Photo Credits: Exclusive Motors

Saab History welcomes Exclusive Motors in Los Angeles as a premium sponsor. The owner of the company, Jeremy Morrissey is a proud supporter of Saab History, and is no stranger to Saab’s history.

Morrissey started out as a Saab mechanic at a dealer no longer in business where he was a quick study. In a short amount of time, he transitioned into a sales rep working at what was at the time, the top selling Saab dealership in the United States, Ramsey Saab, as shown in the 1985 Saab Scania of America dealership development video (4:48). At this dealership, he became one of the top selling sales reps in the country, working there from approximately 1988 until 1995 under the leadership of the owner, Ray Van Duren. His experience was unique as Van Duren was quite an influential dealer at this time where he pushed for variations of Saab products that sold such as the Monte Carlo yellow convertible, platana grey convertible, power seats in the 9000 in 1989 while ensuring that the SPG would continue production in 1990 and 1991 model years. After speaking with Jeremy, he seems to have an emotional attachment to the experience with Ray.

Following this launch of his career for nearly a decade at Ramsey Saab, he continued to explore other Saab dealerships to apply his unique marketing skill in New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Spending a significant amount of time in the North East, he decided to move out to the good weather in sunny California, to become the general Manager of Saab of Santa Monica from 2001 until 2008. Here, he turned this dealer into the #2 volume dealer in the country and #1 in the Western region.

As the economy hit the automotive landscape hard in 2008, he decided to finally open Exclusive Motors, his own independent facility. He reflects on the time he has had working with Saab since the early eighties and says that “he has made some of the best friends he has ever had” and believes that “the close knit nature of the Saab dealerships allowed for good relationships amongst employees and customers to be there through thick and thin”

Taking on the ideas of how the dealership network can be influential, Morrissey contributed to a number of advertisement campaigns over the years.

In addition, he has contributed to product additions much like his former boss did, ensuring that the then new 9-5 came equipped with leather door panels opposed to the cloth it was introduced with. It was at the 1997 Jubilee in Sweden where he spoke with the then President of Saab Automobile AB, Bob Hendry, which ensured that this product change became a reality. Other product initiatives also included the design package in the ’02 9-3 SE convertible.

When he looks back at all of the great times he has had with Saab here in the United States, 1992 was his best year overall. That being said, it was a former colleague of his that put him in touch with Saab History and eventually took ownership of a vehicle that meant a great deal to him, that was the 1992 Saab 900 Turbo project. Spending a significant amount of time and resources to personally restore this vehicle, I was very happy to learn that it would be going to a good home in a place where it would be cared for. Since the sale, I have learned that it has been further restored utilizing original parts that he has been saving for 18 years such as a new windshield, leather seats, etc. Today, Morrissey proudly displays this vehicle in the showroom at Exclusive Motors.

Today, he continues his pursuit in carrying the Saab torch by restoring nearly 15 classic Saab models to their original appearance, with original parts he has been storing away for nearly 20 years. These vehicles include very low 1987 900 Turbo rose quartz, 1991 9000 Turbo 5-Door, 1991 Beryl Green SPG, 1992 900 Turbo 3-door, 1992 9000 CD Griffin Edition, 1993-1997 Aero & Anniversary Edition, 1993 900 CE, 1993 900 Emola Red convertible, 1994 900 Eucalyptus convertible and 1994 900 CE Convertible.

A historian in his own right from his experience and passion from working with Saab, Morrissey is thrilled to see Saab owned by an exclusive and unique brand.

This week’s Saab Sighting Of The Week was quite a suprise when I received an e-mail over the weekend. This photo was taken by a camera phone (note it’s a bit wavy), of the Saab History 1992 Saab 900 Turbo Project that found a new home late last year in the West coast!

It was nice seeing this photo as I could see the critical “Made In Trollhattan” by Trolls sticker, the classic New England Saab Association Sticker and Saab-Salomon stickers and of course the Saab Rally Lights on the front, a throwback to Saab’s rally days.

I think it looks quite happy out there, in a good and resourceful new home with great year-round weather enjoying some nice travels in the area.

A thank you to the individual that shared this photo with me. I think the one who sent me this photo, did not know that this was once owned by Saab History, thinking it was just a random Saab sighting as it was not from the owner.

