Another RadioFlyer 1980 c900T

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RadioFlyer
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Another RadioFlyer 1980 c900T

Postby RadioFlyer » Thu Dec 18, 2014 4:41 pm

I found this one in Connecticut, working off a tip from another Saab enthusiast. The owner bought it in 2001 with 30,000 miles, garaged its whole life. Sadly, he decided to keep it outside and the paint wore off a bit. But man, what a cool car! Anthracite Gray with red pinstripes and louvers, cibie H4 headlights, really nice shape red 99 interior with Sport and Rally wheel, VDO gauges, wiring for two sets of fogs, and a sweet upgraded factory speaker setup, B20 turbo engine with 85k miles!!!!!!! I figured it must have been an executive or preproduction car, and it turns out that the first owner lived less than 10 minutes away from Saab HQ in Orange, CT! Interesting...

Anyway, the guy had to be moved out by Monday, and I was up for an adventure. So I talked my brother-in-law out of his Saturday afternoon nap and we snagged a car dolly on the way down. Talked the guy down to about half his asking price when I showed him before and after shots of the blue '80 900t and promised he could take it for a spin when it's finished.

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So I've got my work cut out for me - odometer has a broken gear, fogs are smashed to pieces, heater valve is broken, fans are not operational, battery is dead, exhaust is in pieces, brakes are frozen, headliner is disintegrating, paint is nearly disappeared, and key is broken off in the ignition. But it's super straight with no rot and the engine was turning over with a weak charger connected to it. It has an external electric water pump and all the trim is in great shape. I think it's at a great starting point. Psyched to get started!!

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Crazyswede
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Re: Another RadioFlyer 1980 c900T

Postby Crazyswede » Thu Dec 18, 2014 5:05 pm

I see you got the nice S&R momo wheel too
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Re: Another RadioFlyer 1980 c900T

Postby 99Super » Thu Dec 18, 2014 7:39 pm

Nice Score!
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Re: Another RadioFlyer 1980 c900T

Postby DrewP » Thu Dec 18, 2014 8:31 pm

Goddamn that is cool. I don't think I've ever seen a 900 in the Anthracite Grey, that's awesome!

My Dad still laments that one of his Cibie lamps got cracked by a rock and he was never able to find a replacement for it and had to switch back to sealed beams. This was like 1992 or so, before you could easily find things to buy on that internet thing.
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Re: Another RadioFlyer 1980 c900T

Postby hutch » Thu Dec 18, 2014 9:22 pm

Wow that is such a cool car, nice find!

Are you thinking a full respray or just make it into a rat rod?

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RadioFlyer
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Re: Another RadioFlyer 1980 c900T

Postby RadioFlyer » Thu Dec 18, 2014 10:18 pm

If my wife lets me keep it, I'd do a full respray in the original color and reproduce the pinstripes. I really like how it looks.

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Edward
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Re: Another RadioFlyer 1980 c900T

Postby Edward » Sat Dec 20, 2014 4:41 pm

Definitely an awesome find :thumbsup: My dads old dark blue 83 was pinstriped like that, which I always thought looked cool.

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Re: Another RadioFlyer 1980 c900T

Postby Geoff » Mon Dec 22, 2014 1:00 pm

That thing is pretty cool. It's not the same one that I knew of from Nashua area (which was black). It looks like someone bought the car and got a few accessories at the dealer.
The kind of dirty that doesn't wash off :eyebrows:

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Luke
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Re: Another RadioFlyer 1980 c900T

Postby Luke » Tue Dec 23, 2014 10:54 am

The first car I knew existed as a kid was a 1980 in anthracite grey with the same red interior, it's the car my parents drove me home from the hospital in! My dad bought it new the month before I was born and we had it as the family car until about 1993, then my uncle had it for a few years, and later I got it and drove it throughout high school and college and was the car that really turned me onto SAABs. So seeing a 1980 in anthracite with inca wheels brings back a lot of memories. The original engine block from that SAAB was what I used for 16v B motor bottom end, I thought it was a fitting tribute to that SAAB to have it's block live on in that engine!

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Re: Another RadioFlyer 1980 c900T

Postby Crazyswede » Tue Dec 23, 2014 2:56 pm

I guess we know where this one will go when someones wife says he cannot have any more cars.
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Re: Another RadioFlyer 1980 c900T

Postby birddog » Sat Dec 27, 2014 7:34 pm

What a cool car, pin stripes are the biz. when wives get involved, I always switch to the 20 minute rule. Only spend 20 minutes after work or whatever on the car, changing a clutch might take 3 months, but they will never know about the car. I have 3 unknown cars, which have taken 8 or 9 years to restore, but only I know about them. Just a tip.

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RadioFlyer
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Re: Another RadioFlyer 1980 c900T

Postby RadioFlyer » Sun Dec 28, 2014 5:57 pm

Oh she knows about this one. Luckily, she has come to understand the value of me having a project.

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Edward
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Re: Another RadioFlyer 1980 c900T

Postby Edward » Mon Dec 29, 2014 2:14 am

RadioFlyer wrote:Oh she knows about this one. Luckily, she has come to understand the value of me having a project.


My wife would give me grief about my Saab disease. The last one I "hid" worked for a while. I bought a second beryl green 91 SPG a few years back, and she never knew the difference between the two. Even with an off repaint, she couldn't tell the difference :lol: Eventually, she gave up and told me she no longer wants to know as long as the mortgage is paid.

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Re: Another RadioFlyer 1980 c900T

Postby RobVonSAAB » Tue Dec 30, 2014 2:54 pm

Awesome car! Does this car have stainless luggage rails in the trunk area? If it does then my Dad has seen it when it was new and the CEO was driving it around to the dealerships. It also had fabric door panel inserts held on with double sided tape.

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RadioFlyer
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Re: Another RadioFlyer 1980 c900T

Postby RadioFlyer » Tue Dec 30, 2014 5:45 pm

Nope, no stainless luggage rails - must have been cool!!


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