manual makes out and I did have to take the fan off the rad first and also remove the compressor outlet to intercooler pipe,APC solenoid valve and some other annoying gubbins which I cant quite remember now.

Effected a repair to the bumper by gluing up the crack with a hot glue gun from the inside and spent hours and hours removing duct tape and residue that was baked on by the sun, not a nice job! it turns out that the mounting points on the bumper are fine it is just that the bolt was missing so nipped into the garage and found one straight away and it was straight back on although not fitting quite as well as I had hoped due to the offside inner arch mounting bolt holes having err...rusted away!


Managed to fix the 5th gear change just by adjusting the length of the pin on the bottom of the shifter rod to 22mm.

A temperature sender from a spare 96 inlet manifold looked remarkable similar to the item found in the thermostat housing so I swapped them out and now have a working temperature gauge, although it took a while to realize it with the new rad keeping things super cool!

So a few other odds and sods like adjusting the handbrake which had completely fallen off the pivot pin on the nearside and it was for the first drive off to the MOT station via the scenic route.

Had a little bit of an incident experimenting with boost along a straight in 3rd gear as we kept experiencing overboosting then fuel cut but I think this was due to a slightly sticky waste gate actuator as this has all but dissapeared now. I hope the policeman waiting at the end of the straight was too busy munching on doughnuts and appreciative of the fact that my third gear pull over the bridge was in the interest of scientific experiment otherwise I am awaiting a NIP to drop through the doormat , I knew this car would end up with me losing my licence but didnt think it would be before I even got an MOT on it!

so off to the MOT and had a nervous coffee down the road whilst the test was carried out, I have never been so scared about an MOT before as alot of aspects of the car were a complete unknown to me. I need not be afraid however as the car passed with no advisories in true saab style!

Then began wrangling with insurance companies and the like before I could drive the lovely thing up to Sheffield so I could carry on with my life and actually do some work....This however went straight out the window when the prospect of the A57 Snakes pass entered my mind as a proper shakedown for the car and before I knew it I had been to glossop and back "just because" and watched the fuel gauge creep towards empty as though money was pouring out my wallet. I have to say the way the car rides over sweeping A/B roads is fantastic and feels really planted on the road which is great and the whoosh in 3rd gear is a phenomenal experience. Some pictures of this super day out are located below!

Tomorrow I have a day off lectures and if the weather holds good then the car will be getting a full polish and wax to try and bring some of the shine back, I clayed the car before which made a big difference but ran out of time before I could get some polish down so hopefully a proper wash will bring it back to a nice shine. I can't believe how hard it is to keep black cars clean ahh.

Been shopping for the car recently and ordered some bits that I needed/wanted. Its quite frightening how quickly it all adds up but considering the car owes me very little money compared to its value at the moment I thought I should maybe splash out a little bit seeing as how it was kind to me.

Before we go to pictures I have some questions to the floor:

1. Are a whole concerto of klonking creaking and generally terrifying noises commonplace whilst riding at a reasonable amount of leptons over fairly rutted B roads commonplace on these cars. I presume bushes etc cannot be too shot as the car has just passed an MOT without advisories?

2.Is the ribbon at the back of the instruments replaceable without taking the whole dash out through the speaker hole or is that only for replacing bulbs etc?

3. I stupidly managed to loose one of my wheel arch extension trims on the way up to Sheff despite checking they were all thoroughly secured before setting off. I take it these are as rare as rocking horse poo now and I will have to pay 2 squillion pounds and a third of my soul to get it replaced. I have looked online and not found them anywhere.

4. does anyone know of anyone capable of headlining replacement in the Sheffield area? or Should I order the stuff and have a crack at it myself. I am sure I will end up with creases and greasy thumb prints in it if I try it myself so would like a proper job doing I guess.

5. the car is a bit stiff going into some of the gears and changes into 5th and can come with a bit of a crunch if I am not rev matching, would an oil change alleviate most of this or is it a sign of a box on a the way out? would just cheapo 10w-40 suffice or should I be using super-optimum fully synthetic techno nano particulate oil?

PICTURES!



















A late finish before battle with the MOT man at dawn...well 11:30 actually.


Snow topped Snakes Pass

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1990 900 Carlsson
1973 Sonett III

those photos need to go into the calendar selection process in the coffee bar

arch trims are indeed RHS

ribbon cable......hmmm - not studying gynacology are you?

pass on whether your gearbox is on the way out.....an oil change wouldn't hurt though. You'll need a 12mm hex bolt to undo the plug. Be prepared to see the plug covered in metal filings and the oil look like crude. Make sure you undo the plug for the gearbox - the engine drain isn't too far away from it!!
As to the oil, Saab recommended a mineral oil, but there are many many choices, each with their supporters and detractors. Personally, I'd go with amsoil MTF or redline shockproof....but I won't flame you if you choose mineral - maybe put some mineral in for 1,000 miles to help flush out some of the crud and then drop for synthetic.

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Rich
CC Carlsson - shhh! The colour's a secret
CSi - midnight blue

Excellent write up, very nice find and great pictures.

Isn't it impressive how tough these cars can be sometimes?

1. Yes and no - they are generally noisey compared to new cars but lots of clanking and banging is not good. Check the obvious stuff as much as possible by hand.

2. Pass.

3. Keep an eye on 'parts for sale' here and ebray.

4. Headlining can be done yourself - see

5. I can not praise honda mtf enough! Take an empty oil can in to a dealership and request the specified amount. Really great gearbox oil for the 900 in my experience. All imho of course!

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Speak softly and carry a big hammer.

Another saved, excellent write up and pictures.

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When you think you know it all, it's a sure sign you don't.

