January's 2012 SOTM WINNER

grkguy89 · 01-27-2012, 07:26 AM

mcrowley

1996 900 SE - 162,000 miles, daily driven

Specifications:

Engine/Drivetrain
94 9000CS 2.3L block
JE 2.3L pistons (non coated, standard bore)
JE Pro-Seal rings
ARP exhaust manifold studs
OEM head gasket & head bolts
Wazee billet idler pulley
02 9-3 130amp alternator
02 9-3 gearbox w/hydraulic clutch conversion
SPEC Stage 3+ pressure plate and disc
SQR custom road tune
Custom cranckase breather
Walbro GSS340 255lph fuel pump

Exhaust
Genuine Saab 3" v1 downpipe
Saab Sport catback

Turbo
MHI TD04-15t-6cm (t7 compressor w/9000 Aero turbine housings)
Forge front mount intercooler
Forge 007P bypass valve
Genuine Saab intake w/3">2.5" piping to turbo
Custom braided stainless steel oil & coolant lines w/Earl's fittings
HTS vacuum hose and couplers

Suspension
Bilstein Touring class shocks & struts
Vogtland springs
Genuine Saab steering rack clamp & brace
Genuine Saab 25mm rear anti-roll bar
Genuine Saab urethane motor and transmission mounts

Wheels & Tyres
17x8" BBS RK1s (painted black)
225/45/17 Hankook RS2s

Brakes
Brembo OE rotors w/Axxis deluxe pads
Goodridge stainless steel braided brake lines
ATE Super Blue fluid

Other
OEM Saab carbon fiber dash, shift knob, sport steering wheel and door pulls
99 9-3 upper steering column
00 9-3 Viggen door panels
00 9-3 Viggen front and rear seats
Yankton carbon fiber door sills
Black suede upholstered headliner & a-pillars
GReddy/Trust 52mm boost gauge
OEM Saab black pearl grille
OEM 900 Talladega front spoiler
OEM 98 900 front and rear bumpers
OEM 9-3 SE side skirts
OEM Saab e-code headlight lenses
OEM Saab black pearl plate frame
Custom black Saab-Scania hood emblem
Custom powdercoated valve cover
Shaved rear emblems w/custom decor panel
Rolled rear fenders
35% tint
Speedparts floor mats
Phoenix Gold Ryval v752
Phoenix Gold Octane R 2.5:2
Orion Cobalt 15” SVC subwoofer
Orion XTR 6.5 component and 6x9 speakers
Nakamichi CD400 receiver

Output
272whp/345wtq

DanF. · 01-27-2012, 07:33 AM

sweet!

Green9kAERO · 01-27-2012, 07:49 AM

Mike, You kinda suck for winning with your beater!

upstateViggen · 01-27-2012, 06:29 PM

Congrats!

Aero02 · 01-27-2012, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Green9kAERO

Mike, You kinda suck for winning with your beater!

Lol. Very true.

Fucking sweet 'beater', though!

tuner4life · 02-02-2012, 05:05 AM

Very nice DD!

mcrowley · 02-02-2012, 04:12 PM

Thanks guys!

WSW · 02-03-2012, 05:54 PM

No interview ?

srp · 02-03-2012, 06:52 PM

Moar pics.

Aero · 02-03-2012, 07:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srp

Moar pics.

+1

Car looks awesome. Any plans for a bigger turbo?

mcrowley · 02-03-2012, 07:53 PM

If things like axles, transmissions, etc would stay together then sure I'd love to put a bigger turbo on it.

More pics:

New motor all done

Dyno sheet from SOC2011, bad throttle sensor and all...

Pistons:

Interior:

Carlisle 2011, a mere two weeks after dropping the motor in.

Something missing:

srp · 02-03-2012, 07:59 PM

Whoa... Wait a second, what prompted the rebuild?

Aero · 02-03-2012, 08:06 PM

You've really brought this car back from the dead!

I bet a bigger turbo would probably break less stuff. The way the power comes on a tuned TD04-15t is pretty harsh on the drivetrain.

mcrowley · 02-03-2012, 08:07 PM

How long have you owned this car?
4 years

Is there anything unique about the history of this car?
Pizza has been re-heated on the exhaust manifold.

Why did you choose this car to purchase?
I knew the previous owner and I needed a replacement for the n/a 900 beater I had at the time.