I am happy to inform you that Saab History has managed to sell the 1992 Saab 900 Turbo to a former Saab Dealer here in the United States.

This former Saab dealer is very excited to be receiving this restored vehicle and makes a pledge to store it, preserve it and treat it well.

As a send off to the new owner and for us here on Saab History, I put together this promo video of the car showing how good it looks & drives as the last chapter of Saab History’s time with it.

I thoroughly have enjoyed this vehicle and I am excited to see it go to such a good home.

Photo Credits: Saab History

For Sale: 1992 Saab 900 Turbo 5-Speed 3-Door Hatchback.

This is as classic as it gets for the Saab 900, it’s a second to the last year of the classic Saab 900 Hatchback.

This Saab has no rust as it has been in Florida & Virginia it’s whole life until I transported it to Maine in 2008 directly to an indoor storage facility.

Since it has been up here, it has been driven once a month in the spring, summer and fall only, every few months since the restoration was completed in August of 2008. It is been started up every month and run for 20 minutes in the winter season while in the storage facility (with the door open of course).

It has not seen any snow nor does it once again have any rust whatsoever. Only 117,000 miles on it, restored at 114,000, so I’ve only done 3,000 miles in a year and have had three oil changes over that year at 1, 2 and 3,000 methodically since the restoration.

I am selling this vehicle that I spent so much time to restore last year and hope that it will go to a good home. Interested buyers only, please contact me at your earliest convenience.

It is ready to drive away, complete with a recent inspection sticker. It is good to go!

Contact: Click This Link To Send An E-mail

Maiden Voyage: 2008 Saab Owners Convention, Devens, Massachusetts

VIN: Available Upon Request

1st Owner – 0 – 60,000 (Florida)
2nd Owner – 60,000 – 114,000 (Virginia) * All Records On File
3rd (Current) Owner – 114,000 – 117,000 (Maine, Indoor Storage) * All Records Of Restoration On File

Original Owners Manual Included In Original Manual Holder
* Saab Bentley Workshop Manual Included
* 1992 Saab Dealer Product Detail Booklet
* Additional Turbo, Saab & 16Valve Emblems.

Engine: 2.0 Liter 4-Cylinder Turbo

* Cylinder Head – Fully Rebuilt
* Block – Fully Rebuilt & Checked
* Water Pump Replaced With OEM Saab New
* Alternator Brush Replaced & All Bushings With New
* All Seals, Gaskets In Entire Engine Replaced With New incl. Front & Main Seals
* All HVAC Checked, Radiator Replaced With New Saab, A/C Needs Charging Only
* All Fans Work, both Low & High Speed
* New Battery Installed
* Both Engine Mounts Replaced With New & Inc. Transmission Mount

Transmission: 5-Speed Manual
Fully Rebuilt With Saab Master Tech – Click Here For Photo

Clutch:

* Clutch Replaced With Original OEM Saab
* OEM Clutch Saab Slave Cylinder Replaced
* OEM Clutch Master Okay

Brakes: ABS Disc Brakes

New Pads & Rotors All Around
Calipers Checked And Flushed

Exhaust: Rebuilt and POR-15 anti-rust applied including manifold

Steering & Axles:

*New Steering Rack installed
*Both C/V joints rebuilt and axles checked.
*All Steering & Suspension Bushings Replaced With New
*New Tie Rods Installed
*New Upper & Lower Ball Joints Installed
*Front & Rear Springs & Shocks Not Needed To Be Replaced
*Professional Alignment Done immediately following all suspension work, Receipt For Proof to 900 Turbo specifications
*POR-15 Through All Axle pieces, and all lower steel and other items.

Wheels:

* Fully Straightened and professionally painted OEM color. 4 New OEM Saab hub caps purchased to add to wheels. – Click Here For Photo.
* Tires – 4 Michelin MX4′s have another season left to them.

