UKSaabs

WELL,I FINALLY MANAGED TO GET HOLD OF A LOW MILEAGE '89 9000T16 MODEL EARLIER THIS YEAR.........

OVERALL NOT TOO BAD,BUT TWENTY ONE YEARS HAVE TAKEN THEIR TOLL ON THE OLD BUS,SO A FEW JOBS NEED SORTING BEFORE I PUT IT ON THE ROAD AS MY TOWCAR......FOR NEXT YEARS MOTORPSORT SEASON......(NOT THAT I AM FASTIDIOUS OR ANYTHING !)

SO IS THE 9000T16 REGARDED AS A CLASSIC YET?

IT CERTAINLY IS IN MY EYES,AND THERE AREN'T MANY LEFT,SO I THINK IT IS WORTH A LITTLE OF MY TIME ,TO KEEP THIS ONE IN USE,AND LOOKING MIGHTILY RESPECTABLE FOR ITS AGE......

AS USUAL THIS IS JUST A GUIDE TO TRY AND HELP ANY 'WOULD BE' ENTHUSIASTS,ALONG WITH A SIMILAR PROJECT......

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NEVER,SUFFER FROM INSANITY...............

ENJOY IT.

SO STARTING WITH THE NEARSIDE(PASSENGERS)REAR SILL,I REMOVED THE PLASTIC COVER THAT CONCEALS METALWORK ALLOWING IT TO FESTER NICELY..... (LAST PHOTO)

AND THEN ALSO THE WHEEL ARCH TRIM,AND THE REAR MUD FLAP.....ALWAYS A MOISTURE TRAP EVEN ON THE FORMER C900..

THESE AREAS ALL HAD SMALL HOLES WITH SOME SURFACE CORRSION,BUT I WAS INTENT ON CUTTING ALL THE RUST OUT.....

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NEVER,SUFFER FROM INSANITY...............

ENJOY IT.

THE REST OF THE CAR IS TOTALLY ROT FREE,SO I CONSIDERED IT WORTHWHILE TO MAKE THESE AREAS GOOD AGAIN,TO LAST AT LEAST ANOTHER TEN YEARS.....

I DO BELIEVE IN A LITTLE RE-CYCLING,TO BE QUITE HONEST I WAS A LITTLE SUPRISED AT THE LESSER GAUGE STEEL,WHICH IS QUITE APARENT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE 9000,COMPARED TO A C900.....
I THEREFORE OPTED TO USE UP SOME OF THE ROOF SKIN I HAD CHOPPED OUT OF A 99 TURBO(THE ONLY PART OF THE CAR WHICH WAS NOT ROTTEN ) TO FORM THE CONTOURS OF THE NEW SILL SECTION......ON THE 9000.

THE WELDS ARE ALL GROUND DOWN,THEN TREATED WITH RUST PREVENTATIVE PAINT,ALLOWED TO CURE,THEN SEAM SEALER APPLIED TO ALL WELDED JOINTS.

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NEVER,SUFFER FROM INSANITY...............

ENJOY IT.

UNFORTUNAETLY THE RUST HAD SPREAD SOMEWHAT BEYOND THE SILL INTO THE DOOR SHUT ON THE REAR QTR,IN FRONT OF THE REAR WHEEL.........SO THAT CAME OUT AS WELL .............BUT ONLY AFTER REPAIRING THE SILL FIRST,TO GIVE ME A LINE TO WORK TO......

BUT,THIS IS WHERE IT STARTS TO GET DIFFICULT,AS MAKING UP REPAIR SECTIONS MUST INCORPORATE A SMALL 'FLUTE' ,TO ALLOW THE REAR WHEEL ARCH TRIM TO LOCATE CORRECTLY......ALL METAL FORMING IS DONE COLD WITH VICE AND SMALL PANEL HAMMER....

MUCH TRIAL FITTING,BEFORE WELDING IT IN PLACE......TO CHECK GAPS,ORIENTATION,AND THE LOCATION OF THE PLASTIC SILL DEFLECTOR....

ALL THAT IS LEFT TO DO,IS LOCATE THE HOLE REQUIRED FOR THE WHEEL ARCH TRIM,THEN DRILL AN APPROPRIATE HOLE .

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NEVER,SUFFER FROM INSANITY...............

ENJOY IT.

Yes.

There, that was easy

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Native Outer Hebridean
Arrol & Albion RIP
9-3SS 2.2TiD
Mods: childseat, crumbs, scratches

WELL THATS THE FRONT OF THE REAR QTR REPAIRED..........NOW THE REAR QTR DROP BEHIND THE MUDFLAP........I KEPT CUTTING TILL I HIT FRESH METAL .THE THE FIRST JOB WAS TO MAKE THE INNER DROP SILL FOR THE QTR AND WELD IT IN PLACE(YOU CAN SEE IT IN THE PHOTO)

REMEMBER TO KEEP ALL THE BITS YOU HAVE CUT OUT TO RE-MAKE/SHAPE NEW PANELWORK......

