Thoughts after a week with the 96: snap back to reality

"Someone Else's Projects" (someoneelsesproject) 10/20/2013 at 19:25 • Filed to: None

3

26

(this was taken at a local car show; the Thunderbird is not mine)

!!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! comes at an opportune time, because now that the honeymoon period's over, reality is setting in and I'm starting to see the flip side of this vehicle. The shattering of my rose-tinted glasses may also be driven by the fact that I have had to pay quite a bit to replace a transmission mount, of which there were only three left in the entire country, and which became a powertrain-out procedure taking my local Saab specialist a full day.

I wrote previously that this car is small and nimble and easily fits into parking spaces in the city. That being said, not having power steering is still a bitch no matter how relatively light the car is and how narrow the tires are. Fundamentally I'm still straining to twist a patch of rubber that's being pressed onto the asphalt, and the mechanical advantage afforded by the rack and pinion still leaves it as a bit of a chore.

The nimbleness of the vehicle is entirely down to its light weight and compact size, and is offset by the soft suspension and narrow tires. The body roll is especially hilarious; I mentioned to a petrolhead passenger that of course it rolls, all airplanes bank in turns, but it doesn't diminish the fact that it's really not sporting at all. More and more I realize that Erik Carlsson won his rallies despite the downsides of his Saabs, and not always because of their upsides. Incidentally, my 9000 Aero shared this problem of body roll, something that was only partially cured by installing 25mm anti-sway bars. I dare not change modify it to corner more flatly, mostly down to the lack of available parts; the wheels especially are a strange configuration, being narrow 15-inch steelies with a 5x170 bolt pattern. No, that is not a typo; Saab certainly found its own road where the rubber meets the road.

The engine doesn't do it any favors either. Though the V4 sounds interesting on paper, if only because of its rarity, its lack of both power and top end are pretty tedious in real life. It's reasonably torquey and isn't a total danger to itself other traffic, but thanks to the restrictive stock exhaust, its main aural signature is a bored thrashiness. It reminds me of a moving truck in its complete lack of fun factor and barely-sufficient torque.

I fully admit that this is a harsh indictment of a very interesting vehicle, and it may sound like I am surprised that something engineered in Sweden over 40 years ago isn't as good as vehicles, say, 20 years newer. This may be a matter of delayed reaction on my side; instead of giving it a fair and balanced evaluation when I first saw and drove it, I saw all the good things about it upfront, and left its bad side for later.

The upside of driving it around town is that I've discovered just how much other people love it. Everyone I know who's ridden in it goes gaga for its weirdness, and it gets bucketloads of attention from the public. Around Boston, and especially in Cambridge, people even know what it is. One old guy, probably an academic of some sort, yelled "Two-stroke?" at me as I was stopped by a light, and it took me a second to get over my my surprise and tell him it's a V4.

What does this mean for the future? One weekend of annoyances doesn't completely cancel out a weekend of fun, and I'm not going to panic and dump it right away. A classic car is meant to be enjoyed sparingly and over a long period of time, much like scotch or cigars. Winter is coming soon, and I'll put it away when the snow falls. I just need to make sure I don't overindulge before then.

Blondude > Someone Else's Projects 10/20/2013 at 19:27

2

Lucky...

Velocity- Peuguette Connoisseur > Someone Else's Projects 10/20/2013 at 19:41

0

So I guess this isn't a saab story after all

Someone Else's Projects > Velocity- Peuguette Connoisseur 10/20/2013 at 20:12

0

Yes. No. Yes? Both.

Jonee > Someone Else's Projects 10/20/2013 at 21:21

0

Yeah, it sounds like you have an old car there. It's common to love old cars until you own one. That's why they're "weekend cruisers" for most people. You'll eventually get used to it and hopefully grow to love it. I really like the quirky lousiness of old vehicles. I always find new cars boring although they do work better and are a heck of a lot more comfortable. My daily driver is a 35 year old Renault. It helps when you have the ability and room to work on them yourself. Also, snap up spare parts to keep on the the shelf when you come across them. They're old machines and no machine was built to last forever. Fortunately, you have a car with a big following, so it'll always be worth something.

Someone Else's Projects > Jonee 10/20/2013 at 21:37

0

Good call; yeah, reality is cold and wet. I'm planning on riding the tidal wave of positive peer pressure and seeing if that can keep me interested in it.

Jonee > Someone Else's Projects 10/20/2013 at 22:29

0

They're chick (or dude) magnets for the right kind of chicks (or dudes), too.

The car does look great. I don't know your situation or what kind of person you are, but maybe if it was a project that you labored on for some time, you'd have a deeper appreciation for its mechanicals. Or, that could make you hate it even more. You never know. I've experienced both.

Someone Else's Projects > Jonee 10/20/2013 at 22:50

0

It could go either way; I like tinkering, but dislike messing up, so on a car this age it's anyone's guess. One lady friend requested that I keep it forever, so there's definitely a type that loves cars like this.

Jimmeney > Someone Else's Projects 10/21/2013 at 05:23

1

Funny, I have the opposite, I was using a Citroen Acadiane daily and 'upgraded' to a V4.

It feels like a speed machine by comparison! It hadn't been used in a while and it seems to be driving nicer with regular use. I've also had a weekend of easy fixes on the trim, but also found the heater control box is seized up and stuck on hot.

I think the key to owning shit old cars, it to have a few, then hopefully at least one will always be working...