Exterior: Professionally painted in Cirrus White – Click Here for Photos

* New Corner Light Lenses Added
* Rear Lights Replaced If necessary and cleaned
* Vent Covers Included & Painted To Match Body
* Brand New Front & Rear Bumper Covers To Replace Old With New Chrome Trim also purchased From Saab Dealer
* New Fog Lights Including Lense & Bulbs & Covers in addition to stone guards additionally supplied (not shown)
* New Saab Wind Deflector Added (underneath Thule Ski Rack Fairing)
* All Badging Front & Rear Replaced With New Emblems
* New Antenna Mast Installed & Fully Operational
* Added Removable Non-Damaging Hella 550 Driving Lights Connected To Additional Upside-Down Fog Light Brackets hovering over bumper cover.
* Both Headlight Wipers/Washers Are Fully Operational After Restoring Both Motors. New Headlight Wiper Blades Installed From Saab.
* New Windshield Wiper Blades Installed

Interior: Rust Free Interior fully stripped and restored- Click Here for Photo

* New Dash Installed, crack free
* New Front & Rear Pioneer Speakers W/Integrated Tweeters Installed, OEM To Fit
* Front Radio & CD Player Checked, Cleaned and All Lights Work (No wiring butchered, etc. ie. Original)
* Brand New Ignition Lock Installed (No longer available from dealer)
* Front Seat Backs & Bottoms Restitched And Leather Cleaned & Protected for all seats
* New Headliner Properly Installed Completely Including Sunroof
* Entire two-piece carpet completely removed and properly cleaned and reinstalled, smells like new and no VOCs
* All 4 Original Carpets Cleaned
* 4 Original Saab 900 Rubber Floor Mats Purchased In Tan Color Included On Top Of Existing Carpeting & Rugs.
* All Switches are fully operational and window motors & assemblies have been fully serviced with new grease.
* Both Seat Heaters Work and Have Been Properly Tested

Accessories:

* Original Thule Ski Rack With Proper Closed End Gutter Feet With Thule Sweden Fairing
* Original Extremely Rare (Saab) Rubber Trunk Matt
* Original Saab First-Aid Kit (Red)
* Original Vent Covers (Mentioned Above, Painted To Match)

http://www.saabhistory.com/category/saab900turboproject

Photo Credits: Ryan / Saab History

This weekend, I finally got the opportunity to take the 1992 Saab 900 Turbo out for the weekend and snap some photos. I must say, this being the third weekend in 2009 to drive the car, totaling 6-days over the course 9-months, I was unsure how I would feel once I get behind the wheel of it. It was a good weekend weather wise before the fall arrived, and it just seemed to be the right time to check it out and drive it for a few days.

As I had to jump it after I uncovered and rolled it out from the storage facility bay, the engine started up and got up to operating temperatures just like it should. There was no drama once I headed out onto the highway, but it felt strange. The strangeness was either the financial debt that continues to hang over my head that I took on rebuilding the car last year, or the feeling that if anything happened to it while driving it, I wouldn’t know exactly how to respond. Those two factors significantly hampered what I had hoped for as a “fun driving experience”. The fun driving experience for a classic Saab 900 as we have realized, includes, a 5-speed turbocharged engine outfitted in the 3-door hatchback coupe. That combination or grouping of design and engineering components after many years have been reclassified as “classic”. Today, these are the desirable configurations that many die-hard Saab enthusiasts seek out when looking for a Saab that looks like a “Saab” as we know it. If the circumstances for owning the car were different, I may have enjoyed the driving experience. It’s challenging with the circumstances, but I do enjoy driving it even with the financial burdens that I have surrounding it.

While driving the car on the highway, my Wife noted that here and there we received smiles from other motorists, perhaps because of the combination of design and engineering configurations all wrapped into one package and the fact that it looks like no other car on the road. Throughout the entire drive both picking up the car and driving it back, I did not see one other Saab 900 of this vintage anywhere on the road as I returned home and that just started to get me sad, but then again, it’s reality driving a car from 1992 in 2009. However, this was New England, the place where Saab started and were at one point ubiquitous, although today, it’s just not quite that way anymore unfortunately. That did make me feel briefly proud in keeping one of these on the road, but at what cost both financially and personally? Was it worth it for me and my family?

I can tell you this though, I am happy that I did take the initiative to take on this project because it allowed me to explore the possibility of restoring a car that in retrospect, had a strong amount of sentimental and emotional nostalgia since it was the first vehicle that I met my Wife in (white 3-door Saab 900), twelve years ago. So as the story went, when I got the e-mail from my neighbor back in November of 2007 while living in Washington, D.C. that they owner wanted to sell it, I think my heart took over and my Wife and I acquired it for this reason. Over the past year, the sentimental nostalgia has certainly worn off and the emotional connection to the car has significantly dwindled due to lack of driving it being in a far-away storage facility, to all of the credit card debt that I face each and every month as a result of restoring and storing it, and the fact that if anything bad happened to it, I don’t know what I’d do.

