SAAB 99 EMS Turbo restoration.
I can arrange restoration work on your classic 99 or 900, I have a team of specialists who can undertake any mechanical, bodywork, retrims, wheel restoration etc etc...
This is an example of the restoration work we can undertake. Date of work June/July 2008
I aquired a Saab 99 EMS turbo that had been standing for approx 3 years. This car had 3 owners, the supplying garage for 3 months, the 1st real owner from 1979 until 2003 and then the last owner until recently.
When I collected the car it was in a sorry looking state, flat tyres, flat paintwork, rusty roof and tailgate. Both doors had corroded away on the lower edges, the sunroof leaked and plenty of spiders webs to be found in the engine bay!
However the car fired up 1st turn of the key with the assistance of a jump pack, and with air in the tyres it drove onto my recovery truck.
Picture of the car when I got it back to the workshop (after a good wash)
The first thing I did back at the workshop was to examine the chassis, and I found it to be very good indeed. A look through the comprehensive history showed the car had been waxoyled every 2/3 years!
The decision was therefore made to sell the car as a restoration project and NOT to break it for spares.
I advertised the car on this website and on UKSaabs, and within 2 days it was sold! The purchaser asked me to arrange the restoration work and to try and get the car ready for a trip to the Saab Owners Club National eventon 26th July 2008 - less than 6 weeks away.
I stripped the car of all internal and external fittings, fitted correct age replacement doors and tailgate and sent the car to the bodyshop.
With the bumper, lights, grille etc removed I could examine the front panel. Not too bad, just a couple of holes but structuraly fairly good.
The roof panel after the sunroof was removed. Surface rust all over the roof - but no holes all the way through!
The original tailgate. Easier to replace than repair!
Note how these tailgates differ from the later classic 900 ones - a totaly vertical flat panel at the lower edge, and different handle design.
Replacement doors fitted - the originals had very poor lower edges.
Again note the differences between 99 doors from this age against later 99 and classic 900 doors - the window extends to the front edge as the mirror is mounted on the bodywork.
View showing the replacement passengers door and replacement tailgate fitted
There was one area of corrosion that was not noticable until the windscreen had been removed - the nearside lower corner had rotted away to almost nothing.
Here is the rot discovered in the windscreen surround. Note the difficult shape due to the ridges required for the windscreen rubbers etc to fit to.
A repair section was fabricated and welded into place. Some minor welding was required to the front panel and a small patch on the boot floor. Also two small holes had formed behind the mudflaps. then the roof was stripped back to bare metal and the rest of the car prepaired for painting.
Here is the same area after repair!
Back from the bodyshop. All corroded areas were cut out and repaired with fresh metal. Filler only used as a final 'smoothing' face. the replacement doors, tailgate and sunroof were all repainted inside and out.
Looking good from this side as well!
As can be seen, everything was removed from the bodyshell prior to the repainting - no masking around anything here!
Bare tailgate before the refit.
Once back from the bodyshop the process of refitting everything began.
Apart from a small seam split in the passengers seat the rest of the interior was in exceptional condition. The front door cards were replaced, as was one of the rear cards, and the headlining was replaced.
Very nice condition interior, only a small seam split on the passengers seat and the loose carpet trim in the center console let it down.
Excellent rear seat - I would not be surprised if it was never sat in!
Mechanically the car needed a good overhaul. The exhaust had rotted so replacements were fitted, the waterpump was leaking so a replacement was fitted with a new seal kit. The turbo had been changed within the past 10,000 miles but the wastegate had developed a rattle from within. A full service with replacement gaskets, hoses etc was carried out. The brake calipers were removed and cleaned, all brake and suspension components checked and with a new set of tyres it was time for the MOT test.
Passed the MOT 1st time with no advisories and the car was ready.
The customer wanted the car for the National on the 26th, the car was ready on the 25th !! - close but I made it.
Absolutely no corrosion in either door shuts or loweredge by the sills!!
You can just make out the reflections of two more 99s (and my legs!!)
wheel arch trims, lights, bumpers refitted. Now shod with new tyres
Back of the car is now finished.
And the car on the day of the hand ove