Greetings from Budapest

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TurboBudapest
Posts: 59
Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2014 6:31 am
Nickname: Ed
Number of Saabs currently owned: 3

Greetings from Budapest

Postby TurboBudapest » Sun Feb 02, 2014 3:02 am

Hello Everyone,

I have been lurking around Saabrally.com for some time now, and thought it was high time to make introductions (apologies if they turned out to be a little long). I stumbled on this site through the posts of Radioflyer several months ago (linked from another Saab forum). Am very impressed with this forum – a lot of very friendly people with excellent knowledge (especially with respect to the 99). Have been slowly going through the build posts on this site – my favorites so far are (i) Radioflyer’s blue 1980 900 turbo, (ii) Drew’s 1979 Saab 900 EMS (although I also enjoyed reading his thread on his 99), (iii) SwedeSport’s notchback build and (iv) Jones’ 99 five door build. Very inspiring….

I am an American Hungarian who spent most of his childhood in Luxembourg although I currently live in Budapest Hungary. Interestingly enough, Saabs were incredibly popular in Luxembourg through the 80s and 90s. I understand that it had one of the highest number of Saabs per capita in the world (after Sweden) during this time. Accordingly, I grew up in a “Saab rich” area (kind of like living in Vermont or Massachusetts in the 80s).

My love affair with Saabs started in 1985 when I got to ride in what was one of the first production 900 SPGs (in Europe they were known as T16S). A 1985 silver flatnose 900 with a beautiful red interior and dash. This car was unlike any car I had driven in till then, and I became infatuated. My parents had only owned stodgy diesel Mercs till this point, and this 900 seemed to me to be from a different planet.

Our family purchased our first Saab in January 1987 – a 9000 T16 with all the bells as whistles. My father had a terrible accident with a three month old brand new Mercedes, and was looking for something different (for the previous ten years he had only owned Mercs). He had broken his back in said accident, and sitting in any chair was extremely painful for him. He started looking at the 9000 on the recommendation of his colleague who said the seats in the 9000 were the best for people with back issues. We went to the dealer and tested the 9000 and were instantly sold – for years the 9000 was the only place where my father could comfortably sit without backpains.

The flat nosed 9000 is a rare beast nowadays – in many ways, it has the purest lines in my view. I remember that the performance was incredible for those days – a car that could seat five and swallow unholy amounts of luggage and still accelerate the way it did and cruise at 120 mph all day long. It blew away the Mercedes (124 chasis which came out a year after the 9000) in every respect. As a family, we were hooked on Saabs and almost all our car purchases since have been Saabs (25 years now!).

My parents had two more 9000s after that – a slant nosed 1992 9000 with factory installed sports suspension and the 220 HP engine (the Saab garage in Luxembourg said this was the precursor to the Aero – in many ways, this car felt quicker than the later 9000 Aero) and a green 1995 Aero. Actually, for a two year period, we had all three 9000s at the same time (was fun to compare the three for their diferences). The 1995 Aero remains one of the best cars I have ever driven. We also purchased a 1981 900 four door Gl in 1992, and this is the car which I consider as being my first car. Of course we have had a number of 9-3 and 9-5s since then, but I will not bore you with talking about these (good cars, but lacking the soul of the older Saabs for sure).

I currently own three Saabs:

1. 1978 99 Turbo

This is my newest acquisition, having purchased this in October 2013. You can find a write-up I did on this car at the following link: http://www.swadeology.com/2013/11/saab- ... -realised/
Also, this car was the subject of several write-ups in various Hungarian classic car magazines, including this one (in Hungarian, but there are some great pics of my car): http://www.origo.hu/auto/20120720-saab- ... teszt.html

As described in greater detail on the Swadeology website at the link above, I have been on the hunt for a 900 T16S (SPG) for ages. These cars are very rare in Hungary, and are snapped up by enthusiast as soon as they come to the market. I was cruising the local Saab 900 club classifieds, and this car was up for sale. As they say, when buying an old car it is more important to buy the right car than the exact car you are looking for. This car was just too good to pass up – had been subject to a full ground up restoration, with the owner having spent about five times on the car in the last ten years as compared to the purchase price he was asking for. For the seller, finding the right buyer was more important than the purchase price. The PO was moving to Austria which was the reason for the sale.

I would describe this car as 95% complete – the following are the things which needed to be done to it after I purchased it (the car was stored at my indy Saab mechanic for two months, and the work is being done on it right now):

- The biggest issue was with the Turbo operation. The wastegate was not properly set up, and the turbo would over boost (fuel cutting off suddenly while under acceleration). I have ordered a new diaphragm from Saabworld.nl (great source for 99 parts in Europe – more on that below), and have the car booked with one of the best turbo specialists in Hungary to get it set up right. I was told that the diaphragm was newly installed about 3000 KMs ago, but I want to change it just to be sure (it was a NOS part which may have degraded over time.

