SAAB OG 9-5 HOT Wagon - The Family Haul-ass

The list is insanely long.

Short term:
Install brakes and fit new brakelines
Rustproofing the undercarage + subframe + doors + bootlid.
ECU stage 2
New wheels/tyres
4 wheel alignment
New bushings front and rear
Uprated end links
Change out fluids
Fit coilovers
Prep and paint Aero kit

Long term:
Building a race engine on the side based on the B234 internals from a 9000 Aero to be able to take on 550+newtons and roughly 500bhp.
Adding in a sunroof.
Paint the entire car

Pretty much that. :D

But yes, they are cheap as chips.

Excellent stuff. Wish I had the time for something like this.

It doesn't really take more time than wrenching on a bike, it's just bigger and dirtier things...

Mad list fam! You're going a bit of the way of Dammnit with his engine build. What's the reasoning behind it?

Yeah, if you have the right tooling and space, any spannering is relative.

One of the reasons is that I like the fact that Saabs can fly under the radar, being a good base for true sleeper cars. Another reason is that the B23x base is inexpensive where the block and T7 head can hold 500bhp quite easily. That engine will live on an engine stand until it's complete essentially.

Great progress, nice list. This thread and replacing the front tyres on my 900 has sparked my enthusiasm to do something with it.

Yes! Fresh rubber on a Saab equals funtimes.

With the increasing need for hauling shit around, I’ve been eyeing these up

Plenty of decent looking relatively low milers on SAAB Farm

2005 is the last gen of the OG 9-5. Best by far imo. The '06-> is an aquired taste and is full on GM/Opel plastics in the cockpit. The 06-10 Aero is quick though. 270hp out the gate.
04/05 has the second facelift (sharktooth) front which is just the best looking front..

So try to find a low milage 2004/05 Aero Sport Combi and throw in a Stage 1 Noobtune (if in UK) and you're golden.

So the twin turbos are to be avoided?

If they break, they tend to be spensive to mend. <-2010 models had some issues with the swirl flaps, was mended on the 2011 models. But the powerband is nice and smooth on it just as you'd expect from a tractor ;)

So, just put a bid on another Saab, an Aero build that is dyno'ed to 498.5 bhp at the crank....when it ran. Collecting it soonish. Lot's of goodies under the hood. Nocturnal Blue with a Sunroof.

It's been sidelined since 2018 because the engine won't hold its temp.

My initial thoughts on that issue is that the block is cracked and is pushing air into the system making the cooling water not run properly. Hoses are rock hard when idling. Could also be a headgasket.

So...either a complete strip of it and have it as a parts car or look at the issue, fix it and use and abuse it.

What kind of mileage is considered "low"? Few sub £3k Hot Aero 04-05 cars listed on autotrader but all around 150K miles. If you bought something like that, are they going to last or is a case of doing a decent amount of preventative measures to get them over the hump?

All depends if the current owner have done the services and what else have been done on it in the last 2500miles.

It's nearing a potential hefty sum if they haven't been looked after right.

This isn't half bad actually - https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202101298470592?radius=1500&postcode=wn23tn&sort=relevance&make=SAAB&advertising-location=at_cars&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=Used&include-delivery-option=on&model=9-5&page=2

This one as well - https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202101158012865?include-delivery-option=on&radius=1500&postcode=wn23tn&sort=relevance&make=SAAB&advertising-location=at_cars&model=9-5&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=Used&page=2

This would need some TLC but the price is fair for an autodealer - https://www.autotrader.co.uk/car-details/202101208168357?include-delivery-option=on&radius=1500&postcode=wn23tn&sort=relevance&make=SAAB&advertising-location=at_cars&model=9-5&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly%20New&onesearchad=Used&page=2

Have a look around your area for a Saab indy, if it were to break on you, you have someone with knowledge to mend it for you.

Also, 9-5 owners only group on FB is a great place to ask questions. Lots of UK based members.

as you seem to be resident Master SAAB, you want to link a couple more of these mate? Think you've swayed a few people this way.

How much work has gone into this new one you bought?

as you seem to be resident Master SAAB, you want to link a couple more of these mate? Think you've swayed a few people this way.

Hehehe, sure thing!