The restoration process as I briefly covered here last spring was quite a trying time for me. From the early stages of the economy starting to plummet, the multiple trips up to New England to work on the car being away from my Wife, the looking for a new place to live and to work in a new city that I was unfamiliar, were altogether extremely trying for my family. As I started to get about 2/3rds of the way through the restoration project during this process, I started not only questioning the reason for restoring the car, but also for us relocating back to New England where we first met. When I made this realization, it was clear that when one spends too much time and resources looking back, there are equal and opposite repercussions when one wants to also move forward towards the future.

I thought it was important to report on this reflection about this project today for a number of reasons. To begin with, this experience today, illustrated my interest to reconnect with a memorable time in my past. As a result of the project, it competed for the present, and certainly took time and resources away from my future. So the question I will be asking myself in the coming days and weeks and quite possibly months, will be if the pluses outweighed the minuses. If there is a positive result, then how will I be able to financially support keeping this car for the long term where I can enjoy it? If the result of this question results in a negative, how much longer will I keep the car and how will I feel when it’s gone?

Photo Credit: Saab History

This past weekend, I managed to get the classic 1992 Saab 900 Turbo out and have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of driving it over the course of memorial day weekend with my wife. You should have seen the nods we got on the highway, and interestingly enough, the majority of them from not Saab owners, but Toyota Prius drivers and passengers!

Three days of driving this classic Saab, really brought back the enthusiasm for the 900 Turbo, in contrast to the daily driver 1997 Saab 9000 CS. The handling, the passing ability, the visibility and the turbo rush were all unique characteristics reuniting me with the thrill of driving.

Outside of the driving, I took advantage of the Thule bike rack adapter, thanks to Saab USA parts, to carry our gary fisher mountain bikes for use through some incredible trails in New Hampshire.

The pinnacle of the experience was a trip last taken 10 years ago in a similar Saab 900 to an old drive in movie theater located in Northfield, Massachusetts which has been open almost as long as Saab Automobile has been manufacturing cars. The best moment was just after we arrived where we parked in between a minivan and an SUV. While we finished popping the hatch, folding back the seats and laying down to watch the movie under the stars, my wife said, “Wow, the classic Saab 900 really is the best!” It literally made my weekend!

Photo Credit: Saab History

There has been a lot of news lately, but I have to tell you, after reading through all of the paperwork, learning about the possible buyers for Saab, etc. it hit me that it’s really nice once and a while to drive a Saab you really like. Furthermore, I also believe it’s even better for you the readers, here on Saab History, to see some actual Saabs on this website once and a while instead of just far from exciting court documents and other such material.

This weekend, will be the first weekend of the year that I am taking the 1992 Saab 900 Turbo restored last year, out for its first drive of the season. After a nice list of work done by my mechanic this past week, it’s running well and I’m learning all of the lessons on what to do and what not to do when storing a vehicle indoors over the course of a cold winter.

“Waiting for my car to be completed over the past three weeks, was almost akin to waiting for Saab Automobile’s three-month reconstruction process to end, you knew their was a light at the end of the tunnel, you just hated the process.”

I am hoping to use this long memorial day weekend here in the United States, to reclaim my Saab driving enthusiasm through this classic Saab 900 Turbo, much like Phyllis Lamb in the Pacific NorthWest has in her 1972 Saab Sonett III.

I will report back to you about my experience early next week, and so I leave you and wish you a wonderful weekend yourself. Happy Saabing!

Photo Credit: Saab History

I will be taking off with my wife for Swedish Car Day 9 in the 1992 Saab 900 Turbo that takes place on Sunday, October 19th, 2008.

It appears that it will be quite a well attended event, including some special guest appearances from former NESA members.

It looks like the weather will also be incredible, so I wish everyone who is attending safe travels to this wonderful annual fall Saab event in New England.

Photo Credit: Saab History

Now that the 1992 Saab 900 Turbo Project has been completed, it’s time to thank everyone who participated in the project from December until just a week shy of the 2008 Saab Owners Convention.

