Hej Snygging

January 6, 2021 Eleven

'Hello Beautiful' just about sums up my feeling for the new Swedish addition, given that in 2008 the 9-3 platform was a number of years old, Saab did an absolutely exquisite design job of crafting one of the most beautiful and recognisable modern convertibles out there.

The front exudes Scandinavian simplicity and elegance whilst the rear and side profiles couldn't be anything but Saab. The headlight design is one of the finest I've seen with the simple eyebrow strip making it just so recognisable.

This one scapes itself in to the High Mile Club with 150,000 miles, although sitting in the sublime comfort of the premium leather seats, you wouldn't know it. It has some war wounds from its 13 year journey, but all easily repairable; the search has already begun for a whole host of interior upgrades to really finish it off like it deserves and a few more Hirsch parts found for the exterior too.

What really caught my eye was the super rare 19" Hirsch alloys, they're in poor condition, but again, they'll be fully refurbished and treated to a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4's very soon. It also has the full Hirsch suspension, 345mm brake upgrade, full performance exhaust and remap, making it another very desirable Saab to add to the collection.

Having been delivered late last night, I've only managed 50 miles in it, but absolutely taken by how little scuttle shake and wind noise this has compared to my previous Gen I convertibles, it genuinely feels far more planted but also a little less raw. The clutch feels very high, but again can easily be replaced with an uprated one before any further tuning begins if required.

All in all, a seriously great find, and one I'm very excited about working on alongside the current 9-5 Aero projects.

Variety

January 4, 2021 Eleven

…is the spice of life. Last week I borrowed the gorgeous Japan Racing JR18 rims from the Green Over Tan project, the Hirsch rims have been taken off for a full refurb and a new set of tyres fitted, so these were just meant to be temporary, problem is, I love the look of this Saab with these on.

I recently used the very same alloys on the ‘Café Racer Saab Aero, Matt Bronze and just the right size, they feel very much OE but manage to update the overall look and stance, I liked them so much I purchased another set, but now I have a genuine deliberation, keep these on the Hirsch 9-5 or keep the original Hirsch ones?

Both have merits, although I have a feeling this particular Saab should be kept original, the car features many other Hirsch performance parts so is a rare beast, so by removing the alloys, I think it would be changing the overall appeal of the car. I really am loving the look though, they’ll be exceptional on the green 9-5 Aero.

Hirsch Interior Design

December 23, 2020 Eleven

Well, this has been a rather slower process than I’d thought, but yesterday, I finally had all the individual parts fitted to the 9-5 Hirsch interior. I’d sourced a new Saab leather gear knob and gaiter, the dashboard has been wrapped in a 3D carbon and taking pride of place; the Hirsch style Nappa leather steering wheel beautifully handcrafted by the folks at Tunstyle again.

I’d not loved the fake metal dash and steering wheel insets on this generation 9-5 Aero and always felt they lacked the quality and level of detail older 9-5’s had, but with these changes, the interior now starts feeling a little more special, I’ve also found some black steering wheel controls which work a treat, overall, the whole look just feels more premium. There’s more work required on the interior yet, but this is a great start and I’m hugely happy with how it’s turned out.

The 900 Classic Icon

December 23, 2020 Eleven

The Hirsch 9-5 Aero went in the Malcolm Miles yesterday to be put back together, and I’d had my eye on a beautifully straight classic 900i convertible the had been at the garage for the past few months and they very kindly gave it to me as the loan car for the day.

Purchased from ACE Saab in Kensington back in 1990 and registered by its first owner in Piccadilly, Mayfair and its only had 3 further owners during its 30 year life.

Having owned a number of these in the past, it was easy to see how straight this one is, the underneath is totally rust free, an absolutely solid floor pan and sills, this is extremely rare, but apparently this convertible was taken to live in Portugal around 1997 and stayed there in the sun for nearly 20 years which could explain its solidness.

Although it’s far from perfect and has its usual foibles, its easy to see that it could be a gorgeous classic, having covered only 104,000 miles it drives smoothly; smoke free and pulls beautifully for a non Turbo model. It’ll be having plenty of tic shortly, full service, an new exhaust, new discs and pads, fresh cluster bulbs and a damn good clean.

With rare Winter blue skies above, I popped the roof down for an hour and enjoyed a truly fantastic country drive, the tan leather has aged beautifully, the mohair hood has been replaced and it has an exceptionally rare Tonneau cover to keep the hood safely tucked away, it was a real pleasure.

