1986 SAAB K900 K-JET 8V TURBO-THE END? 1ST SPRINT

[BIRDIEMANGO]

WELL,THIS IS COVERED IN MY BUILD THREAD OVER ON 'UK SAABS'? BUT THOUGHT GIVEN THAT WE HAVE SEEN LITTLE ,OR NO 'SAAB' MOTORSPORT IN MANY,MANY MONTHS? THAT MAYBE YOU GUYS WOULD LIKE A BIT OF AN UPDATE?

I RESCUED THE CAR BACK IN LATE NOVEMBER 2020,AS IT WAS ADVERTISED LOCALLY? BUT,IN A VERY SORRY LOOKING CONDITION...
WHEN I WEN'T TO SEE THE CAR(JUST BEFORE ANOTHER UK LOCKDOWN ) HALF THE EXHAUST HAD FELL OFF& WAS IN THE BOOT(JETEX),THE DRIVERS WING(FENDER) WAS ALL SMASHED IN,BATTERY WAS FLAT,SUNROOF WAS LEAKING AND TAPED UP AND THE OWNER SAID THE OLD K900 WOULD NOT BOOST WHEN HOT?

TO ADD TO THIS,THE CAR HAD JUST ONE DAY LEFT OF 'ROADWORTHINESS CERTIFICATE' ('MOT' HERE IN THE UK)....ENOUGH,FOR ME TO DRIVE IT AROUND THE BLOCK AND DECIDE,IT WAS COMING HOME WITH ME!!

I SPENT 6 MONTHS,STRIPPING THE K900,FITTING A DONOR HALF-WING,CUTTING OUT RUST(LOTS OF IT!)WELDING IN MORE DONOR PANELS,PAINTING PANELS&RENEWING /RE-BUSHING MOST OF THE SUSPENSION,AND GENERALLY GETTING IT READY FOR THE 'ROAD-GOING' CLASS IN CLUBMAN MOTORSPORT...

I HAD NEARLY EVERYTHING 'IN STOCK'.....

SO, IT WAS JUST MY 'TIME' ?.....BUT EVEN THROUGH THE UK 'EARLY 2021' LOCKDOWN,I WAS STILL WORKING EVERYDAY,SO ALL THE WORK WAS DONE IN THE EVENINGS,OR WEEKENDS....

I HAD GOT AN ENTRY FOR THE 1ST SUMMER SPRINT,IN EARLY JUNE, AT OUR LOCAL RACE CIRCUIT,WHICH IS QUITE SMALL,BUT UTILISES 2 DIFFERING LAPS OVER A 1.6KM ROUTE,WITH MANY TIGHT&TWISTY TURNS,AND A LONG ENOUGH STRAIGHT,TO BE HITTING 95 MPH....

THE ORGANISING MOTOR CLUB,HAD ALREADY HAD TO CANCEL SEVERAL EVENTS,IN THE PRECEEDING MONTHS,DUE TO LOCAL RESTRICTIONS? SO IT WAS ALL RATHER LAST MINUTE,AS TO WHETHER THE 'SPRINT' WOULD ACTUALLY RUN?

ANYWAY,HERE ARE A FEW PICTURES FROM ON THE DAY

AND YOU CAN READ MORE HERE...ABOUT THE RUN UP,TO DAY ITSELF?
https://www.uksaabs.co.uk/UKS/viewtopic ... &start=180

OR HOW 'NOT' TO NEARLY VISIT THE SCENERY AFTER THE 'FLYING FINISH' LINE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhW4XxD6um4

[Sam]

It looks awesome going around the corner!. Love the wheels! Look like a slightly different version of the ronal R15? How is the power of the 8v? I imagine it is lighter in the car than the 16v.

[BIRDIEMANGO]

HEY SAM, YES IT IS VERY LOW, AND VERY STIFF!
THE WHEELS ARE 16 INCH BORBET(GERMANY) 114.3 PCD, 7.5J WITH 205/45/16 BRIDGESTONE ROAD TYRES, WITH JUST A REAR ARB BAR FITTED.

WAITING TO GET THE K900 ON ROLLING ROAD NOW, SEE WHERE WE ARE AT?

BIRDIE

[BIRDIEMANGO]

THOUGHT YOU CHAPS MAY ENJOY AN UPDATE OF THIS YEAR'S MOTORSPORT ACTIVITIES,IN 2022?

A RUN ON THE 'ROLLING ROAD'(DYNO) AT THE END OF LAST YEAR IN THE 1986 K900 TURBO,ON A TOTALLY STOCK B201 8V MOTOR WITH PLENTY OF MILEAGE UNDER ITS BELT,AND A TWEAKED 'APC' UNIT GAVE 166BHP BUT? THE 'WARM UP REGULATOR' WAS CAUSING IT TO RUN 'LEAN'! AND ONLY ALLOWING AROUND 0.5 BAR BOOST.....

SO THIS 'WUR' WAS REMANUFACTURED,RE-FITTED AND SOLVED AN ISSUE I HAD WITH 'CHATTERING' OF THE 'APC SOLENOID' HENCE,WHY IT WAS ONLY ALLOWING 0.5 BAR BOOST,DUE TO THE INCORRECT FUEL PRESSURES ON DEMAND...

BOOST NOW BACK TO OVER 1 BAR,AND I FITTED AN 'INNOVATE' AFR GAUGE&SENSOR,TO SEE EXACTLY HOW 'FIRING' THE COLD START INJECTOR,AFFECTED THE 'AFR'? WHICH,IN TURN DROPS THE AIR-FUEL RATIO TO AROUND 12.4 ON WIDE OPEN THROTTLE.........

THIS IS PURELY AN EXERCISE TO SEE,WHAT IS POSSIBLE,WITH A 35 YEAR OLD K900 TURBO 8 VALVE RESCUED FROM THE SCRAPYARD.......AND ENTERED INTO SEVERAL 'SPRINT&HILLCLIMB' EVENTS,FOR A BIT OF FUN...

WE RUN IN THE 'ROAD GOING' CLASS,SO APART FROM SUSPENSION&WIDER WHEELS/TYRES,THATS ABOUT IT FOR MODIFICATIONS,ALTHOUGH I CAN TINKER WITH ENGINE POWER OUTPUT.... AND WE WEIGH IN AT OVER 1200KG.

HOPE,TO GET IT BACK ON THE ROLLING ROAD,AT THE END OF THE YEAR,MAYBE 170 BHP PLUS?

https://www.uksaabs.co.uk/UKS/viewtopic ... &start=320

BIRDIE