I need to begin by thanking John Goguen of J.G. Service in Lunenburg, Massachusetts who, without his time, critical expertise, part availability and all around attention to detail during the duration of the last 9 months, this project would not have been possible.

I also need to thank Carl Levine of Granite-Embedded Systems of Portsmouth, New Hampshire who always made himself available during the most critical phases of this project and to him, I also owe a debt of gratitude.

Lastly, I want to thank my fiancee for supporting this project from the start until completion. It was our decision in December when we were living in Washington, D.C. to rescue this vehicle and I think after all of the time we’ve been away from each other, we are both happy with the results.

Saab History Prepares to travel to the 2008 Saab Owners Convention, now that the 1992 Saab 900 Turbo Project is complete, just one day shy of the opening day!

This project was quite an undertaking since I acquired it in rough shape this past December in rust-free Washington, D.C., but it’s finally done, and I’m a very proud owner of a beautiful 1992 Saab 900 Turbo!

The 1992 Saab 900 Turbo Project is now making some significant progress in terms of its exterior and interior reinstallation since the completion of the recent paint job.

This work is really becoming more and more fun here at this point, but I still have to now get the cylinder head back and reinstall it back on the block, replacing chain guides, etc, head gasket, then redo the HVAC system and inspect it, replace steering rack and tie rod ends cv/joint boots, replace brakes all around and replace and inspect all suspension items.

The final stages once those areas are tackled, will include the undercoating treatment, any remaining POR15 in the engine bay and of course, and placing the Saab-Scania badges back on in the “exact” order and configuration as they came from the factory in Trollhättan, Sweden back on February, 1992.

If you are interested in seeing some of the previous work of this project, please view the archive directly by clicking on this image.

Photo Credits: Saab History

The painting and body work of the 1992 Saab 900 Turbo project is finally complete!

After nearly 2-months of waiting, the paint shop where I had this work done completed the job in the original 153B Cirrus White color that the car was painted in at the Saab factory in Trollhattan Sweden in May of 1992.

The results are quite remarkable and I am happy to see this phase of the project complete, now to begin the process of reinstalling & refurbishing every other item that was removed both inside and out!

Please stay tuned for more photographs as progress continues!

Photo Credit: Saab History

The 1992 Saab 900 Turbo Project gets the transmission full rebuilt completed today. Another great milestone for the progress of this project, so please stay tuned for more progress in the days and weeks to come!

When I first began this transmission rebuild, all I had planned to do was to replace the 2nd gear syncro which had problems back in December. To this day, I have inspected everything, and replaced everything that needed to be replaced, all necessary hardware as well as gaskets, so here’s to some smooth gear changing in the nearby future!

Although the photo above shows some covers and differentials uncovered, everything has been wrapped up and now on to other aspects of the vehicle!

Photo Credit: Saab History

The 1992 Saab 900 Turbo project that began in December of 2007 is in the process of having the engine and transmission completely overhauled down to the bare assemblies all the way up the proper “Saab” way.

Having personally spent a number of hours in this process already whether it was cleaning out and replacing bearings to replacing seals, I have learned a great deal about the build quality of the SCANIA built 2.0 liter robust engine as well as the 5-speed transmission, and believe this education will translate to a stronger comfort and confidence level once the Saab 900 Turbo is complete and ready to drive.

A number of you have noted that the color of the valve cover is not the original and being one for originality and authenticity, this is one area that my creative really took over. The reason for differentiation here is that this engine will eventually be E-85 “BioPower” capable, hence the coloring in the same fashion Saab has depicted in their more later model BioPower vehicles on display.

I look forward to completing these most difficult aspects of the project and to see the majority of the project coming together in due time so that it will see its first Saab Owners Convention later this year.

Photo Credit: Saab History

The 1992 Saab 900 Turbo Project that began in December of last year will be receiving a paint job this week in the original Saab color, “cirrus white”, paint code 153B.

Just about everything has been removed in order to best paint the exterior car within reason, short of a naked shell, given that it had virtually no rust being a mid-atlantic car from Washington, D.C.

I am looking forward to seeing this vehicle in process and of course, the final outcome once complete!