It has some surface body rust that’ll easily fixed, and the interior needs some love to get back to immaculate, but all I could think it that this will make someone a very useable and unusually solid classic Saab 900 convertible. It’ll be far sale in the new year, and can’t help thinking it’ll make excellent value at circa £5000, maybe the perfect project for someone looking for a bit of classic driving in the Summer.

If anyone’s interested, mail me and I’ll pass on the details of the seller.

Details Matter

December 18, 2020 Eleven

It's been a few weeks since i've done an update on the current Aero builds, sadly, due to a lack of B12 Pro-Kits coming out of Bilstein currently, we've had to put the Green Aero on hold until we have all the parts ready to progress, we've been told January, so fingers crossed for that one.

I've been slowly making progress on the Hirsch 9-5; after all of the mechanicals were sorted back in October, the car has been driving absolutely beautifully, we've got to make a few adjustments on the new gear linkage, as 5th is hard to select and the Hirsch alloys will be coming off and going for a full refurbish together with a new set of rubber and balancing.

The main focus has been sorting the worn interior out, an exceptional flat base Nappa leather steering wheel has arrived from the folks at TunStyle, and as always, I truly feel to quality and craftsmanship is better than the genuine Hirsch ones I used to have, it really is a thing of beauty. I've got a new genuine Saab leather gear knob, gear gaiter and handbrake gaiter to fit, a new dashboard has been carefully wrapped in 3D carbon and the ugly Parrot system and wires will all be removed. The door card decorative strips have also had the carbon wrap and will be reinstalled next week together with a set of gorgeous MapTun carpets.

I'm still a little undecided about the seats, as usual, the dark fabric inserts are crumbling whilst the leather parts have worn beautifully, the cutting corners with materials really does show in these later 9-5s and just don't hold up as well as the earlier 'Saab' models, I might go with my heart and recover the entire seat set in a better quality Bridge of Weir leather, but always concerned that the value of these Saabs just don’t warrant that level of spend sadly.

As always, I'm truly inspired by the people out there that continue to work hard to craft parts to keep our Saabs looking sharp, in reality, it is getting harder to rescue them, the lack of Bilstein suspension kits has really hit me this time - will this continue to be the case, will Brexit make is far harder for the UK to get parts from the global community? will we slowly run out of Saabs worth rescuing? For now though, I have 2 beautiful Aeros that deserve to be pampered.

Hirsch Edition 9-5

December 3, 2020 Eleven

It’s been a few months since I collected the Hirsch 9-5 and I have to say, I love this thing, yes, even the ‘Dame Edna’ front lights. I reserve judgement on whether I’ll be keeping the full chrome look, but going from not liking it at all to really liking it has surprised even me.

We’ve concentrated on the mechanical side first and foremost, the sump has been dropped and cleaned, with fresh oil, filters and plugs, it’s had a new Saab DI pack and we’ve also replaced the gear linkage as it had become a little sloppy, the DI pack has cleared up the slight hiccup it had on full throttle and it runs ridiculously well again.

I’m always surprised at just how exceptional these hugely rare Hirsch editions are, they made such a difference to both performance and handling and really did create a wonderfully rounded executive saloon. The power is smoothly delivered throughout the gear changes and being a manual allows you to use ever drop of of the 300+ hp on tap, what’s more, because it has the upgraded Hirsch intercooler, the power remain consistent no matter what the weather’s like outside.

The Hirsch 18” wheels will be going in for a full refurbish and new Michelin tyres all round and then it’s on to the interior. all door cars have been removed and are currently having a refresh of the poor quality decretive strips, together with a new genuine Saab leather gearknob, new handbrake, gear gaiter and Nappa leather Hirsch steering wheel.

Finally it’ll go in for some minor bodywork including the rear arches, rear bumper and possible de chroming but that’s still to be decided. In the meantime, I’m thoroughly loving this Saab, it’l be a difficult choice whether to sell the Gen 1 Green over Tan 9-5 or this one.

Caped Crusader

November 24, 2020 Eleven

It’s always a privilege to share Saabs from around the globe, especially ones that are obviously loved and exceptionally well cared for. This beautiful 9-3 SE convertible spends its life in the warmth of Cape Town, South Africa.

According to its owner, Kurt ‘The original owner cheated and didn't buy an Aero, but chose the larger Turbo Aero spec together with a wooden and leather steering wheel, leather gear stick and all the pretty stuff, god bless him’.

