UKSaabs

As a winter project I'm planning to do some rust proofing of the Sonett. It still has its original undercoat underneath and its pretty rust free - although the previous owner has added some kind of red rust proofing. What is the right kind of undercoat or rust proofing agent that I should apply? I'd like a robust but good looking finish.

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Saab, better than a mistress.

For me you cant beat Bilt-Hamber products. A sound investment. http://www.bilthamber.com/

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If only Apple made Cider.

2 coats Bilt Hamber Hi zinc primer
2 coats stonechip
2 coats enamel
6mm stockboard polypropylene sheeting....... okay the last might be a bit much for a road car, but I'm quite pleased with the results on the rally car!

Looks like a good neat job Gavin.

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If only Apple made Cider.

attachment=0]underside 013 (1024x683).jpg[/attachment]


Thanks very much. Feel like I'm making a bit of progress, couple more pics, sure the dash will divide opinion, but I like it!

Hi,

Interesting....does anyone know of the original manufacturer / specification of the underseal?

I was always under the possible miss-guided thought that Supertrol (still available) was used, possibly only within the cavities of the vehicle!

Regards
Graham

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Saab 2 Stroke 96
Saab 99GL, 5 speed
Saab 9-3 vert
Saab 9-5 Aero (HOT)

Rally car looks very nice!

I use to use a good zinc primer and waxoil underseal, which stays tacky on my road cars. Its probably the best option on a car that already has underseal. I have found stone chip still chips off and Gavin has used stock board to hopefully limit this. Stock board is a farming product and is cheaper than buying the same stuff from a rally supplier.

That looks a nice neat job young man as do the other pictures.

Have you sealed around the black poly' underneath to stop water and gravel ingress.

Rob

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" Have you come prepared ? Aye, I have a Stromberg Carb diaphragm in my pocket " ! !

Thanks for the nice comments, Rob the stockboard is designed to be cheap and sacrificial, we've been using it for a couple of seasons in the Scottish forests, at about £20 for an 8' sheet it is very cost effective when compared to the alternatives. It's pretty rough up here and you do tear and lose bits, but it's cheap enough not to lose sleep.
Because of this, siliconing it in doesn't realy work in my opinion, better to have it easy to take off, especially as cars usually have a good spannering at the end of each event.
You can just about make out in the pics that the leading edges of the main sheets slot into welded in channels, then just half a dozen nuts in recessed cups to drop the panels.

Is that Patterson's old car or a new build?

New build, started as a very rusty old road car.

Gavinc - that looks awesome.

Well I've been rubbish over the winter so might pay someone to do the dirty work. Anyone ever used these:?
http://www.jrclassics.co.uk/

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Saab, better than a mistress.

Personnaly, I like that dash

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84 99 GL 2dr
81 99 Turbo 2dr
76 99 Ems 2dr
70 99 2dr

Absolutely concur with that - I use them all the time and swear by them. I also use "Rustbusters" Epoxy Mastic [chassis] paint as well - it's amazing stuff; its molecular structure enables it to fill and seal rust pits, unlike that other well-known "alternative". I just finished wire-brushing (with the angle-grinder) the whole of the inside of my 96's floor pan - found almost 90% of the area was pitted where moisture had got under what looked like metallic H***te paint that had been applied. The areas where the original [Saab] primer and paint were still intact weren't too bad, but I took it all back to bare metal and then painted it with the Rustbusters stuff. Looks good - now for the rebuild.

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David.
9-3 Aero TTiD SW / c900S Aero Vert / 95 V4 / 96 2T / 260-2 "Saabo"

Just bought some of the rustbuster epoxy mastic chassis paint to try and give a bit of protection to the suspension parts, here it is on the rear arms of the 99 after I had boxed them up. Very impressed with it, seems tough as nails, mine looks a bit streaky but I ladled it on good and thick!

Hi Gavin,

Whatever you do, Don't box your front wishbones as well. They are designed to be collapsable so that if you run hard into a kerb, you destroy the wishbone (an easily replaceable part), rather than ripping the wishbones off the frame and causing alot more damage to the chassis.


In fact thats true of all the suspension components, I know Birdie has said he has managed to rip his panhard rod off the car whilst forest staging before now, but again I would offer that I would rather rip the panhard rod off the car than twist the car's chassis and make it useless...

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

Sorry my friend but I have to disagree with you over that one, putting a car through the forests you absolutely need a bit of extra strength in your wishbones, take a look at the sport and rally catalogue and you'll see Saab thought the same. I appreciate what you're saying about the damage potential to the shell, but if you're in that much trouble then you just have to accept "thats rallying!"
On the other side think how mad you'd be if on stage one you bent up an arm hitting a big pothole that a solid arm might have got you through, £600 entry fees, fuel wasted, tyres used, accommodation paid for the night before for you and the service crew etc etc, all for nothing.
Strong is good! (and my front wishbones are plated )
On a completely unrelated note I've just finished making these:

Big fan of epoxy paints and how tough they can be. When you finish the Rustbuster you could try the Jotun range. I use Jotamastic 87 and Penguard HB, both around £10/litre although you do have to get a large tin.

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99T16 in a special kind of brown! (Still not finished it!)

I am VERY interested in your rack mounts GavinC

The only bit left in my '72 99 is the rack and the mounts look a bit crappy, so I would be interested in a set of these

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'72 99 1.85, '73 96 V4, GP Buggy Mk1, Discovery 200Tdi, Mk1 MR2 and a Rover 75 tourer daily hack

Hi Mitch, would love to be able to do you a set, but there is about three days work in them, the cost would be prohibitive, however all is not lost, Steve at Malbrad is having some made up, I just couldn't wait to get my rack in before I stick the engine in so I had a go myself. Would think Steve's will be ready in the not too distant future, give him a call.
Gavin