What other cars did you consider?
None, really. It was the right car at the right time.

What was your objective with this car?
A fun daily-driver.

What tuning style would you describe this car as?
Stage "drive Frank to the airport"

Who helped you build this car?
Ryan MacRae, Paul Kalinoski, Kyle Mahar, Nick Altman, Frank Stromqvist.

What makes your car special?
Its not your average daily driver.

What is your favorite part/feature/function?
Power on tap in 5th gear.

Who or what inspired the direction of modifications on this car?
Nothing, really. It just kind of fell into place as sort of an opposite to my other car.

What don't you like about this car?
Its appetite for axles.

What was your biggest obstacle in building this car?
Time and finding random parts such as the correct oil bypass tube for the block.

How did you overcome the issue?
Time didn't happen. The oil tube issue was solved after looking at the block next to the 96 2.3L block that came out of the car and numerous phone calls to the primary parts supplier.

What would you change if you could?
A different color insert on the seats would be nice. That orange color?

On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied are you with the outcome of this project?
8

What would you do to the car if money were no object?
Fresh paint, 6spd sport sedan gearbox w/Quaife.

Who has been your biggest critic of this project?
Not really sure.

What do your family and friends say about this car?
They don't understand why anybody would want to drive a 16 year old Saab.

What is your most memorable/humorous/embarrassing moment with this car?
Seeing the coolant tank half full of motor oil.

Has this car competed in any events? Results?
SOC Dyno challenge, 3rd place, 272whp/345wtq
SOC People's Choice, 3rd place, "stock"

What is your favorite place to drive this car?
Work or North Shore Rd, Hadley, NY.

What is your ideal day with this car?
It stays in one piece.

Who gets to drive this car?
Not many people.

If you had to name your car, what would you name it?
I never named it, although its sometimes called "the death sled".

What was your previous project?
1995 9000 Aero, still own it.

What is your next project?
1985 Yamaha FJ1100 (two wheels).

What one word best describes your car?
Cursed?

Anything else you’d like to share?
I never thought the car would turn out like it has when I bought it four years ago.

mcrowley · 02-03-2012, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by srp

Whoa... Wait a second, what prompted the rebuild?

Its actually the third motor that the car has had. The original 2.0 died after the loss of a turbo oil drain when the previous owner had it. The first 2.3L kept popping head gaskets (think every 30k), so I decided it was better to start from scratch with a different block and head to eliminate all possibilities.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aero

You've really brought this car back from the dead!

I bet a bigger turbo would probably break less stuff. The way the power comes on a tuned TD04-15t is pretty harsh on the drivetrain.

Sure, but its a hell of a lot of fun to drive. Not like ng900 or 9-3 axles and transmissions are hard to come by or extremely expensive.

saabkid37 · 02-03-2012, 08:55 PM

stop runnin a stupid small ass turbo and you wont keep eating axles!

gm · 02-03-2012, 09:03 PM

yea... just upgrade the turbo to a -18t.... you will love it. It will eliminate that big tq hit (good for trans etc) & pull so much better through the rev range.

byastremski · 02-04-2012, 06:16 AM

very nice car...

Bullseye · 02-04-2012, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcrowley

What tuning style would you describe this car as?
Stage "drive Frank to the airport"

You should have won just for that idea.

Congratulations.

BuHuSPG · 02-04-2012, 02:47 PM

This is an impressive ride. Well done.

I would have voted for this had I paid more attention the first time around!

01-27-2012, 07:33 AM	#2
DanF. Live, eat, and sleep by TSL Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Wilmington, NC Posts: 1,530	sweet! __________________ '97 Aero T5Suite stage 3 USMC '02-'06

02-02-2012, 05:05 AM	#6
tuner4life Live, eat, and sleep by TSL Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Mishawaka, IN Posts: 1,018	Very nice DD! __________________ '92 Saab 9000 5spd Turbo '86 Saab 900 Turbo SPG clone '97 Lexus SC300 RSP/BLK NA-T '98 Volvo C70 Coupe '95 Infiniti G20 '93 Toyota Camry LE

02-02-2012, 04:12 PM	#7
mcrowley Elder Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 12,166	Thanks guys! __________________ 95 9000 Aero 96 900 SE 95 9000 CSE

