hate to say it, but the Saab might have to go.

For the 40 miles a day I do, stop start on the way home on the M62, I'm=20 going through =A325-30 of Optimax a week.

I could go back to running premium unleaded, but it wouldn't make as=20 much boost. I only do about 4 long runs a year so I keep thinking the=20 Saab is a bit overkill.

Keep getting drawn back to Skoda (my old Estelle and Favorit would get=20

40+MPG instead of the 27-30 I get from the Saab).

A late model Favorit would be nice and efficient, eaiser to find, and a=20 silverline or blackline would give a reasonable level of trim, or a nice=20 Rapid 136, or a Estelle 130 with a 136 transplant would be much more fun=20 to drive, still run unleaded, and give me tuning options to play with.=20 and best of all, good nick ones are still dirt to fair cheap.

Just need to make sure I can fit a few toys like electric windows and=20 central locking and a decent alarm tied in to get a total closure=20 system.=20

Been looking at Microscan DIY stuff, any other suggestions on universal=20 electric windows, and decent (but cheap) DIY alarms and locking. I've=20 seen the SPAL window kits too.

--=20 The poster formerly known as Skodapilot.

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Reply to
MeatballTurbo
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Noooo. Don't do it. Even if you do the same mileage getting 40 to the gallon against 27 in the saab, it's only gonna save you £500 a year or so.

But, but, they're horrible, and you'll only have 67BHp. And, and, er, well, you must be potty, that's all I'm saying.

Surely redundant on a pre-vw skoda?:-)

On an entirely unrelated note, what sort of money would you be looking to get for the Saab?

Reply to
Albert T Cone

I know just how you feel, im always thinking I should get something sensible but I love my cars, despite having to spend half of my time just trudging along I refuse to have some horrid slow boring mundane gutless rep-mobile.

but save yourself a few quid forget that optimax and get the cheapest stuff you can and a 25 liter drum of toluene (approx £11 from my local paint store)

I don't run more than 50/50 but its a serious fuel saving and performance increase

Reply to
Glenn

So about 2 weeks salary on a year, plus the lower road tax.=20 =20

Ever owned one? I had a basic Forum plus. Not as much fun as an Estelle=20 or Rapid, but very competant, and easy to tune. Parts cost pennies. I=20 know it only has 67 BHP, but still fun to chuck arround the lanes if you=20 sort the suspension/tyres.

a Blackline or Silverline already has things like central locking and a=20 sunroof, electric windows were an option, but few chose to fit them.

The seats were more inline with those fitted to the later Rapid, rather=20 than those fitted to the more basic Favorit.

A decent condition Rapid 136 would be a much better option. lighter car,=20 better designed suspension, handles better, looks better, and much rarer=20 and distinctive.

Not really, of the 3 cars I've owned, the Estelle looked to manky to be=20 worht breaking into (it was multi-tone beige), the Saab is a B reg so=20 looks too old, the Favorit looked just like any other hatchback and was=20 broken into. Nothing much taken, but the door panel damaged where they=20 creased it bending the top of the frame out, plus I will be building the=20 CarPC into it, along with te CDplayer and mdecent speakers.

The other toys would be just because I've got used to using them.

Don't know. Prices of them is starting to climb, and I've spent a fair=20 bit bringing it upto scratch, new wheel bearings, balljoints, timing=20 chain, tyres and shocks allround, plus general maintenance.

I may just run it on premium unleaded for a while and see how much=20 difference that makes to my money situation. Then I will advertise it=20 through the specialist Saab sites.

Thing is, although officially available in 84, I haven't heard of a 16v=20 listed or advertised registered before 1985. Mine is registered Autumn=20

1984, and the chassis number ties up that it is originally a 16v.

--=20 The poster formerly known as Skodapilot.

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Reply to
MeatballTurbo

Hence skoda, sure they are a little slow, but certainly not a mundane repmobile, and still easy enough to get your hands dirty.

Thing is too, they actually gagged them so much, you can squeeze a fair bit of power out of them, and actually get better fuel economy, becuase they were built to run forever, not to run efficiently (even right upto the carbed Favorits). So no matter how much fuel you threw at the them, the small carb/restrictive filter/peashooter exhaust would just strangle everything solid.

Everything (carb, filter, exhaust, fuel pump) that I did to my Estelle made it accelerate faster, have more top end etc without even getting inside, and the fuel consumption never increased at all, it was just using what it had better.

Reply to
MeatballTurbo

This is why

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Old and basic, but that just means less to take out.

--=20 The poster formerly known as Skodapilot.

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Reply to
MeatballTurbo

Well, if you're going to be completely rational about it, then yes, you could save a bit of money. You could also save money by not having a TV, wearing a thick jumper instead of putting the central heating on and using kwik-save bread, but you don't (i assume :) because it's more pleasant not to. I reckon you can apply the same argument to your car. Probably.

Nope, never owned one, but I did drive one for a couple of weeks, and it was horrible :-) Didn't try tuning it or sorting out the suspension, but in standard form it was slow, noisy, and handled like a bag of jelly. On the positive side, it didn't break down, and the heater was pretty good, neither of which you could say for the mini I drove at the time.

O.k., I know absolutely nothing about the 130 or the 136, so I'll keep quiet.

Hehe. O.k. A souped up skoda with serious ICE. Maybe that's not so bad.

No need to justify the toys. Toys are good.

Reply to
Albert T Cone

the specialist Saab sites.

Thing is, although officially available in 84, I haven't heard of a 16v listed or advertised registered before 1985. Mine is registered Autumn

1984, and the chassis number ties up that it is originally a 16v.
Reply to
Chris

Think so. Will need to double check, but I'm sure I've seen it from above while looking for something else.

