Winding back time

May 10, 2025 Eleven

You could call this another one of my white elephant Saabs, after all, you can pick up a halfway decent TTiD for £2 - 2.5k. Then again, I don't know of any other one in the UK that came specified with almost the entire Hirsch Performance catalogue, on top of that, I purchased it new back in 2011.

This particular 9-3 Turbo Edition 160 TTiD was in stock at my local Saab dealership; Bond Street, it was not only in my most desirable colour, Carbon Grey Metallic, but had the Infotainment Plus, Bluetooth Integration and Bi-Xenon headlight options. I'd already test driven and discounted the other usual suspects; BMW, Mercedes, Audi and Lexus and had my heart set on the 9-3. With its striking design, individuality and handling, it shone brighter than the others, but it also had one more unique benefit - Hirsch modifications whilst still retaining the factory warranty.

Together with Bond Street, we set about creating a standout Saab 9-3 Hirsch TTiD, and a few months later, we'd transformed the car :

200 hp / 420 Nm map
5 Twin spoke 18 x 8" alloy wheels
Stainless steel dual exhaust system
Rear boot spoiler
Rear dual diffusor
3 piece mesh front grille
Lower mesh front grille
17" 345 mm brake upgrade
Sports suspension
Carbon leather instrument panel
Carbon leather door and glovebox panels
Leather interior handle set
Aluminium pedals

Having inspired the beginning of Saabvs, I kept the 9-3 for 3 years, before upgrading to my next company car, but somehow it remained a bit of a poster car for other Saab and Hirsch fans, and even to this day, I get comments on this unique 9-3. Then, a few months ago, I had the opportunity to buy it back again, as luck would have it, the car had remained intact, and with all Hirsch modifications. It had however, not been particularly well looked after, either mechanically or aesthetically, so work began on giving it some much needed tlc, the bodywork feels tired and will eventually have a light refresh, but firstly, the mechanics had to be done. Once again, a huge thank you to my friend and Saab genius; Jason Miles, who’s patiently done the following work :

Dual mass flywheel
Clutch kit
Slave cylinder
Starter motor
Aux drive belt
Belt tensioner
Tension pully
Front drop links
Oil pick up pipe O ring to oil pump
Flexi front pipe to DPF
Full service and filters
K&N Hi Flow Filter
Bilstein B6 shocks + Eibach Pro Springs
Fully reconditioned Hirsch alloys
Goodyear Eagle F1 225/40/18

This had already made a huge difference to the way the car handles and drives again, it's smooth, torquey and confident, with the 200hp / 420Nm really proving just how capable and economical these TTiD's are. So, with the mechanics covered (for now) we set about changing one huge issue I had with the original car, upgrading the standard Turbo Edition interior to the desirable, premium natural sport leather, full electric and memory interior. It's given the car the final luxurious touch it truly deserved, and feels as good as any other luxury car I can think of.

What has seriously impressed me, is the quality of the Hirsch interior parts, they've worn exceptionally well, showing few signs of the current 122,000 miles, 14 years and 4 extra owners, in fact, apart from a slightly shinier steering wheel and leather handles, if feels factory fresh, especially after a full detail and leather conditioner.

Next up will be the bodywork, the front and rear bumpers need fixing and repainting, there are some signs of light corrosion on the rear arches and numerous scuffs and poor repairs that need addressing, once again, I don't want to aim for perfection, I want it to share it's journey, but it does deserve a light refresh. White elephant? Cost wise, absolutely, I've already spent £2.5 - 3k on it, so currently standing at around £6k investment, but being such a unique Saab, I feel it deserves to be looked after and cherished.

Optional Extras

April 8, 2025 Eleven

Back in 2011, when I first purchased the TTiD, it was a nicely specified car, but as it was new stock at the Saab dealership, rather than an order direct from manufacturer, I wasn't able to add the desirable and far superior Premium natural leather sport interior, 14 years on, and we've retrofitted that option.

After a call out for a full interior, I drove down to Manchester to collect an immaculate set of seats, door cards and ancillary parts required, with the help of my friend and Saab specialist; Jason, we removed the existing manual interior, modified the wiring looms and fitted the fully electric and memory seats. The difference in quality and tactility is worth the effort, and gives the Hirsch TTiD the finishing interior touch it needed.

Although I also have all of the door cards, the existing interior had been fully modified to include the Hirsch leather handles and also the rare carbon leather inserts, so they'll remain.

We also refitted the fully refurbished Hirsch wheels and new Goodyear Eagle tyres, together with a set of 5mm spacers to make the stance more purposeful. The suspension, however, remains a problem, the rear shocks are in poor condition and it seems like the front Hirsch springs have been replaced with standard height ones and have thrown out the handling and balance. A new replacement set of Bilstien shocks and with MapTun or Eibach springs will be fitted together with any mounts and bushes required next.