02-03-2012, 05:54 PM	#8
WSW Elder Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: ChiTown Posts: 2,353	No interview ? __________________ 91 9K 99 Viggen

02-03-2012, 07:53 PM	#11
mcrowley Elder Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 12,166	If things like axles, transmissions, etc would stay together then sure I'd love to put a bigger turbo on it. More pics: New motor all done Dyno sheet from SOC2011, bad throttle sensor and all... Pistons: Interior: Carlisle 2011, a mere two weeks after dropping the motor in. Something missing: __________________ 95 9000 Aero 96 900 SE 95 9000 CSE

02-03-2012, 06:52 PM	#9
srp Elder Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Northwestern NJ Posts: 3,910	Moar pics.

02-03-2012, 07:59 PM	#12
srp Elder Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Northwestern NJ Posts: 3,910	Whoa... Wait a second, what prompted the rebuild?

02-03-2012, 08:06 PM	#13
Aero Elder Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Ravenswood, Illinois Posts: 2,318	You've really brought this car back from the dead! I bet a bigger turbo would probably break less stuff. The way the power comes on a tuned TD04-15t is pretty harsh on the drivetrain. __________________ http://www.methadone-clinic.com/

02-03-2012, 08:07 PM	#14
mcrowley Elder Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Albany, NY Posts: 12,166	How long have you owned this car? 4 years Is there anything unique about the history of this car? Pizza has been re-heated on the exhaust manifold. Why did you choose this car to purchase? I knew the previous owner and I needed a replacement for the n/a 900 beater I had at the time. What other cars did you consider? None, really. It was the right car at the right time. What was your objective with this car? A fun daily-driver. What tuning style would you describe this car as? Stage "drive Frank to the airport" Who helped you build this car? Ryan MacRae, Paul Kalinoski, Kyle Mahar, Nick Altman, Frank Stromqvist. What makes your car special? Its not your average daily driver. What is your favorite part/feature/function? Power on tap in 5th gear. Who or what inspired the direction of modifications on this car? Nothing, really. It just kind of fell into place as sort of an opposite to my other car. What don't you like about this car? Its appetite for axles. What was your biggest obstacle in building this car? Time and finding random parts such as the correct oil bypass tube for the block. How did you overcome the issue? Time didn't happen. The oil tube issue was solved after looking at the block next to the 96 2.3L block that came out of the car and numerous phone calls to the primary parts supplier. What would you change if you could? A different color insert on the seats would be nice. That orange color? On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied are you with the outcome of this project? 8 What would you do to the car if money were no object? Fresh paint, 6spd sport sedan gearbox w/Quaife. Who has been your biggest critic of this project? Not really sure. What do your family and friends say about this car? They don't understand why anybody would want to drive a 16 year old Saab. What is your most memorable/humorous/embarrassing moment with this car? Seeing the coolant tank half full of motor oil. Has this car competed in any events? Results? SOC Dyno challenge, 3rd place, 272whp/345wtq SOC People's Choice, 3rd place, "stock" What is your favorite place to drive this car? Work or North Shore Rd, Hadley, NY. What is your ideal day with this car? It stays in one piece. Who gets to drive this car? Not many people. If you had to name your car, what would you name it? I never named it, although its sometimes called "the death sled". What was your previous project? 1995 9000 Aero, still own it. What is your next project? 1985 Yamaha FJ1100 (two wheels). What one word best describes your car? Cursed? Anything else you’d like to share? I never thought the car would turn out like it has when I bought it four years ago. __________________ 95 9000 Aero 96 900 SE 95 9000 CSE

02-03-2012, 09:03 PM	#17
gm Live, eat, and sleep by TSL Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ohio Posts: 1,649	yea... just upgrade the turbo to a -18t.... you will love it. It will eliminate that big tq hit (good for trans etc) & pull so much better through the rev range. __________________ 2000 viggen stage ?? with a 18t 2009 Buell 1125cr

02-04-2012, 06:16 AM	#18
byastremski Flirting With TSL Addiction Join Date: May 2006 Location: rochester ny Posts: 709	very nice car...

02-04-2012, 02:47 PM	#20
BuHuSPG Flirting With TSL Addiction Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Lansdowne, PA (Phila) Posts: 583	This is an impressive ride. Well done. I would have voted for this had I paid more attention the first time around!

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