Someone Else's Projects > Jimmeney 10/21/2013 at 16:39

0

Yeah, I'm definitely coming in from the opposite perspective with regard to speed and handling; it's definitely leaving me with a better appreciation for my 9000.

Jimmeney > Someone Else's Projects 10/21/2013 at 16:47

0

My journey to work is also small country lanes where I get stuck behind elderly people driving Nissans, so a slow car isn't too much fun. I used to get frustrated when I got stuck behind in a faster car.

zyodei > Someone Else's Projects 10/30/2013 at 19:22

0

Can't be too bad, my dad strapped his mattress to the roof and drove one of those from DC to SF way back in the day :)

Reborn Pyrrhic > Someone Else's Projects 10/30/2013 at 19:46

1

Old cars are all about slow motoring. Yes, don't expect them to handle like newer cars, have fun driving slow, and being noticed for driving something different. My 1987 Saab 900 while not as old or as rare as a 96 is heading that way. In the town I live there are only two classic 900s, and the other one only comes out in sunshine. Mine is the only daily driven one, and it gets plenty of looks and thumbs up. Mine is the non-turbo variety, also has no sway bars, so it doesn't handle like new cars either. But I am a firm believer in the maxim that driving slow cars fast is more fun than driving fast cars slow, so I enjoy my 900 at a slower pace.

Someone Else's Projects > Reborn Pyrrhic 10/30/2013 at 19:51

0

Yeah, I'm getting more and more used to life in the slow lane with this car; whenever I want something more lively, I hop into my modified 9000 instead. The 96 is less a car than it is a time machine. Still hoping I can get a drive in a two-stroke someday.

KayGB > Someone Else's Projects 10/30/2013 at 20:44

0

If it took them a day to put that mount in, they were dogging it. Or they were fixing other stuff along the way. Have you hammered it down a crappy country road? They really shine in their ability to suck up shit road. And even though it's antiquated now, compare it to a VW Beetle of the same vintage, loads of people still think they're the dog's bollocks.

Someone Else's Projects > KayGB 10/30/2013 at 20:47

0

They said they'd tried to get it out the easy way, but it didn't budge; not having alternatives (they are the go-to Saab shop around here after all) I didn't really push them. It is very compliant over the crappy roads around here, though the flip side is that it squats noticeably when not very heavy people get into it. After this outburst of buyer's remorse I'm starting to enjoy it more.

Reborn Pyrrhic > Someone Else's Projects 10/30/2013 at 21:12

0

Yeah, I hop into my 9-5 for that too!

hismiths > Someone Else's Projects 10/30/2013 at 22:15

0

Interesting donor platform for an electric conversion should driveline death occur.

Someone Else's Projects > hismiths 10/30/2013 at 22:33

0

That's one possibility. I'm thinking more of a bike engine swap; there's V4s and straight-3s that should fit in there no problem.

IDriveASaabAndNobodyIsToBlame > Someone Else's Projects 10/31/2013 at 02:18

0

I like the head lights you 'Murricans got for your market. Kind of reminds me of this.

IDriveASaabAndNobodyIsToBlame > zyodei 10/31/2013 at 02:20

0

When I was 2, my parents took one for a road trip from Finland to Norway and back. A white V4 with chrome bumpers.

My dad converted it to use petro fuel back in the day.. Haven't heard of many that has done such modification back then..

Someone Else's Projects > IDriveASaabAndNobodyIsToBlame 10/31/2013 at 02:26

0

That's funny, because I prefer the sleeker look of the European front end. I hear that the Canadian-market 96s had the European setup so I'm looking to source a set from there.

IDriveASaabAndNobodyIsToBlame > Someone Else's Projects 10/31/2013 at 04:05

0

I have the book about 96's history and if I remember right, canadian market models were equipped with euro standard light. Can't remember at the moment why US models were equipped with "owl headlamps".

Maybe its the rarity that fascinates me.

Senex > Someone Else's Projects 10/31/2013 at 08:02

0

I was thinking the same thing about the SAAB Sonett, which shares the 96 running gear. Ford EcoBoost 1.0 3 cylinder? Or the 1.8 L V6 from a Mazda MX-3?

Someone Else's Projects > IDriveASaabAndNobodyIsToBlame 10/31/2013 at 09:14

1

It's because of regulation at the time that required all headlights to be round, which wasn't repealed until the 1980s. It's why every US-market Mercedes through the W123 had four round headlights instead of the two rectangular ones, and it also affected, among other cars, the Jaguar XJS and the Saab 99.

Casper > Someone Else's Projects 10/31/2013 at 10:15

0

To be fair, you are also talking about an old car that wasn't a great car even back in the day. Old cars will always lack some features or have some quirks, but I have daily driven 60's and 70's era cars that have been really good overall. It all depends on the package and design quality back in the day.

There are a lot that look interesting, but only a few I would drive daily.

ccc40821 > Someone Else's Projects 10/31/2013 at 13:27

0

Here in Denmark people tend to keep their cars on the road longer than in most other countries, due to high vehicle taxes. One of daily drivers that never seems to go away is the Saab 96 (along with VW Beetles and Volvo Amazons). Obviously they were built better than the competition, as there are virtually no old Fiats or Simcas or Renaults etc. etc. around, save ones used for parades and the occasional summer weekend trips.

And yes, a 96 really makes people around you smile. You'll get used to the non-powersteering, and likely get much better planning to turn the wheel only when the car is rolling. Doubt you'll get used to changing that 4th spark plug though....