New Car

seat swap & pics

Yes, some of you might recognize this car as the Trollspeed 900 that was for sale on Bring a Trailer back in December 2018 and in December 2016 before that. It was Matt Daul's car before a gentleman just north of Cape Cod bought it in 2016 and only put a couple thousand miles on it. I got it from him.

It has Sparco racing seats mounted to the stock motorized seat tracks. Both front seats have 5-point racing harnesses which commandeered the rear seat headrest mounts and the bolt holes for the rear seatbelt buckles. I swapped-out the rear crossmember for one with seatbelts and reinstalled the rear seats. I left the seatbelts unattached and the buckles uninstalled as the racing harness loops beneath the rear seat offer the perfect anchor points for a child's car seat.

The wheels are genuine 18" BBS CH. It has H&R springs and Bilsteins and 9-5 Aero calipers. The car has dyno sheets showing 393hp to the wheels through a 6-speed transmission with LSD. More details on the build as well as dyno videos and 3rd gear pulls can be seen on the original BaT listing below:

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1...ious-model-saabs-9000-9-5-9-3-ss-og9-3-ng900/

The car is a beast. 100% meant for the track. It feels like a big scary go-kart; the ride is firm but not harsh, the steering is heavy but extremely sharp and the brakes are more than adequate for a 3300lb car that's been lightened an additional 400lbs. The throttle response is immediate, but the surge of power from 3500 to 6500...that is something I've only ever experienced in a family member's 700whp Mitsubishi 3000GT. Ferocious is the only word that seems adequate.

I look forward to seeing you Northeasterners at SAAB shows and track events this spring and summer. I'll happily give you a ride! Until then, I'll probably enjoy it for a week or so and then tuck it away till the snow & salt season has ended.

The car has been a blast. Pretty good road manners, but definitely not made for city driving/living. Not only is there no where to use the speed, the car is too low for most car washes, the clutch and transmission can't be trusted to a parking attendant and I have to be very selective about where I cold-start the car and let it warm-up in a neighborhood as quiet as mine.

About the idle: At first start-up is extremely loud and very rough. After 2 minutes, it smooths-out, quiets down and will hold RPMs without a foot on the gas. After that, it still idles around 1,400RPM full time. Been poking around the engine looking for vacuum leaks, but so far I've found nothing. It might be a part of the software tune Frank Stromqvist put on it. I'll have to investigate further.

There are a few other issues, as this car was owned and driven (albeit briefly) by a car lover who had never owned a SAAB before.

1. Leaking sunroof: Anyone who say the BaT listing must've noted the tape along the sunroof seal on the roof. Its not leaking anymore - the tape made sure of that. My initial inspection tells me that the roof drains clogged and need to be cleared out. I'll be doing that soon as this cold weather passes next week. If the seals are dried out when the tape comes off, i may just swap out the sunroof assembly for a lower mileage unit at my friend's shop, Kingwood Foreign Auto in Frenchtown, NJ. Might install a headliner while I'm at it.

2. The feet where the front seat tracks meet the floor need to be sanded down and repainted. This was from the sunroof leak that dripped water from the drain holes directly onto these areas. It occurred when the car sat outside at a repair shop for an extended period because of a perceived power drain.

3. The power drain mentioned in the ad seems to have been cured by a new battery.

4. The buttons illuminate with the rest of the dash lights, but the radio itself won't turn on.

5. Power mirrors do not work.

6. The rear wiper does not work.

7. The windshield wiper arms need to be repainted

8. Leaks power steering fluid from one of the hoses.

9. There is a 2x8" piece missing from the left of the front bumper and thee is a 3/4" gap between the headlights and bumper all around. The entire bumper needs to be removed, the foam behind it adjusted and reinstalled properly. APPARENTLY, someone familiar with the events surrounding the previous sale of the car, said the buyer ripped the bumper off as they were backing out of Matt D's driveway. Ripped the bumper off in the first 5 minutes of ownership. I mean, damn. For someone unfamiliar with SAABs, that's a pretty steep learning curve: a Viggen front bumper with 2" less ground clearance than normal. In any case, I have the piece and will be repairing this spring.

10. It sits a little low in the back for my taste. I feel like this is a complaint other people using H&R springs have had. I'd like to raise it 1/2 - 3/4". Anyone had success with spring spacers, either purchased or fabricated? Anyone modify a bump stop and add one to each side? How would that work?

Other than those 10 issues, not much to complain about; the wheels and paint are flawless.

ninehundredt said:

Is the six speed drastically different from the stock transmission, or is it basically the same ratios, with an extra highway gear?

Click to expand...

Ratio info





Okay, well forget that. Apparently I can't post images anymore

Wonder how those ratios compare to a 1995 9000 Aero tranny. They definitely feel a little taller in this car. Tried 6th gear only twice on the highway; IIRC when crusing at 90mph the tach was around 3200rpm and at 110 it was 4000rpm. Don't think I'll be using it much.

1. Getting some boost fluctuation which means Ill be looking for vacuum leaks again. The wandering idle has to be related.
2. The sagging rear has to be addressed. Looking for experienced input here. I found these on eBay:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Rear-coil-...rentrq:865343bf1680ac1f5f490beefffd82ad|iid:1
Long lead time, but seems like a sure-fire way to lift the rear 3/4-1", which would be perfect, and means I can keep the H&R springs, which I like a lot except for the sag. Anyone use anything like this or modify their existing bump-stops to lift the rear?

The other option would be buying a new set of Eibach or Vogtland springs and hoping they lift the rear enough to prevent this tire rubbing issue I have. What are your experiences with these brands and how much they drop a car below stock? I rmemeber reading somewhere to not use springs from different manufacturers at the front and rear...is this true? Would that only apply to standard coils vs. progressive?

I'd like to buy a new sunroof assembly from someone in the tristate area and possibly a 3-door headliner as well if in good shape. The roof drains are clogged, but there is rust forming around the metal frame that holds the sunroof glass, so I see bigger issues down the line. The sunroof would have to be fully functional and not leak. If you're within 2 hours of NYC and have these parts, please let me know would love to purchase said items and make a new friend in the process.

Springs Installed

Got a decent Ryobi battery-powered 1/2" impact gun. Definitely saves time and frustration.

Got the Taliaferro adjustable race springs installed a couple weeks ago. The springs that came out were a terrible sight. I wish I'd taken a photo of them loaded with the weight of the car; there were 2-3 dead coils.

Somebody had used what looks like a crankshaft pinion gear as a shim to regain a bit tire gap on one side. I was a little surprised on a build of this quality. I haven't found any other short-cuts or jerry-rigs so I hope this is it.

The spring install was pretty straightforward and the adjustment is incredibly easy. You just need a floor jack and the allen wrench for the little set screw.

The ride is excellent. Its very hard but not harsh and feels really planted in corners. I lifted the rear about 1.5" and haven't had a bit of rubbing since. Amazing how strong these little springs are. When I first opened the box, I thought for sure these springs fit inside a stock coil spring - they're literally half the size - but these little guys work great. Highly recommend.