1983 Turbo rebuild - Ireland calling

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birddog
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2014 8:40 am
Number of Saabs currently owned: 1
Location: Emerald Isle

Re: 1983 Turbo rebuild - Ireland calling

Postby birddog » Sun May 04, 2014 7:40 am

Geoff,
These cars were not that common here in Ireland, mostly you will see 3 spoke aero's on any c900, so these standard wheels are staying until they get curbed.

Drew,
I would dig a set of the US amber marker lamps - now that would look good. Any idea where to get them?

birddog
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2014 8:40 am
Number of Saabs currently owned: 1
Location: Emerald Isle

Re: 1983 Turbo rebuild - Ireland calling

Postby birddog » Sat May 24, 2014 2:06 pm

Well, finally got some time on the Saab again, the car arrived back from Alan the welding guru, who did a great job of the arch's and the passenger side driveshaft area. He also repaired the rot under the rad. I swopped some irrigation materials for some blaster time, and got the hatch and bonnet (hood) blasted clean around all the rust areas. We were about to fill in the gaps, but the massive compressor blew a seal and ended the fun and games.
Bonnet Blasted.jpg

got this rot cleaned up, hood and hatch going to my painter next week and he will weld in new metal.
Hatch rot.jpg

started wire wheeling all the shuts and the engine bay, my painter has a slot end of next week and he will do all the exterior, then I can take the Summer to do the underneath and inside, then put it all back to-gether.
Cleaning the doors.jpg

After the messy job with the grinder, rust killer goes on.
Rust killer on door.jpg

Here's the repaired front section...not easy
New crossmember welded in.jpg

Engine bay stripped...filthy job...
Engine bay stripped.jpg

Rust killer applied...
Engine bay rust killing.jpg

And finally etch primer, good and thick...
Engine bay etch primer.jpg

Engine bay etch primer 1.jpg

Door etch primer.jpg

Next is seam sealing, chassis black and off to the painter.
Finally, my friendly resident robin has decided that one of my storage shelves is a perfect nesting site, so now I'am
tip-toeing around the place and all of the tools in this area are now off limits. Nature, what would we do without it.
Can't wait for the chirp chirp!!!!!!
Door etch primer.jpg

birddog
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2014 8:40 am
Number of Saabs currently owned: 1
Location: Emerald Isle

Re: 1983 Turbo rebuild - Ireland calling

Postby birddog » Sat May 24, 2014 2:08 pm

Sorry, wrong photo!
Robin nest.jpg

birddog
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2014 8:40 am
Number of Saabs currently owned: 1
Location: Emerald Isle

Re: 1983 Turbo rebuild - Ireland calling

Postby birddog » Sat May 24, 2014 2:11 pm

That's her behind the light, in a moss nest. Throwing out some chedder cheese every time I visit, to compensate for the racket I'am making at the moment.

birddog
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2014 8:40 am
Number of Saabs currently owned: 1
Location: Emerald Isle

Re: 1983 Turbo rebuild - Ireland calling

Postby birddog » Thu Jun 05, 2014 5:47 pm

Well finally got the shell down to the painters, John the Painter does a great job - every time I've got him to spray, I'am nearly reduced to tears with the result.
Car arrives at painter.JPG

Here's the paint genius
John the painter.JPG

He worked on the boot lid first, welding in new metal to replace the rusted out section
Boot in primer.JPG
Boot in primer.JPG (48.72 KiB) Viewed 4583 times

Now after a weeks work cutting and welding, I visited today to see the shell primed (1st coat) with a rough guide coat on. Even though he says that a car's a car,
I can tell some of my metal love has rubbed onto him. Also says that this is a very strong structure, made of stern stuff.
Primer and scratch coat on.JPG

All rust gone base coat.JPG

Now, for all my American and British friends, to remember D-Day, a couple of photo's from my annual French Holidays, taken every August.
Firstly, a photo taken on Omaha Beach. Pointe De Hoc is behind us.
Omaha Beach.JPG

This is one of the gun emplacements on Pointe de Hoc, where on the night of June 5th, the US Rangers stormed and finally silenced the guns.
Many thousand heavy rounds shelled the Point and the Air force dropped a huge amount of 1000lber's on it before the assault, even so,
many Rangers lost their lives here. A sombre place.
Point de Hoc.JPG

God rest their souls.

birddog
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2014 8:40 am
Number of Saabs currently owned: 1
Location: Emerald Isle

Re: 1983 Turbo rebuild - Ireland calling

Postby birddog » Fri Jun 06, 2014 10:18 am

Should also remember all the other allied soldiers who landed on this day 70 years ago, including 66,000 Irish citizens fighting in primarily the British and American armies. When the Irish who survived came home, they did not receive a hero's welcome, as they mainly fought for "the old enemy" - England. They are a forgotten lot and any medals won during the war were hidden away and their expieriences never talked about.

birddog
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2014 8:40 am
Number of Saabs currently owned: 1
Location: Emerald Isle