With its utterly original specification including 15” three spoke ALU20 wheels it’s a thing of beauty and I can only imagine how it feels to drive along the West Coast Road toward Grooto Bay, roof down and enjoying the warm South African air.

Free Saab*

November 18, 2020 Eleven

Since 2011 I’ve been happily photographing, writing and sharing stories about Saabs, mostly mine, but some others that have grabbed my attention, together with stories about folks who are also dedicated to keeping our Saabs on the road, oh and creating the Saab High Mile Club of course.

But, for a while now it’s felt a bit one sided, does anyone really read or need Saab vs. Scepticism? is it just a personal journey for me to enjoy? or does it actually go out into the big wide world and inspirer other Saab folks?

So, how about a bit of Free Saab Talk? ( *sorry, not actually a free Saab involved but got you reading ), how about others getting in touch, commenting or contributing to this Saab archive. If nothing else, I’d truly love to know if it helps or inspires other people.

Comment below or send me a Saab Story with photos

First Class Cabin

October 14, 2020 Eleven

Alongside my lifelong love affair with Saab, I also have a bit on the side; air cooled Porsches. In that world, it's not unusual to see folks ripping their entire interior out of their pride and joy and reimagining it to suit their personality, In fact, I did just that with my last 964 build and plan to do it again on my latest 993, but rarely have I seen it done to a Saab, until now.

I've been excitedly following a complete interior refit of a Saab Turbo X from Tartu, Estonia, where a design and trim specialist called Imredning has done an absolutely stunning job. The interior, in a deep rich brown colour features in-house handwoven leather door panels using a mixture of Alcantra and Nappa leather, genuine carbon fibre and some exceptional type embossing including 'Move Your Mind'. The dashboard and seats are all trimmed with matching Nappa leather and the contrasting orange stitching is exquisite.

Hopefully I'll get more photos of the completed project soon, but for now, just wanted to share and congratulate both the trimmer and owner for investing such care into yet another very special Saab.

Imrening Design | Instagram

Aeroriginal Green over Tan Edition

September 24, 2020 Eleven

Made in Sweden, the first generation Saab 9-5 has a purity of design the later models lost, it's also one of my all time favourite Saabs. They're getting exceptionally rare to find now, especially with service history, low miles and only a few owners, add a ridiculously rare colour to the mix and it'd be hard the beat.

As I continue to do my best to search out Saab Aeros that have a few unique touches, my latest find literally stopped me in my tracks, smitten from the moment I saw it, Scarabégrön (aka Scarab Green) with the always luxurious Sand leather interior. 4 owners from new, full service history with reputable Saab specialists and only 83,000 miles, it was expensive, but as a foundation for my next Aeroriginal, it seemed to tick all the boxes.

I've been trusting sellers lately and buying some of my projects without seeing them, after all, I pretty much tear them apart and replace anything that's not right and it's been ok, until now. The new 9-5 Aero arrived a few days ago and I felt so disappointed it almost put me off going any further, it's got small dents everywhere, the bodywork has been over-sprayed by what looks like a child with a spray can, the front spoiler falling off, fog light broken, interior worn and a number of fittings broken.

But then I took it for a drive and to my surprise, it was one of the smoothest, rattle free early 9-5s I've ever bought, it still feels lovely and sharp despite all of it shortcomings, yes the heat either blows ice cold or boiling hot, half the console buttons are either covered in dirt or worn out and there's enough dirt on the carpet to have been lived in by pigs. But that's half the point of my Aeroriginal Saabs, to rescue one's that have potential, and this one has plenty.

Before being taken to Malcom Miles for it's thorough work over, i've started to collect the parts required to make it feel special again, the amazing folks at Perry & Prouse Saab in Somerset have saved some late Sand leather front Aero seats for me, more sculptured and far more comfortable, it's an upgrade hard not to love. A new set of leather lined door cards to replace the filthy velour lined ones, a new armrest, new dashboard, new Nappa leather steering wheel, new SID, new foglights, new rear light cluster, all to give it that love it truly deserves.

I'll also be doing my normal touches; Bilstein B8 suspension, Powerflex bushes, braided brake lines, Tarox Sport Japan drilled, grooved and vented brakes, APH downpipe, Jetex stainless steel exhaust, DO88 intercooler, Noob Stage 3+ remap and plenty more.