Now that the mechanical work has all been down, and we've completed the suspension refresh, it'll be going in to rectify the bodywork issues, both front and rear bumpers are poorly painted, and there's some slight corrosion on the rear arches which will need addressing. I've managed to source another Hirsch lower grille that will also replace the existing broken one. Overall though, it's reminded me just how nicely the TTiD performs, it's got impressive torque and the ReAxs 4 wheel steering has always felt wonderfully reassuring and agile. Saab's combined twin turbo technology helps deliver an intelligent driving sensation that feels as fresh today as it did 14 years ago.

Emerald Isle Aero

March 25, 2025 Eleven

Despite having kept this beautiful Aeroriginal rescue sale on the quiet, it has found a new guardian in the most fitting place I could have wished for. It’ll be leaving me to continue its journey over on the Emerald Isle with another Saab devotee.

It’s a hard one to let go of, in part because it’s one of my favourite colour combinations; Green over tan, but also because it’s been a real challenge to get this one to where it is now. Found at a breakers with damage to the front bumper and both side skirts, but lots of signs of being remarkably well cared for in the past.

It was also suffering from a constant oil light at low rpm, and ruined 2 engines in the diagnosis process. We finally replaced pretty much the entire system and has now covered 4000 miles since the rebuild and been absolutely flawless in its performance.

It’s had numerous upgrades along the way, we took another donor car which provided polybushed subframe, Bilstien B12, upgraded brakes, intercooler and a number of other performance mods, we then added a new JT 3” stainless exhaust, Noob Stage 3 map, new alternator, water pump, aux belt, DI pack, plugs, filters and then the wonderful refurbished ALU56 18” alloys finished in satin Anthracite and wrapped with Michelin PS4’s.

The bodywork had the rear dog legs cut out, leaded correctly and repainted, together with new side skirts, the front bumper fixed, front wing and rear spoiler all repainted too. It’s got age related marks and a few small dents, but is remarkably original, so these just add to its story, which I love to retain as much as possible.

The Sand leather interior has been given a detail with Gliptone leather clean and feed, a new walnut dash fitted to replace a slightly cracked one, together with a Hirsch leather steering wheel, a new SID and a BlueSaab Bluetooth module which is an absolute game changer, especially if you want to keep the magical console configuration looking factory spec.

I can’t deny, I’ll be hugely sad to see this one leave tomorrow, I’ve become rather attached to it, I’ve said before, but this generation Aero just feels like home to me, I love the way it feels and drives, I love the reassurance it gives, the individuality and elegance, it’s as at home arriving at a 5 star hotel as it is a local chip shop, it’ll transport you in sublime comfort and safety, and hopefully, it’ll now have the chance to keep going for many more years.

Whilst it’s hard to let it go, it gives me the opportunity to find more Saabs to rescue and enjoy, to create new variations on my ideal Saabs, and to keep more of these amazing cars on the roads for us all to enjoy.

Hirsch Perfection

March 18, 2025 Eleven

When my old 9-3 arrived home a few weeks ago, I was devastated to see the condition on the Hirsch alloys, not only were all 4 badly marked and kerbed, but 2 of them had rather large flat spots - quite honestly, i’m not sure how wheels get in to this condition, but they needed urgent attention.

Luckily, I’d still got a spare from my first ownership back in 2011, it was also damaged, but not to the same level as the worst wheel. I’ve used Perfection for many years and on numerous sets of alloys, so we’ve chosen the best set and fully refurbished, straightened and balanced them again, and as ever, the quality, service and craftsmanship is literally, perfection.

The unmatched tyres have all been replaced with new Goodyear Eagle F1’s and they’re all ready to be fitted back on to the 9-3 when a few more items have been taken care of.

Inspired by the Hirsch Troll R

March 3, 2025 Eleven

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As with all of my Saab projects, the design, aesthetics and detailing stages are like the icing on the cake for me. The majority of work is often hidden, the mechanical, handling and braking, all crucial, but mostly hidden from all besides the most eagle eyed Saab aficionados. With the unwavering help and support of my friend and Saab guru; Jason Miles, the Sportwagon has been totally transformed in to an absolutely superbly tight car to drive.

But when those stages are complete and I can begin to add my unique touches to the project, that's when I get most excited. The Hirsch inspired 19" alloys had already been fitted, but there was a lot of work still to do with the overall look. It's now had the front and rear bumpers removed, stripped, repaired and repainted, the entire driver's side has also been sanded down, repaired and repainted to eliminate some terrible work it had had done in the past, and we've added a genuine Saab boot spoiler and carefully added a second aperture to the rear diffuser for the twin Abbott Racing exhaust. The front bumper has had a Saab 9-3 Turbo X lower lip added to just give the front a slightly more purposeful appearance, and kept in factory black to echo the rear diffuser.

