UKSaabs

Greetings all!

Some may know I have started rebuilding a 2 door 99, 1970 vintage.

The help I need is as follows. I have reached a few junctions as to what to do next, and possibly most importantly, how to take on the following tasks.

1. Brakes & Suspension

Is there a simple solution please to taking off the original disks, calipers and suspension and replacing with other upgraded versions, such as those from a Saab Turbo? Probably stupid idea, but any suitable alternatives would be welcome, especially if you can tell me where I can locate the upgrades.

2. Carbs

I can't seem to find an inlet manifold/ carb solution to changing the current single Stromberg solution. Any help most welcome ( want a twin carb solution) but talking to a few Triumph parts dealers at the moment to see if there is a Triumph slant 4 option. For info, the engine is now running very smoothly and seems very sound.

Thank you for any help, starting to get a bit frustrated, and I think that I might be trying to re- invent the wheel with these points.

Thanks. Keith

Am going to try and assist. Hopefully, someone will come along and correct any mistakes and add to the following

Suspension
Front
Any 99 shock will fit. The mounts did not change over the life of the 99 model (68-84). If your rallying/racing you might want to go with a Bilstein rally damper (B46-2293).

You have the early style upper control arms. The later ones have a pivoted spring seat (MY73 on). I believe that your front springs are longer than later ones and don't know who easy they are to obtain. You can probably just switch in a later control arm (can also use a 900 one)

Rear
As yours is an early 99, the rear shocks have a pin at either end. The later ones (changed sometime in 1978 I believe) have pin top and eyelet bottom whcih mates to a slightly different leading arm on the suspension. You can get the early style shocks (e.g. the Bilstein rally damper is B46-0293). However, I think the later style shocks are easier to get hold off. It is possible to fit the later style leading arm to your 99.

Brakes
Early 99s have handbrake shoes. To upgrade the brakes I suspect it is probably easiest to swap in the steering knuckle and hub from a later 99 or even early 900 (all have the same wheel PCD so you can retain the soccerballs and all are front handbrake). Some MY85-87 900s even come with vented discs and calipers to suit. Steer clear of 79-81 steering knuckles as the bearings are very hard to get.

It is also possible to fit certain after market calipers. rallyv4 is using some AP racing calipers and various other folk have used Wilwood Dynalite (or similar) calipers (fronts) and Powerlite H-brake calipers (rears). The Wilwood option requires a custom machined brake adaptor for the rears, small round spacer to centre the front caliper over the discs, enlargen the mount holes in the front caliper to take the saab bolt (little bit of filing) and some modification to the handbrake lever as the h-brake has switched from front to rear.

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

Thank you, really appreciated.

Keith

Can I ask, how much would you pay for the Bilstein dampers, and are they bone shatteringly hard to drive on?

I'm not sure of the cost in the UK but in Sweden a front shock is about £130 and a rear is approx £100 (give or take some krona). As for the ride can't help you on that, but I think there must be some on here who have used them.

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

my 99 runs bilstiens at the back and the ride is smooth enough.

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

Which Bilsteins are they?

Was refering to the racing/rally valved dampers in my post above as opposed to B4s or standard B6s.

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

they are the bilstiens fitted to the car when i bought it mate!! not got valves on them.just standard ones. its got lower springs on it too. corners really well.

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

If they are blue and yellow then they will be B6s. The "valves" are inside the shock, located on the piston and they determine the damping.

Bilstein also do a B6 with adjustable damping but not for Saabs so you would have to persuade them to make some up. Perhaps should point that there are other brands of shock available.

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

Re: Carbs

http://www.webcon.co.uk/pages/ClassicPowerIndex.htm

Scroll down and you will find SAAB 99! Not sure which version of the engine, but I've always found them helpful on the phone!

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Pete

I have posted some up to date progress pictures and text on the Forum, under 'who bought the Saab 99'.

Thanks. Keith

Hi Keith, don't see the pics yet

Alan

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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