Rally Sweden 2015

[BIRDIEMANGO]

NOW,OF COURSE......

THIS IS FOR ALL YOU FELLOW ' SAAB RALLY NERDS'....

FACTS AND FIGURES...

AND ENGINE PORN....

[BIRDIEMANGO]

'ARVIKA' IS APPARENTLY..... EKLUNDS'S.... HOME TOWN.

AFTER SPEAKING TO THE STAFF AT THE MUSUEM,HE REGULARLY JUST NIP'S IN.....

SO, WE LEFT HIM A LITTLE SOMETHING.....


THEN HEADED BACK,TOWARD NORWAY......

REALLY,WE COULDN'T HAVE CONCEIVED SUCH A INSPIRATIONAL TRIP,IF WE HAD TRIED.....

ONE LAST OVERNIGHT STAY IN SANDEFJORD,BEFORE THE MIDDAY FLIGHT HOME...

BUT NOT BEFORE, VISITING 'BILTEMA' TO PICK UP SOME GOODIES FOR MY 96V4 PROJECT.......


AND THERE LAY THE PROBLEM.....

I SAT THERE,IN THE PEUGEOT.......TAKING IN THE CONDITION OF THE TWO-STROKE,PARKED ASIDE US,OPPOSITE 'BILTEMA'.....

LOOKING SLIGHTLY UNLOVED,AND THOUGH IT HADN'T MOVED FOR ALONG TIME...IT BORE THE STICKER ON THE BOOTLID OF THE FIRST 'SAAB' GARAGE OPENED IN NEARBY LARVIK,IN NORWAY,BACK IN 1956......


IN FACT,THE VERY GARAGE,WE HAD VISITED IN THE 'CLARION 99 TURBO'ON THE WAY TO THE 'TROLLHATTAN SAAB SPORT&RALLY FESTIVAL 2013' AND MET 'STIG LARSEN'.....ANOTHER SAAB RALLY NUT,WITH HIS FATHER BUILDING THE RALLY ENGINES,IN THE REAR WORKSHOP.....



SO POISED,TO GET OUT OF THE PEUGEOT......AND GOING TO ASK THE QUESTION 'IS IT FOR SALE'........I MOMENTARILY REFRAINED.....?

WOULDN'T IT BE BETTER TO WAIT ......UNTIL I CAN PARK IT, ON OUR OWN SWEDISH DRIVEWAY.....?

http://youtu.be/olrctwSPLGE

BIRDIE&SON

[Darth Blomqvist]

Birdie,

I think you are in very strong contention for the SaabRally Dad of the Year award!?

I can tell you from experience that your son will look back on this time with you and race cars very fondly. And it will most likely turn him into one of us if he hasn’t caught the racing bug already….

I still have vivid sensory recall of the first time I smelled race fuel. My father took me to Lime Rock Park for the IMSA Camel GT races in the late 80’s early 90’s. I still can hear the Castrol/Silk Cut Jaguars in my day dreams! We camped out and got to walk the track around 6AM on the race day morning.

Another early motorsports memory was a departure from our home in Connecticut to the far off land of ‘Pocono’. At the age of 6 I actually thought that we must have been crossing the continental US to get to this magical race track in a state I had only heard about, ‘Pennsylvania’!

I knew that when we reached our destination we would get to see my uncle racing in a 77 Saab 99 notchback my father had given him! The drive to the track was done in a burgundy and rust colored Lancia Beta that my father would redline every shift telling me it was how these cars liked to be driven an ‘Italian tune-up’ he would say laughingly. It was another odd duck FWD child of the late 70’’s early 80’s and a true kindred spirit to the 99 and 900….

Yes Birdie, you are a good father for giving him these experiences.

However, do not be surprised if he starts using/commandeering your tools, borrowing your truck and trailer, bringing home cars to store in your back yard as ‘spare race car shells’; or for Christmas/Holiday and birthdays he asks for tires and an entry fee or two for the upcoming season… In the near future you will probably find yourself changing transmissions in the cold way past midnight, and you can thank yourself for bringing your son into this great addiction!

I know there are folks on this site that had no parental foray, exposure, or corruption to motorsports; you my friends must really have a problem. You had a choice!…

Keep it up Birdy! I think you are out front with an early lead for the 2015 running of SaabRally Dad of the Year!

But, don’t get caught driving in your mirrors...

There is some solid competition from Snakes Malone. From what I hear his son at age 2 can actually tell the difference between a Panasport and a Shelby from 20 ft away and 20 miles an hour. Apparently, he doesn’t even pay attention to a 99 or 900 wearing Ronal’s….

And watch out for Jordan. Apparently he has taught his daughter how to left foot ‘safety brake’ her stroller and every night before bed he dips one of her fingers in various cups of Redline MTL and has her call out the viscosity! Apparently she has rebelliously developed an affinity for Lucas oil products, we will have to see how Jordan manages….

Stiff competition to say the least!

Bravo Birdie! Thanks for the great documentation of your adventure, and a trip down memory lane!!

[BIRDIEMANGO]

MORNING DARTH BLOMQVIST&ALL AT 'SAABRALLY.COM'

I SUPPOSE AT THIS POINT,I REALLY MUST THANK THE 'MISSUS'....? FOR ALL THE HELP AND PREPERATION,TO MAKE ALL THIS POSSIBLE...

ALSO FOR PUTTING UP,WITH ALL THE MOTORSPORT PROJECTS....

