EnG Weekend Snippets

Wow, it’s been a while. Hope that you’ve all had a great summer. Mine was a blur.

A number of great things in this package, including a tip of the hat to our friends at the meetup today, suggested Saab shopping for Swade while he’s in North America, and a new website that promises to choose your Saab for you. Oh, and I wouldn’t buy a Nissan anytime soon — more on that as well.

First, the promised shout out to all in Washington state with Swade this weekend, kudos! I’m sure that Ken has sniffed out the best locale for eats, and that route seems appropriately challenging. I suggest taking advantage of what the locale has to offer: salmon, mountains and mining-era charm. Travel safely!

Second: While Swade is in the state of Washington, I thought that I’d give him a few Saab shopping tips:

- 2000 Viggen five-door in Spokane, Washington. Thoose of you who are familiar with this part of the world will understand right off that Spokane, Washington is likely five hours from today’s meetup starting point of Issaquah, Washington. It’s also likely some of the dullest driving that one would ever do. However, for this little gem, it would certainly be worth it! From Craigslist.org comes this fantastic car in Monte Carlo yellow, no less! US$11,000, but it comes with some extras. Nice!

Spokane Viggen

Spokane Viggen

- While you’re at the Ikea outlet, take a gander at the tools (the Fixa series, in Ikea speak) and no Saab owner should be without a FLÖRT (I am not making this up) for your tunes. Swedish-designed tools and storage, what could be more appropriate?

- Certainly, XXX Root Beer seems to have great potential for souvenir shopping. I’ll have the ’59 Caddy or the Hubcap.

Third: GM has a website to choose your Saab for you! That’s right, folks, you can test your degree of Saabiness here. For me, the site selected the Saab 9-3 Turbo XWD based upon this profile. Fitting! (Note: I didn’t realize that Swade had posted this in his snippets piece about 10 hours ago. My bad!)

Finally: Car & Driver has posted results from a review that I find incredibly enlightening. They gathered up several sport sedans and SUVs and subjected them to emergency braking torture. All cars, including the Cadillac (sorry Swade) comported themselves well except for the two entries from Nissan, the Infiniti FX50S, and the Nissan 350ZX. The brakes on both vehicles simply failed about one third of the way through this admittedly extreme test. Not a good thing for Japanese auto buffs.

It was great to talk with Swade this week in actual real time! He and I spoke for a couple of hours via the magic of the internet, and I think that he’s much more of a people person than he gives himself credit for. Good luck, my friend!

Brock Yates on the 9-3 Viggen

A little Sunday tribute to the Saab 9-3 Viggen seeing I’m feeling all sentimental now….

Firstly, a great shot landed in my Inbox. It’s from Andrew B, showing off his Lightning Blue 3-door with a new set of wheels, which he specifically sourced in order to preserve the look of the original Saab wheels. As you know, those original rims are made from a compound comprised of plasticine, cotton wool, tissue paper and water, so these should stand up a little better.

Saab 9-3 Viggen

Jeremy was kind enough to source this writeup from an old issue of Car and Driver and send it through to me. Some interesting comments here. Especially towards the end.

Who gives a crap where it finished in their comparison. It’s a good read nonetheless.

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The assignment was simple. Recruit a crack team of top-flight road-test professionals and drive to the hinterlands of West Virginia with seven of the hottest mid-price sports sedans available. Return to headquarters with results that will prompt a flood of outraged letters suggesting that said team (1) consists of paid shills for one or the other participating marques and (2) would be better suited as Wal-Mart greeters or Foot Joy shoe salesmen.

Quickly assigned to the job were experts known internally as Chuck Pachetti, Spanky, Sea Bass, Biscuit, Milhouse, Louie, and Pusstoe, not to mention the Schnozzgrove, all of whom faced the perils of the Appalachian high country as well as having to don coats and ties for evening dinners at their advance base, the grand and gracious Greenbrier in White Sulphur Springs. Having never eaten at an establishment more elegant than the Sidetrack bar and burger grill in Ypsilanti, Michigan, the team was forced to make certain social adjustments for the Greenbrier, as they did with the natives in the outlying hollows, all of whom drove pickups, appeared to be heavily armed, and were in serious need of periodontal work.