I'd previously removed the rear badges, but being such a special project, it seemed to deserve a special designation. Through another Saab enthusiast, I'd managed to get hold of a genuine Hirsch 'Troll R' badge, I don't usually like doing this, unless the specific Saab has some Hirsch provenance, but with 340hp, superb handling, braking and driving dynamics, the Sportwagon has been very much inspired by Hirsch thinking, and also, why not, we all have to have a bit of creative licence and fun with these personal Saab projects.

Cut to Friday last week, a stunning, early Spring day, deep blue skies and the sort of day we've been longing for in the UK for the past few months. A call from the amazing bodywork team at Autofection; who tirelessly help me with my flow of Saab rescues, to say that the Sportwagon was ready for collection - perfect.

Not wanting to waste the opportunity of dry roads, a beautifully clean, Snow Silver Saab and gorgeous weather, I asked my very accommodating neighbour if I could use his exquisite driveway to take a few photos. With ancient trees, dappled sunlight, immaculate gravel and bucolic English setting, I couldn't have asked for a better way to capture the final stages of this project.

To me, it emphasises just how timelessly designed these Saabs are, the satin chrome headlight surrounds subtly balance with the Snow Silver paintwork, making this generation 9-5 feel less polarising, whilst the hyper silver alloys and the satin silver roof bars all add to the beauty of the design. This is a project that has taken a lot of time, effort, funds and thought, but the results make me hugely happy and yet another Saab given a totally new lease of life. (Apologies for the number of photos, I really couldn’t choose my favourites this time).

Green Day

February 18, 2025 Eleven

It's true, for the past month or so, I’ve been a bit preoccupied with the 9-5 Sportwagon project and then the new, old 9-3 arriving, so the Graphite Green Aero has been a little neglected.

I'd excitedly fitted the new BlueSaab Bluetooth unit, so before taking it out for a playlist blast, I thought I’d treat this gorgeous Saab to few hours of pampering and a good clean to get rid of the recent grime and salt from the dirty Winter roads.

I am, of course, utterly biased when it comes to Saabs, especially the older 9-5, but I can't help being amazed at just how well they stand up against modern day alternatives. I'm not a huge fan of overly fussy aesthetics, endless angles and confused lighting, but I still feel this generation 9-5 easily hold their own against arguably far more prestigious cars, I take my own alternatives as examples; the Mercedes S500 and the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S for instance, both stunning, but do they make me smile as much as the Saab 9-5, not really.

The One

January 21, 2025 Eleven

“I’m so happy to see this Saab again and back in your ownership.
To me and probably many others, both you and this Saab are icons to the Saab community”

The Saab that inspired me to start Saab vs Scepticism. Back in 2011 Saab was going through some exceptionally uncertain times, I was in the process of looking for a new company car, and decided it might just be the last opportunity I got to walk in to a Saab dealership, and order a brand new car. As it turned out, my thinking was correct, and within months, no new Saabs would ever be available again

Luckily, one of the cars they had immediately available, was their demonstrator - a 9-3 TTiD, the colour and specification suited my needs but it just didn’t have the wow factor I was looking for. The dealership was well known to me, and also had a great reputation for Hirsch conversions, so we sat down and specified a generous list of modifications needed to make it special, that was 14 years ago, I kept it for 4 years and sold it in 2015, last week, I bought it back again.

How did that happen? A Saab acquaintance had sent me a link to a recent ad he’d seen and thought it was my old 9-3, it was. I called the seller - AK Automotive in Amersham, he’d done a lot of research on the Saab, and also used the specification from my website to list the details correctly, he’d also hoped I might see the ad and enquire. After a quick conversation, they kindly delivered the car the following day.

It’s now 10 years older, having covered another 80,000 miles and had a further 4 owners. Initially it felt tired, the Hirsch wheels were not only damaged, but 2 also have flat spots on the outer edges, some paintwork has been done, but there’s further damage to the front bumper and a few other panels. On the positive side, besides the broken lower front grille, every Hirsch item I originally specified is still in remarkable condition.

We’ve since had the Saab on ramps, we’ve identified that the front exhaust pipe is badly leaking, it the sump needs a new oil pick up O ring, the rear suspension adjusting to stop an annoying rattle, and a good service to begin with. It also needs all new matching tyres again, a wheel alignment and the rather dark window tints removing.

After a few hundred miles of driving it again, I’ve realised why I chose it in the first place, the handling is reassuringly responsive thank to all of the modifications, the torque from the Hirsch 200hp and twin Turbo is smile inducing, and the feeling that this is a bit of a special Saab is still there.

