RALLYSAAB - 1987 Saab 900

The RallySaab had already lived a full life over the past almost 20 years before we purchased it. But with a little love and understanding and some high performance parts, it will be reborn into a true RallyCross racer (maybe even into a Club Rally racer).

Heavy, four-door, 8 valve, non-turbo; not the ideal pick for a competitive Rally vehicle, but the price was right. Maybe we should have held out for something different, but it costs more to get more. Maybe one of these days we'll drop in a nice 16 valve turbo, but probably not.

It was in fairly decent shape (or fairly sad, depending on your outlook) when we purchased it. It had been sitting in a TeamTAC member's backyard for a while. The exterior was covered in tree sap and bird droppings. But the interior was pretty much intact and, with a battery, it started and ran.

Hey!  This car wasn't supposed to have come with a dog, 
but we found a 'spare' one in the trunk!

Engine tended to run a little hot, due to the heater being disconnected and the heater hose routed back on itself. It's possible that the bend in the hose is too tight and is restricting the water flow. Should be easy to remedy. Don't need no heater anyway. Nor a air conditioner, we'll take that off soon and maybe try to get a couple bucks for the A/C system.

Plan is to take the whole car to a friend in Dothan who is quite skilled in European automobile repair. Let him check it over and tell us just what kind of shape it's in (and maybe an idea about how long it will last). Then do a quick tune-up and repair any minor items he may find on it.

Then me and Kristian can begin turning it from a European family luxury sedan into a Rally Racer. We have to be careful as to what 'modifications' we make as this will effect which class we will have to run in at the different events. (In other words, I don't want to have to run in a modified class against modified cars, just because I swapped the stock seatbelts out for some 5 point harnesses).

No, this isn't us, it's Stig Blomqvist

Status Report - 1 Jan 2004 - RallySaab is still at my buddies shop in Dothan. I'm guessing it's still parked out back where I dropped it off back in early December. I'm not disappointed, because he told me he had several ahead of me (and we're talking about Nice, New European cars driven by Dothan's elite - doctors and lawyers and such). So I already knew my $250 Saab was going to have to wait it's turn in line. However I am now getting a little apprehensive as we'll need some time between now and Feb (start of the RallyX season) to do some work once it comes home.

(Saab 900 - cut away view)

We have entered the 2004 Trees and Turtles RallyCross Championship (ok, truthfully this is a RallyCross Championship thought up by me and Kristian, but we're looking to get folks from all over the Southeast and possibly beyond involved and entered). Doubt we'll do very good in it due to the fact we have so much else going on this year that we probably won't be able to make even half the RallyX events in the area. Tinkler Motorsports has signed on as one of the leading Series sponsors and will be furnishing the winning trophies for the event!

Status Report - 1 March 2004 - Went and picked up the Saab, still hadn't been worked on any. After some soul searching, we realized this would never make a true 'Rally' car, without spending way too much money on it. So we decided to prep it for the 4-cylinder class at the local dirt tracks. Stripped the interior, fixed some bad fuel injection lines and began removing glass, heater, a/c and anything else that we didn't need. Car would still make a good RallyCross racer, in the 'FrontRunner' class. 

 

Wow! Car still has enough power to bring the front wheels off the ground, and it's front wheel drive!
(Oops, forgot to Photoshop the jack out of the picture)

Like the custom made drivers seat? It works!

Status Report - 1 May 2004 - Saab has been put on the back burner as we attempt to get a Fiat X1/9 prepped up to run AutoCross, RoadCross and possibly some Solo I and Hillclimb events. We'll get back on the Saab once we're finished with the Fiat. Have got most of the parts we need for the Saab, just need to find the time to start building/rebuilding it. Still plan on doing some RallyCross with the Saab, but figure it'll spend most of it's time running the dirt circle track in the 4 cylinder class.

Starting to look more like a race car now.

Status Report - 1 Oct 2004 - Well, we've finally finished working on the Fiat and it's ready to take to Huntsville for the big 50th Anniversary event. Maybe we can get back on the Saab when we get back home and over the holidays.

Status Report - 1 Jan 2005 - Well......., we purchased another race vehicle over the holidays. A Formula 440 which we hope to get ready and run some SCCA and NASA events (hill climbs mostly) this year. I guess that means the poor old Saab will stay sitting out there in the field for a bit longer. I promise not to start another project after we get the Formula car ready to race. Then maybe I can have some time to finish the Saab - between racing the Fiat, the Formula and Kristian's Kart racing.

Status Report - 1 Aug 2005 - Well......, I know I said I wouldn't start another project till I worked on the Saab, but...... Well, you see, there was this  kart that I could pick up for cheap and it would make a great summer project for me and KVT to work on together and turn into a SCCA Autocross kart. So the Saab will remain where it's at, waiting to become a 'winter' project. (I'm not making anymore promises about working on it, but right this minute, I don't know of any other new projects that would require me to put it off again - of course, there is still some work to be done on the Fiat and to the Formula 440 also - and the Land Cruiser is begging for some attention).