West Virginia is blanketed with stunning mountain scenery laced with a magnificent network of smooth, winding paved roads. These are the result of a unique social agenda that has prioritized highway construction above other public works like, for example, schools.

No matter, the state is a driving paradise, especially for a collection of sports sedans all linked by as-tested prices between $33,896 and $40,235; punchy powerplants in the 210-to-231-hp range; and offering five- or six-speed manual transmissions.

Heading this group, at least in terms of curiosity, was the Cadillac CTS, fresh from its long-lead introduction to the national press in neighboring Virginia. We also had two 10Best winners in play: the much-celebrated BMW 330i and the new Audi A4 3.0 Quattro. Also on hand were the hot-off-the-presses Jaguar X-type 3.0 and the newish Lexus IS300 manual. Rounding out the lineup were the relatively familiar Lincoln LS and the charmingly baroque Saab 9-3 Viggen, the only four-cylinder, turbocharged front-driver of the lot. Seven diverse machines representing design philosophies from five nations, linked generally in size, pricing, body configuration, and most important, by the retention of the fast-fading enthusiast joy stick, the manual transmission.

Sixth Place: 2002 Saab 9-3 Viggen

Looking for something unconventional, eccentric? Here’s a machine that hides its ignition switch in the cup holder. Here’s a machine with a teeny four-cylinder engine hooked up to a turbocharger the size of a Shop-Vac. Here’s a little five-door hatchback that looks like no other car on the road. Here’s the Saab 9-3 Viggen.

We are dealing with the last of the throwbacks—the last mass-produced passenger vehicle on earth that stays the course, refusing to yield to bourgeois fashion and show-off technology. The 9-3 Viggen is the latest hot-rod version of the Saab 900 first introduced in 1994, and it now offers an impressive 230 horsepower from its 140-cubic-inch turbocharged four-banger that has been a part of the Saab inventory since Eric the Red left for Greenland.

Face it, Saabs are an acquired taste, like single-malt Scotch and reggae. Although five-door hatchbacks and front-drivers are not exactly outré, the Saab is one last cry of protest in an increasingly androgynous world.

Slip behind the wheel of a Viggen, and find a chairlike leather seat, a chin-high instrument panel and windowsill, and a shifter and ignition switch located in a pit below your right hip. Sniff the distinctive odor of buttery-soft Saab leather, and you can be in only one place on the planet.

It goes not exactly like its Swedish-fighter-plane namesake, but it’s plenty quick enough to get it into the high-six-second range from 0 to 60 mph and to tie for first in this group from 0 to 100 mph and to be the winner from 0 to 120 mph (where the wonderful Whoopee Cushion turbo shows its muscle).

Once the rubbery shifter is mastered and the flexy chassis is understood, one can fairly fly in a Viggen. Imprudent throttle punches in slow corners can produce nasty lunges of torque steer, but once straightened out and with the turbocharger in full play, the Viggen is definitely a hoot to drive.

It’s cool that Saab has refused to accede to so-called contemporary styling and such nuances as four-wheel drive, naturally aspirated V-6s, or a swoopier, more aerodynamic body style. In a world of automobiles that only small boys and hard-core automotive writers can tell from one another—think Japanese cars—the Saab steadfastly clings to its roots.

For the unrepentant Saabistas and for those who have not forgotten George McGovern and the plight of the snail darter, this is a source of pride and comfort. For others, it is quaintness that is rapidly descending into obsolescence.

Techie Time 2.8 Liter Turbo V6 Style

Once again, armed with photographs from the Saab TurboX Media Drive, I’m coming to you via the internet with information that you must, at all costs, absorb and hold dear because it’s going to be on the final exam.

Today’s topic: the GM 2.8 liter V6 in turbocharged form as in the upcoming Saab TurboX.

Oy, this is one smooth engine. After all, it’s won awards from people who really know a thing or two about engines, so you expect some refinement. This engine, as I’ve said before, has power and torque available from the minute that you stomp on the gas pedal. So, you really want to know how that power is made so quickly and smoothly, don’t you? Of course you do!

