Keeping my Saabs looking as close to factory as possible, has been a consistent theme to my rescues, and especially the interiors. I’ve always loved the aesthetic of the 9-5, the dashboard and console, the form and function of the buttons and displays, and even the standard audio system.
But, no matter how nice it is to use a few of your old CD’s, not having a decent connection to music steaming is a real shame. Yes, I’ve tried the tape with the wire, I’ve also installed a few aux plugs, but none have been a great solution, and the cables coming from your dashboard are ugly and distracting.
Last week however, I happened to log on to one of the Facebook Saab Groups and discover a super clever guy called Frank Mathieson in Cornwall, had crafted the perfect solution for our old Saabs, the BlueSaab V6. (9-3 : 1999-2002 and 9-5 : 1998-2005). I immediately messaged him to see if I could be one of this version’s lucky recipients, and a few days later, one arrived.
My Graphite Green Aero already had a CD multi changer in the boot, so I excitedly disconnected the unit and removed the cage, plugged the BlueSaab unit directly into the exciting wiring loom, and hoped in the car to give it a go; an initial flat battery scuppered my excitement for a few minutes, but after boosting it from the Defender, the Saab kicked back in to life, the BlueSaab V6 immediately showed up as a Bluetooth device on my iPhone, and boom, Spotify was playing.
Beautifully clear, no distortion and showed up simply as CD1 on my SID where the multi changer would have been featured, and the steering control volume buttons worked perfectly too. It’s not full of features, you can’t choose track etc from your head unit, but the beauty is in it’s simplicity, choose you favourite Saab playlist, turn up the volume and drive.
Thanks for the innovation and commitment Frank. To me, this is exactly what I’ve been searching for, a way to keep my 9-5 interior looking like it did from Trollhättan, but also have the benefit of Bluetooth steaming. Great work. Frank can be contacted via Facebook, but i’m unsure how many units in each batch he’s able to produce, so might not always be available.