We'll then move on to the bodywork and for now, I'm leaving it untouched, once i've got it driving and handling exactly how I imagine, it'll go in for cosmetic surgery to have it looking great again. I truly believe these early Saab 9-5 are iconic, they've turned out to be utterly reliable, beautifully built and a modern classic car that has an understated luxury and presence that makes you feel special.

I doubt this is going to be a cheap project, but after living with if for a couple of days, i've fallen for it, my first Green over Tan Aeroriginal.

Mission Complete

September 11, 2020 Eleven

In many ways, the task of a Saab rescuer is a thankless one, we take all the risks associated with renovating a 20 year old car and reap none of the financial rewards associated with more valuable modern classics, and yet we still do it.*

For the past 4 months, we’ve all been working hard to rescue this stunning Hazelnut Metallic Saab 9-5 Aero estate, it has the perfect foundations; low owners, full service history, low miles, yet as with many other Saabs, it hasn’t been pampered like it truly deserves, that has now been rectified.

I call it the Café Racer Edition as not only has it got the exceptionally rare paint, but is complemented by a full Sand leather interior and a light Walnut dash, I’ve now enhanced that with a set of stunning 19” Japan Racing wheels in Matt Bronze.

It hasn’t been an easy task; endless parts replaced, more bodywork than thought, a small fire, but in the end, and with the help of a multitude of exceptional Saab folks, it’s risen from the flames once again and feels fantastic to drive. With only 81,000 Miles, it really is like a new Saab, no rattles, everything feels exceptionally tight and with the performance and handling mods, almost better than original.

It’s hard to describe the feeling I get to have another Saab with an exciting future ahead of it, I’m still not sure why I continue to do it either, it’s expensive, time consuming and without profit, but for me, I love the sense of another Saab saved, given the love it deserves whilst I get to design them how I think they should be.

It’s now ready for the next part of it’s journey, written about, photographed and driven, you’ll find this very special Aero wagon for sale here.

*Words adapted from one of my all time favourite films; Ratatouille, just seems so apt.

Aux In. Tunes Out.

August 8, 2020 Eleven

Without fail, owners of older Saabs will have faced the same problem, want to hold on to the super cool looking OE stereo but have no simple way of connecting their phone to allow for all you favourite tunes to blast out.

Endless hours of research always pointed me back to one solution, the CD Connect Aux function from Skyddet in Sweden. It a simple little gadget that replaces your CD multi changer connection, it's all totally invisible besides a discreet 3.5mm Aux jack that can be fitted to a black button on your dash somewhere.

After fitting one to the Viggen, it works beautifully; sounds clear, crips and loud, pretty much all it needs to do, however, it doesn't offer any control via the head unit besides the volume, which is a shame, but a small price to pay to keep the Saab looking sweet. Not cheap at £180 but highly recommended if your Saab aesthetic is important to you.

CDConnect Aux | Skyddet Sweden

The Rains Came

August 6, 2020 Eleven

…Just, but enough for me to run outside and see how well the detail on the Viggen had worked. I don’t think I’m alone in getting a bit excited about some tiny beads of rain sitting atop newly detailed paintwork and fabric, it’s one of those simple pleasures that just makes any petrolhead smile.

From early signs, it seems as though the Fabsil Gold on the roof has worked a treat, keeping to interior dry and cosy whilst the Soft99 Fusso has worked equally well on the Lightening Blue paintwork, reassuring considering it’s been sat in hibernation for the past 5 years. I’ll looked forward to a proper English downpour with fingers crossed next.

Viggen from the Flames

August 4, 2020 Eleven

Almost 5 months ago today I purchased the Saab 9-3 Viggen convertible, I’ve done a number of updates throughout the journey, but today, it finally had it’s full exterior detail.

It’s not perfect, having covered 140,000 miles for it’s 5 previous owners, that’s almost 6 times around the Earth, it has stories to tell; stone chips and a few dents, but totally honest and with virtually no rust I couldn’t ask for more, it deserved to be saved, pampered and then enjoyed.

A local detailer has given it a good scrub down, clay bar and treated with Soft99 Fusso; a Japanese paint sealant which will protect it for up to 12 months whilst the roof has also been given a good clean with G101 APC together with a Fabsil Gold waterproofing.

