The SAAXSTER

"Urambo Tauro" (urambotauro) 08/04/2018 at 13:00 • Filed to: saaxster, saab 900, mid engine

4

5

Stumbled upon !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! while looking up Saab parts, and immediately got distracted trying to find out more about it. The closer you look, the more crazy and awesome it gets.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

The Craigslist ad is long gone, but a little more digging revealed a five year old !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , with a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . Maybe some of you remember it (it was before my time on Kinja) . Now the ad doesn’t actually say “Saaxster”, so maybe that’s not it’s official name after all. But h e y I’m down with it.

The first things you might notice in that first image are the oversized rear tires and the roof scoop, neither of which make sense on a classic front-engine, FWD 900. But this is no ordinary 900.

Holy crap, the engine is in the rear! (Technically !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , as the bulk of the engine is ahead of the rear axle centerline.) Look at how accessible those belts are now! That’s the intake tube coming down from the roof scoop (hopefully with some sort of filter box), along with the intercooler. And yes, that’s definitely the intercooler- the radiator is mounted at the very rear.

There’s no AC, and no power steering (unless there’s an electric unit up front). But why is there a steering rack back here at all? There’s nothing connected to its pinion. Maybe it’s there just to help locate the rear spindles, and is welded or otherwise locked into position.

It’s an automatic, which I’m sure must have made things easier for the “master Saab mechanic” mentioned in the ad to rig up. A manual would have been tricky indeed.

The original ad notes that the fuel cell has been placed up front where the engine once was, and claims that this is “one of only 2 know [sic] in the US”. Looks like a blast.

vondon302 > Urambo Tauro 08/04/2018 at 13:26

1

Don't you get any ideas!

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Urambo Tauro 08/04/2018 at 13:33

0

That’s neat, but it ruins the appeal of the Saab for me, which is mainly the big hatch and  all that cargo space

Urambo Tauro > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 08/04/2018 at 13:38

1

Makes me wonder how much room is left under the hood.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Urambo Tauro 08/04/2018 at 13:48

0

The break booster.

fintail > Urambo Tauro 08/04/2018 at 13:49

1

Inspiration?