If I’m truly honest, I hadn’t realised what this Saab had inspired over the years, not just for myself, but in others too, I’ve had some humbling comments that have made me realise how special Saabs are to many of us, and I feel blessed to be able to share my personal obsession for them through Saab vs Scepticism. Here are just a few of those comments :

“Again, congratulations Paul! It’s very special that you have this exact Saab back again. It instantly takes us back to the time when you started Saab vs. Also very special to think what this car all started. Your blog, many gorgeous Saab pictures, countless moments of inspiration for many fellow Saab enthusiasts, and for me personally eventually a very dear friendship with you for which I’m truly grateful”

“Good to hear that it has made it's way back home into a safe pair of hands. It was pictures of this very 9-3 that inspired the look of my 9-3. I thought it looked absolutely perfect then and still do now. Unfortunately I couldn't get quite as many original Hirsch parts as were specced on your one. Looking forward to future updates and seeing it brought back to its former glory”

“Ah the Titan! It caught my attention and I’ve been reading Saabvs ever since. Great to see!”

Snow Silver Road Trials

January 13, 2025 Eleven

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It’s been a few weeks since the mechanical side of the Snow Silver Sportwagon were completed, and it’s been an absolute pleasure to put it through its paces and do some road testing. Over 1000 miles covered now, and things have settled in beautifully. The forged engine is just sublime, with immediate, effortless power, the rebuilt 19T Turbo helps deliver smile inducing torque and an impressive surge throughout the rpm range, it has silky smooth gear changes thanks to a few internal modifications, and just the right amount of visceral grunt from the twin Abbott exhausts.

The triumph however, is the transformation of the handling, the Bilstien B12 kit, polybushed subframe and rear arms, the larger alloys, subtly wider track, Goodyear F1’s and the upgraded braking deliver a hugely capable car. Add the Quaife limited slip diff, and it actually feels like it drags you around corners, something you don’t usually expect from a superbly comfortable wagon, this really is the essence of a sleeper in my opinion.

We’ve only had a couple of minor issues to overcome, an original coolant hose decided to burst and has now been replaced with another DO88 silicon one, and the map has been reflashed again by Karl at NoobTune to remedy the traction and ABS lights which had been linked to the older generation ECU, it’s running around a healthy 335 - 340hp on a Stage 5, which Karl has specifically tailored to deliver very liveable, everyday power.

Next stage will be the bodywork, both front and rear bumpers to repaint and the driver’s side has some marks I’m just not happy with. These together with a few subtle aesthetic mods will get it to a stage I’m content with, in the meantime, it’s proving hugely capable and coping nicely with the filthy roads and extreme Winter weather.

Project Snow Silver Progress

December 18, 2024 Eleven

It’s been a massive few weeks for the Snow Silver Sportwagon project, and having such a dedicated amount of time on it has meant progress has been rapid. Utmost respect to my friend and Saab guru; Jason Miles for taking this project on, and his attention to detail has been inspirational, if something looked like it might need attention in the future, it’s been done, to future proof the build.

The entire subframe and rear arms got Powerflex Polybushes, the new Bilstien B12 suspension was fitted together with new bump stops followed by the entire, newly fitted brake system from the Nocturne Blue Aero, upgraded front big brakes from Neo Brothers and genuine Saab Sport discs and upgraded pads on the rear and today, the full Abbott 3” stainless exhaust system went back on, including downpipe.

The amount of work that’s gone in to making this 9-5 Sportwagon special is hugely satisfying, one more day and Jason will pretty much have the mechanical side of the project finished, we’ve got to rectify an ABS fault, but other than that, we’ve had the car running and out of the workshop for the first time.

With a quick jet wash of the hidden parts, unseen but just as important, the Snow Silver Saab started to look the part, the suspension had settled down to reveal it’s new stance, and the twin tailpipes look purposefully menacing poking out of the rear bumper.

We put the 18” Team Dynamics wheels on just for a quick shakedown, but these will be replaced by new alloys which have just been clad with Goodyear Eagle F1 tyres to fully embrace the 350hp power and superb torque put through the Quaife LSD.

Next stage will be more aesthetic, the paintwork needs some attention and a few more subtle OE+ mods will be on their way in the new year.

Project Snow Silver. Day I

December 10, 2024 Eleven

We’ve been patiently waiting to start this very exciting project for the past few months, and yesterday, it all began like a hurricane. Several hours in, and the Nocturne Blue 9-5 had been completely disassembled, the modified and performance parts carefully removed, checked and catalogued, and the engine and gearbox ready to be removed the following day.

It’s been a hard decision to not save the Blue Aero, but having covered some 250,000 hard miles, it was exceptionally tired, nearly all panels required some kind of attention, and quite honestly, financially it just didn’t make sense. More importantly though, the beating heart of the car will live on in a new guise, the wonderfully strong engine was fully modified less than 100,000 miles ago, and after many miles covered, has proven it’s worth, it’ll benefit from numerous new ancillary parts, and be reunited with a freshly rebuilt manual gearbox, with LSD, upgraded clutch, new slave cylinder and gaskets.

