The 443 Mile Saab

June 11, 2024 Eleven

It took me a little while to believe this; a 2010 Saab 9-3 SportCombi 1.8t Turbo Edition with just four hundred and forty three miles, that’s one tank of fuel used since it left Sweden.

Finished in showroom condition, Nocturne Blue Metallic with 5 spoke ALU59 wheels and appointed leather in black, this is as close as you'll ever come to walking in to a Saab showroom and collecting your brand new SportCombi fourteen years ago.

Its owner; J, contacted me recently to share its story, truth be told, it has yet to start a real story, as this Saab has been silently waiting in a heated warehouse for the past twelve years. But this isn't J's first Saab, back in 1971 he owned a two stroke 96, followed by having the unique privilege of driving the very first Saab 99 Turbo to arrive in the UK, that lead him to own and drive two further non-turbo 99's throughout the years.

Then, in 2012, J purchased this beautifully understated 9-3 SportCombi from Saab Swansea with just 37 miles in readiness for his retirement car. It's twelve years on and he still hasn't found the time to retire, and the Saab has only ever been taken for a few drives, including trips for 3 MOT's since being purchased.

In J's words "I bought the car for use in my retirement, but find myself still working. I now have too many cars and would prefer to see this sold to a Saab enthusiast rather than being used as the taxi for the grandchildren".

I've been exceptionally tempted by this one myself, but feel it needs to be cherished and enjoyed left completely standard, and I for one, know I'd struggle to leave it alone. If anyone fancies turning back time by fourteen years, and buying themselves a brand new, Nocturne Blue Metallic Saab 9-3, this is quite possibly a unique opportunity to do exactly that. J doesn't have a specific figure in mind, but anyone interested can message here and I'll pass on your details.

Lighten Up

January 3, 2024 Eleven

What do you do with a good Saab that has terrible paintwork and is just too good to scrap? If you’re the team at GT. Paxton Motor Co. you have a bit of fun and turn it into the ‘Ratatouille Special’.

Specialising in Volvo and Saab cars, the company had mechanically maintained this 1.9 TiD convertible for a number of years, but when it came in as a part exchange, flew through an MOT and only had 85,000 miles, it left them with a bit of a dilemma.

Rather than breaking it for parts, or even attempting to fix the paintwork issues, they decided to give the car a bit of Rat Look treatment. The entire car has been sanded down to reveal the various layers of bare metal, undercoat and topcoat paints, and then given a satin seal to prevent further change, plastic trim has been removed and left bare, headlights and foglights given a Euro tint, and even a single spotlight added for detail. The clean, cream leather interior, has been ‘enhanced’ with vinyl graphics to the door caps dashboard and gear surround, whilst an aftermarket gear knob has replaced the standard black leather one.

It might only appeal to a few people, but it’s a well maintained, clean Saab convertible, has a new service, six months warranty and for a 2006, is a great price at just £1695.00. I personally couldn’t live with the interior transformation, but would happily enjoy the carefree ‘f**k it’ attitude the exterior exudes. As the ad says “a bit of fun in an all too serious world”

More photos and full ad here (until sold).

Black is Back

April 3, 2023 Eleven

The Saab 9-3 Turbo X is the true heir to the classic Saab Turbos of the 1970s and 1980s. It is a limited edition model and is only available in Jet Black metallic paint as an homage to the original Saab 900 Turbo. So take a good look, a car like this only comes around every thirty years.

Thirty years ago, Saab stunned the automotive world by revealing its first turbocharged model. Now, with the Saab 9-3 Turbo X, for the first time Saab unleashes turbo power through XWD (cross wheel drive), an innovative all-wheel drive system. Thanks to “rightsizing” the 280PS, 2.8 V6 Turbo engine has the characteristics of a V8 engine: 400Nm of torque and an acceleration of 0–60mph in 5.4 seconds. As if this wasn’t enough, the sport chassis, brakes and electronic control systems combine to give you the drive of your life.

Shed Mentality

July 6, 2022 Eleven

Yesterday, Andy at Malcolm Miles Saab borrowed my Aston Martin to take his daughter to her Prom, I dropped it in, immaculatly clean and looking stunning, and was given the keys to their current loan car; a first generation 9-3 LPT. Obviously a world apart in just about every way you can imagine, but here’s the thing, I enjoyed driving it just as much as the Aston Martin.

A few bits of trim missing, Gorilla tape where the arial should be, paintwork in need of a good machine polish, worn badges and small, dirty alloys, but open the door and you’re welcomed to a familiar interior that, despite it’s age and lack of care, has stood the test of time and genuinely felt fantastic to sit in. Half leather Turbo seats with very little wear, an immaculate but dirty Carbon dashboard, audio and heating units with bright, perfect screens and comforting heated seats. No rattles, no squeaks, just a Saab that belies it’s run down appearance.

