| Author |  Topic  |
john-saab
Administrator
United Kingdom
2679 Posts |  Posted - 18 Feb 2017 : 17:31:15  
| I have posted a small bit about this already but didn't think this was going to turn into a project.
My neighbor alerted me to a 96 that he had spotted about 4 miles from home. It had been sitting in a field at the rear of a small village garage. My first impressions were that the car was in a bad way. A chat with the owner and he told me that it was a project that he never got around to starting. It was driven into the field about 3 years previous and that's where it stayed.
3 of the tyres were perished, the brakes seized but the engine turned free. I then spotted a Weber 34ich and then the big surprise..the engine is a 1700cc lump.
Less than an hour after loading the car it had 3 beter wheels with tyres fitted and a sticky front caliper freed (tapped the brake pad and it freed up)
Plugs out, poured a little oil into the rocker covers and a few turns of the engine by hand. New fuel pipes. Plugs back in, new battery fitted and fingers crossed. On the 5th churn it fired up and run sweet (even with old fuel) but the fuel pump (older style with the removable cover/filter) started to drip then flow. A new (good 2nd hand) pump fitted and she was ticking over very well. I had a drive up and down the farm track and it drives really well. The gears are smooth and the brakes even work now.
The car started life with light grey paint but was re-painted yellow sometime in the 1990's. The body is surprisingly good. A few blisters and the door bottoms need attention. The interior is in tatters and is made up using 3 or 4 different colour trim.
The charge light is on all of the time and some of the other electrics don't work. The exhaust was damaged during loading so I have to fit another.
I will do the obvious work and then see if I can get an MOT on it.
The inner wing tops were covered in sound deadening and it was soaking. So wet there were plants growing in it so that was the first thing to come out..
'73 96 (Vernon),'74 95 (Veronica)plus 4 other 95's and 2 96's |
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Zagato
V4 Mad
United Kingdom
812 Posts | Posted - 18 Feb 2017 : 18:32:27
| Nice find and a new one on me having been brought up in Bridport. I wonder if Nick knows of it, Alan Old or Astley, Tony Parkhurst etc. Any stickers on it? I wonder where the 1.7 came from!
The material all over the inners wings is er... Interesting!
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Edited by - Zagato on 18 Feb 2017 18:34:09 |  |
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UK_Sub
V4 Guru
United Kingdom
2558 Posts | Posted - 18 Feb 2017 : 18:37:54
| Surprised there's any inner wings left! That exhaust looks pretty strange too, I assumed it wasn't for that car!
Great to hear you've got it up and running so quickly, hopefully it sales through the MOT too. | |
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john-saab
Administrator
United Kingdom
2679 Posts | Posted - 18 Feb 2017 : 19:09:32
| The inner wings had a thick matting..I ripped it off. The bonnet is coated in the same stuff. It must be a Dorset thing as this is the 3rd car I have bought with this stuff everywhere.
The exhaust..it is part of the car but the bobbins perished and the exhaust caught on my trailer when I winched it up...it folded in half. The rear silencer is like nothing I have seen before..I will post pics tomorrow.
'73 96 (Vernon),'74 95 (Veronica)plus 4 other 95's and 2 96's | |
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Zagato
V4 Mad
United Kingdom
812 Posts | Posted - 19 Feb 2017 : 08:30:53
| They call em Sabs not Sarbs in that neck of the woods. You may also find dree of them drew there you! Lovely job!
I had to check it wasn,t my sisters old white one of the same age but it wasn,t. The front wheel fell of that one in Beaminster because my father who is hopeless at DIY anything didn,t do the wheel nuts up enough.
A lot of SAABs in the area with Olds and Astleys being so near. Nick Utteridge was very active 30 years ago digging up some lovely examples including two strokes. He had quite a few stored outside and container loads of parts. Ask him to tell you how he prised a blue two stroke off Jack Astely next time to see him in the Greyhound!
I bought a very nice, low mileage Carolina Blue 96 off him which I sold to my sister eventually and her husband used it for a daily commute for about 8 years then sold it on once again.
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Edited by - Zagato on 19 Feb 2017 08:42:20 | |
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Dirtbiker
V4 Guru
United Kingdom
1061 Posts | Posted - 19 Feb 2017 : 20:00:31
| Good work John,
Light grey sounds nice - is that the original colour showing under the bonnet?
Cheers | |
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john-saab
Administrator
United Kingdom
2679 Posts | Posted - 19 Feb 2017 : 20:28:56
| Yes Dirtbiker the grey you can see is the original colour.
Another day in the garage. A standard exhaust fitted. Better radiator fitted (original had lost it's bottom rail). fresh plugs and leads. Making a start on the coolant hoses but run out of 3/4 pipe. I managed to slice the top of my finger while cutting a pipe so that slowed things down a bit. The T-cut was calling so I had a go at one corner and it looks like the paint will come up well. There are a few areas that the rust has got to so they will need painting..getting a match will be difficult. The rear wings were missing the beading and whoever sprayed the car filled the gaps with silicone and sprayed over it. Damp has got behind the silicone and the rust has set into the wing tops.