Re: 1983 Turbo rebuild - Ireland calling

Postby birddog » Sun Oct 05, 2014 10:50 am

Well after a long hot enough summer, I can finally get back into this. I work in irrigation, so no time from May to about now. The car came back from the painters mid August
Its back.JPG

As I want this car to last, I'am going overboard on rustproofing - metal cleaning, rust convertor, Por-15 black of grey, zinc rich primer and then chassis coat black.
More cleaning.JPG

Rust killer, Eastwood then Zinc.JPG

Zinc coated.JPG

Trying to get all this done before the weather gets cold. Wheel arches and underside next.
2 coats chassis black.JPG

I picked up a decent power supply for €30 from adverts.ie and started testing the window motors, as these were not working.
Power supply.JPG

After un-siezing the cog, I gave it 12v and nothing. I found a great write up on repairing these by a guy called euromobile900, so I did what he says - bridge a piece of wire across the 2 terminals on the circuit breaker and insulate with some rtv.
window motors.JPG

Now they spin the cog perfectly, they won't stop when the window reaches top or bottom, but I'am sure that won't be a problem. Beats buying new ones.

birddog
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2014 8:40 am
Number of Saabs currently owned: 1
Location: Emerald Isle

Re: 1983 Turbo rebuild - Ireland calling

Postby birddog » Sat Oct 11, 2014 6:01 pm

Alien life.JPG

What the hell are these crystal type things! They keep growing on the gearbox, just on this side, in the cooling fin area.
I scrape them off, spray all sorts of WD-40 and the like, then they come back. Anyone else have them?
Is it time to get out the SNAKE OIL again?
Attachments
Alien life.JPG

gmreider
Posts: 326
Joined: Fri Jul 13, 2012 8:28 am
Number of Saabs currently owned: 6
Location: Boyertown PA

Re: 1983 Turbo rebuild - Ireland calling

Postby gmreider » Sun Oct 12, 2014 12:17 pm

some sort of Aluminum barnacles ?? I have seen them before , but don't remember not being able to keep them from re forming. Maybe some chemist type will answer your post and set us on the correct answer?? Try some harsher chemicals ?

birddog
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2014 8:40 am
Number of Saabs currently owned: 1
Location: Emerald Isle

Re: 1983 Turbo rebuild - Ireland calling

Postby birddog » Sun Nov 30, 2014 1:26 pm

Parts from Ciaran.JPG
Well after more and more work coming in - Ireland's economy is on the up, after all, finally got multiple 20 minute segments to work on Mr.Flatface. First up - finish off the wheelwells and underside, my usual multi-coat approach ending with a chip coat.
Wheel well1.JPG

Next was to work in the fuel tank area, I never want to do this again, metal in the eye from the grinder, hospital job.
fuel tank 1.JPG

Got everything chip coated
Chip coat on.JPG

Started pulling out the bushings, as I will be replacing all of them with powerflex poly. Homemade pullers working fine.
bushing puller.JPG

Got a few parts from a fellow Saab nutter, Ciaran, who kindly dropped in to have a look at Mr.Flatface. Great guy, look forward to showing him the completed Swede. He also can'twaittodrivethethingandfeeltheturbowhooooooshhhhhh
Parts from Ciaran.JPG

Disaster struck briefly at this stage. I know a guy who does hydro graphics as a side line. He took away loads of plastic bits to be done in a satin black. My expensive American spec lights were left in the paint oven to long and half melted. Martin is a man of his word and replaced them. Hydro graphics are tough, I will see how they fare out.
light bad and good.JPG

Some more Hydro'd parts
Hydro parts1.JPG

I tell ya, these look superb
Beautiful light.JPG

Working on the back axle now, hope to have the car on the road for the Summer.

birddog
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2014 8:40 am
Number of Saabs currently owned: 1
Location: Emerald Isle

Re: 1983 Turbo rebuild - Ireland calling

Postby birddog » Sun Jan 18, 2015 1:47 pm

Well, Saab time is hard to find at the moment, I should be quite at work, which would allow me some time to work in the garage, but far from it, we are very busy. A sign that the Irish economy is improving, I suppose. Well I got the back end completely finished, axle, fuel tank, OEM brake parts, mud flaps etc all on. Next I will do the same with the front end, then a whole load more bits and bobs.
Saab parts.JPG

The original 1983 engine (non-intercooler) has unknown mileage and a broken gearbox, so I have a replacement late 8v engine (with intercooler) to go back in. To do this involves installing the later type fuel tank, wiring and dash. All will be done in due course.
Polybushes.JPG

Polybushes galore!

birddog
Posts: 25
Joined: Thu Apr 10, 2014 8:40 am
Number of Saabs currently owned: 1
Location: Emerald Isle

Re: 1983 Turbo rebuild - Ireland calling

Postby birddog » Sun Jan 18, 2015 1:52 pm

Original springs and shocks gone back in for the moment - no money to buy new ones. These will be changed soon after I get the car finished.

I was thinking of going for Bilstein B4's and some lowering springs - Not sure what the best set-up is.

What do you guys recommend?


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