I feel like I've said this before but... long overdue, I'm updating progress on a project. One or two of you may recall my 78T refresh project, former DSP99t's car. The original intention for that car was this project, but it was too original and solid to go custom. Anyway, a rolling shell was made available to me and seemed to fit the bill. This project is by far and away the largest undertaking I have set out on.
Hot Rod 99 Build
Re: Hot Rod 99 Build
You may have noted the stripes and hood badge remnants. The car began life as a 78T. It was originally from Ohio and from the records found online it was actually sold at the same dealership (Shaker Saab) as my other 99T! The person I got it from had stripped of its Turbo spec parts to be used on a 78 2 door Turbo conversion. This is the only picture I have of the two cars together...
Lets take a closer look at the condition...
Typical holes in spare tire area and corner under fuel fill spout.
Not much left in the cabin...
Holes behind driver's seat.
Passanger floor. This doesn't look as bad as it is.
Not much left in the engine bay...
Exhaust side was a bit dry and crusty, but not too bad. Suspension towers are solid.
"Hull" is pretty ruff.
The body has a few bumps and bruises...
Driver's side rear window is crusty in the corner.
Lets take a closer look at the condition...
Typical holes in spare tire area and corner under fuel fill spout.
Not much left in the cabin...
Holes behind driver's seat.
Passanger floor. This doesn't look as bad as it is.
Not much left in the engine bay...
Exhaust side was a bit dry and crusty, but not too bad. Suspension towers are solid.
"Hull" is pretty ruff.
The body has a few bumps and bruises...
Driver's side rear window is crusty in the corner.
Last edited by Chouan on Mon May 30, 2016 6:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Hot Rod 99 Build
Certainly looks like it will need some love but it actually seems like a pretty solid car to start with.
What are the plans for the car, I assume a repaint of some sort, what sort of engine is going into it? Any plans to race it or will it just be a fun cruiser?
What are the plans for the car, I assume a repaint of some sort, what sort of engine is going into it? Any plans to race it or will it just be a fun cruiser?
Re: Hot Rod 99 Build
It has already gotten much love. I keep on jumping tenses because most of this happened a over a year ago, but I'm trying to keep everything present tense. If you don't like spoilers, don't click through to my flickr page!
I got the windshield out and only broke it once... no big tragedy as it had serious moisture in the glass.
No rust in the window channel, lots of bug carcass.
All the sound deadening needs to come off.
Dry ice + isopropyl alcohol = frozen sound deadening. After freezing, most was easily removed in large chunks with a scraper. Some spots required an air chisel.
Repeat in the trunk.
I got the windshield out and only broke it once... no big tragedy as it had serious moisture in the glass.
No rust in the window channel, lots of bug carcass.
All the sound deadening needs to come off.
Dry ice + isopropyl alcohol = frozen sound deadening. After freezing, most was easily removed in large chunks with a scraper. Some spots required an air chisel.
Repeat in the trunk.
Re: Hot Rod 99 Build
The Saab gets in touch with its ancestors and goes airborne.
So that it can go on to this cart.
Now the suspension and axles can come off. Somebody cheap'd out on shock replacements! Anyway, this front hub was needed for my other 99 which has an incorrect non hub centric hub on one corner. This car will be getting 88+ hubs and axles.
I hate these spring compressors.
Finally after lots of buggering the spring and upper A-arm is out.
Rear comes out much easier.
In the Swedish corner of the shop on its temporary cart.
This is not a custom bumper.
Rotisserie time!
Carefully finding the center of balance.
So that it can go on to this cart.
Now the suspension and axles can come off. Somebody cheap'd out on shock replacements! Anyway, this front hub was needed for my other 99 which has an incorrect non hub centric hub on one corner. This car will be getting 88+ hubs and axles.
I hate these spring compressors.
Finally after lots of buggering the spring and upper A-arm is out.
Rear comes out much easier.
In the Swedish corner of the shop on its temporary cart.
This is not a custom bumper.
Rotisserie time!
Carefully finding the center of balance.
Last edited by Chouan on Sat Jun 11, 2016 6:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- squaab99t
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Re: Hot Rod 99 Build
I'd like to do a full up rebuild on the chassis someday. How much of an area are you needing to work?
- Crazyswede
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Re: Hot Rod 99 Build
time for a dip is the strip tank
I wish. If there was one near me that also did re-resealing I would have gone that route.
I'd like to do a full up rebuild on the chassis someday. How much of an area are you needing to work?
Lets answer that question! To get a better look at what repairs are needed and continue prepping the shell I broke out the Liquid Nitrogen.
It was very effective. The earlier use of dry ice inside helped, but the Nitrogen helped finish the job underneath.
Its damn cold though. I was wearing two pairs of gloves and insulation on the hose.
The final veridic?
This area gave me an idea for FMIC fitment...
Close up the holes with something like this...
For an end result of something like this...
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Re: Hot Rod 99 Build
Am I seeing correctly that most of the rust has happened from top down ?