- The suspension needs to be properly set up. It vibrates on the highway, and generally does not feel set up right. All the bushings have been changed and are in as new condition however, which is good news.

- The suspension sits a little high (in particular in the back – to the point where there is a little toe in). I ordered lower C900 springs from Abbott Racing, and they assure me that since the 99 is lighter, this should now sit at the factory ride height.

- There were several cosmetic elements that needed working on. Among other things:

(i) The headlights need to be changed (the silver has started to corrode).

(ii) The right rear tail lamp is sun bleached (managed to source a NOS unit).

(iii) The rear license plate holder is badly pitted and the lenses are broken (by way of a miracle, Saabworld.nl had a NOS unit which will make its way on the car – probably the last NOS unit in existence).

(iv) The car was missing many of the plastic side protections – for example the plastic protector around the wheel arches and the triangular plastic screwed on to the side of the car at the front of the rear wheel arch). I managed to source these from Saabworld.nl. Unfortunately I am still missing the rubber stripe that goes down the side of the car – if anyone knows of a good source for this, please do let me know.

(v) The front spoiler is the original, but needs a little work. It needs to be painted and smoothed out in one or two places.

(vi) The front head light surrounds are black (euro style). The paint is coming up, and they are being stripped and repainted.

(vii) The rear view mirrors are the correct electric ones, but were in terrible shape. Paint was wearing off and the chrome was heavily pitted. I sourced a set of NOS rearview mirrors at Saabworld.nl and these are going on the car.

(viii) I have sourced the rare joysticks for the electric mirrors (oddly enough, the 99 was sold with the electric mirrors but without the joysticks to control them (this was a cost option).

(ix) The speedo was intermittently working and the needle bounced around – this is now being refurbished.

(x) The turbo dial was quite sun bleached – I sourced a replacement from Saabworld.nl which has a perfect face but damaged housing – will be using the housing of my existing unit but exchanging the innards.

I am really intrigued by the 99 – it somehow feels much more mechanical than the 900 – almost as if you are mart of the mechanicals. Also, this car has a distinct feeling of being a patchwork of parts. You really get the sense that this car has a ton of extra bolt-ons which were not part of the original design. I also love the crazy funky 70s design of the 99. In fact, in my view the craziest period of saab’s design was between 1974 and 1980. Somehow Saab became so much more board room yuppy in the 80s (which I also love). Before buying the 99, I had always felt that Saab started being Saab in the mid-80s. Saab of the 74-80 period was much more left field – almost as if Saab did not care less what other companies were doing, and were totally ignoring the competition in conceiving their product. As if the Swedish engineers were dropped off on a deserted island with no contact to the outside world while designing the car. I now love the first Saab 900 (Drew’s 1979 three door EMS and RadioFlyer’s 1980 are great examples of these), the last version of the Sonett and the last version of the 96 as well.

2. 1997 9000 Aero

My every day car is a 1997 9000 Aero. I purchased this car as a bit of a basket case in 2012 for about USD 1300. The car did not have much rust, but certainly had its other issues. As the 9000 is a cheap car nowadays, you often find them in the Hungarian country side in the ownership of people without the financial means or access to a good mechanic to keep up the car properly. After I blew up the engine five months after purchasing (over revved the engine), I did a mechanical restoration of the Aero: (i) complete new turbo, (ii) new clutch, (iii) completely rebuilt engine, (iv) Abbot Racing lowered springs an new poly bushings all around, (v) Abbot Racing reach piggy back anti roll bar, (vi) Abbot Racing braded clutch hose and (vi) Sachs adjustable sport dampers. Mechanically, the only parts which need work still are the exhaust (I am planning to install the 2.5 inch system from Maptun) and chip tuning (probably will also get this from Maptun). As a family car, there are few cars which can touch the 9000 Aero. Those seats are still the most comfortable I have ever experienced, and the versatility of the large five door layout is unparalleled.

