RE: SOTW: Saab 900 Turbo
Discussion
Always enjoy when these come up as sotw...this must be the 3rd? Great cars....I had an absolutely fantastic t16s for 3 years, rarely drove it but took it 2500 miles round scotland on my honeymoon and it was faultless. sold it last year and regretted it but may be able to buy it back at some stage so fingers crossed?
ps what happened the guy matt-t16 who used to own that black car I think and be the absolute bible on these cars round here a few years ago??
my old one....
[url]
|http://thumbsnap.com/d09KuREK[/url]
ps what happened the guy matt-t16 who used to own that black car I think and be the absolute bible on these cars round here a few years ago??
my old one....
[url]|http://thumbsnap.com/d09KuREK[/url]Edited by irish boy on Saturday 17th March 18:50
Irish - that looks fab. You must have had the seats refurbed!? Mine are the same but looking a bit tired. I think the standard interior/exterior looks are the way to go on c900s. I've never liked the clear corners (sorry Graeme!) except for maybe on a yellow car. That red K reg a page or so back with the Carlsson kit looks mint...
Makes me want to take mine of the road and get it rebuilt properly. God, if I ever win the lottery...
Makes me want to take mine of the road and get it rebuilt properly. God, if I ever win the lottery...
I'm driving my convertible at the moment. It cost 500 originally about 1 year ago. I've changed the wheels and I've had a couple of people crash into it last year so now most of the paintwork is new. It looked pretty good before the idiots crashed into it (two separate incidents in the space of about a month! Very unlucky but all sorted out now)
Handling wise, these cars are actually very good, even by modern standards. The trick is to make sure they are set up right. If you have long 'comfort' springs then you must make sure you've got the optional anti-roll-bars fitted. With short sports springs it will handle fine without ARBs. The front toe should be set to 'zero' (wheels straight ahead) and the front camber is also adjustable. Ideally you'll set that to 1.5 degrees negative. Apart from that, making sure the ball-joints and bushes are healthy as per any other car and you're good to go. Things which make these cars good handlers are the fact that the wheel-base is short. The car itself is long but see how far inside the bodywork the wheels actually sit. The wheelbase is more like a MINI than a jag. Secondly, the front suspension is double-wishbone rather than macphearson strut. The double-wishbone suspension is very good for handling but it's not modern so there are downsides from the point of view of vehicle manufacturers. As an owner I'd prefer to have double-wishbone suspension.
On my convertible I have the wastegate hose completely disconnected so it runs full boost. The fuel pressure has been increased slightly, timing advanced and knock-detection system fitted so I can make sure the engine isn't about to melt. Other than that... all standard.
Handling wise, these cars are actually very good, even by modern standards. The trick is to make sure they are set up right. If you have long 'comfort' springs then you must make sure you've got the optional anti-roll-bars fitted. With short sports springs it will handle fine without ARBs. The front toe should be set to 'zero' (wheels straight ahead) and the front camber is also adjustable. Ideally you'll set that to 1.5 degrees negative. Apart from that, making sure the ball-joints and bushes are healthy as per any other car and you're good to go. Things which make these cars good handlers are the fact that the wheel-base is short. The car itself is long but see how far inside the bodywork the wheels actually sit. The wheelbase is more like a MINI than a jag. Secondly, the front suspension is double-wishbone rather than macphearson strut. The double-wishbone suspension is very good for handling but it's not modern so there are downsides from the point of view of vehicle manufacturers. As an owner I'd prefer to have double-wishbone suspension.
On my convertible I have the wastegate hose completely disconnected so it runs full boost. The fuel pressure has been increased slightly, timing advanced and knock-detection system fitted so I can make sure the engine isn't about to melt. Other than that... all standard.
Edited by ejenner on Friday 23 August 19:24
How cool is the Saab 900?
Cool enough to be the personel choice for oo7, http://commanderbond.net/2284/the-silver-beast.htm...
Cool enough to be the personel choice for oo7, http://commanderbond.net/2284/the-silver-beast.htm...
The Donster said:
Oh, and the torquesteer thing is a myth - it's nowhere near as bad as some have made it out to be.
I beg to differ, although my experience is with my dad's 8v Turbo, which I believe had a bigger turbo than the 16v version??Torque steer was incredible when the Turbo finally kicked in!
Petrolhead_Rich said:
The Donster said:
Oh, and the torquesteer thing is a myth - it's nowhere near as bad as some have made it out to be.
I beg to differ, although my experience is with my dad's 8v Turbo, which I believe had a bigger turbo than the 16v version??Torque steer was incredible when the Turbo finally kicked in!
NiceCupOfTea said:
Not driven an 8v Turbo but I would be surprised - iirc they only had 150bhp or so! Perhaps it was just coming on boost suddenly (more lag on earlier cars) and the wheels weren't quite straight? No torque steer on my T16S, unlike my 9000 2.3T (McPherson struts, transverse engine).
Torque steer was noticeable even on an old N/A 9000i I had for a while (which was, incidentally, one of the most fantastically chuckable cars I've owned - pop it sideways at a considerable rate of leptons and it would always come back) - if you're not feeling it on a 9k then you're not driving hard enough 
The problem with 900s is the lack of traction over lumpy/damaged back roads; despite the considerable weight over the front wheels, the rebound damping on even cooking models was always too strong. Actually, it was probably because of the nose weight, to stop the whole front end bouncing around too much.
I've never had the time to experiment, but I imagined that a decent set of progressive-rate springs and sophisticated dampers would revolutionise that element of their handling.
skwdenyer said:
NiceCupOfTea said:
The problem with 900s is the lack of traction over lumpy/damaged back roads; despite the considerable weight over the front wheels, the rebound damping on even cooking models was always too strong. Actually, it was probably because of the nose weight, to stop the whole front end bouncing around too much.
