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green96v4
V4 Mad

Canada
737 Posts

Posted - 08 May 2014 :  16:02:56 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Hi All

New poster to this forum, although have been a SAAB owner for over 20 years, (my 1971 Tyrol Green 96 was my first car, came off the road in 1994 as the dreaded tin worm had won the battle and my intentions were to restore it to show condition - family, house renovations and emigration to Canada got in the way a little!!)

I am finally getting back into what has probably been the longest restoration in history, but I need some help. I should have taken more photos as I was taking it apart, as I'm starting to piece things back together, but I get lost with the order of when things go in, the route they take etc, etc.

Under the dash and the bulkhead are the areas I'm working on, if anyone has images under their dashboard and steering column wiring I would greatly appreciate a post/pm.

Thanks
Matt



UK_Sub
V4 Guru

United Kingdom
2555 Posts

Posted - 08 May 2014 :  16:10:09 Show Profile Reply with Quote
That looks fantastic - got any more photos to drool over?
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Zagato
V4 Mad

United Kingdom
811 Posts

Posted - 08 May 2014 :  16:12:34 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Superb Matt, love the colour... sorry cannot be of help with re-wiring pictures as car is away at present.

Chris

1977 96L Opal Green

Edited by - Zagato on 08 May 2014 16:13:16
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James Ranaldi
V4 Guru

United Kingdom
1475 Posts

Posted - 08 May 2014 :  16:44:17 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Welcome aboard green96v4.

Looks like you are doing a great job, your car looks wonderful

1968 V4, LHD
1984 99 GL
1992 900i Convertible
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Sim
V4 Beginner

United Kingdom
52 Posts

Posted - 08 May 2014 :  17:52:32 Show Profile Reply with Quote
wow. I can only dream of a finish like that. Quality job!

quite new to all this myself, but I found the wiring diagrams in the reproduction Haynes manual are shockingly bad quality, so we are slowly recreating our own versions..
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green96v4
V4 Mad

Canada
737 Posts

Posted - 08 May 2014 :  18:08:02 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Thanks for the nice words guys, here goes with the upload of a bunch of images!

Some more info on the restoration:
My father rebuilt the engine, (motor trader in Oxford for over 40 years, but engine rebuilds were always his happy place!)
Chris Partington (sp) did the gearbox to final specs
Welding was done by a specialist in Wales (Gary Wilkie (sp))
Paint prep was my labour!
Paint by my fathers Sprayer
Wiring loom by AutoSparks (great guys to work with, they didn't have pattern for the back half of the car, so I sent them mine and they've copied it for their masterfile)
Highgate supplied a lot of the parts over the years before they closed up, eBay now fills in the blanks!
I've added little upgrades, but trying to keep it as close to original as possible (LL wooden steering wheel, braided brake hoses, stainless caliper pistons and handbrake levers, hopefully jetex exhaust when money permits)

















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Dirtbiker
V4 Guru

United Kingdom
1060 Posts

Posted - 08 May 2014 :  21:22:11 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Hi Matt,

That looks fantastic - great work! My 72 car is the same colour and was almost my first car. Looks shabby compared to yours though.

What do you need to know under the dash - is your wiring loom a direct copy of the original?

Is the car now out in Canada?

Look forward to more pics.

Cheers
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green96v4
V4 Mad

Canada
737 Posts

Posted - 08 May 2014 :  21:31:20 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Hi Dirtbiker

Yes loom is a direct copy (there are some minor differences as Autosparks "off the shelf" loom was for a 1975 model, but it's close enough and working with them to get the extra bits we covered it all. (great bunch to work with)

Car is in Canada now, we shipped it in a container with our furniture, CDN Customs inspected the car, damaged a bunch of paint (covered on insurance) and left Contraband diagnostic equipment in the boot, so quite the adventure getting over here!

I could use an image of where the loom travels - I think I have it (after much experimenting but it's little things like does it go in front or behind the grey card panels, where does it zip tie to the bar under the dash (I remember cutting one off to get the old loom out)

I'll post an image of where I'm at with the interior tonight, planning to go and tinker with it now!

Cheers
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green96v4
V4 Mad

Canada
737 Posts

Posted - 09 May 2014 :  16:24:32 Show Profile Reply with Quote
as promised some shots of the interior and where I'm up to, guess the wires may make more sense when the dash/instruments are in place



I've already seen from one of Dirtbiker's shots where the top bracket for the dash fixes, so that's good!

and another of a more complete engine bay



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Woody
V4 Guru

United Kingdom
2758 Posts

Posted - 10 May 2014 :  14:13:22 Show Profile Reply with Quote
OUTSTANDING !!
So much attention to detail, this looks like a time warp with all the components looking like new off shelf.
I didn't think to take photos of the dash wiring, mine being off a 72 model and transferred en-bloc to the "Troll" with minor mods. Some photos below if they help...








Edited by - Woody on 04 Jan 2015 01:15:57
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green96v4
V4 Mad

Canada
737 Posts

Posted - 10 May 2014 :  14:58:22 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Thanks Woody, exactly what I needed!!!

thanks for the kind words too, makes some of the slow grind worthwhile
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green96v4
V4 Mad

Canada
737 Posts

Posted - 16 May 2014 :  16:40:21 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Just got my refurbished radiator back from a repair specialist (I was just going to repaint it, but had some of the veins fall apart - when I took it in he pressure tested it and showed me a tiny perforation, so I'm glad I didn't cut corners!

Expansion tank still needs fixing properly, but you get the idea


Long weekend here in Canada so I'll be attempting the dashboard and wiring!!!!!!
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green96v4
V4 Mad

Canada
737 Posts

Posted - 20 May 2014 :  16:14:37 Show Profile Reply with Quote
and the dash in, still a couple of black earth wires I can't figure out (and the Haynes Manual is just adding to the confusion!!)

Les Leston wooden wheel was rescued from a rotting barn find, I'll need to figure out a horn wire as it's a different boss design (standard wheel has the constant contact, but this one doesn't)

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Zagato
V4 Mad

United Kingdom
811 Posts

Posted - 20 May 2014 :  19:34:44 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Just gets better Matt, good period to do the resto when you could still get the parts!

Have you got any 'before' pictures...

1977 96L Opal Green

Edited by - Zagato on 21 May 2014 07:27:44
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beta
V4 Fanatic

Ireland
278 Posts

Posted - 20 May 2014 :  21:19:16 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Looks top class...I think most of our cars (mine anyway)
would look shabby beside that 96.

Hope you are so busy that you haven't been writing down your
project costs - just enjoy it and make sure no one finds
the final bill lying around!!
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green96v4
V4 Mad

Canada
737 Posts

Posted - 21 May 2014 :  16:31:23 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Hi Zagato - thanks for the kind words, here's the "before" images (beta - I have bills for most of the material/services bought, but I think I could probably get a Porsche with what I've spend over the years!!!)

I've tried to find before/during/after images so you can see how bad things were when it came off the road





























Bodyshell before it went to Gary Wilkie in Wales


In northern France in 1991





Close ups of Engine and Carb









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