It’s one less Saab for the world, but we’ve been fastidious with removing the parts that will become spares for the Graphite Green Aero, including switches, SID and heater units, lights and many interior parts have all been put aside for future use.

I’ve been getting a steady request for parts to be sourced and ordered, the new Bilstein B12 kit has arrived, along with new wheels and the ECU has been shipped off the Karl at Noobtune for a new bespoke Stage 5 remap.

As the next few days progress, I’ll attempt to take photos at various stages of the build, I’m truly humbled by Jason’s knowledge of Saabs, and quite honestly, feel this would not have begun without his friendship or belief in my projects. These are not my normal, ‘finished project’ photos, these are moments of the build, captured and enjoyed for their detail, I find a genuine beauty in the deconstructed nature of them, the hundreds and thousands of individual parts that come together to form a single car, in this case, a Saab that continues the journey of two.

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Project Silver Snow

November 23, 2024 Eleven

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Continuing the Winter theme, I thought it was about time to introduce the latest Saabvs project, the Snow Silver Metallic Sportwagon.

I've never been the hugest fan of this particular facelift version of the 9-5, but in this colour and specification, it really does tick all the boxes for me. It's one of the very last OG 9-5 to ever roll off the production line, a 2010 2.3 Turbo Edition, which was a special designation to enable them to throw the entire bin end parts at, an Aero with extras.

It's a high pressure turbo, manual gearbox and the full fat 260hp from factory, but it's the interior that benefitted most, with sat nav, Harman Kardon audio, perforated sport leather and electronically adjustable seats, heated front and rear, and a host of other nice touches throughout including the Piano Black dashboard and door card detailing.

This particular Saab has been in the same family for the past 10 years and comes with a nice amount of history, it needs some paintwork to bring it up to scratch, but there are no visible signs of corrosion, and even the lower rear arches are clear.

Now this is where the fun starts, as this is just the base car for a rather large upgrade. It'll be having the forged engine out of the Nocturne Blue Aero transplanted, together with the modified TD04 Turbo, Intercooler, LSD, upgraded clutch, Abbott downpipe and full stainless twin exhaust system. It'll have the upgraded 314mm front brakes and Saab Sport vented rears, a new set of Bilstien B12 shocks and Eibach springs, Powerflex polybushed subframe and numerous other modifications. It'll be delivering around 350hp and massive torque, and what's best, all in a Saab 9-5 Sportwagon, I've been looking forward to doing this for a few years now, and thanks to a great friend and Saab genius, things have fallen in to place.

I've got ideas coming together to give it an understated yet more aggressive aesthetic, although I plan to keep this very much OE+, this will no doubt change along the way, but that's all part of the fun. We'll end up with a hugely enjoyable Sportwagon that drives, handles and feels great.

There will be some great parts available during the build, not least, a perfect 2.3 whole engine, Turbo, and also a spare manual gearbox fitted with another upgraded clutch and LSD. I'll be listing these as soon as they're available, but ETA is around mid December.

Perfect Imperfection

November 12, 2024 Eleven

I’ve always been a great believer in imperfection, I love these Saabs to be able to share their journeys, both good and bad, with imperfection, there’s a beauty that helps tell a story. The Graphite Green Aero is a great example, I could chase the ‘factory fresh’ route, but here’s the thing, it would lose its soul.

How did this exceptionally beautiful Saab end up at a breakers yard, no history, no V5C? How was it so nicely maintained and yet had a reoccurring oil light issue? Who added carbon fibre to the B pillars and front lower spoiler? I might not be able to answer these questions, but through its imperfections, I’m able to create a story in my mind, and to me, that’s priceless.

I don't confess to know everything about these cars, or be a mechanical genius, but with the help of a few fantastic people, I take huge pleasure in rescuing and restoring these amazing Saabs back to usable, everyday cars. To be driven and adored, not locked away for show days and weekends, yes, they might have a few marks here and there, but that’s what makes each and every one special.

Life is about the journey and the experiences along the way, these Saabs make wonderful companions and form endless memories, it’s time to embrace these imperfections.

Weekend Aero Workshop

October 1, 2024 Eleven

A couple of jobs on the Graphite Green Aero had been outstanding for a while now, an irritating whine we’d narrowed down to either alternator, or power steering pump, as sod’s law always wins, we changed the alternator for a new one, and it wasn’t that, the whine continued. This weekend, it was finally fixed, a new pump fitted and we’re back to the quiet, smooth running I always associate with the Saab 9-5 Aero engine.