I've got a one page review of them in '84 from an old Motor or Autocar, kindly donated by a mate, that is in the folder with all the MOTs, the service book stamped to 108k, I bought at 118k, have done all the changes and service stuff since, oil every 3k oil filter every 6K, plugs done less than 10k ago, air filter less than 4k. Now has near 131k.

plus i've had all the work done.

I really hope that switching down to premium will make enough cash difference for me to keep it (even if I lose performance), but if I must sell and go back to basics so be it, I know what I want.

Reply to
MeatballTurbo

Things aren't quite so bad yet, but I have been known to prowl Aldi,=20 Netto, and Lidl befoire buying a bottle of bourbon to make sure I got=20 the cheapest. =20

The favorit is a bit 2CV like, it appears to wobble bounce and lean a=20 hell of a lot, but actually hang on very well. The Rapid/Estelle was=20 actually a lot better, but just a bit soft in the springing.=20

Worst problem I had with the Favvy was, entering a roundabout from=20 stationary in 1st, or leaving a roundabout in 2nd, if there was the=20 merest hint of dampness, I would be wheel spinning (on the spot if in=20 first). That was with no new shocks, and decent basic legal tyres.

=20

130 engine was the one that won them all the group B trophy'swith an=20 iron head alloy block. 136 was the engine used in the Last rapids (Carbs or bendix injection),=20 all the Favorits (carbs or Bosch single point injection), the 1.3=20 Felicias (Bosch Single or Multipoint injection), and the 8v 1.4 Fabias=20 (Bosch multipoint injection) until 2002 (and also in 1 litre form the=20 Seat Arosa, and the VW lupo, and a home market CZ only 1 litre Fabia).

Missus regularly runs home at an indicated 95 in her 1.4 8v Skoda (not=20 VW) engined Fabia.

Best thing about them the cam chain. chain and sprockets cost =A312.50, on= =20 the Estelle and rapid you can fit them, engine in situ in about 2 hours.

On the Favvy/Felatio/Furby the block is across the engine so fitting is=20 tighter, but a dealer can do it for about =A3150 inc parts.

--=20 The poster formerly known as Skodapilot.

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Reply to
MeatballTurbo

I could go back to running premium unleaded, but it wouldn't make as much boost. I only do about 4 long runs a year so I keep thinking the Saab is a bit overkill.

Keep getting drawn back to Skoda (my old Estelle and Favorit would get

40+MPG instead of the 27-30 I get from the Saab).

hmmm...

200 miles at 30 mpg at 82p/l = £24.87 200 miles at 40mpg at 77p/l = £17.52

so is it the loss of performance worth 7 quid per week? Turbo saab or non-turbo skoda...

Unless you can find some good use for the 7 quid then I'd say... NO...

Reply to
Tim S Kemp

If I was you, I'd probably keep it.

But if you need someone to take it off your hands :-)

BTW: another easy way to tell model year, if it has the scania roundel on the bonnet, it's an '85>.

Reply to
Chris

looks like we will be welcoming you back to the skoda fold ;-)

I didnt think it would last, being skodaless. Got a octavia at mo, but still hanker for my old 136 rap cab.

----- Original Message ----- From: "Albert T Cone" Newsgroups: uk.rec.cars.modifications Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2004 12:45 PM Subject: Re: hate to say it, but the Saab might have to go.

Reply to
Neil

Carl,

NO!!!! DON'T. I got rid of my T16 to save money. OK, it saves money because I don't hoon around the country lanes in it anymore, but I don't do that in a passat diesel estate anyway. It's not quite the same :-) Every car I've driven since just bores me compared to the T16, and it's not that uneconomical really. Anyway, if it's mostly stop-start driving, who cares about lack of performance. If you want to go out for a Sunday blast, then stick a tenner of optimax in it..

Happy Saabing!

Mike

Reply to
Mike P

In article , snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com spouted forth into uk.rec.cars.modifications...

The original roundels were faded to white and have been replaced.

I'm sure they were Saab/Scania. New ones definatley are.

Reply to
MeatballTurbo

In article , snipped-for-privacy@timkemp.karooSPAMTRAP.co.uk spouted forth into uk.rec.cars.modifications...

I have basically £40 a week to play with for myself. £30 goes in fuel. I tend to manage on £10 a week, but an extra £7 would come in handy.

Tend to find that 30 is rare, but achieveable normally end up between

27-29

An old rapid or estelle, or a Favorit can at a stretch do 45.

Reply to
MeatballTurbo

In article , stickit@up- uranus.com spouted forth into uk.rec.cars.modifications...

That is what I'm going to try first.

But I feel the lure of a nice tail happy Rapid with it's engine swinging away out back sexily, especially since I've just seen a 136 rapid Cabriolet for sale for £400 with tax and ticket, and I only have space and money for one car.

Reply to
MeatballTurbo

In article , snipped-for-privacy@o2.co.uk spouted forth into uk.rec.cars.modifications...

I'm very tempted, but I'm goign to try one last stretch on premium instead of super/optimax.

If that doesn't save me enough. Rapid it is.

Reply to
MeatballTurbo

Sounds fun! I had an old Estelle 120 for a while Head gasket went and engine seized. I wouldn't mind a Rapid,or a 136RiC if I could afford one. The Saab though, is a top car, you've spent loads on it and you know what you've got with it. You might end up with something that's even more of a cash vacuum.

Me? I've just (foolishly?) bought an £80 MKII Golf GTi to play with over the summer. Gutted I couldn't afford another T16, but I needed something to fiddle with, and we're saving money.

Good luck with whatever you choose anyway!

Mike

Reply to
Mike P

Alternative solutions: Move closer to work. Get a pay rise, get a better paid job...

Anything but go from a saab to a skoda....

Reply to
Tim S Kemp

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