Then we get to its real heart, the low pressure turbo, two litre engine was as smooth as any I’ve driven, the gearbox easy and fluid and a lively surge of power that just moved the 9-3 perfectly along with absolutely no fuss whatsoever. The soft, bouncy suspension, small wheels and large tyres, made every bump and surface just fade in to the background and the steering, sharp and accurate.

Its pièce de résistance though, has to be its ability to inspire a complete and utter ‘who cares’ mentality; new road surface and flying shards of gravel, who cares, potholes, dirt, car park dinks, nah, who cares! Just sit back in the comfort of knowing that the Saab you're driving is as solid as a rock, has more individuality than most new cars and might cost you a grand total of £1 - 1,500, there's a real sense of reassurance in that.

Hirsch Troll R Touches

September 15, 2021 Eleven

It’s been a hectic few weeks for the new 9-3 Monte Carlo, it went in to Malcolm Miles for it’s normal check over; oil and filter change and brake checks etc and ended up with the entire engine out.

What looked like an immaculate Saab, turned out to have a few surprises for us, not unexpected on a 20 year old car of course, but the obligatory split bulkhead had caused some areas to corrode, so with the impending suspension changes and power upgrades, it needed to be fixed and done correctly. The engine was removed as was the interior, the bulkhead welded, rustproofed and resealed and the famous Viggen Rescue Kit by Abbott Racing fitted.

Rust prevention has also been done to protect it for the future, drain holes cleaned up and coated as have the inner wheel arches. Whilst we’ve been at it, we’ve changed bushes, track rod ends, arms and brackets to handle the new Bilstein B8 shocks and Eibach springs with ease, we’ve also fitted a new Viggen clutch upgrade, a lightweight flywheel by Abbott Racing and set of performance discs and pads. The engine is now back in safely, a new 3.5 bar fuel pump and fuel filter fitted and we’re awaiting the arrival of the Stage 1 NoobTune remap to give the Monte Carlo its first 250+ grunt.

But with all of this mechanical work going on, it’s always rewarding to see some visual changes happening too. The 18” classic Hirsch alloys have been added but the best part for me has been the fitting of the ridiculously rare Hirsch carbon dashboard and the leather covered centre console. Not only has it changed the feel of the entire interior, but in my eyes, has given it the touch of individuality and quality it truly deserves.

More work will continue in time, but so far, I’m thrilled with how the Monte Carlo is coming along, it’s a Saab that deserves all it gets and will be an absolute pleasure to own and drive, the Hirsch touches taken from a genuine 2.0 Troll R from France, just add even more desirability.

Crème de la Crème

April 22, 2021 Eleven

There are always cars that you look back on with fond memories and kind of wish you hadn't sold, and for me this especially applies to Saab. I did a rather special early 9-3 HOT Aero build with a 9000 engine block, upgraded Turbo and numerous other mods running close to 300hp, it was an absolute joy to drive and I miss that for sure.

Then there's the first 9-5 Aero wagon I did last year, and that was on another level, it was one hell of a big project but when finished, I honestly felt it was the best one I'd rescued. The colour combo on Hazelnut metallic paint, Sand leather and light walnut dash together with the stunning Matt Bronze wheels really stick in my mind, it was an absolute beauty, and I still can't get enough of it and would do the same again in a moment.

9-3 Hirsch Edition. Phase I

March 8, 2021 Eleven

It’s always a combination of excitement and Intrepidation when a new Saab Aero project arrives, especially as I often go with my gut instinct now rather than being able to see the cars in the flesh. This latest 9-3 Aero convertible comes with an amazing service history and is also a local car to me, looked after by Bond Street Saab for most of it’s life, and from the moment I noticed it had a set of rare 19” Hirsch alloys, I knew it would make another exciting Aeroriginal Saab, and my instinct wasn’t wrong luckily.

Not only did it have the Hirsch wheels, but came with Hirsch springs, Hirsch single exhaust system and diffuser, 345mm brake upgrade and Hirsch 240 remap, however, it’s covered just over 150,000 miles, not too much for a Saab, but after driving it for a few weeks, the list of ‘to do’s’ began to grow if I wanted this to be as special as it can be. The clutch was slipping and has now been replaced with a new one together with flywheel and slave cylinder, the leaking radiator has been replaced with a brand new one, air con all fixed and working again and although the Hirsch exhaust was great, it’s condition wasn’t amazing, so we’ve taken the opportunity to replace the entire system with an APH handmade downpipe and a full stainless dual system from Jetex to give the rear a more purposeful look.