Annoyingly, the beautiful dark Walnut dashboard had started to delaminate and crack, so a perfect replacement was found and that has also been fitted. Over the years, I think I’ve possibly had virtually every facia option Saab offered, some more unusual, the light walnut with a gorgeous satin finish, the almost black Ash, and both the Saab and Hirsch Carbon options, but I still find the dark Walnut endearing. This Aero was also specified with the optional matching Dark Walnut Gloss gear selector, which really does finish the console off perfectly.

Another job for the weekend was to transplant the original Hirsch steering wheel from the Nocturne Blue Aero over to the Green Aero. As I’m not entirely sure what will happen to the Nocturne one, I wanted to keep the wheel as it’s a gorgeous shape, and feels so much more substantial than the standard wheel.

Last but not least, the Green Aero had a slight stutter under full acceleration, it hesitated and didn’t put its full power down, so we’ve changed over the brand new, genuine DI pack and also correct Aero spark plugs and it’s stopped the stutter completely, passing the issue to the donor Nocturne Aero, so yet another DI and plug set has arrived this morning from Neo Brothers.

After such a long time to get this car back on track, it’s such a joy to own and drive, although it’s featured for sale on Aeroriginal, I’m not entirely sure I can let this one go now.

Just a few more miles

July 17, 2024 Eleven

For the past month, I’ve been putting the Graphite Green Aero through its paces, over 1000 miles covered, and what an absolute pleasure it’s been. I’ve taken it up to the beautiful Northumberland coastline, through rush hour traffic in Nottingham, in and out of London, and many, many B road blasts around Leicestershire and Rutland. It’s given me time to not only work out a few of the niggles after the second engine rebuild, but to also get fully aquatinted with the car again.

As much as I love a manual 9-5 Aero, there’s something exceptionally rewarding about the auto in these Saabs, it compliments its luxurious, comforting cruiser mode so perfectly, and when called upon, the torque and acceleration are still smile inducing. Over the years, I’ve learnt to not give the car full throttle, but to tease the power out more steadily, it rewards you with a growing surge of Turbo boost and doesn’t down gear or scream at you. Its smooth changes enhanced by the NoobTune Stage 3 remap, and even on hot days, the power is constant thanks to the upgraded intercooler.

It needed a new alternator as there was a constant whine that got worse over a few hundred miles, so a new one has been fitted, and not directly associated to the car’s drivability, but a new set of boot struts have been added to stop it slamming shut, other than that, the 1000 mile road test hasn’t thrown up any other concerns and more importantly, the reoccurring oil light issue seems to be well and truly fixed.

An obvious fascination with this car for me was the beautiful Graphite Green Metallic paint and Sand leather interior, it’s a combination that is so endearing and really suits the 9-5’s elegant form. The satin anthracite 18” wheels and Michelin tyres have enhanced the overall aesthetic, and the usual Bilstien / Eibach suspension combo has transformed the handling of this car. The wonderfully low 75,000 miles it’s covered over its 21 year life means it also feel really tight still; it gives you a small glimpse in to how it might have felt to pick up a brand new 9-5 Aero back in 2003.

Top Gear recently classed the 9-5 Aero as one of their top Saabs of all time "The first generation 9-5 Aero may have had the greatest driver focused, button filled interior of all time. It also looked fantastic, was hugely reliable and could do 0-62mph in under 7.0 seconds. All the car you would ever need".

I'm not really sure I could put it better myself, these are truly fantastic cars, and have been underrated for far too long, saying that, I'd prefer them to stay under the radar. Is the road testing finished yet? Hmmm, just a few more miles please...

NOS

June 25, 2024 Eleven

Three letters that bring a smile to the face of any hardcore Saab fan; NOS or New Old Stock. An absolute joy to discover, especially when it describes an original Saab 9-5 SID unit. Brand new, never fitted with unmarked buttons and perfect pixels.

I know it might not seem much to most people, but small pleasures are sometimes the best ones. As it becomes harder to find certain parts for cars that are 20+ years old, and from a lost manufacturer, it brings me a lot of pleasure to find them. It can be anything from a badge to an owner's manual, a door handle to a head unit, it really doesn't matter, the joy is still the same.

My NOS SID arrived today, and from the beaten up box to the unmarked, original label, it brought a smile to both me and my Saab.

Small pleasures...

More Fettling

June 17, 2024 Eleven

One of the greatest pleasures of saving these amazing Saab Aeros, is the shear joy of getting to drive and enjoy them all. The Graphite Green 9-5 hasn’t been an easy one, and the concerns over the oil light returning after this last bottom end replacement, has been in the back of my mind. So best thing to do was put some miles in and reassure myself if wasn’t going to happen again. After some 500 miles and a lot of joy, I’m feeling exceptionally happy I stuck with this one and we’ve finally got there; no oil light.