'73 96 (Vernon),'74 95 (Veronica)plus 4 other 95's and 2 96's | |
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melle
V4 Guru
United Kingdom
3833 Posts | Posted - 19 Feb 2017 : 20:35:18
| Nothing wrong with the yellow if you ask me!
www.saabv4.com | |
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Zagato
V4 Mad
United Kingdom
812 Posts | Posted - 20 Feb 2017 : 18:26:12
| Agreed, I prefer grey but if you are going to have a colour like yellow, orange, opal green etc it has to really powerful, bright etc as in Johns T Cut picture.
Unfortunately such colours with age get very faded and dull, even in boots, engine bays etc they seem to lose their zing. I have found bits of Opal Green on mine that have been covered from new and the colour is so bright, yellowy florescent green almost. It,s really powerful  . The only time you see something close to that is under unnatural light. I will definitely going this end of the spectrum when I eventually spray mine. It,s more yellow zing than modern green that was in vogue a few years ago with Lambo,s to SEAT!
Wonder why yellow and Monkeys banana and why a 1.7 engine. Wher did they come from originally apart from Sonetts? It wasn,t an option was it?
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Edited by - Zagato on 20 Feb 2017 18:28:26 | |
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john-saab
Administrator
United Kingdom
2679 Posts | Posted - 20 Feb 2017 : 20:15:06
| The history is about to unfold. I bought the car from a local garage who took it on as a "project" but never got started..the last registered keeper (garage didn't register it) turns out to be a friend of several people I know (including Nick Utteridge). I even think I may have chatted with her several times.
For the moment it will stay yellow as adding yet another spray job just isn't realistic. My priority is to get it back on the road rather than yet another project that is waiting for time/parts/enthusiasm.
'73 96 (Vernon),'74 95 (Veronica)plus 4 other 95's and 2 96's | |
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72sonett3
V4 Fanatic
Spain
269 Posts | Posted - 20 Feb 2017 : 20:33:45
| quote:
... why a 1.7 engine.
How can you tell it is a 1.7 from the outside?
quote:
Where did they come from originally apart from Sonetts?
Continental European Ford Transit, Ford 17M. If it is from a Sonett it should have the letter 'S' following the engine number.
--
'72 97
'77 96L conv.
'79 96GL (LPG)
'83 900i (LPG)
'95 900SE conv.
'99 9-3T | |
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x96
V4 Fanatic
Spain
417 Posts | Posted - 20 Feb 2017 : 20:46:10
| Nice car, I like a lot that yellow. Imho, Better than the sad grey.
It looks quite solid too.
Héctor | |
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john-saab
Administrator
United Kingdom
2679 Posts | Posted - 20 Feb 2017 : 20:56:07
| This is what makes me think it's a 1.7..plus the "Transit" block has a different inlet manifold and this one is the same as the usual 1500 inlet manifold.
'73 96 (Vernon),'74 95 (Veronica)plus 4 other 95's and 2 96's | |
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72sonett3
V4 Fanatic
Spain
269 Posts | Posted - 20 Feb 2017 : 21:43:48
| Ah... yes, that is convincing, though I have never seen that on another V4 block in a Saab.
--
'72 97
'77 96L conv.
'79 96GL (LPG)
'83 900i (LPG)
'95 900SE conv.
'99 9-3T | |
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melle
V4 Guru
United Kingdom
3833 Posts | Posted - 20 Feb 2017 : 21:55:59
| I've never seen/ noticed/ paid attention to that cast in mark before, but you're not the first one who brings this up: http://www.saab-v4.co.uk/speedball/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=6166.
I've looked up some photos from my archives, these are from engines from my own collection. This is a 1.7HC Transit engine code and number:
This is what a 1.7HC Taunus engine says in that location, looks like "2.0A" written upside down:
 :
This is a 1.5HC Saab engine, I cannot clearly make out the first number, but it looks like it reads "2.7L":
I can check a few engines next time I'm in the workshop, but I doubt the casting mark says anything about the engine being a 1.5 or 1.7. I normally go by the code stamped next to the engine number, but of course you can only be sure by checking the crank.
FYI:
EO = No idea, I have two but not yet checked
EX = 1.5 LC, I doubt these exist
EY = 1.5 HC
MX = 1.7 LC
MY = 1.7 HC
Transits have the same inlet manifolds as Saabs (either 1 or 2bbl).
www.saabv4.com |
Edited by - melle on 20 Feb 2017 22:10:40 | |
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72sonett3
V4 Fanatic
Spain
269 Posts | Posted - 20 Feb 2017 : 22:20:27
| In principle the engine blocks of a 1.5 and a 1.7 are the same. When a block is cast, there is no way of knowing if it will be used for a 1.5 or 1.7, it's the crank and the pistons that make the difference. The engine number and the other markings are engraved in the block after assembly when it is known if it turned out as a 1.5 or 1.7.
--
'72 97
'77 96L conv.
'79 96GL (LPG)
'83 900i (LPG)
'95 900SE conv.
'99 9-3T |
Edited by - 72sonett3 on 21 Feb 2017 08:29:32 | |
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| Topic | |
Monkeys Banana
