Woohoo the Saab is getting better.

New leads got rid of the arcing, refitting a vac hose sorted the idle/boost gauge.

Made a battery heat shield out of an old baking tray and some silicon trivets (2 layers) that are rated at 400f so should help it not kill the battery on a long run.

Swapped the old Sony radio cassette for the Lidl bluetooth CD/MP3/USB/SD headunit I had in the old 9000. I must be on a lucky streak because I think I have the only C900 with a proper saab->ISO converter instead of shonky nest of connectors, wires and tape.

Can now stream 16gig of music from my android phone to the car radio.

Loving driving this car, has the best gearshift of any 900 I've driven and it feels like coming home.

Reply to
Elder
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You missed off "that some bastard has cut so short that you can't get your hands down the hole to get them properly without injuring yourself"...

Nice one, I can't deny I'm jealous...

Mike P

Reply to
Mike P

Just need to get it through the MOT. Going to book it in as soon as it gets within 30 days, to give it a chance to get fixed if it needs anything, and maximises it if it doesn't.

Reply to
Elder

Yes, I've had that before in the convertible and in the 9000. Yet the convertible actually had the factory Sony HU and changer that was offered for the vert, but for some reason it had been pulled, chopped and refitted to the chopped wires.

It still looks as rough as a bears arse. Thanks to the hosepipe ban I can't wash it decently at home, I have very rough paint, with a couple of small holes in the tailgate covered with tape so I can't stick it through a car wash.

But as soon as I can wash it properly I will get the polisher and G3 on it to cut back what is there, and work out what needs rust treating/sanding and painting over.

Fixed the exhaust knock too. All rubbers present and correct, but the back box to tailpipe clamp was loose, and rusted solid. Pulled the pipe off the car, got the stilson on one of the nuts until the clamp sheared, then refitted with a new clamp. Now all you hear is that slightly scoobiesque off beat idle and the lovely warble on overrun.

Speaking of Scoobs, just had something fairly recent (but still a saloon) come whistling past me as I'm accelerating from a standstill in a 30 then 40. He was doing about 50-60, saw the speed camera in front, slammed on dropped down to 25 in front of me. Bugger that I thought. Already in 3rd so I hoofed it, just perfect to get the turbo to whistle up and just boosting by 40 then over-run.

He had his window down. He seemed slightly shocked to see this ratty 21 year old car making a nice whistle and warble combination as I went past him. I could have gone a lot faster, he didn't seem to notice it was a rotatable camera and facing the wrong way.

Reply to
Elder

I can wash one of my cars pretty well with about 4 buckets of water (they're not as big as Saabs mind you). 2 for the 2 bucket method and then another 2 to chuck over it to rinse the soap off.

I don't have a hose at my house, and have never lived anywhere there's been a hosepipe ban that I can remember, so does a hosepipe ban preclude those jetwash places then? That's something I have used on occasion to blast the worst of the crap off for a pound or 2 when I can't be arsed actually washing my car.

Hehe, or is it just an excuse to cruise around in a rough, but reasonably quick car?

I fixed a leak on my 106 for the MOT. It wasn't a blow - just 2 leaky joints which I sorted with a couple of new clamps and some exhaust paste for good measure. It had been causing havoc with the emissions since before the last time it was MOTd.

Very satisfying to do a successful DIY fix. And now I am saving dolphins too.

Reply to
Douglas Payne

That is what I'm chuffed about. Done more small twiddles, fixes and adjustments on this car in two weeks, than I have done on the IS and the old 9000 in the last 2 years. The IS hasn't need anything bar services (including timing belt because it was near due and I could afford it), the 9k needed a head gasket and clutch so both jobs that needed a garage.

The 900 has been very satisfying to play will and reminded me why I like old cars.

Going to get the gas tester on it and check the emissions, and adjust the idle speed and mixture in the next couple of weeks when I get a chance. Might as well sort as much pre-MOT stuff between job hunting. Saves money and embarrassing fails when the test comes round.

Reply to
Elder

Heh, speaking of embarassing fails, one of my 106s fails was a side repeater not working. Bad enough that I was daft enough not to check before it went in, but it turns out it wasn't a blown bulb, it was that last time I had the wing off, I neglected to put the bulb back in the holder repeater so it was just rolling about in the bodywork. Oops.

I also changed both front wheel bearings which involved a bit of dremelling and a goodly amount of hammering. Also dremelled a bit of metal I found on the road in the winter into a drift/chisel.

Exploring the rear brakes was fun too, wheel cylinders are bastard complicated compared to calipers.

Reply to
Douglas Payne

Had my first bit of fail today. Warm idle has been a bit high (about 1k-1100rpm) since I found the loose vac hose. Figured today I would sort it. Locking nut off, soak for 20mins in plusgas just to be safe, put in screw driver, turn, crack, ping, idle adjust screw now useless.

If it has MOT probs with too high an idle I'll just need to drill it out and scrappy for one off a gold or find a bolt that fits.

Reply to
Elder

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