Saab going home.

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Originally Posted By: saaber1
Fun cars, I've had both (the saabs I mean). Brakes from [censored] but good mpg due to the "Free Wheeling" pull lever. Gotta love that V-4 engine in the sonnetts!

Saab used to be an innovative company until both GM came along and the rest of the world caught up. Front wheel drive and aerodynamic in 1952. First turbo production car in 78. I had a 76 99 ems that was already fuel injected and 4 wheel disc brakes. One of the earliest (earliest?) to use seat belts. One of the first to use direct ignition, etc.

It needs to be innovative again to find it's niche again.

The V-4 doesn't say much for SAAB's innovative nature. It was actually the Ford Taunus engine, having been used in the Taunus, Capri, Granada and Transit models starting in '62. Tough little engine, having spawned the renowned Cologne V6.

There was a guy selling a Sonett II here a short time ago. If he hadn't wanted an over-inflated price for it, I'd have brought it home. You'll never have anyone mistake a Sonett for anything else. Then again, how often would you find someone even capable of identifying one in the first place?
 
Originally Posted By: rshunter
There was a guy selling a Sonett II here a short time ago. If he hadn't wanted an over-inflated price for it, I'd have brought it home. You'll never have anyone mistake a Sonett for anything else. Then again, how often would you find someone even capable of identifying one in the first place?


If you ever find a Sonett for sale, inspect the frame and suspension very carefully. They are rare because a broken suspension means a one-way trip to the scrap yard.
 
Originally Posted By: Tornado Red
Originally Posted By: rshunter
There was a guy selling a Sonett II here a short time ago. If he hadn't wanted an over-inflated price for it, I'd have brought it home. You'll never have anyone mistake a Sonett for anything else. Then again, how often would you find someone even capable of identifying one in the first place?


If you ever find a Sonett for sale, inspect the frame and suspension very carefully. They are rare because a broken suspension means a one-way trip to the scrap yard.

Yeah, this one was in what I would consider to be very good condition. It seemed to have been well cared for. The guy just thought he had a Ferrari Dino...
 
Oh, not fare. Your teasing us now.
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Well if there is one positive note from the US auto meltdown it is that Saab and Volvo are going back to whatever rock they crawled out from under. Thank the Lord!
 
Back when I worked in Sarasota, I was 3 city blocks away from a SAAB-only auto repair shop. They had several old 900 models in every configuration, and few 9000 models, and some of the newer SAAB cars that shared lots of stuff with GM cars.

Unfortunately, just a few months later, they closed their doors for good.

Honestly, I never really cared much about SAABs until 2 years ago, when I saw under the hood of a 1992 900 convertible. I was stunned to see the way it was set up under the hood. Never before did I see a FWD car built that way.

I know of no other car where it had FWD and have the front suspension used double A-arms, and struts. The engine looked like it was installed backwards.
 
I know one guy that has a saab graveyard. Has about 40 total including old sonnetts, 95s, 96s, and one of the old teardrop ones with suicide doors in premo running condition (can't remember what it is called, a 92 maybe?) Kind of a cool place to see lots of old wagons, etc. Sonnetts are still pretty cheap in pacific NW but there aren't that many around.
 
Originally Posted By: saaber1
I know one guy that has a saab graveyard. Has about 40 total including old sonnetts, 95s, 96s, and one of the old teardrop ones with suicide doors in premo running condition (can't remember what it is called, a 92 maybe?) Kind of a cool place to see lots of old wagons, etc. Sonnetts are still pretty cheap in pacific NW but there aren't that many around.

That may have been the place that was shown in a History Channel program about SAAB. HC regularly shows re-runs of their Automobiles:(insert brand here) series. It covered the company's story from when a few guys from the aircraft factory came up with the idea to go into the car business. Lots of historic footage, including clips of their days in rallying.
 
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