Yup. I was very sad that I could not justify picking this car up.

Its a great deal for a very solid 99!

The paint is faded as shit, but it will come to life with very little work.

About the brakes. Was the parking brake being applied? If so, stop using it as that is probably the cause of the brake issue.

 

Yeah, for $650 I cannot complain. It's not a Paul and Jeff deal, but it's still a deal.

Yes, the parking brake was applied. But if the parking brake was sticking, why would the brakes loosen up and then stick after pressing the pedal for the first time? If it was the e-brake, wouldn't it just be stuck without this on-again, off-again stuff?

 

I like it, and I like the color too. What kind of things are you going to do once it's up and running well? (or is that as far as you've gotten, heh.)

I love where it says "Saab AC" lol

 

I like it, and I like the color too. What kind of things are you going to do once it's up and running well? (or is that as far as you've gotten, heh.)

Short-term I just want to get it running and driving and enjoy it.

Long term - 16vT conversion perhaps. I have a couple of other projects lined up on the runway in front of it.

I love where it says "Saab AC" lol

Yeah, that's cute. I wonder if it's worth trying to get the AC to work again. Probably not.

 

looks cool, the green is excellent, very 70's. The braking issue could be trouble, as the 73's have a completely different front brake setup than the later cars. They dont have sliding yoke calipers (a good thing) and the handbrake is a set of shoes inside the front rotor, kinda like what the ng900s have in the back. Parts availability is pretty poor, though there were some remanufactured calipers on ebay recently, and Chip Lamb has parts it seems, but not at bargain basement prices... if you need brake parts, i still have the calipers/rotors/hubs from my car. I converted to the vented 900 calipers along with the later trans I installed. I've also got DJet components that are known good that I'm not using anymore if you need them.

Paul

 

lif you need brake parts, i still have the calipers/rotors/hubs from my car. I converted to the vented 900 calipers along with the later trans I installed. I've also got DJet components that are known good that I'm not using anymore if you need them.

Paul

Just don't ask for the wastegate actuator. It is currently living in my toolbox, that mean thing....

Nice, nice score. That green is clearly Saab's answer to avocado '70s appliances.

 

I love it.. That is my favorite color combo. Mine is alabaster yellow. Yuck. Just needs a 16v and a 4speed.

 

Sweet car!

 

I want at that paint, bad.

 

I saw the post on Turbo!, Greg. Looks like a great project!

I love that color.

 

fix the battery tray grounds now rather than when the D-jet stops working :lol: Looks like a nice find. Does it have power steering? Some of the 99-automatics had it, none of the manual trans cars got it.

I say step 1 would be to ditch the auto. a non turbo + automatic takes any measure of driving fun away from the car... a 4 speed is a great choice for non turbo 99's

 

i love how the clock is bigger than the speedometer

 

Yeh me too ! Classic touches. The dash looks good though !

 

Plus that manual conversion turns this from a $650 car into a $2500 car in a heartbeat (or a few weeks depending on where you take it).

Kinda the crappy thing about it

 

JK and I went to look at this car together some time ago.

I was quite tempted. However, ever I realized I wanted a vert for my "fun" project car.

I am glad it stayed in the Saab community. GA has much more experience w/ 99's than I.

I look forward to seeing her come along!

 

nice pick up .

 

so how many saabs is this now?

 

Well, let's see:

2000 9-5 Aero
1990 900 SPG
1989 900 Turbo Convertible (red)
1989 900 Turbo Convertible (white, parts car)
1978 99 Turbo (not running, engine rebuild in progress)
1973 99 LE 2-door

Six, and only two are in good running condition at the moment. The parts car is going to go away this summer, though.

 

that is sweet, I love that color!!!

my wife and I almost bought an 80's turbo diesel MB in a similar color, cactus green. the green interior carpeting is sweet!

 

Well, she's in my office building parking lot. She drove up onto the flatbed fine, and drove off quite nicely as well. After she was unloaded I drove her around the parking lot a bit, and while the brakes are sticking, they seem to be sticking less and less.