It probably wont have a drain plug You'll have to take the rear plate off the gearbox to drain it. Get some loctite 518 or similar (i.e. non setting sealant) Put some in the front primary gears when you refill.
The fill plug is a PITA to get off sometimes. Use a 19mm hex cut socket and gring the front chamfer off. You may need an air gun initially. The bolt is made of chocolate!!
Need a good one for mine!!

Amsoil MTF is considered by some people to be too thin. I used a mix of Redline MTG and MT90.

As obviously intimated but not stated you will need to remove the dash!! AFAIK you can use the film off an LPT or non turbo. You might find that when you take it off it may be loose connections or easily repairable with wire links.

Very Nice car and pics, and a Sonnet too!!!!

_________________
Have a heart that never hardens, a temper that never tires, a touch that never hurts.

It is looking really, really good. I agree with Rich, those photos need to go into the Calender section!

_________________
......Gotta love a 9K..........

1996 9000 Aero
2001 9-3 Aero convertible

mine has a dipstick......so I used that to fill it. If yours has a fill plug, take that off before you drain the oil

_________________
Rich
CC Carlsson - shhh! The colour's a secret
CSi - midnight blue

Made some fairly decent progress over the the past week with the car off the road but have been a bit rubbish with the camera for "during" pictures due to having fairlyyy mucky hands.

Jobs done:


-3" JT Exhaust refitted
-All 4 ball joints changed on upper and lower wishbones.
-New trackrod ends due to split rubber
-Back axle and links off and hammerited
-New panhard rod and torque link bushes (other bushes did not need replacing)
-Replaced brake fluid and bled system
-Calipers painted red (Ok a bit halfords but I thought they would look nice with the refurbed wheels and they do)
-Full inspection and all rust killed and painted as a temporary fix before I can buy a decent welder
-Camcover removed and painted as it was very shabby and had to fix a slight oil leak down onto the exhaust manifold
-New gearbox oil and cured leak from diffential housing
-Wheels polished, cleaned and sealed
-Damn good clean

Jobs still to be done this summer:

Front bumper respray
Fix headlining properly
Remove instrument cluster and fix dodgey connections on backlighting ribbon and investigate odometer failure.
Welding
Naughty tweaks ( APC Mods, Proper downpipe,FMIC, Injectors, FPR) - these may or may not happen but I am not looking for big power with this car just a 30-40hp gain which should be easily acheivable on a modest budget.


By far the worst job was the bottom balljoints on the front wishbones, For a car that has been such a pleasure to work on this was the first job that reminded me how important it is to design for easy maintenence. A proper balljoint seperator will not fit in the available gap between the thread and the hub and unless you have access to saab tool 80293829230329 you are up a foul smelling creek without a paddle. I had to use one of those wedge shaped splitters and it took hours and hours of belting away at it from either side, jumping up and down on long spanners before the tapers finall gave way.

The back axle all came apart fairly nicely but reinserting some of the new bushes without a proper press required almost all of my paitence but we got there in the end.

If I am honest I can't feel a drastic difference in how the car drives at all, the ride remains very harsh and clonky but it has given me the peace of mind that I have a few more thousands of miles to churn up before I need to worry about suspension and steering issues.

Anyone care to comment on whether new HT leads / plugs is worth doing? Am I likekly to plough another few hundred into the car and not feel any improvement haha! The car is not missing or anything like that but the ones currently fitted look a bit tired and I am wondering whether their degradation could be sapping some power, the car does not feel flat or anything but like to keep things ship shape.

Anyways, enough of my incessant babble - it's good to be driving again!

TO THE PICTURES!





manky corroded wheels








Shiny happy wheels!





Ahh my suspension is on fire!.. Mum is less than impressed with the state of the lawn :furious:



grotty back axle





shiny back axle



yes I missed several bits, but I won't tell anyone if you don't



yucky grot in rear wheel arch



scabby cam cover



painted but not finished, I need to take off the paint on the raised sections and polish them up again when it has gone properly hard after a few heat cycles.



JT refittted


Some pictures after I cleaned and resealed it - Only been polished once with SRP since I got it, not looking too shabby!













I'll do some engine bay and interior shots soon after I've given them a good clean! Really happy with the way the car looks, sounds and goes now.. I think the old girls a keeper - but there is still work to be done!

_________________
1990 900 Carlsson
1973 Sonett III

Great pics, super car.....well worth the hard work. More pics please!!!!

Wow! That is looking really impressive! More photos needed!!

_________________
......Gotta love a 9K..........

1996 9000 Aero
2001 9-3 Aero convertible

Looking great !!

I've had problems with my dreadful ride/ clonking/ rattling and general ride harshness on my t16 -I used to grit my teeth when going over rough roads- fixed to a great extent by the following in order of effectiveness:

1. Four new ball joints and track rod ends - made the biggest difference
2. Adjusted the rear hatch - so it actually locks right down and you have to press on it to get it open - one of the biggest sources of noise in the cabin and made a huge difference.
3. Adjusted the door locking mechs to take out slack - big difference.
4. New sachs shocks all round and new rear springs- made little difference at the time as it was the first thing i did - but much, much better at speed now- less wallowing.


Bushes - in the middle of doing this and i think that this will be the last piece in the jigsaw- but to be honest - numbers 1-3 made such a difference that i'm not over bothered by the last bit of rattling- can live with it now.

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92 c900 aero turbo
87 c900 vert

Very Nice looking Carlsson you have there.

Just FYI, John James Speed has recently gotten hold of some New Old Stock radiator support / Slam panels - looks like you need one

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/pages/The-Saab-Surgerycom/131053333595175

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'84 Saab 99 with Turbo 8v (project)
"Face-dropped" classic 900i 'vert in Black

Oh this is great news! I will definitely be snapping one of these up! Thanks for the heads up

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1990 900 Carlsson
1973 Sonett III