Well, here’s the secret: it has six cylinders.
And here’s the other secret: the turbocharger has two scrolls.

Now, I’m not advocating a wholesale change, and I’m not saying that everyone needs a 2.8 liter turbocharged V6, but I am saying that it’s nice to have in your product line because some people, myself included, will want the performance that it offers.

While at the Saab TurboX Media Drive, I studied the display V6 for a few minutes. After orienting myself and studying the airflow and the layout, the first thing that struck me was the additional piping and routing required to make a V arrangement work. On the four-cylinder Saabs, everything is easily routed from the same side of the inline bank of cylinders, while the V6 has to route exhaust to and inlet air from a single point on one side of the engine: the turbocharger. The well-sculpted inlets of the Saab V6 are a testament to both design and manufacturing prowess, but what a tangle it appears to be.

While we’re on the subject of metals, take a good look at the engine block and the cylinder heads. Casting technology has come a long way in just the past ten or twenty years. The detail and specialized shaping of each component is truly amazing and most certainly adds efficiency and performance.

The two-scroll turbocharger by Mitsubishi enhances the driver experience by allowing a workable variable inlet arrangment that gets the turbocharger impeller spinning at operating speeds with even a small change in exhaust flow. That is, turbo “lag” is greatly reduced. I can tell you first-hand that it works. With thirty years of turbocharging experience, Saab certainly made good choices with this one.

Not only is it easy to see the air and exhaust routing with this cutaway, it’s also to easy to see the 60 degree angle that helps to balance the engine and make the whole assembly a little shorter from top to bottom.

Notice that the exhaust manifolds are lined with stainless steel to keep the aluminum alloy from being heat worked over the life of the engine. That’s reliability, folks. Kudos to Trollhattan.

WooDz’s Viggen restoration

Time to knock the Turbo X off the front page, just for a day :-)

Our mate in Europe, WooDz, recently picked up a rare UK spec Saab 9-3 Viggen at a fairly good price, a bit lower than usual, actually. That was partly due to the state it was in. Many would pass it by, but WooDz explains his purchase in a way that I can well and truly understand:

There are things in life that just creep up on you and before you know it you’re lost in this world that many around you just don’t understand. Naturally I’m talking about the world of Saab. Talk to most people about your passion for this brand, the heritage and philosophy and you get a questionable look on their faces.

I think the reason why so many journalists have trouble rating a Saab well is because it doesn’t have a defining characteristic. They’re fast but won’t scare the living daylights out of you. They have good design but aren’t ostentatious. They have comfort but are not decadent. Virtually every feature is slightly subdued.

Well, thank God they are still around and if you love Saab as much as you think you do, then don’t let the opportunity pass ever to own one.

…..especially if it’s a Viggen!!

Here’s a few of WooDz’s issues when he first picked up his thunderbolt:

Viggen Wheel

Viggen Wheel

Viggen front

And there were some issues under the hood, too, that were remedied thus:

9-3 Viggen head

Engine bits

The engine’s been pulled to bits, as you can see above. Everything that can be has been cleaned up or replaced, including the clutch. The engine’s done 100,000 miles so far and should be well and truly set up for its next 100,000 now.

Helping to get the power down in a useful and comfortable way are a new set of Bilstien dampers and springs in all four corners.

New dampers

And the end result, with all the cosmetic work done as well – BEAUTIFUL!!

Saab 9-3 Viggen

Saab 9-3 Viggen

Saab 9-3 Viggen

A job well done!

Makes me yearn just that little bit more about getting mine back on the road again.

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Richo’s Viggen story continues

Time for an update (of sorts) and a query that Richo would like your opinion on.

Viggen This is how Richo’s Viggen looked around a month ago. It was spewing smoke and using oil faster than the Saudis could pump it. I’m not sure what the final diagnosis is, but whilst Richo was initially advised that he’d have to replace the entire engine, it’s now believed to be not quite so fatal.

There’s some burning on the pistons and it looks like they’ll be replaced, as well as something being a little warped and something else being scored. Richo was trying to describe it me but then he’d ask me what part he was talking about – as if I’d know! – so it was a little of the blind leading the naked (I was the blind one).