Photo Credit: Saab History

The 1992 Saab 900 Turbo Project has recently received reconditioned wheels from Viking Wheel Service in Wilmington, Delaware. These wheels are the original wheels for this year and model, known as the “directional” Saab wheels for the 1992 900 Turbo model year only, in 15″ by 5.5″ wide painted silver. The later 900 models had grey insets with polished outer rims.

In terms of the final product, I am very happy with the quality and attention to detail on these original reconditioned wheels from Viking Wheel Service. It is my opinion that the Saab community is fortunate to have such a global source for Saab wheel reconditioning no matter how old or how new your wheels are. Furthermore, if you believe your wheels are beyond repair, I would contact Viking Wheel Service to double check.

As you can see in the photograph above, not only did they do a terrific job on the wheels, they also did not remove the outer lip that many “typical” wheel repair shops do.

As you will see in the original wheels, prior to being reconditioned, even the pitting from road debris due to not being regularly cleaned, remained impossible to remove even with the most potent of eco-friendly wheel cleaners.

The results of their work are really quite amazing. What you ultimately end up with are basically, brand new wheels, like you would have directly from a Saab dealership. The catch is that most of the older wheels such as the case here with the 1992, are no longer available, so this is the way to go.

I am extremely happy that I chose this logical route and look forward to seeing them ultimately mounted, balanced and fitted to the Saab 900 Turbo in the near future.

A thank you goes to Viking Wheel Service for a job well done! I highly recommend this route with any of your Saab wheels no matter how old or new and urge you to visit their website, http://www.vikingwheel.com/.

As I have said before and I will say again, the spring is here, and the 2008 Saab Owners Convention is also just around the corner, so get those beat-up old Saab wheels into Viking Wheel Service, you’ll be glad you did!

Photo Credit: Saab History

The cockpit of the 1992 Saab 900 Turbo has been removed and will be completely restored in due time. Please enjoy the progress photo above.

As of now the following interior items have either been replaced, reconditioned or are in queue to be redone.

* Entire Floor carpeting cleaned like new thanks to my fiancee’s hard work this past weekend.
* Entire leather seat backs and bottoms of both driver’s and passenger’s side to be restitched.
* Dash Replaced with brand new dashboard unit.
* Front & Rear Speakers Replaced.
* Original Saab Tape & CD player reconditioned, complete with Ipod connector, care of the maker of the Audio Troll
* Window Motors & Assembly Units completely reconditioned
* Headliner in queue to be replaced, just choosing the “right” shade of white/light grey to match original material.
* Side Door Panels in queue to be replaced, also choosing the “right” saddle color tone to match original material.
* Rear Seats are in mint condition and need no restitching, just leather cleaning and conditioning with UV protectant material.
* All console bits are in good shape, steering wheel & shifter are good as well. Still looking for a good “like new” leather shift boot.

To see the previous work on this project, please take a look at the project directly by visiting this link “Saab 900 Turbo Project“

Photo Credit: Saab History

The 1992 Saab 900 Turbo Project is now off to a good start after nearly two weeks of investigation, preparation, restoration and a little elbow grease.

Most of the work consisted of interior and exterior work, but as of now, I’ve been able to get a good handle on what is what and where to go from here.

In the meantime, anyone know where I can buy a “brand new” passenger’s side headlight for a 1992 from Hella? I still find it silly that these are almost impossible to find at this time.

All material covering the 1992 Saab 900 Turbo Project will now reside entirely in its own section now immediately accessible on the left-hand column of this website by clicking on this image.

This first visit up to New England to officially commence the investigation and work included the following areas in my daily log as you will see was quite productive!

2.12.2008

Installed New Battery
Replaced Spark Plugs, Ignition Wires, Cap & Rotor, Air Filter, Fuel Filter & Carbon Filter
Removed old Hatch Shocks With New OEM Hatch Shocks
Removed Cracked Dashboard & Broken Fascia Panel
Received Free Thule Ski Rack Bars
Broke Sunroof Wind Deflector

2.13.2008

Restored Broken Fascia, and replaced all lightbulbs
Removed Headlights & Corner Lights
Removed Front Bumper & Bumper Extensions
Removed Rear Bumper & Bumper Extensions
Bought Brand New Front Bumper Skin
Bought Brand New Rear Bumper Skin

2.14.2008

Cleaned/Stripped All Glass Inside & Out
Replaced Faulty Blinker Switch on Steering Column due to switch
Reinstalled New Crackfree Dashboard
Reinsntalled New Restored Dash Fascia Panel
Picked Up Near New Saab OEM Sunroof Wind Deflector in Grey (see 2.12.2008)

2.15.2008

Cleaned & Replaced Driver’s Side Tail Light & Replaced all bulbs
Installed New Rear Bumper Cover Upon Arrival
Bought Saab Speaker Grill “Tweeter” Accessory
Bought Saab Vent Cover Accessory

2.16.2008

Identified Saab Radio to be Broken, sent out for repair and add Ipod Adapter at Granite-Embedded Systems
Removed All Carpeting & Underneath Padding to be cleaned and replaced
Removed Driver’s & Passenger Side Seats to be reskinned or restiched and repaired as necessary
Removed rear seat back and bottom to be cleaned
Prepared Entire Headliner & C-Pillar Panels to be sent out to be re-upholestered
Removed Door Inserts & Clotch to be re-upholestered
Removed & Replaced Antenna Mast With New and cleaned out Antenna Motor
Located New Driver’s Side OEM Complete Hella Headlight Assembly

2.18.2008

Located 2 Front Bumper Extensions Without Tears or Scuffmarks
Bought POR15 Rust Repairing Agent for Front End and fully prepared and treated all existing rust
Reseated Front Bumper Cover
Located 1 Fog Light Cover & recleaned, straightened and reinstalled fog lights complete with new glass & new bulbs.

2.19.2008

Applied POR15 followed by 2 coats of white spray paint as final coating to eliminate rust from forming ever again.
Reassembled Complete Front Bumper Assembly and Reinstalled
Reassembled & Tested Headlight Wipers and Installed Brand New Wiper Blades
Removed All Bump Strips around the Car for a cleaner more aerodynamic look
Applied Wax & Clay bar to driver’s side fender in order to realize the desirable objective in terms of where the rest of the car needs to be once waxed & polished
Installed Original Headlights, Original Grille & New Corner Lights along with Front Bumper Assembly

2.20.2008

Identified Rear Bumper Cover to be from a 4-door model, pending reinstallation of 3-door bumper cover, painted.
Prepared vehicle for storage until visit next month.

Next month when I return to New England, I will be planning on tackling the important mechanical areas. Enjoy the photo, more to come soon!

The 1992 Saab 900 3-door 5-speed Turbo that I rescued this past December will be commencing its much needed servicing and repairs in the next week.

Since I bought the Saab and drove it up from from the urban jungle of Washington, D.C. to rural New England back then, thanks again to Sports Car Service in Delaware who helped to quickly remedy the wheel & tire situation, it has been sitting in safe hands ever since.

As you can see from the photograph above, cosmetically, there are a lot of exterior pieces that need to either be cleaned, replaced or reconditioned. I fully expect these kind of tasks to continue as I get deeper and deeper into this project between now and the 2008 Saab Owners Convention which will be taking place on August 21st through the 24th, when I am planning to have it ready by.

These cosmetic pieces I see here are quite trivial but have been already noted in my master list of work to be done. It is worth mentioning that the Hella Company, a long time supplier of Saab parts has been recently problematic in the parts business when it comes to offering their headlight units for the classic Saab 900. I’ve made some requests and so far, picking up these headlight units brand new, are no longer available from all of the sources I have contacted as of late. I hope that this situation changes, it seems like it would be a common request, especially up in the North East as I recall these get literally “sandblasted” from sand & salt trucks during the winter to make them look like this. I’m not sure how they got this way from being situated in the moderate temperatures of the Washington, D.C. all of these years.

In the next week, I will be starting on this project and will be fully documenting the progress every step of the way, so please keep an eye out and wish me luck as it has been some time since I was an independent Saab mechanic and a weekend do-it-yourselfer!