PERSONALLY I FIND A BOSCH JIGSAW EXCELLENT FOR REMOVING RUSTY METAL,AND CUTTING THROUGH ALUMINIUM,STEEL ETC.

IT IS MUCH KINDER THAN A GRINDER,WITH A CUTTING BLADE

AND IT(THE JIGSAW) HAS EVEN CUT A 99 IN HALF BEFORE NOW!

MUCH RE-FITTING OF THE WHEEL ARCH TRIM,TO RETAIN THE PANELWORK SHAPE WAS NEEDED......

THE NEW PANEL WAS VERY TIME-CONSUMING(HOURS) TO MAKE WITH CURVES,AND FOLDS NEEDED EVERYWHERE IN ALL ORIENTATIONS

EVENTUALLY IT WAS TIME TO TRIAL FIT IT IN,THEN START TACK WELDING AROUND......

THEN AFTER SOME RUST PREVENTATIVE PAINT,THE FINAL SHAPING WILL BE MADE UP WITH A LITTLE FILLER,AND LOTS OF MY TIME,BEFORE BEING RE-FIINISHED IN RESPLENDENT CIRRUS WHITE 153B.......

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NEVER,SUFFER FROM INSANITY...............

ENJOY IT.

THE SUNROOF DRAINS PASS THRU THESE QTR DROP AREAS,AND WHILST IT IS UNLIKELY THAT THEY ACTUALLY LEAK INTO THE VOID,MOISTURE COLLECTS THERE ANYWAY SLOWLY RUSTING INSIDE OUT.......THE ELECTRIC AERIAL ALSO HAS A MOISTURE DRAIN STRAIGHT INTO THIS VOID WHICH MIGHT GO SOMEWAY TO EXPLAINING WHY, IT IS THREE TIMES AS ROTTEN AS THE OFFSIDE(DRIVERS) REAR QTR?

SO I WILL BE ADDING COPIUS AMOUNTS OF WAXOYL,AND ANTI-CORROSIVE FLUIDS INSIDE THE BOX SECTIONS TO KEEP THE METALWORK AS IT SHOULD BE!!

I NOW JUST HAVE TO REMAKE THE UPPER MUDFLAP MOUNTING PANEL NEXT TO THE REAR TORQUE ARM(PHOTO),BUT AT LEAST THAT BIT IS FLAT MAYBE NEXT WEEKEND?

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NEVER,SUFFER FROM INSANITY...............

ENJOY IT.

FIRST SKIM OF FILLER,AND RUST PREVENTATIVE PAINT.........MUCH TO DO YET

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NEVER,SUFFER FROM INSANITY...............

ENJOY IT.

I would say yes.

Older than many C900's and now quite a rare sight on the roads.

Does this mean you will be retiring the C900 as the tow car?

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

I would say so. The flat-front 9000 is a nice design, and looks purer than later iterations.

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3 cars, nowhere to put the kids... c900 'vert, Abarth 500, BMW 120d Coupe

HELLO MAL,
ER, YES AND NO

THE 1983 5 DOOR 900 IN 'ALABASTER',THAT YOU WILL BE FAMILIAR WITH ?..........WILL BE GOING TO THE WIFE......BUT WILL STILL BE SET UP FOR TOWING,AS A SUPPLEMENTARY VEHICLE.......
SINCE CONVERTING IT FROM AN AUTOMATIC GLS AROUND EIGHT YEARS AGO,I HAVE DONE 50,000 MILES IN IT WITH THE 16V INJECTION ENGINE&MANUAL GEARBOX,ALL TROUBLE FREE WITH JUST TWO IGNITION COIL FAILURES .

AS USUAL I HAVE AROUND FOUR PROJECTS(INCLUDING THE 9000T16) ON THE GO HERE,AS WELL AS THE 'CLARION 99T'.........

I CHOSE THE 9000T16,AS A NATURAL PROGRESSION FROM THE C900,BIT BIGGER ,BIT WIDER,SIMILAR MECHANICALS AND SAAB FEATURES.
SO FAR I AM MORE THAN HAPPY WITH IT,JUST DOING THE USUAL,GOING FROM ONE END TO THE OTHER,TO ENSURE THE CAR IS DEAD RIGHT BEFORE IT GOES BACK ON THE ROAD IN SPRING......

BUT NOW I HAVE SOLD THE WHITE 99 RALLY CAR,(INCIDENTALLY,IT HAS GONE TO THE ISLE OF MAN,TO A FORMER SAAB MECHANIC,WHO WILL RALLY IT THERE)IT GIVES ME A LITTLE MORE TIME TO DIVERSIFY,WITH TURBO APPLICATIONS AND CLASSIC SAABS

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NEVER,SUFFER FROM INSANITY...............

