RE: Saab 95 V4: Spotted

[drewos]

Both A class and E class I've driven recently had a column change too.

That Saab is such a cool thing, i would love to drive such a thing when practically every car on the road is white, grey or black these days...

[Dapster]

drewos said:

Both A class and E class I've driven recently had a column change too..

Many modern cars have column mounted drive by wire selectors but we're talking about good old fashioned manual shift levers.

[veevee]

Willing to bet Saab will be resurrected as a newly refreshed electric vehicle brand sooner or later.

[PistonBroker]

Love this. Saw it on Twitter earlier in the week.

My old man bought a 72K 96 V4 in readiness for my arrival - apparently it was only that or the Beetle back in '78 that had rear belt mounting points. Gave me an early love of SAABs and also means I'm unable to join in with everyone else my age when they fondly reminisce about the days of no seatbelts in the back.

He considered a 95 when my brother came along in '82, but ended up with a 99 EMS instead.

[Turbobanana]

Dapster said:

Turbobanana said:

Pericoloso said:

Possibly the last car in production ,up to 1980, to have such a feature

Renault 16 made it to 1980 too.

You could order a Mercedes W124 with a column change right up to 1996 - mainly an option taken up on the taxi spec where space between the seats was useful for other stuff but available none the less.

Good shout.

[njw1]

£17k and it doesn't even have any ignition leads!

[Black S2K]

Dapster said:

You could order a Mercedes W124 with a column change right up to 1996 - mainly an option taken up on the taxi spec where space between the seats was useful for other stuff but available none the less.

Brilliant product knowledge, there!

[Baron Greenback]

Want two of them same colour but 1 with v8 crate engine we had on main page while back if it could fit in (doubt it).

[Sa Calobra]

Needs the suspension sorting. Why do people think it looks 'cool'?

[Fetchez la vache]

Sa Calobra said:

Why do people think it looks 'cool'?

Because if everyone liked the same thing everyone would be driving bloody Audis, which is pretty much where we are already.

I'd rather this "overpriced" 120bhp wheezy estate over most of the 500bhp + german estates on sale for 6* the price...
...for the first 1/4 hour at least..

Personally I think this thing looks epic - even if the "driving experience" isn't up there, hasn't got enough cup holders and doesn't have the most up-to date ICE... which seems to be what people decide cars by these days.

[darrenw]

Had a good look at that car at Wheels Day a few years ago. Loved it.

[Sa Calobra]

Fetchez la vache said:

Because if everyone liked the same thing everyone would be driving bloody Audis, which is pretty much where we are already.

I'd rather this "overpriced" 120bhp wheezy estate over most of the 500bhp + german estates on sale for 6* the price...
...for the first 1/4 hour at least..

Personally I think this thing looks epic - even if the "driving experience" isn't up there, hasn't got enough cup holders and doesn't have the most up-to date ICE... which seems to be what people decide cars by these days.

I've only owned one German car in my life.

Never another.

I used to own a 95 Aero HOT estate.


A classic Saab shouldn't be lowered or stanced

[PR1803]

Dapster said:

You could order a Mercedes W124 with a column change right up to 1996 - mainly an option taken up on the taxi spec where space between the seats was useful for other stuff but available none the less.

I guess the W124 shift is an auto?

The 96 was a manual shift with something akin to a heavy duty wiper column. IIRC up and towards you was 1st, down and towards you was 2nd etc.

I used to drive one occasionally in my teens - used to dread climbing a local hill to Shaftesbury as I'd have to down shift half way up and generally came to a complete halt by the time I'd negotiated 3rd->2nd.

[Dapster]

PR1803 said:

Dapster said:

You could order a Mercedes W124 with a column change right up to 1996 - mainly an option taken up on the taxi spec where space between the seats was useful for other stuff but available none the less.

I guess the W124 shift is an auto?

The 96 was a manual shift with something akin to a heavy duty wiper column. IIRC up and towards you was 1st, down and towards you was 2nd etc.

I used to drive one occasionally in my teens - used to dread climbing a local hill to Shaftesbury as I'd have to down shift half way up and generally came to a complete halt by the time I'd negotiated 3rd->2nd.

The pic is of a manual. You could get an auto as well. You can see 3 pedals here.

[shakotan]

Dapster said:

PR1803 said:

Dapster said:

You could order a Mercedes W124 with a column change right up to 1996 - mainly an option taken up on the taxi spec where space between the seats was useful for other stuff but available none the less.

I guess the W124 shift is an auto?

The 96 was a manual shift with something akin to a heavy duty wiper column. IIRC up and towards you was 1st, down and towards you was 2nd etc.

I used to drive one occasionally in my teens - used to dread climbing a local hill to Shaftesbury as I'd have to down shift half way up and generally came to a complete halt by the time I'd negotiated 3rd->2nd.

The pic is of a manual. You could get an auto as well. You can see 3 pedals here.

The Toyota Crown Comfort in taxi-spec was available with a column manual shift behind a LPG 2.0 engine up until 1999.

Edited by shakotan on Monday 3rd December 10:42

[Walter Sobchak]

A V4 engine in a car?!, never knew one was made.
It is pretty cool looking though I like it.

[Jimmy Recard]

While I like Saabs, the column shifter discussion has got me more interested. Any advances on 1999?

I wouldn't have known that there was still a column shifter around in the 1990s. I love this trivia

[Volvo1956]

It's a pity it wasn't left original.
For example the front end.... grille headlamps etc are from a much earlier model.

[Pericoloso]

Volvo1956 said:

It's a pity it wasn't left original.
For example the front end.... grille headlamps etc are from a much earlier model.

What he said.

An N reg should have rectangular ish headlamps ,plastic grille and maybe rubber bumpers ,which came in 1975 cars.

[aeropilot]

Volvo1956 said:

It's a pity it wasn't left original.
For example the front end.... grille headlamps etc are from a much earlier model.

Early front end looks so much better though, so a lot of modded later cars get earlier front ends fitted for the looks....which is part of the whole point of modding.