As ever though, it’s an iterative process, and there’s always something to take care of, so on Saturday, we had another round of fettling, we fixed a slight hesitation in acceleration, which turned out the be a boost pipe that had come loose and the dump value not fitted quite correctly. We also changed over the worn, sliding arm rest for an almost immaculate one, and secured some loose wiring for the front fog lamps.

There’s also been a slight whine since the rebuild, and we’ve narrowed it down to a noisy alternator. Hopefully this can be exchanged soon and the Saab returned to peek driving condition. Once again, I can’t help but respect the 9-5 Aero, it’s super smooth, powerful and calming on longer journeys, but press on, and it turns in to a smile inducing sport saloon that handles beautifully with it’s modified suspension, upgraded brakes and new Michelin Pilot Sport 4 rubber. It’s hard to believe it’s over 20 years old really, the quality shines through and feels every bit as special as modern executive cars; just better looking of course.

Against all Odds

June 1, 2024 Eleven

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Back in January last year, I spotted this spectacular Saab 9-5 Aero at a dismantlers, it was being sold as a spares car, after a few conversations, it seemed like this had been a much loved Saab, but for some reason, had ended up here; no log book, no manuals etc, just a rather down on it’s luck Saab, low milage at 72,000 and only 3 previous owners.

Not one to be put off by lost bits of paperwork, and being in my favourite colour combination of green over tan, I couldn’t let this one go. I bought it, had it transported directly to my Saab specialist, and let the process begin.

Early positive news, the car was in remarkably good condition, yes, it was filthy inside, yes, it had vegetation growing out of its joints, and yes, a forklift had crushed the side skirts enough to need replacing, but overall, remarkably rust free. The bad news, it seemed to have the oil light on at low tickover after warming up, we changed the oil pump, cleaned the oil pickup and sump etc, gave it a thorough recommission and service, and the oil light vanished, for about 200 miles.

Now the fun started, it not only come back on, but very quickly turned in to the unnerving clattering and tapping soundtrack we all dread, I limped it back in to the garage and left it for a full diagnosis; new engine needed. With a stroke of luck, a donor Aero was offered to me with a decent engine and plenty of nice upgrades, I took the opportunity to buy a load of the elements I like to add to each project, and also had a replacement bottom end.

The work was carried out and it drove absolutely beautifully for a few weeks, so the bodywork repairs were commissioned; new side skirts replaced, rear lower arches cut out, welded and leaded, front bumper, passenger wing and Abbott Racing boot lip all sanded down and repainted, the Saab was starting to resemble the car I imagined it could be, the gorgeous ALU 56 alloys had been refurbished in satin anthracite with new Michelin PS4 rubber and now adorned the car, then, after just a few weeks, the dreaded oil light began to reappear.

The core issue hadn’t been fully identified, and to be honest, we still don’t know exactly what caused it, but we had to repeat the process again; a full Aero engine was sourced, and rebuilt, a another new MOT gained, and it’s back on the road once again. After the first few days, early signs are positive, but to be 100% I want to do a few serous road trips and really enjoy the car for a moment. It’s been a hard rescue, but from dismantlers to today, this Saab Aero deserved to be saved. Cleaned up and with its numerous enhancements, this is a Saab that had obviously been adored in the past and deserved to be again. Finger’s crossed we’ve beat the odds on this one, and a beautiful, rare specified Aero will enjoy many more years of life now.

What it cost

Graphite green Aero £1300
18” ALU56 alloys £340
4 x Michelin Pilot Sport 4 £411
Full wheel refurbishment / satin anthracite £450
Donor car £1250:
Engine
Bilstien shocks
Eibach springs
Polybushed subframe
Upgraded Intercooler
Upgraded brakes
JT 3” exhaust £500
Welding, bodywork and paint £1500
2nd Aero engine £750
Mechanical inc. ancillary parts, oil, filters etc £2000
NoobTune Stage 3 £90
Genuine Saab badges £100

Approximately £8691

A Different Kind of Luxury

May 30, 2024 Eleven

The Graphite Green Aero has been somewhat of a nemesis over the past year for me, all originating from an oil light that kept haunting me on tickover; two bottom end engine changes, and finger’s crossed, I think we might have finally sorted it.

Malcolm Miles, have somehow kept their cool, sourced another Aero block and brought it all together again, there are a few small snagging issues to sort; a whinny belt and a slight hesitation on full acceleration, but it’s back to being as nice to drive as I remember.

Having just had surgery, I have to suffer two whole weeks without driving, but today, I felt well enough to do some much needed work on the interior, lots of dirt and a general build up of grime left it feeling a little sorry for itself, sticky console buttons, film over all of the windows, disintegrating mats and the odd missing fitting here and there. Taking my time, I cleaned the dashboard, seats and door cards with soapy water to get the worst off, then moved on to Autoglym interior foam and a brush to give them all a thorough clean.