I can only recommend the guys at Abbot Racing – they understand their Saabs (www.abbottracing.net). Probably not worthwhile importing to the US, but reasonable if you live in Europe. I spoke with the guys at Abbot Racing, and they claim that the 900’s suspension was tuned almost to perfection from the factory, as it was under constant development for over 25 years. The only changes they suggest making on the 900 is to put sport dampers in and their lowering springs. In their view, putting in poly bushes only makes the suspension’s performance of the C900 worse. AR claim that the 9000 never received such extensive suspension development, and the suspension of the last 9000 was very similar to that of the first ever built (the Aero had lowered springs and uprated dampers, but no other modifications from factory from what I understand). According to AR, the engineers who developed the 9000 were whisked away to the US after GM’s takeover in 1990, and as a result, the 9000’s suspension development was stunted. Of course my 9000 was tired by the time I purchased it, but we did own a 1995 9000 Aero from new, and I remember how this car drove. The 9000 Aero was always a great handling car, but the handling was a bit rubbery. The AR mods to the 9000 suspension turned the 9000 into one of the best handling sedans I have ever driven. The ride is not much comprised (although let’s admit that the 9000 Aero never had the best right), but the handling (thanks to the mods described above) is transformed – sharp around the corners with little roll and excellent feedback.

I found NOS seals for the car doors/windows (from a body shop in England who had them left over from the 90s), and have slotted the 9000 Aero for a complete re-spray in March. I also will get the interior of the car spruced up (deep conditioning and leather painting where necessary). I have recently spent a lot of time in a brand new 5 series BMW and an Audi A6. Honestly, I would prefer driving the Aero over these cares any day. And I love how the 9000 Aero is so low key. In fact, the Aero is looking a little sad at the moment with some parking scrapes thanks to my wife and the less than spectacular paint – I find people’s reaction to the car curious. Almost as if they feel sorry for me that I cannot afford something better (even though I am a partner at a law firm). When I take them for a ride in the Aero, they begin to understand. As with the 99 Turbo, I doubt I will ever sell this car. No car takes me back to my teenage years as the 9000 - Simple things such as vacuum cleaning the interior take me back to when I was a boy volunteering to wash and vacuum my parents’ 9000.

The one mod I was thinking of doing is installing the Quaife LSD. A bit pricey, but they are currently on sale for the 9000 at AR. If anyone has experience with the Quaife, would be grateful for your views as to whether this mod is worthwhile.

In any event, I was thinking of starting a build thread on the 9000 describing the upgrades and showing the work done. I realize that this website focuses on C900 and older Saabs – would their be any interest?

3. 2006 9-3 Sportscombi 1.9 TDI Hirsch

My wife’s every day driver is a 2006 9-3 Sportscombi with a Hirsch chip tuned 1.9 Turbo diesel motor. Admittedly this car is boring compared to older Saabs, but it is a great family car, has excellent performance (with 175 HP, excellent torque and reaching 60 MPH in about 8 seconds) and is quite fuel efficient and environmentally friendly. We only have about 65,000 miles on the car, so I do not see us selling it any time soon.

++++++++++

As to next steps? I will only begin driving the 99 Turbo in April once the roads and weather clears. Am also super psyched about finishing up the 9000 Aero (and may install the quaife in spring as well depending on my research in the next couple of months.

I am still on the hunt for the 900 SPG of my dreams. Honestly, I do not think I will be able to rest in peace until I find a good one. I also will keep my eyes out for a good early 900 (pre-1980), a late model Sonett and perhaps a late model 96. This is a sickness, and thank God I have an understanding wife!
Best,
Ed

sjones
Posts: 520
Joined: Thu Jun 02, 2011 2:26 am

Re: Greetings from Budapest

Postby sjones » Sun Feb 02, 2014 3:59 am

Hi Ed, great post and story. I like your 99T with the early bumpers. The CombiCoupe rear bumper with the steel band is pretty rare.

TurboBudapest
Posts: 59
Joined: Thu Jan 23, 2014 6:31 am
Nickname: Ed
Number of Saabs currently owned: 3

Re: Greetings from Budapest

Postby TurboBudapest » Sun Feb 02, 2014 7:40 am

Thanks sjones - how is your build going by the way? I really enjoyed reading your post on it!

If you are interested in the stainless steel bumber guard, try www.saabworld.nl. I believe they remanufacture it. In fact, Thom (the owner/operator) is a total Saab 99 Turbo nut and is remanufacturing many of the hard to find parts for the 99 and 900. For example, he sells a nice repro of the turbo badge for the grill (just purchased one from him - it's great) and the turbo diaphram (very difficult to come by). He even has remanufactured the Turbo sticker that went on the bottom of the doors of Saabs between 78 and 81. I can only recomend him - also a very nice guy and his always helpful when I call him.

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squaab99t
Posts: 1262
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2007 5:43 pm
Number of Saabs currently owned: 4
Location: Shoreline Wa

Re: Greetings from Budapest

Postby squaab99t » Sun Feb 02, 2014 9:46 am

Welcome,
Wonderful Saab bio write-up. This is the site for 99 and 900c. It is even very information rich on non-Saab projects. I love the fact you can see DIY projects here that are not hack jobs, and if they are, folks here don't flame you, but give you advice and share their knowledge.
I have a Quaife on my 900c. One of the best chassis/suspension mods you can do. Do a search, keyword "quaife" all sorts of feedback. According to the airborne gravel rally folks you need a Gripper clutch style. For pavement whinnies like me the the Quaife does the trick.
Keep up the good work and keep the Saab brand alive.