The suspension was also in a bit of a mess, rattling, lumpy and awkward, so that’s also received a full refresh, upgraded Sachs Sport Shock together with a new set of lowered Hirsch springs, new arms, top mounts and bushes make it feel totally sorted again and most importantly, no rattles. The Hirsch rims have had a full refurb in a slightly darker metallic grey and treated to a new set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres, it’s had a full service; oil, filters, brakes removed and cleaned, and it’ll be having a new remap by Noob shortly.

Whilst it’s always great to feel the difference of on the mechanical work, the visual enhancements always excite more, and I’ve been going about collecting parts that will really make this look exceptional, the entire front end has had a refresh with the 4 piece Hirsch grille set complete with new genuine Saab satin chrome surrounds, the rear diffuser will now be from the rare Turbo X and it’ll be off for some bodywork shortly, bumpers repainted, dents removed and a tiny area of rust cleaned up and repainted, it’ll get a full machine polish and them the roof treated to a deep clean and reseal.

The interior is also being treated to a host of goodies; a genuine Hirsch Carbon dash has been fitted, another Nappa leather flat bottomed steering wheel is on it’s way from TunStyle, new Hirsch leather door and centre handles, and a set of Hirsch aluminium pedals to finish it all off beautifully.

As the sun begins to warm and the days of roof down road trips are in the air, I can’t help but admire the shear timeless beauty of the Saab convertibles, throughout each generation they have perfected their design language, and this model features some truly genius touches, the beautifully curved covers for the roll bars for instance, the lines flow into the cover like the old speedsters, the gloss body coloured mappings that flow along the entire edge of the car, and the seamless flow of form into the large bumpers and wonderfully proportioned front and rear lights,

German Perfection

February 16, 2021 Eleven

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Over the past 10 years of creating Saab vs. Scepticism, it will have become very clear that I have a genuine love for all Saabs, but especially Aero models and any Saabs that have that special something. That can be a rare interior, sunroof, Harman / Kardon audio, air cooled seats or even just the perfect set of alloys, but there’s always one addition that ultimately rises one Saab above another, and that’s Hirsch Performance.

Saab vs. all began based around my dream Hirsch Saab, and that great love still inspires and motivates me today. I continue to do my best to keep creating great Saab Aero builds, to write about and share them with other Saabists, but there’s nothing quite like being inspired by other great Saabs from around the world and this 9-3 Aero XWD is one of those Saabs.

Based in Germany, this beauty was purchased back in 2017 by Jan and is his fifth Saab; previously two 9-3 and two 9-5’s. It’s a 2009 Sportcombi and already had a few Hirsch parts fitted including steering wheel, door handles and exhaust. But Jan had dreams to create a Saab of a much higher level, so he set about sourcing many more Hirsch parts together with others to overcome some of the known Saab V6 heat issues, he fitted a DO88 intercooler, radiator and pipes to overcome those and also a TUV approved remap which is now running at 325hp / 480nm torque, in Jan’s words “All the changes moved the car on to a higher level, most importantly the stuff around the engine - it is so fresh and powerful now, it is a really pleasure to drive and sit in.”

Since 2017 Jan has also added the full 4 piece Hirsch front grilles, a new dual Hirsch exhaust and diffuser, a set of exceptionally rare Hirsch 19” twin six spoke rims and full Hirsch suspension to his XWD. Inside the attention to detail continues, and adding to the original Hirsch specification, he’s lavished the Saab with a leather dashboard, glove box strip, door strips and gear surround all by Stephen Individual.

It gets regularly serviced and the Haldex XWD gets treated to fresh oil every 10,000km to keep it all in perfect condition, it now has just under 100,000km on the clock and my respect goes out to Jan for such a perfect Saab Aero Hirsch. It’s always amazing to see other folk put such care in to keeping these great cars alive, they’re exceptionally special and we need more people like Jan in the world. Thanks for sharing.

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Simple Pleasures Part II

February 1, 2021 Eleven

After the amazing quality and craftsmanship shown on the last Hirsch wheel refurbishment by Perfection Alloys, the rarer 19" alloys were removed from the convertible and given the same treatment.

I'd been debating whether tho have the same bright silver as original, or whether to go slightly darker again as the last set. We've gone darker, closer to a metallic grey than silver and it was a great decision, they look fantastic.

They're off to have new Michelin Pilot Sport 4 235/35/19 tyres all round and new Saab Griffin centre caps to make them pretty much like new again.

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.

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.

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.

Perfectionism

June 6, 2020 Eleven

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