I've never had the time to experiment, but I imagined that a decent set of progressive-rate springs and sophisticated dampers would revolutionise that element of their handling.
No - I'd say it was from a car with either worn out rear springs - thus creating too much lift on the fronts.... or a car with far too hard lowered springs with little or no compression that a rougher road would treat with contempt.I've never had the time to experiment, but I imagined that a decent set of progressive-rate springs and sophisticated dampers would revolutionise that element of their handling.
See my post earlier about air bag assistors and new rear springs. Front spring change works wonders too if you're not on a budget. The car when new had none of the traits mentioned but people won't replace and when they do they replace with "dubious improvements"
Steve
shameless self plug
Just had mine back from Martin @ JamSaab who has chopped all the rot out of mine for me and has done a great job welding it up. Need to get some new carlsson wheel arch trims and do the headlining and I'm good to go for another few years hopefull. Such a lovely car to pootle about in and just oozing a personality that most cars today lack. Plus it takes off like a scalded cat if you want it to. Don't think i'll sell it for a little while.
Just had mine back from Martin @ JamSaab who has chopped all the rot out of mine for me and has done a great job welding it up. Need to get some new carlsson wheel arch trims and do the headlining and I'm good to go for another few years hopefull. Such a lovely car to pootle about in and just oozing a personality that most cars today lack. Plus it takes off like a scalded cat if you want it to. Don't think i'll sell it for a little while.
stevelewis said:
No - I'd say it was from a car with either worn out rear springs - thus creating too much lift on the fronts.... or a car with far too hard lowered springs with little or no compression that a rougher road would treat with contempt.
See my post earlier about air bag assistors and new rear springs. Front spring change works wonders too if you're not on a budget. The car when new had none of the traits mentioned but people won't replace and when they do they replace with "dubious improvements"
Steve
OK... with respect, I had a couple when new, and mine did exhibit the traction problem on damaged surfaces. So we're clear what we're talking about, this was in the Lake District, on roads damaged by running water, followed by patching, followed by wear, followed by patching. On those roads, mine would regularly bottom-out at the front (too much front overhang coupled with insufficient, or at least non-progressive, bump-rubbering), lose traction (much more so that in many other cars) on such surfaces and, of course, lift an inside wheel (those pesky ARBs, no doubt). I may have driven them harder than the average, a caveat I did put in my earlier comments I believe See my post earlier about air bag assistors and new rear springs. Front spring change works wonders too if you're not on a budget. The car when new had none of the traits mentioned but people won't replace and when they do they replace with "dubious improvements"
Steve
For comparison, my 99 Turbo either didn't exhibit these characteristics, or didn't exhibit them to such a degree, a function of the slightly different proportions and weight distribution amongst other things; it was just a shame that (at the time, at least) no RHD PAS option existed for 99s.Almost as much of a shame as passing-up a very well-resolved 99 T16 conversion (complete with PAS) for a grand about 6 years ago, but that's another story...
I'd love to try one with properly-sorted suspension for comparison.
Cheib said:
Amazing to think in the mid 80's the 900 Turbo especially in Cabriolet form was one of the aspirational cars of it's era. Where did they go wrong ?!?!
General Motors. But if the Top Gear show the other week was to be believed, spending too much on R&D, fabrication etc and not recouping enough over time. I always remember Saabs being fiendishly expensive in their 900/9000 heyday - at the time our family was fairly loyal to Vauxhall cars and driving past the Saab dealer I would always be impressed by the fact that used cars on the forecourt that were up to five or six years old were selling for more than the then top spec Cavaliers and Carltons went for brand new. I stopped wanting one after I went in a 93 and realised I was sitting in a Vectra with funny air vents though... although having said that I wouldn't say no to one of these oldskool versions Saab 900s do not torque-steer. Not unless there is something wrong with them. I'd say the majority of 900s I've come across have poor suspension setup. A standard car with everything properly adjusted handles like a dream and it does not take very much to go to a decent wheel shop to get the tracking properly adjusted.
ahhh memories, always loved but never owned
remember having a poster on my wall as a kid of Public Enemy all looking "gangster" at the front of a 900 lol
the guy couple of houses from my parents used to have a lovely example many years ago, i was young so couldnt tell you if it was a 99 900, but it did have a personal plate 5AAB and i bet thats worth a pound or 2 now
remember having a poster on my wall as a kid of Public Enemy all looking "gangster" at the front of a 900 lol
the guy couple of houses from my parents used to have a lovely example many years ago, i was young so couldnt tell you if it was a 99 900, but it did have a personal plate 5AAB and i bet thats worth a pound or 2 now
[quote=irish boy]Always enjoy when these come up as sotw...this must be the 3rd? Great cars....I had an absolutely fantastic t16s for 3 years, rarely drove it but took it 2500 miles round scotland on my honeymoon and it was faultless. sold it last year and regretted it but may be able to buy it back at some stage so fingers crossed?
ps what happened the guy matt-t16 who used to own that black car I think and be the absolute bible on these cars round here a few years ago??
my old one....
Keep them crossed Boy, she's settling in well down here!
ps what happened the guy matt-t16 who used to own that black car I think and be the absolute bible on these cars round here a few years ago??
my old one....
Keep them crossed Boy, she's settling in well down here!
s m said:
I remember reading Performance Car when Kevin Blick(?) used to run a Carlsson version in the Long-termers - always seemed to be battling through the snow in it
It always snowed when we were young! And I was a bit of a Saab-ophile: three T16S, one 8 valve Turbo, one non-turbo, two 95 V4s - they're the estate version of the 96, a 96 2-stroke and even a 9000 (v. boring). Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff