UKSaabs

If you fit a Nardil wood rim the extra diameter certainly helps with the leverage at parking time on a 99. The c900 copes fine with the smaller mourtney wooden rim but its very heavy on the 99 with no power steering.

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LR Discovery HSE TD V6
99 turbo white
c900 turbo black
c900 fpt vert blue
fiat 500

I wouldn't want a larger wheel to be honest..I don't find the steering weight a particular problem on mine and it does at least stop the missus from driving it

Actually something strange happened when I changed my front tyres last month. The steering used to be perfectly balanced at speed and just a little heavy for parking.

Last month I bought a new set of continental contact 2's for the front.
Same as what was on there, same ratings and they didn't touch the tracking or wheel alignment. Inflated to the same pressure (I check my tyre pressures fortnightly)

Yet the steering has gone quite noticeably lighter..particularly at low speed, I don't understand why.

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Saab 99T 2 Door Black

BTW contact 2's are an awesome tyre, I had them on the front of my now expired Alfa as well and they grip and grip and then grip some more....wet or dry...maybe aren't the longest lasting tyre in the world but that could also be down to the way I drive it.

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Saab 99T 2 Door Black

drjeep, the lighter steering is probably down to better tyre design - modern tyre designs have been vastly improved to deform less in order to keep rolling resistance low and stop unnecessary heat build up and wear in the tyre.

The amount of actual mechanical grip the tyre can generate will be broadly the same as before, since you have said the tyres are at the same pressure and the weight of the car hasn't changed. However the stiffer tyre means the car feels as though it has more grip because stiffer tyres generate a larger sideways force from a smaller slip angle (i.e. you get more turning effect from a smaller input at the steering wheel when the car is rolling). The steering's castor angle means that you are actually lifting the weight of the car upwards as you turn the wheel away from centre, which is what causes steering to feel heavy and also what gives the steering its self-centering nature (this is why old american cars feel crap to drive, since they typically have little or no castor, so the steering is very vague)
Because your new tyres need a smaller input from the steering wheel to generate larger amounts of turning force at the wheels, it means you have to fight the effects of the castor angle less than you did before, which in turn is why your steering feels lighter.

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

thats as good an explanation of castor angles as i have read before.

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LR Discovery HSE TD V6
99 turbo white
c900 turbo black
c900 fpt vert blue
fiat 500

That's a great explanation but I still don't understand why it happens when the tyre is the same make/model/rating and tread pattern as the ones it replaced.

Unless continental have messed with the formulations and updated the premium contact 2 range without telling anyone.

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Saab 99T 2 Door Black

small change but nevertheless an improvement i think. bought from a member on this site and delivered punctually with great packaging. easy to fit and all working.i like to keep my glove box locked. don't know why it has virtually nothing in it. fancy a wooden one really but the stripe and logo is still nicer than the slab of black plastic.

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LR Discovery HSE TD V6
99 turbo white
c900 turbo black
c900 fpt vert blue
fiat 500

Passed the m o t yesterday and got a decat replacement front pipe and silencer fitted. Later that evening I sourced a rear section with a twin chrome tail pipe from a member on this forum too so it's got to go back and have that fitted soon. Tomorrow with any luck I get the air con regassed. It had pressure in the system so hold be ok but no gas. Getting there slowly.

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LR Discovery HSE TD V6
99 turbo white
c900 turbo black
c900 fpt vert blue
fiat 500

sounds good John get the photos of the new back box up on here soon as....

air con Oscar has that just apply your hand on the keep fit windows and down they come.....

do you use the air con much on the car because i hve had cars in the past with air con and climate control but hardly ever used it.....
then again the way the British summers going you will not need it.....

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99. 93 sport se gone.

86. C900 2dr Oscar gone.

00 93 Cosmic blue vert.

03 95 Vector sport.

I am a fan of air con. Just as much use as a winter screen cleaner as a summer chiller.
Also if it's fitted I like it to work correctly. Otherwise you are hauling forty five pounds of scrap everywhere with you. I'm not prepared to spend hundreds making it work but fifty quid for a recharge isn't a bad bet.

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LR Discovery HSE TD V6
99 turbo white
c900 turbo black
c900 fpt vert blue
fiat 500

blimey £50 not a bad price for a re gas i am sure my pal paid double that for his mondeo....

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99. 93 sport se gone.

86. C900 2dr Oscar gone.

00 93 Cosmic blue vert.

03 95 Vector sport.

Same here

I have found the same, very rarely used in the cars I have had with it fitted. SHMBO does not like the aircon on even when we do have decent summer weather

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

you know the garage where its being done well vince. andrew has recently developed turetts which is very amusing. might take the tail pipe down with me and hope to get lucky and fit it at the same time.

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LR Discovery HSE TD V6
99 turbo white
c900 turbo black
c900 fpt vert blue
fiat 500

thats the last thing they need down there BUT then again Jay may end up with it after he has fitted Oscars heater valve...... and they have to put up with Drew......

you always get a dam good service down there its just you have to make all the boys coffee or tea....

i am sure they will fit the tail pipe for you.....

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99. 93 sport se gone.

86. C900 2dr Oscar gone.

00 93 Cosmic blue vert.

03 95 Vector sport.

Good call with the glovebox lid John, did the same thing on mine. I guess they deleted it cos the chrome looked old fashioned in the 90s, but I think the overall dash look way better with it than without.

I wouldn't got for a wooden one though, aesthetically its a step too far in my opinion (although I did go for a red one which matches my seats and knee bolster nicely

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

Thanks theo. I felt it looked a bit plain. Large slab of plastic sat there. Not sure about wood for definite. We're they free or sensible I may get one but I'm not prepared to spend the cah they seem to fetch. It's all a question of value.some improvements cost lots and add lots like decent heels but the trim stuff is not such a good value return for your money. That's why I make the wooden gear knob fit the c900 rod. A little ingenuity can go a long way if originality is not all important.
I like the way you have done work on your very,which is why I was enquiring about it earlier this year.

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LR Discovery HSE TD V6
99 turbo white
c900 turbo black
c900 fpt vert blue
fiat 500

I can hear you ya know !!

Andrews turetts all sorted now the citreon is done and gone back to the customer....he still has real bad flatulence problems mind you! that lad has seeeeeerious gas !!!

John - bring it with you mate and we'll see what time we get ....no promises mind you as we have another banger in thats even older than yours in at the mo aswell

Your old bus actually sounded quite sweet when you left yesterday ....cant fault the way they sound

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.........Loving but still hating Saab's in equal amounts most days !!!

Steady drew that's how you get the bug for classics. It's all in the little things which make it not a new car. The c900 exhaust burble is so cool. It drove home lovely. Sounds a little sharper.

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LR Discovery HSE TD V6
99 turbo white
c900 turbo black
c900 fpt vert blue
fiat 500

photoshopped_wooden_glovebox by VikingSpirit84, on Flickr

Photoshop disagrees with me, it turns out a wooden glovebox could look pretty sweet... (I was curious what it would look like)

can't you get aftermarket stick on wooden fascias for the glovebox?

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

That does look theo. there is a nice contrast there. Cool photo shop. Personally have no clue how you do that. I like the red glove box on the vert you own. The dye makes a smart good value job. Thanks for the pic,I may have to give it more thought.

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LR Discovery HSE TD V6
99 turbo white
c900 turbo black
c900 fpt vert blue
fiat 500