Having driven it for a few hundred miles now, there are a few niggles to deal with, the Air Bag light needs reseting after removing the interior, the outside temp sensor needs replacing and there’s a slight knocking from the driver’s side front suspension set up. Other than that, the short shift gear knob is taking a while to settle in and has a tendency to pop out of 2nd when downshifting, and if this can’t be adjusted satisfactorily, I’ll change it back to the standard shifter instead which will be a shame, but essential.

As this was always a project to save another beautiful Saab, it’ll be up for grabs once the issues are all addressed, you’ll find the full build over on Aeroriginal soon.

Black and Blue

August 3, 2020 Eleven

It might sound strange, but one of my favourite parts of any new Saab rescue is the interior refresh, I look forward to it, I plan what I need to do and how to approach it, I even like stocking up on the products iv’e trusted for years.

After a good few months of the Viggen being made mechanically right again, the interior has languished in 5 years of dust, dirt and tiredness, the leather looked sad and neglected, cast off parts all over the back seat and numerous fittings missing, lost over its 20 year journey.

I like to remove all of the seats, that way, I can treat each one to a full clean and 24 hour feed with Gliptone, bringing the leather to life again, the distinctive Viggen blue leather has come up a treat, it looks bright and firm again, and although the drivers seat has some cracking, the moisuriser has given it a new lease of life and left it with a lovely patina to help tell the car’s story.

I used a foam cleaner by Autoglym for the carpets and plastics and finished it off with a light rub of Autoglym Trim Gel which brings out the grain and colour perfectly.

The new CD head unit replaces the old cassette unit and a subtle AUX input has been fitted, the gorgeous new Nappa leather steering wheel by Tun Style and a genuine Saab replacement leather gear knob.

Tomorrow, the Viggen will be pampered even more by Harry the detailer, the body gets a full clay bar treatment and polish and the roof gets cleaned and sealed again ready for its first outdoor Winter in 5 years.

Cheap Thrills

July 28, 2020 Eleven

Saab 95 Aero_Cafe Racer_1_0001_Layer 1.jpg

Saab 95 Aero_Cafe Racer_1_0000_Layer 2.jpg

Since buying my latest 9-5 Aero back in June, it’s been a whirlwind of activity to build my very first Saab wagon the way I’d always imagined they should be.

The Hazelnut Metallic gave me the inspiration to create something a bit different; embracing the beige exterior, the supple sea of tan leather and the rare light walnut dash and enhancing it with 19” JR18 alloys from Japan Racing to create a kind of Saab Café Racer, a retro wagon for today.

A few teething problems needed sorting in the first few hundred miles, the car stuttered under hard acceleration so a new genuine Saab DI pack has now been fitted and the Stage 4 tuning has also highlighted a need for upgraded brakes at some point soon.

On to the part I relish doing on every new Saab I buy, giving the interior a deep clean. It took me an entire weekend, but the Aero is looking absolutely exceptional again, the comfortable tan leather seats have been cleaned and fed, the carpets and headlining have all been given a freshen up and the plastic, rubber and glass all cleaned and fed. This 9-5 also has a glass sunroof and that, together with the light interior just gives the whole car a luxurious, cosy and warm atmosphere, perfect for relaxed road trips and creating a genuinely impressive arrival at any grand café throughout the land.

The value for money of such a car is truly astounding, what other car could you buy with this much style, individuality and comfort for this sort of money, to say these Saab Aeros offer cheap thrills is an understatement, they really are exceptional cars that have stood the test of time. This is a very low milage example with just 80,000 miles, but double that and for a Saab, it’s still low, looked after and cherished, they’re built so well they’ll reward you for many years to come.

Mid August will see the Aero go to the bodyshop to have a few areas of rust cut out and fixed, the genuine rear Saab roof spoiler fitted and a front shark bumper to finish off the build beautifully.

Mechanically Sound

July 22, 2020 Eleven

Feels a little like half time, I collected the 9-5 today from Malcolm Miles and as ever, they've done me proud, the stage 4 remap together with the long list of performance upgrades has made the Saab feel almost as lively as my Alpina D3 Bi Turbo, and that's saying something. The twin Jetex exhaust coupled with the handmade downpipe from APH sounds absolutely superb and really suits the look of the car too.

Pause for 3 weeks.

Then we're off to the bodyshop to have the rusty rear arches cut out, the rear bumper removed and repainted and the front bumper replaced with a later shark nose version, the Saab rear spoiler will also be fitted and a couple of areas given some attention. During it's time at home, I plan to give the interior a full valet, clean and feed the leather and give the carpets a full on deep clean too.