In the meantime. I placed my first order today for Saab parts for this 1992 Saab 900 3-Door 5-Speed Turbo and here is what I ordered:

1 Set of NGKBCP7EV (BCPR7EIX) spark plugs
1 Set of Bogicord Spark Plug Wires
1 Cap & Rotor
1 Air Filter
1 Fuel Filter
1 Original Equipment Carbon Filter (got to cap that carbon!)
1 Set of Headlight Bulbs (9004 GE)
1 Set of Fog Light Bulbs & Glass Housings (H3)

Saab History’s 1992 Saab 900 Turbo has safely arrived in cold, wintery New England, thanks to Bill Jacobson at Sports Car Service in Wilmington, Delaware.

This recently rescued Saab will be safe and secure away from the complexities of the city here in Washington, D.C. at a Saab Shop in a calm countryside setting in rural New England between now and the summer of 2008.

There will be a rather large list being created that involves everything that the car will require in order to get it in good order in all respects, mechanically, electrically and cosmetically.

This car is currently an anomally in New England as it is completely rust free inside & out, so a very solid car to work with.

I will keep you up to speed as this project continues!

Photo Credit: Saab History

The 1992 Saab 900 Turbo that I just rescued in Washington, D.C. had a safe travel up North to New England with special thanks to Bill Jacobson at Sports Car Service in Wilmington, Delaware, conveniently located off of Interstate 95.

This rust-free mid-atlantic Saab was a private sale that really needed some immediate replacement and repair in the tire & wheel department. The two front wheels were bald, not to mention varying tire speed ratings and three out of the four wheels were identified as bent.

Thanks to Mr. Jacobson’s Viking Wheel Service also conveniently located on the premises at Sports Car Service, I was able to not only get three replacement tires for the trip up North that matched the 4th tire, but I was also able to get these unique directional wheels straightened all at the same time. The result of Viking Wheel Service’s work, yielded a significantly safer and comfortable driving experience in comparison to the first two hours of the drive and that’s the least of what they do.

This Saab enthusiast operated Viking Wheel service not only straightens any and all Saab wheels, but they also completely restore them back to original OEM standards and look brand new. It is also important to mention that unlike many wheel restoring companies that use a process that virtually eliminates the lips of the wheel, Viking Wheel Service uses a special CNC lathe that has the accuracy of 200ths of an inch, resulting in the least amount of material removed in order to ensure a showroom condition.

Here is the list of amazing amount of services they provide:

Wheel straightening, Stripping, Certified Welding, CNC Face Machining, Refinishing, Powder Coating, Polishing, Chrome Plating, Custom Finishes, Wheel Widening, Custom Work, Wheel Locator Service.

I highly recommend taking full advantage of this Saab enthusiast owned and operated Viking Wheel Service at Sports Car Service. Conveniently located right off Interstate 95 for locals on the East coast region of the United States just 2-hours North of Washington, D.C. , and 4 hours South of New York city, Sports Car Service offers a multitude of wheel services at a reasonable price without the burden of state tax given their geographic location in Delaware. With the international exchange rate advantageous to those outside of the United States, you can take note that they also ship Internationally.

This is the place where I will be sending my wheels before next summer. If you need to get your wheels redone once and for all, I suggest you tour their website, then give them a call now that we’re in the winter season so that they are ready to enjoy by the summer.

The 2008 Saab Owners Convention is also just around the corner, so get those beat-up old Saab wheels into Viking Wheel Service, you’ll be glad you did!

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Viking Wheel Service
3901 N. Market St.
Wilmington, DE 19802

Phone: 302.764.4041

E-mail: vikingwheel@verizon.net

Web: http://www.vikingwheel.com/

Photo Credit: Saab History

Today, I have rescued a 1992 Saab 900 Turbo 5-speed here in the Washington, D.C. area from a nearby local resident. The car is white and looks similiar to the one above which is actually a photo of my first Saab, but without the SPG skirt kit & SPG wheels, painted vent cover accessory as well as some other bits.

Tomorrow, I will be embarking on a long journey up North to New England where the car will be resting in the safe hands of a colleagues shop who is a professional Saab mechanic from then until and some time before the 2008 Saab Owners Convention in August.

During this time, I plan on removing, repairing, reinstalling and just about everything else that can be done on the car in order to get it up to tip-top shape between now and then.

Please wish me well on my 8 hour journey from Washington, D.C in between impending snowstorms., with a quick stop at Sports Car Service in Delaware for some tires en-route to New England. I am hoping for an uneventful, smooth and safe drive.

In the meantime, please expect that there won’t be many if any posts between now and this weekend.