2003 HOT 9-5 Estate

1 owner of these HOT Aeros is a fairly rare thing.
Hit him up to check if he's changed the camchain and chain tensioner. Check to see that the oil has been changed on the set intervals (1250miles) and that it's the right 5W30 synthetic and not any mineral oils. This goes for all HOT Saabs.
Check if he's done the PCV upgrade and if so when?
From '04 Saab upgraded the PCV Crankcase ventilation and mitigated sludge building in the sump pan.

So this '03 is a bit of a gamble. I'd say haggle.

I'll return with more tomorrow.

How much work has gone into this new one you bought?

Insane amounts. But only on the engine and trans side. Rest is stock or thereabouts.

This Black one looked one of the tidiest from the ones I saw and the one owner, FSH detail looked good too. I like the look of the earlier cars better too. Not keen on the shape of the lights on the 07 Gen car you linked first.

So the Saab I was going to collect indeed has a crack between cylinder 2 and 3 which pressurizes the entire system.

Easy breezy lemon squeezy. Just need to find a 235 block that's OK.

Standard Saab life....

Loved my 9-3 Aero 210, only reason for parting was it didn't feel like it was put together well even considering it was only 95k.

I've heard the 9-5s are much better put together car.

Great milage!

HKS goes pssssshh

The big fan at 51/81mm exducer. It's a phatty. Good for 650bhp.

Burn it with a massive fire. Hazmat suite on!

Rediculous airinlet cobra to the turbo. It looks like a shed build and not very stealthy. That together with the tubular mani the MOT guys might get highly suspicious.

King Cobra from an 06+ Aero flows up to 500hp and is very stealthy, so I might just go that route.

Inside of the inlet, much welds, such hacky.

A very BDSM-esque pressurepipe.

Yeah, the mani get hot. It will need both cerakote and wrapping.

Inlet funnel to turbo. It's a tight squeeze but it works.

V-band? Naaaaaaah, let's just throw on a hose clamp like a numpty.

In the entire engine I've seen three v-bands. All visible when you look from the top - hose clamps for the rest of it.

Camchain and sprockets look new and the rest of it as well. Well chuffed. Now to lift off the head completely and have a look at the top of the pistons.

Awesome. 600+bhp sounds fun!

600+bhp for a frontwheeled car equals new tyres each month :D

I did check the chain tensioner and that was out 18mm so the chain is toast which means that the new engine will need a new camchain kit. Shit is 400quid!

Also, found metalshavings in the sump so the top is coming off as well as the sump. Hopefully shit isn't borked too much.

I would steer well clear of Saab Farm/Hagstrom Saab unless you know what you're doing.
Bought mine from there, has been a fucking nightmare from day 1 and in hindsight the car they sold me was *piece of shit. Don't expect them as a dealer to have done any work on the cars they sell.
*I still love/hate my 9-5 though it has cost me fair amount of £s, time and stress to keep on the road.

1 Attachment

OK! Long time since an update. So the Aero is now at the scrappers, I took what I needed and made the rest go into recycle mode.

Engine out, pistons and rods out, turbo is off, tubular mani, 3" exhaust, 750cc injectors, front/rear seats, dashboard fachia, sharktooth bumpercovers, sideskirts and the 9-3 tid transmission as well as the sachs performance clutch. Block and crank got sent as the block was cracked and the crank was a PITA to remove.

It also got a new set of wheels. A bit banged up Alu65's on Michelin Primacy 4's 225/40/18".

I did a 9-3SS "big brake" swap as well as the ones on there was cruddy and wobbly.

314mm rotors are 6mm larger in dia, and the calipers are MAHOOSIVE in comparison to the aero stock ones.

Shitty paintjob on calipers is shitty. Some bzzzzzrrr and they're good to go.

Painted them in Temadur 20 which essentially is a better and far cheaper paint than the Foliatec variety. I can paint the head and the block too with it, all for 40 squiddies.

It was a right faff to get those bastards on though. Took a a solid day and a half in working hours because me and my buddy are both numpties and didn't check that the bleeder nipple was on the highest point on the caliper. A 20min bleed job took 5 hours and two trips to the local go fast store. But they're on at least and the feel is OK. Now for the next thing is to buy new brakeline nipples and HEL brakehoses that actually fits and source the Aero 300mm rear calipers.

As she stands today.

Nice!