Along with trying to keep on top of my Irmscher MV6, Cavalier Turbo 4x4 and Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II projects, I’m now charged with the modification and maintenance of the latest addition to the Furr fleet – a classic (pre-GM) Saab 900 S 16-valve turbo convertible.
My fiancée, Sharon, had expressed a desire to coin a retro ride of her own, and the sale of my first Cavalier Turbo 4x4 freed up enough space in order to accommodate her wish. An initial shortlist of desirable motors saw an MGB GT, a Triumph GT6 and a classic Mini all fighting for the dearly departed Vauxhall’s place on our driveway, but the need for a car that could double up as a reliable daily driver (if our 95 Aero HOT estate is ever out of action) yet still have the fun factor expected of a ‘weekender’ saw our attention diverted towards more modern machinery.
Although produced during the General Motors era of Saab’s colourful automotive history, our 95 Aero workhorse is a brilliant motor that goes like stink and never complains about the number of miles thrown at it (Sharon has a four hour round trip to work each day!). The Swedes are known for building solid cars, and pre-GM output from the Saab stable has even more of a reputation for innovative design, bulletproof mechanical magic and a whole lotta wow factor when compared to the models produced during the manufacturer’s American master’s reign. It was these attributes that led us to the classic 900.
Shopping for cars is one of the most enjoyable pastimes for a petrolhead, and I grabbed the bull by its horns when it came to finding a suitable Saab for my better half. As you’d expect, most of the 900s that I came across had been to the moon and back (“A quarter of a million miles? Barely run in!” I hear you cry), but an ad for a black ’93-plate 16-valve convertible with just 80k on the clock soon caught my eye.
Thankfully, the car was fairly local, and a chat with its owner confirmed the classified’s claim that I was enquiring about a cherished chariot that had spent most of its life tucked up in the dry. Available with a full twelve months MOT and with proof of a recent service carried out by a well known Saab specialist, I quickly came to the conclusion that this was the car that I’d been looking for, particularly as it was sporting the sought-after ‘black paint and grey body kit’ twin tone finish with matching alloys, a full leather interior and a rare manual transmission.
An advisory on the MOT certificate indicated the presence of a slight cam cover leak. This didn’t concern me, but the not-mechanically-minded seller saw the note as reason enough to fire over photographs of the car’s B202-populated engine bay before I arranged that all-important test drive. To my amazement, the received pictures clearly showed an Abbott Racing chargecooler sitting beneath the super Swede’s bonnet! Replacing the 900’s factory intercooler, the Abbott kit produces a notable spike in mid-range torque and top-end pulling power while reducing turbo lag thanks to a high rate of airflow.
The chargecooler kit is sold at a cost of £999, and Abbott Racing claims that it delivers an additional 35bhp. Obviously, I was thrilled to discover that the Saab in my sights was packing such trick tuning apparatus, and I wasted no time in throwing a chunk of cash in the direction of the car’s owner in order to secure Sharon’s name on its logbook. Understandably, she was excited by the prospect of finally being able to get her hands on a classic to call her own, and we were both pleased to discover that in addition to the Abbott gear, the Swedish stunner was packing a Bosch 3.3bar fuel pressure regulator (boosting power levels above the 4000rpm mark), an enlarged exhaust system and uprated suspension components.
Despite being in possession of the car for a number of years, the seller was oblivious to the presence of these performance-enhancing aftermarket parts. Needless to say, they didn’t escape our attention, nor did the two Van Morrison cassettes that we inherited with our purchase. I’m not sure how much horsepower ol’ Van can bestow upon a turbocharged Saab, but removing his wonderful warblings from the drop-top’s cabin must have reduced its overall weight by a few grams, thus improving performance. Yeah?! Ahem...
The second and only other advisory on the car’s MOT certificate registered an apparently perished anti-roll bar bush. The rough roads surrounding our home in the Cambridgeshire countryside certainly made the impaired rubber’s presence known, with a knocking noise emitting from the Swede’s nose whenever Sharon found herself hitting a bump in the road. We’d already made the decision to invest in Powerflex polyurethane parts with which to replace any compromised factory bushes, and it made sense to upgrade other areas of the car’s tired suspension while the work was being carried out.
The Basildon-based damper demons at GAZ came to the rescue with a full set of adjustable ‘GT’ telescopic shock absorbers. Suitable for both modern and classic cars, these nifty, zinc-plated parts offer adjustable damping for bump and rebound rates so that the ride of the host vehicle can be altered to suit varying driving styles and road conditions. Turning the multi-position knob found on the side of each damper alters rates and handling characteristics, and GAZ can build these shocks in various open and closed lengths, enabling owners of lowered, raised and standard ride height vehicles to fine-tune the chassis of their pride and joy.
I drove the car down to SOS Automotive (one of Cambridgeshire’s leading independent vehicle repair and service centres) with a boot full of GAZ goodness. SOS head honcho, Seweryn Sidor, soon set to work equipping the car with its new shock absorbers. My arsenal of Powerflex bushes came in handy, with the new dampers treated to purple polyurethane top and bottom mounts before installation. Similarly, the car’s rear link rod chassis and axle bushes were ditched in favour of Powerflex parts, as were the offending front anti-roll bar mounts and end bushes.
The use of Powerflex items should improve the car’s road holding and handling abilities by controlling the amount of flex in its suspension. Tyre wear should also be reduced, especially now that each corner is kitted out with a GAZ ‘GT’ damper. A trip back to Seweryn’s place is on the cards with a view to replacing every remaining rubber bush with its superior Powerflex equivalent, and I’ve also managed to source a big brake kit that should come in handy when I attempt to navigate my way around Stelvio Pass, San Bernardino Pass, Flüela Pass, Lake Como, Innsbruck and the Nürburgring following Sharon’s offer to loan me her super Saab for the duration of the Retro Cars Euro Rally. I can’t wait!
THANKS
GAZ Shocks
Rayridge House
Swinbourne Road
Burnt Mills Industrial Estate
Basildon
SS13 1EH
T: 01268 724536
http://www.gazshocks.com
Powerflex
Unit 7 Union Buildings
Wallingford Road
Uxbridge
UB8 2FR
T: 01895 460033
http://www.powerflex.co.uk
SOS Automotive
12 Phoenix Court
Huntingdon
PE29 6EB
T: 01480 700655
http://www.sos-automotive.com