Crappy iPhone pics:

 

Man, that's awesome.

 

This isn't the same green 73 99 that I was looking at a couple months ago was it? That one was up near International Falls.

After looking at the pictures, i don't think it is... http://www.amishgeek.com/external/saab/99/

I'm still tempted to go up and grab that one.

 

This one was down in richfield. Its not the same one. Its been largly garage kept and will make a SWEET little car for Greg, or me when Greg comes to his senses and lets me buy it from him :mrgreen:

Greg, that beauty needs to inca wheels ASAP.

 

So sell me the special bolts!

Actually I think I'm going to put the pre-87 sunbursts with tires I got from Palmer on it, the ones I got in trade for the pre-87 SPG wheels that went onto the '83 c900 Amish now owns.

That's just temporary though.

 

That will look sweet.

The profile of those tires is much lower, and will look muck better.

Also, the fact that the wheels are 90% flawless will help too.

 

Wife's comment when she saw the pics:

"Oh, it's cute. I see why you bought it."

Now if I can only get it to run.

 

Wife's comment when she saw the pics:

"Oh, it's cute. I see why you bought it."

Now if I can only get it to run.

WOW amaizing response

 

Well, after the intensely high tech fuel filter replacement procedure, I was able to get the car to run. And drove it home, where it is now parked in front of the house.

It's still running rough. Plugs, wires, etc., still need to go on. It seems to make a noise under load, which may just be a big miss.

But I got it up to about 35 mph. It didn't really have enough power to go faster.

More to come . . .

 

It's Alive !

Well, it's amazing what a fuel filter, new battery, 3 out of 4 plugs and wires will do for a car.

The car seems to be running fairly well at the moment. Starts up very quick, idles and revs nicely. I had it up to 45 mph! Could have gone faster! It shifts and drives like any normal car with completely blown shocks and a power-sucking automatic transmission designed in the 1960's.

Is there a trick to getting to the spark plug on the #2 cylinder? My socket wrench can't move without an extension and I can't use an extension without running into the AC compressor. (Do they make a half-inch extension? That's about what I need to get some room to move the wrench).

I believe the old plugs were the wrong kind as well. NGK's but with the "R" for resistor. I presume this car does not use resistor plugs. The old plugs look terrible, too.

The rear shocks are completely blown. In fact there's a dime-sized rust hole in the top part of the left rear shock. The car seems to sink lower and lower in the rear the more I move it. The front shocks do not feel much better, either.

I have put the 15" sunbursts with tires manufactured in this decade on the car. (The old tires should be used an illustration in the dictionary next to the entry for "dry rot." If I am reading the code right on the sidewall, they were manufactured in 1987). The new tires are 195/60/15, which makes the car look like it's riding ridiculously high in the front.

Oddly enough the non-dry rotted, low profile tires noticeably improved the handling, which surprised me given all the blown shocks.

It does smell like it's running a bit rich, which might explain why the previous spark plugs were so fouled.

We're leaving on vacation so I have to obey the better half tonight for packing, etc., tonight. I might see if I can get a few pics up tonight, but extensive pics will have to wait until I get back next weekend.

EDIT - oh, and I changed the oil too. The old oil actually didn't look too bad for being 5 years old. Flush and fill on the cooling system is next on the agenda when I get back from vacation.

I am deeply appreciative of the help and advice I have gotten.

 

OK, I realize I'm being a pic whore for my car, but here's a few iPhone pics from the car this evening.

The sunbursts actually look awesome on the car - much better than they look on the c900's IMHO --

 

EDIT: Those wheels look sweet.




Also, congrats.

 

Oh, and I've had her out on the freeway at 75 mph indicated speed (probably slower than that because the tires are smaller than stock, though). Tracks straight.

She's probably not ready for anything cross country (yet), but certainly OK for a trip to the monthly Saab Club meeting.