For a few years I've been commissioning Fraser to hand craft bespoke mesh grilles for my early Saab Aero builds, I've learnt a lot from the grilles he's made, not least his constant strive for perfection. He'd told me about his own Saab project a while back, a Saab 9-3 convertible Turbo Edition in the ever stylish Silver metallic and he's finally found time to take some great photos and scribble down a few words about it. All I can say is - Perfection.
Purchased back in June 2019 from family in Edinburgh who had owned the car since new with only 38k on clock and a full service history. The Saab had been kept in an underground car park all its life so was in good condition, but then restoration started to take over and it has kind of developed from there.
Firstly I treated it to a complete service including all filters and sump drop (spotlessly clean), I then fitted the latest rev6 PCV kit, throttle body, MAF and cleaned all fuel / air delivery sensors. The whole engine bay degreased and various components and brackets refinished.
I fitted a magnetic sump plug, new camshaft core plug then fitted new turbo, cleaned out intercooler and associated pipework and filled with mobil 1. A brand new genuine Saab coilpack and NGK plugs to make sure it was ready for the Noobtune stage1 ECU upgrade I have installed taking power up to 220 hp and extra 120 nm torque which has be very handy for overtaking.
All door cards, side skirts, and bumpers removed and waxoiled sprayed into all doors, cavities and sills as well as chassis box sections and inner wings etc - luckily the car had no rust, just a couple of floor pan bungs (front 2 under footwells always the first to go) that were just staring to rust but easily fixed.
The entire braking system has been replaced with new discs, shoes, pads, return springs, calipers and fluid together with rear brake pipes, calipers and flexis. All disc splash guards have been soda blasted then phosphur coated and black gloss coovar applied. New rear shocks and springs and a complete new exhaust system fitted with new hangers, clips and all jubilee clips on underside replaced.
The chassis has had a six point chrome chassis brace from Jamsaab, 22mm rear ARB, steering rack clamp / brace fitted as well as new fabricated front top suspension turret brace (made myself), new front track rod ends and drop links, new front lower power steering pipe and fluid. I removed the rear axle beam and blasted then repainted with black gloss Coovar and refitted with Powerflex purple spec bushes.
Moving on into the interior, its had new leather Aero spec door cards and steering wheel, I've installed a genuine Saab hands-free phone kit, fitted boot mounted 6 disc changer, refurbished the ACC and SID units, fitted SID cup holder and centre armrest coin / cup holder (all the way from Albuquerque in the US).
I’ve also found a new genuine Saab roll out bumper protector and cargo net for the load area, installed a windbreaker and made a custom black gloss fine metallic dashboard which really sparkles when the sun hits it.
It's also had a number of handmade parts including a tow ball for mounting my bike on, with dedicated 6 pin electrics wiring kit for a light board from Germany (only place they're available). A colour coded grille and matching fog light grilles and I've also fitted same mesh to the lower intake.
The convertible roof has also had a deep clean and re colour / proof, i've fitted the refurbished 17” double Ys with new Continental Contisport tyres and treated it to a full bulb upgrade on all lights and replaced the orange light monitoring relay and windscreen washer level sensor.
There's probably hundreds of other jobs left to do that Saabs have a habit of throwing at you, but the only other project planned now is front and rear parking sensors if I can find the genuine Saab ones that plug straight into loom. It's taken me just under a year of working on her including lots of long days and skinned knuckles and god knows how much spent to get it up to this condition.
Now it's finished, I'm just itching for a road trip up here in Scotland, already planning a tour around the far North on the iconic NC500 route as soon as things get back to some kind of normal.
Bespoke Mesh Grilles | Fraser Davison