With only 80,000 miles under its belt, this 9-5 Aero just needed a bit of vision to bring it back up to one of the best wagons <£5k can buy in my eyes. It offers ridiculous comfort, safety, individuality and reliability not to mention the Saab smile. This is going to be a hard one to let got of I think.

Dad Racer

July 15, 2020 Eleven

Whilst the Viggen goes off for more bodywork, the attention has turned to the 9-5 Aero, the folks at Malcolm Miles have been fastidiously replacing warn parts and perished hoses, performing a full sump drop, clean, oil change and replacing a few pipes to the gearbox which had been leaking oil.

The DO88 Intercooler and pipe kit has gone on, a new fuel pump, new induction kit and a Stage 3+ remap from Karl at Noob Tune, the ever gorgeous handmade downpipe from APH Performance has been put on together with a full stainless steel Jetex exhaust with dual pipes giving the wagon an understated but purposeful look, whilst new discs and pads, a Bilstein B12 Pro Sport suspension setup and a serious MapTun strut brace have really sorted out the Aero’s handling.

Sleepless nights and many Photoshop mock ups finally made me choose what I consider to be the perfect alloys for this Saab; Japan Racing JR18 in a Matt Bronze to really enhance the Hazelnut Metallic, 19x8.5 with an ET35 offset and Pirelli P Zero 235/35/19 rubber.

The underneath was looking a little flakey, so has been given a good wire brushing and treated to some Waxoil whilst a few areas will need a small amount of welding to secure them for the future. Once the mechanics have been done, it’ll need to go to the bodyshop and have the rear lower arches cut out and fixed, the bumpers removed and repainted and a new bespoke satin black mesh grille fitted.

This is the first Aero wagon build I’ve done and I absolutely love it, the style is just so timeless, an old Saab ad campaign claimed it was a Dad Racer and I tend to agree, but with these modifications, it also becomes one the ultimate sleepers, and the colour…

…Love it. Thank you Saab.

Viggen Rescue Update

June 25, 2020 Eleven

It’s been a busy fews weeks down at Malcolm Miles, the 9-5 Sportcombi has been dropped off and some serious work has started on the Viggen.

Firstly, some housekeeping, although the sump had been dropped only a few hundred miles ago, it was actually back in 2015, so that’s been dropped again, oil completely drained and refilled with new oil, filters and spark plugs. The power steering pipe has been replaced as have a number of other pipes and perished hoses, the brake lines all cleared out and new high performance Tarox brake fluid added together with Tarox Japan Street drilled, grooved and vented discs, pads and braided hoses. We’ve also added a new oil cooler together with a new DO88 intercooler, Nordic Performance induction kit and a Stage 3+ ECU upgrade by Karl at Noob Tune.

The Bilstien B8 shocks and Eibach springs are now fitted together with the Momo Stealth alloys wheels, chosen for an updated play on the original Viggen 5 spokes, 215/35/19 tyres from Hankook have been used, but from early thoughts, we could upgrade these to 225/35/19 tyres and still fit without issues. The gorgeous craftsmanship from APH Performance has been fitted in the form of a 3” stainless steel downpipe, this links up to the original Viggen middle and rear exhaust section to keep the style right.

Inside, the original tape only head unit has been replaced with a CD unit and an AUX input, the new Hirsch style Nappa leather steering wheel has been fitted and a new OE leather gear knob tops off the superbly tight short shifter from Jam Saab, all in all, the Viggen is beginning to look like my vision, progress continues and this iconic convertible should be ready to take its first road trip in 5 years.

Ramping Up

June 10, 2020 Eleven

The 9-5 Sportcombi went in to Malcolm Miles for it's inaugural ramp check today, it went so badly I was sent home on the train as the car was condemned as undriveable.

That sounds dramatic but it seems to have an oil leak that needs to be sorted and fast, there are a number of pipes that need replacing underneath so we'll hit those at the same time. The front downpipe is about to split in half, a number of bushes need replacing and the springs and shocks are all pretty much past their sell by date.

It's easy to forget these earlier Saab 9-5s are getting on for 20 years old, they will have some rust, they will need parts replacing and they will need some TLC, but invest some time and effort and you'll reap the rewards later on.

Surprising thing for me, is that it drives possibly better than any other 9-5 I've owned, I'm looking forward to making this one a bit special, it deserves the attention and will make for a pretty rare Sportcombi.