APOLOGIES TO YOU GUYS, IF YOU HAVE SEEN THIS ALREADY,BUT THE PROBLEM WITH THE INTERNET,IS THAT 'POSTS'& 'THREADS' CAN SOMETIMES,GET LONG LOST.....?

YOU MAY FIND THIS,GOOD TO READ,EVEN IF YOU HAVE SEEN IT BEFORE...?


http://www.uksaabs.co.uk/UKS/viewtopic. ... RALLY+MODS

http://www.uksaabs.co.uk/UKS/viewtopic. ... R+99+TURBO

[BIRDIEMANGO]

FOUND THIS CHAPS...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1oLKQlXD8A

REALLY SUMS UP THE ........ATMOSPHERE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdFr6XZhCiQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1BPH-PWkB0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRObcg6u-Q4

ON THE LAST VIDEO,YOU CAN EVEN HERE THE FIRES BURNING IN THE BACKGROUND.....

[Krister K]

Jocke Nilsson (owner of the 16v 99) have entered some races with the 16v lately. A couple of class wins afaik.
https://youtu.be/FLgYMOZkWrE
https://youtu.be/a_JLyWI-m68

[Geoff]

Sounds great! There's also a lot of good 2WD driving going on there.

[BIRDIEMANGO]

JUST SORTING OUT NOW,BOOKING EVERYTHING FOR RALLYE SVERIGE 2016.......


KRISTER,YOU MAY HAVE STARTED SOMETHING..... CRACKING VIDEOS BY THE WAY,SOME REALLY ECLECTIC STUFF ON THERE!!

BIRDIE

[BIRDIEMANGO]

JUST 6 WEEKS OFF NOW....EVERYTHING IS PLANNED,APART FROM THE WEATHER?

http://www.rallysweden.com/tavlingen/maps-itinerary/

http://www.rallysweden.com/tavlingen/entries-historic/

NO SNOW YET?

THE PLAN IS TO VENTURE MAYBE UP INTO KIRKNAER,AROUND 2 HOUR DRIVE NORTH, FROM WHERE WE WILL BE STAYING........ON THE FRIDAY?......THEN SATURDAY WILL BE MORE LOCAL,IN VARMLAND ITSELF.....

THOUGHT ABOUT STARTING A NEW THREAD FOR 2016,BUT HELL.......? WHY NOT JUST CONTINUE THIS ONE.....

THIS TIME, WE GO FOR 5 DAYS....... HOPEFULLY?

FIRST THOUGH, WE HAVE TO GET THERE !!!

[BIRDIEMANGO]

HISTORIC RALLY NOW CANCELLED...... DUE TO LACK OF SNOW,AND LIMITING THE DAMAGE TO THE FOREST ROADS.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.ph ... ostpopular

WRC EVENT IS STILL ON,AS I TYPE THIS......WE LEAVE AT 9AM IN THE MORNING...

FINGERS CROSSED....

BIRDIE

[Geoff]

HISTORIC RALLY NOW CANCELLED...... DUE TO LACK OF SNOW,AND LIMITING THE DAMAGE TO THE FOREST ROADS.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.ph ... ostpopular

WRC EVENT IS STILL ON,AS I TYPE THIS......WE LEAVE AT 9AM IN THE MORNING...

FINGERS CROSSED....

BIRDIE

I was reading about the possible cancellation of the WRC event the other day. Is this what mother nature is doing your WRC Sweden plans?

[DrewP]

It is supposed to be +88F today where I live...

If any of you guys find El Nino, please send him our way.

[Crazyswede]

El Nino is visiting Vermont. It was 70 degrees F here in Vermont on Christmas eve. It will be 20 below zero this Saturday night and it will be in the 40's the following week.

[BIRDIEMANGO]

HEJ CRAZYSWEDE,

JUST GOT BACK.....

WE FLEW OUT ANYWAY,LANDING IN NORWAY WITH NO SNOW WHATSOEVER.....ON THE WEDNESDAY 10 FEBRUARI !!

WE STAYED OVERNIGHT IN NORWAY,THEN CAUGHT THE FERRY NEXT MORNING, ACROSS THE 'OSLO FJORD'....WHICH DIDN'T EVEN HAVE ANY ICE !!

THURSDAY,WAS A DRIVE ACROSS THE BORDER INTO VARMLAND...THE ROADS WERE JUST LIKE IN LATE AUTUMN? DRY AND COMPLETLEY FREE OF SNOW.....


THEN, THE SNOW CAME..... ON FRIDAY MRONING

UP YOURS, MOTHER NATURE


JUST THIS PHOTO FOR NOW,MORE TO COME...

[Crazyswede]

HEJ CRAZYSWEDE,

JUST GOT BACK.....

WE FLEW OUT ANYWAY,LANDING IN NORWAY WITH NO SNOW WHATSOEVER.....ON THE WEDNESDAY 10 FEBRUARI !!

WE STAYED OVERNIGHT IN NORWAY,THEN CAUGHT THE FERRY NEXT MORNING, ACROSS THE 'OSLO FJORD'....WHICH DIDN'T EVEN HAVE ANY ICE !!

THURSDAY,WAS A DRIVE ACROSS THE BORDER INTO VARMLAND...THE ROADS WERE JUST LIKE IN LATE AUTUMN? DRY AND COMPLETLEY FREE OF SNOW.....


THEN, THE SNOW CAME..... ON FRIDAY MRONING

UP YOURS, MOTHER NATURE


JUST THIS PHOTO FOR NOW,MORE TO COME...

In the USA that gesture could easily be confused with Peace