The engine’s currently in pieces all over the place and one thing he’s been advised is that while they’re replacing the pistons, to use some tougher, forged pistons rather than just replacing them with stock ones again.

Here’s a mangled piston, from Abbott Racing Motorsport.

Saab piston

Richo’s aren’t all busted up like that, but if he just puts stock ones back in there, with the reasonably high state of tune he’s running, then there’s every chance he’ll end up back where he is right now.

So – the question….

Anyone got any recommendations on forged pistons? Any words of encouragement, caution? And especially recommendations as to suppliers. They’d be most welcome.

New Viggen review!

What a wonderful convergence of comments and editorials!

Not only do we have a new Viggen owner on the site (and here in Aus, too) but there’s a new retrospective review of the Viggen as well.

Firstly, congratulations to “Aussielars”, who’s just picked one up:

Finally! I bought a Viggen last week. Drove it from Sydney home to Brisbane. Yes I think a lot of people don’t know what the Viggen is about. The adrenalin rush I got out of thomping the accelerator reminded me of Swedish gravel roads in my old Saab96 -68.

It’s quite a drive. Welcome to a very satisfying ownership experience (just be careful on the track, ok?)

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Secondly…

Occasionally, the motoring press here in Australia do retrospectives on different models. What you can get for your money etc.

This week, Drive.com.au are looking at the Saab 9-3 Viggen and whilst the usual tramlining criticisms remain, I think it’s fair to say that this particular review shows that maybe time has softened them. I certainly didn’t feel the same squirms I usually feel when I read through a Viggen review from the late 1990s.

The 2.3-litre, four-cylinder engine stuck with a single turbocharger but, unlike Saab’s more familiar, low-boost turbo installations, the Viggen got a lot more boost. Enough boost, in fact, to bump power to 165 kW, which was pretty impressive. Even more gobsmacking was the torque, which now peaked at 342 Nm, almost 100 Nm more than the next-fastest 9-3 of the time, the Aero.

There was a certain amount of turbo lag, but when the power arrived, it came on hot and strong.

And that’s the point where they get into the handling woes.

It’s a good read and any Viggen owners or would-be Viggen owners out there should check it out. Makes me nostalgic and very keen to get mine back on the road.

Everyone’s selling Viggens!!

Just out of curiosity (the Alfa thing isn’t a done deal just yet) I thought I’d go and take a look at the Saab Sonett classifieds over at Saabnet. Unfortunately I drew a big zero there. Not one Sonett there on the blocks.

However, if you’re after a Viggen, there’s an absolute smorgasboard to choose from. I couldn’t believe it!

The 9-3 classifieds there are all thrown in together, so you’ve got anything from 1998 to now eligible for sale there. I didn’t doa precise count, but I’m pretty sure the Viggen would be the biggest individual model represented there. That’s quite remarkable when you consider that it was a limited edition model.

All colors of the rainbow (bar red) are available, too.

Why are so many people selling their Viggens?

Viggens

One Viggen, served well done

With thanks to RJ, here’s an inside look at what happens when a Saab 9-3 Viggen gets a little overcooked. This Viggen belongs to a friend of his, and has been shown here previously.

It turns out piston #4 got so hot it overheated and fractured (pieces actually broken off). The mechanic said this was due to the fuel being injected onto one spot of the piston rather than in a mist, which ends up acting like a blowtorch on that spot and destroying it. Another piston (#2 or #3?) broke a seal and received a decent-sized crack down the side. Furthermore, cylinder #4 took a beating with quite a bit of pitting and other scratching from the destruction of piston #4.

Since a decent replacement engine wasn’t available, they decided to bore out the cylinders and put new racing pistons in. No idea how much they’ll be shelling out for it, though.

It’s good for some of us non-mechanical types to see this inside stuff, so thanks for the pics. Obviously, I’d rather see them and hear that they’re BMW parts. The premature ending of a Viggen’s bits is never good news (right, Richo?).

Mason, our best to you on the rebuild. May it be ruling the roads again soon!

Saab Viggen

Saab Viggen

Saab Viggen

Saab Viggen

Saab Viggen