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SwedeSport
Posts: 3021
Joined: Mon Jun 15, 2009 9:52 am
Number of Saabs currently owned: 5
Location: Pottstown, PA
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Re: Greetings from Budapest

Postby SwedeSport » Sun Feb 02, 2014 1:58 pm

Good to have you on board.

I post about all sorts of random stuff. We all have interests outside of Saab stuff. Nobody bitches about my threads about my F150 Tow Rig / Shop Truck, or my Other Hobbies thread. I think you will be safe posting about your 9000.

I run a Quaife in my 86 900 Street / Track car. I do a lot of pavement weenie stuff, and dabble in some dirt. I really like it.

I made a batch of the 99 turbo decals last year. I still have a few sets left. I still have some in white, and some black. Mine are designed to fit both 99 and 900, and has enough stripe length to install it without the "SAAB Turbo" text. My kit will fit on 2,3,4, and 5 door cars.


Got any pics of your projects?
Swedesport Motors, Apparel and Accessories for SAAB Junkies.
Http://Facebook.com/swedesportmotors
Swedesportmotors@gmail.com

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DrewP
Posts: 2084
Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2007 8:27 pm
Nickname: TANK
Number of Saabs currently owned: 1
Location: Monrovia, CA

Re: Greetings from Budapest

Postby DrewP » Sun Feb 02, 2014 2:08 pm

Welcome Ed, and thanks for the compliments to us all! We all absolutely have the same sickness as you, and I think a lot of us have very similar stories which only sort of explain the reason why we are the way we are now...

I can't wait to see your build thread for your 9000 Aero. My first Saab that was mine was an '85 SPG (which my sister drove in high school after my brother and I left for university, my mother still has it and drives it on occasion) and the second was a red '93 9000 Aero (which my brother still has.). Dad drives a white '93 9000 Aero that I found for sale locally needing a clutch and almost nothing else.

I think most of the people on here have owned or currently own 9000's and I can safely assume everyone has a soft spot for them. They really are wonderful cars.

You'll have to forgive the slow responses today, it is of course the American football Super Bowl game today - an excellent excuse to leave real life behind for the afternoon and party with family and friends!
"You can educate ignorance, but you can't fix stupid."

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DrewP
Posts: 2084
Joined: Wed Dec 26, 2007 8:27 pm
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Number of Saabs currently owned: 1
Location: Monrovia, CA

Re: Greetings from Budapest

Postby DrewP » Sun Feb 02, 2014 2:09 pm

Like Swedesport said, we have posts about all kinds of things. Check out Jason's awesome slot car track build in the "Other Hobbies" thread, and I think Crazyswede and I both have threads about our motorcycles.
"You can educate ignorance, but you can't fix stupid."

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SwedeSport
Posts: 3021
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Number of Saabs currently owned: 5
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Re: Greetings from Budapest

Postby SwedeSport » Sun Feb 02, 2014 7:31 pm

That hobby thread has a lot of cool stuff that others on the forum built.

Seems to me that with all the crafty people on the forum, there had to be other non Saab projects going on. I'm glad everyone chimes in and shares similar stuff.
Swedesport Motors, Apparel and Accessories for SAAB Junkies.
Http://Facebook.com/swedesportmotors
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hutch
Posts: 828
Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2007 11:49 pm
Number of Saabs currently owned: 2
Location: Lancaster, PA

Re: Greetings from Budapest

Postby hutch » Sun Feb 02, 2014 10:22 pm

Welcome, a friend of mine did a semester abroad in Budapest and loved it, it seems like a very interesting city and one I'd love to get to someday. I had read about your acquisition of the 99 and thought it was great and it seems like your whole collection is very well sorted.

As others have said you'll find a lot of cool non-Saab related stuff on this website too because there are a lot of creative people. It just so happens that it has also become pretty much a treasure trove of knowledge about keeping the 99's and 900's running and up to date some 30 years later. I wish I had half the fab skills that most of the people on here have but like squaab99t said everyone is very helpful and willing to share information.

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Geoff
Team Turbo Troll Crew
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Re: Greetings from Budapest

Postby Geoff » Sat Feb 08, 2014 12:47 pm

Wow, lots to read! Your 99T is awesome. Welcome!
The kind of dirty that doesn't wash off :eyebrows:


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