Project roll neck, Saab 900 turbo and the garage it doesn't fit in

yeah awesome updates.

I sense this could be close by now.

will check in again shortly. (oh and belated commiserations about the gone doggo - great he is inextricably linked with the 900 though)

I sense this could be close by now.

Let the long winded hardening process begin!

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Some before and after clearcoat shots, hoping to get to the car within 2 weeks.

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Matte looks ace (not that with the clear coat doesn't...).

Are you doing any rust protection under the body at the same time?

Are you doing any rust protection under the body at the same time?

The shell was 80-90% stripped back to bare metal to remove any rust (engine bay, behind tank and inner arches not stripped). The primer stages give the shell the best possible protection within budget and should be good for many years. Any traces of rust have been removed from the inner arches and they'll get stone chip if they haven't already.

We got it up on the ramps and the chassis looked good enough to leave for now. Frustrating and probably less cost effective not to do it in one go but i didn't have the budget to do it at the same time. If/when the time comes Luke can do some similar to what @ASTTer had done on his Audi.

That's nice work on the Audi. Always like to see when people try to repair / extend the life of things with proactive work.

As you say though, it's available in the future.

Colour is ace.

All things going well i'll be collecting the car this weekend. Slight hiccup being the car's MOT and then tax expired as the work time over ran so it'll be coming back on a trailer.

I had a little bit left in the pot and as luck would have it two original bumpers came up for a very good price including hen's teeth original trim. Out of my way but my dad was happy to collect. Whilst the outer skin is certainly better than the mine, the innards were toast so my both sets have been fully stripped to make up one good pair of bumpers. Bit sad i didn't get to do this myself but as the bumpers were with my dad he wanted to crack on and of course, he didn't take any pics.

The last of my pennies will ne going towards some Silent Coat sound proofing the bodyshop keeps in stock. Slightly humorous that after all this work it'll feel and drive the same as before so this is an attempt to improve matters.

On driveability I'm a bit daunted by the work that is still needed to get the car up to scratch now but at least i have a great base and pretty healthy selection of spares and new parts ready to go on.

Dorking out on Saab facts i just discovered the previously mentioned Brit responsible for the Aero turbo model studied engineering at University of Hertfordshire. Coincidental but i'm going there the day before i collect my car to snag the new engineering building due to be open soon #csb.

Oh hey.

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• PXL_20240824_094649359~2.mp4

A couple of Swedes converted their Saabs to electric. The battery goes in a big hole in the floor, which they cut themselves https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vs26qS0ezdM&t=1s

https://www.saabplanet.com/jonas-wallerstroms-remarkable-journey-converting-a-saab-900-into-an-electric-car/

I love this, definitely something I'd do if I won the lottery.

Believe it or not a lot of work went into the bumpers. The outer condition of the rear is a bit disappointing and will be a future project but the front is a lot better than the old one. When it's all back together I can start adjusting gaps but it's already looking positive.

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The bumpers are such a great design. A big part of the attraction of the car. It's important to get them right.

Update, three days solid work over the BHW and it's probably 80% rebuilt.

The good stuff
The paint finish and colour are stunning. More metallic than i was expecting but true to the original.
Bodywork is arrow straight with no signs of previous damage or repairs.
Luke and team made a good start on the rebuild, significantly reducing the amount my of work for my dad and I to do.
It's been trailered safely back to my dad's. Whilst unloading many people stopped to look and ask about it (are you a Scandinavian detective?...). Quite surreal but nice to have such a positive reaction.
The whole process has been great. An amazing guy to work with and massively accommodating. He let us use his workshop for 2 days over the weekend whilst he cracked on with his recently written off race car!

The less good stuff.
I'm caveating all of the following with a drawing a line policy Luke had to employ to get this on budget. The lesson learned here is that we should have reengaged to discuss extending the budget to get things perfect. That's on me as i pushed on budget and didn't think hard enough about the implications. What's clear is a lot more work was needed than originally thought and the team have been very generous with their time.

Being picky there's two very small areas that need a little attention in the blended in areas. Not visible from outside but i'd like them sorted.
The rear number plate area on the tailgate uses a vinyl overlay. Whatever has been applied has a few issues that needs sorting.
There's a not insignificant area in the engine bay that doesn't have colour on it, just sealed primer. Lower down and not obvious when you open the bonnet but knowing it's there will probably bother me.
Whilst the concept of refitting patina'd trim has worked well in some areas, the scruffy rear bumper really detracts from the overall look. I may have a short term solution involving rattle cans but i'm fairly certain the car will go back to Luke next year to have the bodykit and bumpers painted in original finish.
On the latter the bodykit will definitely take a few attempts to get right. Visions of arrow straight alignment and perfect gaps are out the window and the priority will be to hang it on securely with a view to coming back to each panel at a later date.
Rebuilding the car is a quick reminder that it's over 30 years old now. A few headaches with brittle wiring and plugs breaking caused hours of delay and it's obvious some of this will need sorting in the not too distant future. Not fun but at least i'm learning stuff.
There are a few areas on the underside that will need attention in the future. In hindsight a bit crazy to still have these to think about but they should be fine for a year or two. Again, Luke will sort if the car is still with me in the future.

So still lots to do and think about. I'm a little dejected at the realisation it won't be back with me anytime soon but it'll be worth taking my time with this and getting it right. Overall very happy but equally knackered. Nice touch is by the time the car is done Luke wants it back for a second polish once the paint has settled.

