In Saab We Trust

December 12, 2023 Eleven

At least, I’m sure it goes something like that, either way, I’ve taken a leap of faith and embarked on another Saab project, this time though, it jumps straight in as one of the leaders of the High Mile Club, currently having enjoyed nearly three hundred and eighty thousand miles, that’s six hundred and eleven thousand kilometres.

Originally purchased from Abbott Racing some 20 years ago and mechanically maintained by them regardless of cost ever since, I see it as a calculated risk. Also, being a Saab 9000 Aero, they tend to have gained an almost legendary reputation for surviving double the amount of miles without breaking a sweat.

It was an opportunity to put my trust in Saab to the test, an opportunity I just couldn’t say no too. It comes as a nicely modified, manual 9000 Aero; ECU upgrade, delivery pipe, Intercooler, full stainless exhaust, front and rear strut braces and anti roll bar.

Saying all that, it’s looking seriously tired; corrosion on the front wings, some nice holes in the B pillar bases, a bit tatty inside and the lower rear quarters are disintegrating, in fact I have absolutely no idea how it passed its recent MOT. The question is, can I give it a bit of a refresh and reliably run it as another daily Saab? We’ll see, one thing’s for sure, I couldn’t see it become just another parts car without trying, if saved and enjoyed, it also means one less 9000 Aero we lose.

In Saab I Trust…

Dirt don’t slow you down

December 19, 2022 Eleven

As the legendary Porsche guy; Magnus Walker, says, “Dirt don’t slow you down” and he’s right, we tend to like showing our Saabs looking as clean as possible, Sundays spent polishing rather than enjoying. I learnt many years ago that I just don’t have the time to waste making them look immaculate, I want to be out there, driving and enjoying every spare moment I have.

Yes, it was great to see the 9000 Aero looking so lovely when it finally emerged from the bodyshop, but given a few days on the UK roads in Wintertime, and it’d reverted to type, looking purposefully dirty and very much enjoyed. We have salt on our roads of course which has to be constantly removed, but it really won’t harm them for a few weeks without a clean.

I take immense comfort in a dirty car, I don’t have to worry about steering around puddles or avoiding our inspiring country roads, in fact I take the time to actively search them out to truly enjoy the Aero’s wonderful comfort and handling. The fat Michelin Primacy tyres do their job well and soak up plenty of dumps and potholes with ease, whilst the embracing comfort of the interior allows you to sit back and enjoy every moment of the drive.

Get out there and drive I say.

1/100

October 24, 2022 Eleven

According to How Many Left, genuine Saab 9000 Aeros are getting rarer each and every year, with the Autos down in to their 20's this year in the UK. That's not counting the one's currently SORN, but even then, we're talking very low numbers.

Along with the Saab 9-5, the 9000 Aeros have always been a personal favourite of mine, the understated luxury and quality of build still surprises me today, beautifully solid composure and one of the best Saab interiors of all time, but they're getting old and tired and most have covered hundreds of thousands of miles.

It's one of the reasons I find it hard to turn down a genuine Aero, I just feel they deserve to be kept on our roads and the reason I'm so proud of this Silver 9000 Aero.

It's been a slow process, almost a year since I was offered it, but time has been well spent, the integrity of the rear half has been cleaned, welded and protected, new suspension, new brakes, wheels refurbished, new Michelin tyres and new stainless exhaust, whilst mechanically, it's been given a good overhaul with numerous parts replaced, and is now running as smoothly as I'd hoped for.

Whilst I love the manual gearbox, I also feel that the Auto suits the big 9000 to perfection, a genuinely capable cruiser with 275hp on call to keep up with modern traffic. Shift is smooth and refined for a 90's car and happily sits for hundreds of miles at high speeds for road trips in style and comfort.

The interior remains flawless, every dial and every switch remains working and the more you're in a 9000, the more you become addicted to its simplicity and form. The Recaro designed seats still haven't been bettered in my eyes and feel both supportive and comforting to spend drive time in.

It has just come out of the bodyshop, where they've managed to remove a large dent in the door, a nasty crack in the rear bumper and also resprayed a number of panels including a replacement front wing and rear spoiler and truly looks exceptional again.

With these rescues, I'm never after perfection, I don't look to build them 'as new', far from it, I love the integrity of time, preservation rather than renew, it produces a Saab with more stories to tell and enjoy, a Saab that remains affordable, yet reliable and ready for many more journeys. With numbers dwindling, these Aeros offer rare and individual ownership, a chance to enjoy what Saab called their ultimate specification.

No Place Like Saab

September 20, 2022 Eleven

A rather productive weekend in terms of getting things done, I’ve managed to spend the time required to give the spare 9000 Aero interior a total refresh. Doing this kind of detailed refresh really does give you a chance to see just how beautiful older Saab interiors are, this one for instance, came from a 1996 Aero, that makes it 26 years old. The undeniable quality of the leather, stitching detail, handles that just don’t show any signs of wear and the overall quality of design and form, all exceptional.

Then there’s the Saab smell of course, a smell that only older Saabs have, the interior has been deep cleaned, coloured where required and moisturised, all with the wonderful Gliptone range. It’s currently taking over my home office, but even there, it has the undeniable Saab smell.

I now have a difficult decision to make, do I fit this almost immaculate interior in to the Silver Aero, or hold on to is for another Aero rescue? With the same amount of time, I imagine I can get the current interior up to the same level, so maybe this one should be kept on the shelf for a rainy day project, I can’t quite decide, all I know, is that there really is no place like a Saab.