ENJOY IT.

I recall thinking when it was new that the 9000 had lost some of it 'Saabness' as the styling was a bit bland compared to what had come before. But after all these years I think that the 9000 design has become a classic, especially in its early flat fronted form.

A friend has a 87 9000 T16 SE Gold with Colorado red leather interior on his drive, it needs recommissioning or restoring as it hasn’t moved in years, If I had the space I would take it and restore as it would make a fantastic car.

Great to see your restoring this one, I had a look around it at Swedish day and it is a really nice car.

So yes I think the 9000 T16 is a classic

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85 T16S 900 Silver/Colorado
91 Vert 900i LeMans Blue/Dove Grey
07 93 SW Vector Sport 150 FusionBlue

SO ONTO WHAT IS ESSENTIALY THE MUDFLAP MOUNT.........

THER WAS RUST IN SOME OF THE BODY SEAMS WHICH I WAS NOT HAPPY ABOUT.......NOTHING UNTOWARD,BUT IF LEFT FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS IT WOULD NEED DOING AGAIN

SO IT ALL GOT CUT OUT,WHICH MAKES A SMALL HOLE RATHER LARGER.........

BUT THEN I AM DOING THIS FOR A REASON .......

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NEVER,SUFFER FROM INSANITY...............

ENJOY IT.

SO AFTER SANDING THE FILLER,AND TRIAL RE-FITTING EVERYTHING......

IT WAS TIME TO MASK OFF,AND APPLY SOME STONECHIP PROTECTION AS O.E EQUIPMENT ON THE 9000T16....

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NEVER,SUFFER FROM INSANITY...............

ENJOY IT.

SO TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT EXACTLY I HAD TO MAKE UP OUT OF NOTHING.............?

HOPEFULLY TOMMORROW I WILL GET IT INTO PAINT,THEN LEAVE IT FOR A WEEK TO HARDEN..... BEFORE RE-FITTING EVERYTHING

THEN FILLING ALL BOX SECTIONS WITH WAXOYL.......

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NEVER,SUFFER FROM INSANITY...............

ENJOY IT.

WELL UP THIS MORNING TO THE CARBOOT SALE,IT WAS MIGHTY COLD........THEN STRAIGHT INTO THE GARAGE AT 9 0'CLOCK .......COMPRESSOR ON,AND WAKE THE NEIGHBOURS UP

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NEVER,SUFFER FROM INSANITY...............

ENJOY IT.

SO AFTER PAINTING THE REPAIRS IN CIRRUS WHITE CELULLOSE.....

APPLY SEAM SEALER TO ALL THE JOINTS UNSEEN UNDER THE CAR,WHICH AS WELL AS KEEPING MOISTURE OUT,IT ALSO ALLOWS STONES TO BOUNCE OFF,PROTECTING THE METAL.....

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NEVER,SUFFER FROM INSANITY...............

ENJOY IT.

I think that they are. I really like them, but then I think that the 9000 is a great car in any of it's carnations.

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

1996 9000 Aero
2001 9-3 Aero convertible

SPENT TODAY(SATURDAY) CLEARING AWAY ENOUGH SNOW TO GET IN THE BLOOMIN' GARAGE DOOR

THEN JUST A COUPLE OF HOURS BUILDING THE CAR BACK UP.....IN THE COLD

I HAD PLANNED ON GETTING IT OUT THE GARAGE AND TURNING IT AROUND,TO DO THE OFFSIDE QTR DROP............BUT WE HAD A BIT OF SNOW OVERNIGHT

IT WOULD HAVE TAKEN ALL DAY TO SHIFT ALL THE SNOW,AND GET THE GATES OPEN,SO I HAVE JUST PUSHED THE CAR RIGHT OVER IN THE GARAGE,SO I HAVE ABOUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF ROOM,AS BEING IN A CASKET TO DO THE OTHER SIDE........I MAY DO A BIT MORE TOMMORROW,BUT THEN AGAIN I MIGHT JUST DO SOMETHING NON-CONSTRUCTIVE,LIKE BUILD A SNOWMAN

HERE IS A PHOTO,OF MODIFYING THE EXHAUST TAILPIPE TO ACCEPT TWIN 'RENAULT CLIO SPORT' STAINLESS TAIL PIPES .....

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NEVER,SUFFER FROM INSANITY...............

ENJOY IT.

BUT AT LEAST I FEEL LIKE I AM HALFWAY THRU THE RUST ISSUE.......


I MIGHT JUST DO THIS FOR A LIVING

IT'S ALL I KNOW

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NEVER,SUFFER FROM INSANITY...............

ENJOY IT.