Unfortunate that you need rust repairs. Most 99's here in the PNW have little rust.
Cardboard mock-up - air to the brakes ? If so how will you use the outer air inlets
in the air dam ? Consider that if you have any opportunity for 'hits' [ cones ? ] that you might want to put the brake ducts
to the outside and oil cooler/intercooler to the center ? I've thought to run an intercooler in the center with a
re-inforcing frame behind the flat center section of the OE air dam.
Is using liquid nitrogen a complex set-up ? cost ?
Unfortunate that you need rust repairs. Most 99's here in the PNW have little rust.
Cardboard mock-up - air to the brakes ? If so how will you use the outer air inlets
in the air dam ? Consider that if you have any opportunity for 'hits' [ cones ? ] that you might want to put the brake ducts
to the outside and oil cooler/intercooler to the center ? I've thought to run an intercooler in the center with a
re-inforcing frame behind the flat center section of the OE air dam.
Is using liquid nitrogen a complex set-up ? cost ?
Re: Hot Rod 99 Build
Am I seeing correctly that most of the rust has happened from top down ?
The underside was pretty good as were the spring perches. Where there was rust from the bottom there was some physical damage to the undercoat. The car had sat for a while and I believe leaks in the sunroof and rear windows allowed water to pool inside the car.
I've thought to run an intercooler in the center with a re-inforcing frame behind the flat center section of the OE air dam.
The charged air will come down, through the engine bay floor, into the intercooler in the center, back up through the floor and to the intake.
I'll skip ahead a few months here and show where I decided the pipes will come through the floor and how I closed up the hole. WARNING my welding is not up to the same level as others here.
Is using liquid nitrogen a complex set-up ? cost ?
Using it was easy enough. I happened to have a family friend that distributes it so I got a "bro deal". I know Jon Williams tried it and had mixed results. You have to get it coming out of the hose cold enough so it pours out. If it boils off before it hits the panel the effect is greatly reduced.
- squaab99t
- Posts: 1268
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Re: Hot Rod 99 Build
Chouan wrote: WARNING my welding is not up to the same level as others here.
Welding sheet metal is no easy task. Blow thru, warpage, rust, super thin areas and out of position all are staked against you.
Keep the updates coming...
Re: Hot Rod 99 Build
Brace yourself, more wacky welds ahead!
The plan for this car is a 16 valve H-motor, so provisions must be made in the firewall. I know this has been tackled many different ways. I decided to go for a stock look. Emails were exchanged with the fine folks at with http://www.saabworld.nl resulting in this fine piece.
Careful tracing...
Cut cut cut, weld weld weld. Pretty happy with the way this turned out.
I have a friend with a 5 door who had a deer strike and was in need of a good hood and front fender. I obviously needed some floor sections and a lot of bits that were missing from my rolling shell. Michael Lilly in Boise found this solid parts car for us and we got it on a truck to the East Coast. Don't cry it was in rough shape. The roof was crushed causing the doors to misfit.
From that car I was able to liberate replacement sections for my car. The most challenging was the passenger side frame rail and floor.
The spare tire bubble was a difficult shape to maintain against warpage.
Its so nice to see these light coming through only where its supposed to!
Engine bay rain gutter repair.
Finally in this photo you can see the trunk corner repair and 900 style muffler hangers. I will not be using the "T" style 99 muffler.
The plan for this car is a 16 valve H-motor, so provisions must be made in the firewall. I know this has been tackled many different ways. I decided to go for a stock look. Emails were exchanged with the fine folks at with http://www.saabworld.nl resulting in this fine piece.
Careful tracing...
Cut cut cut, weld weld weld. Pretty happy with the way this turned out.
I have a friend with a 5 door who had a deer strike and was in need of a good hood and front fender. I obviously needed some floor sections and a lot of bits that were missing from my rolling shell. Michael Lilly in Boise found this solid parts car for us and we got it on a truck to the East Coast. Don't cry it was in rough shape. The roof was crushed causing the doors to misfit.
From that car I was able to liberate replacement sections for my car. The most challenging was the passenger side frame rail and floor.
The spare tire bubble was a difficult shape to maintain against warpage.
Its so nice to see these light coming through only where its supposed to!
Engine bay rain gutter repair.
Finally in this photo you can see the trunk corner repair and 900 style muffler hangers. I will not be using the "T" style 99 muffler.
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- Posts: 828
- Joined: Fri Apr 20, 2007 11:49 pm
- Number of Saabs currently owned: 2
- Location: Lancaster, PA
Re: Hot Rod 99 Build
Well I may be a welding novice, but I'm certainly impressed by all the work you've done!
Whats the story on the firewall piece, did they get 99's with power steering or something? Really cool that you went the extra step to do it that way...Chouan wrote:The plan for this car is a 16 valve H-motor, so provisions must be made in the firewall. I know this has been tackled many different ways. I decided to go for a stock look. Emails were exchanged with the fine folks at with http://www.saabworld.nl resulting in this fine piece.
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