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I mean, I think it looks amazing. I can also appreciate, though, that when it's your own thing you have tendency to hold yourself to a higher standard than random strangers on the internet might.

Having messed about with cars at a very superficial level and quickly realised how expensive and complicated they are it simply blows my mind that anyone has the tenacity and mental fortitude to embark on, and stick with, projects like this. Mad respect.

Since stumbling across this thread I keep spotting 900s and lemme tell you they all look like dogshit in comparison to this!

Looking great @jono84 👌
I know the feeling when you start spending on a car and want to make it better, less rusty, etc etc and before you know it the £ has all gone. (Crusty Citroens! ) Seeing how much effort you’ve put into this and also the emotional connection it (in my humble opinion) be a keeper. You know this car inside out and another one in the future could be hiding all sorts of secrets. Once it’s on it’s maiden voyage again you’ll be grinning

bodykit and bumpers painted

So they were painted originally? I never realised that.

seemingly there were a few special editions with colour coded bumpers - e.g.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&f=23&t=1921880

Best forgotten, especially the embarrassing Carlssons!

I always thought the stock T16S bumpers and bodykit were self-coloured.

Cheers all, that's very encouraging. Having a few days away from the car has definitely lifted my spirits and i'm eager to crack on.

Another not insignificant niggle is how i feel about the car coming back to the mean streets of London. It does just about squeeze in the garage but renders the space useless for anything else. I'm not keen to add more work to my tdl but have some ideas on how to resolve this. Once my cashmere roll neck arrives i will start some drafting.

@nick_h. AFAIK the aero kit was always painted, most often in an anthracite grey like mine. Earlier bumpers tended to be bare but then they started painting them on the 84> facelift to match the kit. Mine was a weird one as the front was painted and the rear was bare plastic but mine didn't have the kit from factory. I may refit my bare rear cover for now as although it's more buggered it actually looks tidier in flat black. I can then crack on with restoring the other one.

Ruby's are a headache. Best interior, Red APC (+10bhp) and some other cool features but they just look a bit rubbish IMO. There have been a couple very good ones sell recently for what i've spent on mine which would have been a much sounder investment but i much prefer the look of mine. I used to dislike Carlsson's with the colour coded Airflow bodykit in bland colours but this special edition one is lovely. I would love to do one as a project and paint it Le Mans blue but the parts have gotten ridiculously expensive now.

It's been a frustrating couple weeks not being able to get to the car but my dad has been cracking on with it in my absence. Not all smooth sailing but in general he's made excellent progress.

Considering how badly the bodykit had distorted whilst off the car, the fact it's on and fits at least as well as it did before is no small win. This is a job i'm actually quite handy at so will be happy to keep massaging the panels in to place when it's back with me. The fact the car is now 99% rebuilt and i've only lost a few small trim bits is a small miracle. Thankfully nothing that would cause any headaches for getting an MOT as it's just been in for one.

After all that hard work i still had two major worries, the chassis condition and the emissions. After getting it up on the ramps and giving it a thorough look and prod the mechanics couldn't find anything of concern. Not even a "you might want to keep an eye on that area" recommendation. It then went through the emissions tests including the cat and to my surprise sailed through them with ease. The last few years have been hit or miss because of a slowly degrading exhaust system but it looks like the new pipe and brackets fitted earlier in the year have done the job. The car now has an MOT with no advisories, phew.

I would really like the car back now but there are still a few jobs to do before it comes back (and then a big job when it does come back). I'm going to limit jobs this year as the car is so far behind the deadline but at a minimum:

New discs, performance pads and HEL lines on the front (all bargains rescued from an abandoned project).
New calipers and off side wheel bearing on the rear (as above).
Full brake bleed/new fluids.
New outer CV boots.
Recover drivers seat with repaired cover.
Potentially a recon turbo we have in the spares box but need to think on that.

All going well these can be done by mid-late October but i won't be betting on it.

I also need to think on parking. True to the thread title if i park in the garage i loose all other storage which isn't an option. I could just park on the road and try and forget about it but i'm not keen on that option either. So, after years of watching the architects in my office develop and apply their craft i've taken what i have learned, put on my blue sky thinking cap and come up with an architected (TM Kanye West) masterpiece.

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I went to Flavio Briatore's house and he had the exact same thing.

There are a couple of Saab 'wheeler dealer' episodes.

One in the UK - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkjw9Ni3Hu0

One in California - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zF_ijjWNwC8
with a Saab Viggen

Yes you can tell the end of the cycling season has distracted me on 'discovery+'

A lot to catch up but for now a pic of the first thing I saw this morning after the car went in for it's follow up & final polish.

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Looks mint.

I honestly don't know much about these cars. Are they nice to drive?

Are they nice to drive?

I'm biased but the consensus on the reviews i've seen (new and old) is that they drive very nicely. The build quality is good and the ergonomics are excellent. The performance isn't earth shattering and it's easier to tune other cars of a similar age (it was pitched against the 3 series and 190) but i'm finding the closer i get it to factory spec the better it is to drive. Having just done a trip to the Brecons in a modern 4X4 it does feel like an older car and is nowhere near as refined as modern counterparts (the Saab was expensive for the time). I am looking to bring it into the next century with a few updates but have set my expectations fairly low!