The Journey of a Saab 9000 Aero

August 3, 2022 Eleven

Built in Trollhättan, Sweden in the Winter of 1997 and sold by Ballards of Finchley for £30,225, the Saab was kept by its original owner for the next 11 years and covered just 64,000 miles. It was then purchased by its second and only other owner in 2008, who went on to keep the car for the next 13 years, however, it only covered another 43,000 miles and currently shows 107,000. Since 2019, the 9000 Aero was rarely used and became a little unloved until I heard about it late 2021.

Although it was running, it required plenty of attention; belts loose and noisy, head gasket leaking, ABS sensor fault, the suspension had seen better days, gearbox mounts had deteriorated and although the 9000 was solid at the front, the rear half required some cleaning and welding.

The driver’s door had been replaced and fitted badly, but the original one was provided with the car and although it has a dent to repair, it’s been put back on and fits beautifully again, the passenger side wing had rusted and has now also been replaced by another genuine part, but other than that, the bodywork is remarkably free from rust.

After a number of months spent at Malcolm Miles, the 9000 finally went for its MOT and passed with flying colours, a real tribute to the team for dedicating so much time and expertise bringing another Saab Aero back to life for me.

Aesthetically, the only renovation and modifications to be done so far, are fitting new Saab shocks and lowered Abbott Racing springs, having the iconic Super Aeros refurbished in a darker metallic grey and adding a full set of new Michelin Primacy tyres. After a few weeks of driving and snagging, it’ll be heading off for some paintwork and detailing and then finally, the interior will most likely be treated to a recolour.

Being a 25 year old car, it’s far from perfect and nor should it ever be, I love to see and feel each Saab’s journey, hear it’s story and honour them for what they are. Cars aren’t built like this any longer, and although they’ll never be worth tens of thousands of pounds, I still see the beauty in saving them for many years to come. There’s a lost art in building cars this well, ones that were built to last, to stand the test of time and make their owners proud, this Aero has the ability to do that now, possibly for many thousands of miles, it’s journey continues…

Legand

August 19, 2021 Eleven

Yesterday I watched sadly as the iconic 9000 Aero was driven away by its new guardian, and yes, this one made me exceptionally sad to see it go. I’m constantly on the search for Saabs that are a little bit unusual, ones that maybe have a unique specification, a limited edition or even just an exceptional colour, and this 9000 was most defiantly one of those.

The 9000 Aero had always been a dream for me, I’ve wanted to own one for some 20+ years and have to say, it did not disappoint in any way shape or form, it was quite simply, a legend of a car. The biggest pleasure for me is bringing these Saabs back to life, giving them the dedication they deserve and fixing issues that other’s might have just neglected, hidden or deemed unnecessary to do. Once those have been ticked off, I can start to dream, thinking about what I’d love to do the make it really special again.

This specific 9000 had already been beautifully maintained and received plenty of performance updates throughout its journey, but I had a personal vision of how the 9000 Aero interior should be especially; I changed the faded walnut dash and central pocket cover, found original audio head units and rare cup holder, changed the gear knob and replaced all of the blown bulbs bring the interior back to how I remember seeing it in the 1996 brochure. Alongside a full mechanical shake down, we’ve also fitted a full set of Abbott Motorsport discs and pads and a new Michelin tyres.

It’s been a short but sweet Saab story with the 9000, but I’ve had it, loved it and passed it on to a fantastic new owner who I know will truly cherish it as much as I have. I do often wonder why I continue to search out these Saabs but they still excite me, they make me dream of what can be achieved and how I can make them as good as my vision, they also help to keep me on the right side of sane which is often not an easy task. Above all though, it’s when I read words like this that I realise why I still and will continue to love Saabs and our odd little global community :

"Big thank you to Paul a.k.a Saab vs. Scepticism for selling me this gorgeous 9000 Aero. I could tell he was genuinely sad to see it go but he knows it will be cherished. What a top guy, properly enthusiastic about keeping the brand alive and clearly a true car guy! As part of the deal I asked him to stick a bit of juice in it (enough to get me home) and rather than just putting a £10 splash he went and brimmed it with 99RON, as well as getting it cleaned for me. Legend, thank you”.

Illuminating

July 5, 2021 Eleven

I've always had a bit of a thing about the illumination in cars, so much so that whenever I buy a new car, I make a point of going out for a night drive, just to see how the interior looks and feels after dark. Having had over 30 Saabs, this pleasure still shows no sign of diminishing and despite knowing exactly have each model looks, I still can't help myself.

That first night drive inevitably leads to a 'to-do list' though; missing pixels, blown bulbs and worn buttons, and whilst this is a slightly easier challenge for the later models, the 9000 Aero has been more difficult with parts far harder to source.

After a few months though, I have a dashboard to be proud of, the aftermarket stereo has been replaced with an original radio and tape unit together with a separate CD unit and amplifier, the climate control unit has been replaced as have a number of bulbs in the instrument cluster, and whilst there isn't illumination, the wonderfully retro cup and coin holder adds a perfect finishing touch to the overall beauty.

Those with an eye for detail will notice the 217,000 miles, of course it’s a Saab 9000 Aero which has an almost legendary reputation for covering huge milage without issue, but to also get one with that milage and looking as great as this, that makes me a happy man.