It’s not perfect, but after putting in a high quality set of new carpet mats and a final hoover, it’s starting to look how it deserves to look. Not to everyone’s taste, but the cream leather, carpet and headlining give the interior a beautifully calming and airy feel, whilst the dark wood dashboard and extended wood gear knob just add to the overall sense of luxury. The clear orange and green lights are a welcome relief from the harsh, bright instrumentation of many newer cars and overall, the Saab offers a rare, relaxed space in which to enjoy endless journeys; the Graphite Green Aero is finally coming together.

Nocturnal Instincts

May 15, 2024 Eleven

It’s be a bit of a slog getting the Nocturne Blue Aero back up to scratch, but with the help of a few, very clever Saab friends, the 9-5 passed it’s MOT last weekend and feels like it’s well on the way to a full recovery. When I bought it from Peter Raw, it was purchased as a spares car, great engine, rebuilt Turbo, and fast, bloody fast, but it wasn’t a car I planned to rescue.

We got it up on the ramp, and besides visible neglect for many years, it was a solid car, no gaping holes or disintegrating sub frames, just serviceable parts that hadn’t been serviced; brakes with so much wear they’d stopped stopping, lowering springs that had literally fallen apart, cracked DI pack, incorrect plugs, split gaiters and hoses, and numerous parts that hadn’t seen a spanner or fresh oil for way too long.

We set about working nights and weekends to fix a long list of issues, many that are usually overlooked on regular servicing, but now all done. We’d spent a few weekends on it, when a curveball hit us, it lost 5th gear, again, possibly due to many years of driving at sub optimal conditions, boosting hard in 5th gear, too much torque, and it just disintegrated. Luckily, another absolute Saab genius offered to fix the broken gear and all is well again.

The list is long, and never cheap, but decided the Saab was way too good to use as a donor car:

Neo Front 314mm Big Brake Upgrade kit
Genuine Saab Rear Vented Brake Discs and pads
New Eibach lowering springs
Steering Rack gaiters
Fuel filter
Rear rose bush
Genuine DI pack
Correct Aero spark plugs
Front low and main beam bulb upgrades
Auxiliary belt and idler pulley
Full service, oil, filters, brake fluid

It’s one of these cars that looks great from a distance, but get close and you’ll see it’s had a hard life, the interior has cleaned up amazingly well, but the bodywork isn’t fantastic, some areas of surface corrosion, including a few holes in the usual places, faded panels, and a few dents here and there, but here’s the thing, now it’s mechanically sorted, I kind of love the idea of it not being perfect, it’s a sleeper, an utterly sorted and genuinely exciting Saab to drive around in. With 340+ hp on tap, a manual gearbox and super limited slip diff, it’s an absolute smile inducing machine, and because it’s not perfect, I’m not precious about it, it wants and needs to be driven.

236,000 Mile Interior

March 19, 2024 Eleven

Despite not being the most urgent job on the long to-do list for the Nocturne Blue Aero, I couldn’t resist spending a few hours giving the interior a bit of a clean and a few treats.

First off, replace the terrible blue / white LED interior bulbs for the factory standard, warm white ones, then replace the broken gear gaiter for a genuine leather Saab one, finally replace the missing lighters for completeness and then on to the cleaning.

The Hirsch steering wheel had such a build up of dirt, that parts of the perforated leather sections were actually hidden, I wrapped it in damp clothes for a few hours, and then used a leather cleaner and a soft brush to scrub off the grime, finally, I gave it two applications of leather feed.

Because it had been smoked in, it had a stale smell and a build up of surface dirt, I’ve used an Autoglym interior foam cleaner, an old nail brush and a bunch of micro cloths to get the worst off, and then applied the different surfaces with suitable Autoglym treatments, including moisturising the leather. The roof lining needs a good clean still, and I need to source a new set of A pillar covers, as they have cigarette burns in them.

I removed the worn out rubber mats and have ordered new dark grey carpet replacements, sadly not genuine Saab ones as I can’t find them any more, but decent quality ones that should fit nicely and are made to order.

My overriding thought, is just how well these Saab interiors clean up, I’ve owned and cleaned many marques, and Saabs are genuinely some of ones that stand the test of time. This Aero has covered 236,000 miles, has visibly been roughly treated, not cleaned often enough and yet, with some hard work, comes up beautifully.

I have a spare driver’s seat I’ll use to replace the current one, as it has a serious squeak, but decides that, the interior still feels solid, rattle free and beautifully put together, it has once again been returned to the state it deserves.

“I’m so happy to see this Saab again and back in your ownership.To me and probably many others, both you and this Saab are icons to the Saab community”

What it cost

“I’m so happy to see this Saab again and back in your ownership.
To me and probably many others, both you and this Saab are icons to the Saab community”