63 Bullnose Rally Project

[Geoff]

Nirvana rules!
Long live Seattle!

This just cracks me up! Peter always makes me laugh about something. One of my friends always tells a story about a talk he was at during the '97 US SAAB Jubilee. Peter was talking about the new 9-5 and the feature of the vented seats. He said something to the effect of, "And my wife likes them very much for when I fart!"

Back to your regularly scheduled stroker rally talk.

[Sean Tennis]

Yes I remember that!

[formulasaab]

Also...what's the opinion of turning brakes? I was going to use the E brake cables and simply fabricate two brake levers that would work in seprately from the ratcheting e brake lever. I believe they are legal in my class but is it a usefull tool or should I just "never let up"?

It is probably a driving style preference thing. Sean obviously prefers to let the car balance to the work for him. My experience is purely on track and other "tarmac" surfaces, but I utilize a technique that was developed for loose-surfaces... the left-foot-braking technique. It manages a very similar effect to the handbrake-turn, but I think it is more elegant and controllable.

In regards to an EGT gauges....since I'm only running one carb, wouldn't 3 EGT's be overkill? I aggree it would be fancy but since I can't adjust the mixture to each cyclinder should I simply stick with one?

I only have one sensor and gauge, but that is more because of the cost associated with three sensors and a multi-read gauge than anything else. We use the gauge so we can see if we are risking piston melting temps.

[Sean Tennis]

My experience with turning brakes is on RWD, typically VW/Porsche air cooled powered off road stuff (and tread laying tractors). These type of vehicles tend to be light in the front and are pushed (versus pulled in FWD), in the loose they have a tendency to want to skip over the surface with the steering wheels which is why it is common to find steering brakes on them.

That said I've found a single steering brake assembly (versus the pair as they are intended to be used) an easy item to adapt for fly-off hand brake assembly (as that is what it essentially is) for the rear wheels, problem is I rarely use it when rallying...so I don't see the need in my current vehicle.

[63stroker]

Okay Sean, I'll follow your advice on wheels and turning brakes. That will save me some money and some searching.

While rebuilding the front end components, I disassembled the steering knuckles to find a world of problems.



This little spring cup was completely torn up and little bits of twisted springs were inside the boot.
One outer CV joint was pretty worn and one boot was shot.

I'm in need of a source for outer CV joint axle boots ( They are different for shortnoses) , these spring cups with springs, new front wheel bearings and a a good outer CV joint or rebuild kit for one.

I'd prefer to find these parts and run it original style but if I have to replace the knuckles and go with later drums or discs, what do I do about axles and mating with my stock 3 speed?

On a brighter note, my upper and lower A arms have new bushings and I'm reinforcing the lowers with plate steel.

Thanks again for the pis of the shock reinforcements. I can make those without a problem.
Thanks again for everone's support and advice.

[Sean Tennis]

Have a look here, they have the outer boot, then drop Rolf a line, tell him Sean Tennis said hello (Hey):

http://biphome.spray.se/rolf.jensen/ssr ... spares.htm

Ask Rolf about the wheel bearing and CV also, if he cannot help-which would surprise me, let me know. I should have some early units but would have to travel to storage to locate...

If you think you might be going to later parts or V4 type brakes and later 4 speed transmission you may just want to make the move now instead of spending monies twice...

Have a look around their site (svenska saab klubben) you'll find many things to spend cash on.

[Sean Tennis]

Is the person from the UK still around the forum, would like to find out where he is located and if he is still rallying a Saab?

[sonett]

Is the person from the UK still around the forum, would like to find out where he is located and if he is still rallying a Saab?

Sean, i no longer have the 96, but it is still being rallied in the UK, although not with the works engine, it has a later triple carb engine fitted.
I am in the North West of England, very close to the greatest football team in the World, Liverpool FC

[sonett]

Okay Sean, I'll follow your advice on wheels and turning brakes. That will save me some money and some searching.

While rebuilding the front end components, I disassembled the steering knuckles to find a world of problems.



This little spring cup was completely torn up and little bits of twisted springs were inside the boot.
One outer CV joint was pretty worn and one boot was shot.

I'm in need of a source for outer CV joint axle boots ( They are different for shortnoses) , these spring cups with springs, new front wheel bearings and a a good outer CV joint or rebuild kit for one.

I'd prefer to find these parts and run it original style but if I have to replace the knuckles and go with later drums or discs, what do I do about axles and mating with my stock 3 speed?

On a brighter note, my upper and lower A arms have new bushings and I'm reinforcing the lowers with plate steel.

Thanks again for the pis of the shock reinforcements. I can make those without a problem.
Thanks again for everone's support and advice.

If you want to keep the 3-speed box and use V4 axles/CV/brakes it can be done.
You will need to remove the 3-speed differential, remove the crownwheel and fit it to a V4 differential, then fit this back into the box, don't forget to measure the pinion depth first, so you can get it back to what it was. IIRC you will also have to swap over the diff bearing on the opposite side of the crownwheel, to the V4 diff. Make sure the splines on the inner drivers are the same as the splines on the differential, the early V4 boxes had different splines, just something to keep in mind when sourcing your parts.

[ric]

I think someone said it before but I will repeat it I think.
There is a guy in Sweden who lives for two strokes and that is Niklas Enander ! I know that he build tuned parts for the Saab 2stroker,
cranks, exhausts and stuff. I will try to get a email address to him but it´s really busy at work now so it can take a little time.

[RichardM]

Jeff,
Give me a shout. I am in the Dallas area and used to rally a 96.
Richard
r DASH jmiller1 AT juno DOT com

[Crazyswede]

Welcome to the site Richard. I met you at a rally back in 2000....I don't remember if it was Ojibwe or out in Oregon or Washington. Are you still running the stock 900 turbo?

[RichardM]

Hi Seth. We still have the 900 and it still runs well. But we are now rallying a foreign car, a Mustang. It was most interesting at 100 Acre Wood this year with the ice.

[63stroker]

Well it looks like I may have found something to push me over this hump of hard to find early front axle pieces.
A buddy of mine has come across a 68 two stroke with a 4 speed.If I can get it, it should make a good donor for a trans, column, and newer axles. The car is 100 percent complete and pretty dry.

While I've been waiting to see if this deal is going to happen, I'm repainting wheels, had the gas tank cleaned and painted and just received my new motor mounts, rear axle straps, had the front section of my bumper straightened and chromed.

What do you guys think about using wheel studs instead of the pesky stock bolts?

What about fuel tank senders?......mine can't be salvaged

[Crazyswede]

Wheel studs will make your life easier when you are in service...a lot easier to put the wheel back on...especially with a solid wheel where its difficult to line up everything.

Have you found any disc brakes for the front yet?