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 Going down under (Long and with pics)
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Derek
V4 Guru

United Kingdom
2187 Posts

Posted - 30 Jun 2011 :  16:20:35 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Back in April “Saabo-John” posted in the “Wanted” section that he was looking for either an early or very late 96. After some thought I decided to send some pics of my car to see if it might be what he was looking for. The response was positive. More emails and lots more pictures followed over the next few weeks. Without telling them I suggested names of members here on the forum who had seen the car and might be willing to give opinions. Thanks John and Pete for your kind words, even though I don’t know what you said! Being a previous 96 owner and currently having 4 other Saabs in the family perhaps made the decision to buy all the way from Brisbane Australia just a little easier. An online handshake and the deal was done.
Fast forward to this last weekend and John, Cathy his wife and 5 year old daughter Madeleine, are over here and coming to the end of their holiday in Scotland and the UK. A container awaits its contents in Southampton with delivery booked for about 1pm on Monday 27th. The plan was for John to come and look at the car last Saturday on the way to friends at Sittingbourne, with a diversion to Nick S at V4 Resto, Hammersmith, to collect parts bought from eBay. That went decidedly pear shaped when getting to Nick’s late in the afternoon and ringing him for final directions, got the response that he was home in Milton Keynes!!!!. “I forgot you were coming”! So, John comes round on Sunday, and after family approval and a drive around the area we get down to loading up the car with most of my accumulated spares. With the back seat folded down the load space is enormous. 2 large plastic storage boxes and a gearbox on a baker’s loaf tray fit across the back seat area with the main boot area still empty for lots more. A layer of hardboard across the seatback and MDF for the boot helps take the strain. My Halfords spotty seat covers refitted over the new upholstery for the journey. I still think they suit the car.








Monday. As John now has to go into London to collect the spares from Nick we arrange that we meet at Fleet services on the M3 at 10am. Hottest day of the year and the loaded down but comfy riding 96 hums up to Fleet with the temperature gauge seemingly stuck to the middle of the dial, even in the stop/start on the M25 around Heathrow. I had moved the Kenlowe dial round a bit just to be safe though. I wasn’t expecting John to make it by 10 and it was 11.20 before his Volvo V50 hire car drove up the slip road. Nick had to scrabble around and find the parts that John had bought and even select good from bad. Not a business experience that John is likely to repeat.
After some coffee we depart for the docks.




Note Saab connection in last pic.

Our little wharf was a bit hard to find but there about 1.15. Drive into container, nail the angle iron wheel clamps to the floor (!) and a few straps around Nick’s spares, a pair of wings and a CJ car roller, again (!) and the door is shut and sealed.





Art shot






Goodbye Mr Brown. You’re rust free now and I hope you stay that way out in the Australian sunshine. I think you’re going to enjoy your new home and get lots of attention. Thanks John for doing all the stressful stuff and making it easy for me. Sea journey will be 46 days so it will be a while before the car emerges blinking into the sunshine. Well I hope it's sunshine, as it's sort of winter there now!
Cars new name might be “Elvira” after the the first and only previous owner.

For me it's back to Volvo, I have 3 Amazons to support and time marches on.........................

john-saab
Administrator

United Kingdom
2679 Posts

Posted - 30 Jun 2011 :  19:55:08 Show Profile Reply with Quote
John..you MUST keep us informed on how she behaves in the heat of Oz.
Derek..I only told John the truth..it's a shame to see one of the UK's finest leave our shores.
Derek..now you are SAAB free don't forget us..your input has been fantastic over the years and your knowledge a great help to many forum members!

current V4 models..'72 95 (The Flying Banana),'72 96 (Bridget),'74 95 (Veronica),'74 96 (The Brown one)NOW SOLD..destined for greater things
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UK_Sub
V4 Guru

United Kingdom
2555 Posts

Posted - 30 Jun 2011 :  20:59:26 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Absolutely, your expertise has been very valuable, so I hope you don't forget us!

Obviously John wasn't put off by my feedback ;) and looks very happy with his purchase, 46 days doesn't sound like too long, I'm sure it took longer when I imported a car from the States!? Mind you, that was a roll-on-roll-off ferry which went via Holland.

Some pictures of 'Elvira' in her new surroundings would be great too!


Cheers,

Simon
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Derek
V4 Guru

United Kingdom
2187 Posts

Posted - 30 Jun 2011 :  22:10:48 Show Profile Reply with Quote
No, I'm not going anywhere and happy to comment if and when I can. I wasn't sure who'd been contacted by John. I knew that you had John and thought that Pete had been too. If you did make comments Simon, thanks are due to you too. There weren't many who'd actually seen the car but Trevor and Kooda could be added to the list. Not surprisingly I have some spares left over. Some new which duplicate those that went with the car and some other used "dirty" parts that John decided the customs and quarantine guys would complain about. I'll have to start making a list.
I got plenty of help from you all, information has to come from somewhere and sensible voices of experience are valuable and hard to find. Bought the car in 1999 and crawling around on the Internet was a pretty clumsy experience back then.

Edited by - Derek on 01 Jul 2011 10:34:12
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Saabo-John
V4 Beginner

Australia
84 Posts

Posted - 01 Jul 2011 :  00:08:52 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Hello one-and-all! Yes, one happy new owner
The car really IS that shiny too - it actually glows in the sun.
Which it'll be seeing a fair bit of - assuming the ship doesn't sink...

Big thanks to Derek for his patience with an odd overseas Saab nut.
Where can I start? not everyone would've so readily offered to drive their car to a container terminal [how many?] miles from home. That alone solved one huge logistical issue. I doubt that everyone looking at potential vehicle purchases in another country could say when they saw the vehicle that it looked exactly like it did in [all] the pictures either.

Thanks also to Simon and John. I believe you can tell a lot about someone by what people say about them and that's equally as important as what they might say about an item you might be discussing.

More than happy to keep you all updated of how things go.

Looks like I have more weight to lose than I thought though...
Cheers for posting THAT pic Derek!
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Derek
V4 Guru

United Kingdom
2187 Posts

Posted - 01 Jul 2011 :  10:52:31 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Hand on hip poses don't show you at your best.



Mileage about 120, including the tour of Totton etc.

Overall I don't think the day could have gone any better.

Bottle of Loch Fyne not yet opened........
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pchristy
V4 Guru

United Kingdom
1790 Posts

Posted - 01 Jul 2011 :  11:49:44 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Derek: Amen to what the others have already said! Its sad to see such a pristine car leaving the country, but at least in Oz it should be spared the salty winter roads! Glad to hear you will still be contributing to the forum as your posts have been much appreciated in he past!

John: You've got a lovely car there! Please remember us when you get back to Oz, and keep us informed of progress!

Best Wishes,

--
Pete
"Duct tape is like the Force: It has a light side and a dark side, and it binds the Universe together!"
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Saabo-John
V4 Beginner

Australia
84 Posts

Posted - 05 Jul 2011 :  15:47:12 Show Profile Reply with Quote
I'll bear that in mind Derek.

Now in France for a few days then back to Oz.

Will post an update and some pics as soon as I can.

Cheers all.

John.
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blue95V4
V4 Fanatic

United Kingdom
415 Posts

Posted - 05 Jul 2011 :  19:21:26 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Wow that car is/was so shiny! Can you come and polish all mine like that, please, Derek?

Good luck with the V4 down under, John; pleased to hear that you've found what you were looking for.

David (96 2T, 260-2 Saabo and a 95 V4, plus a Hirsched 9-3 TiD SW)
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trevor
V4 Fan

117 Posts

Posted - 06 Jul 2011 :  12:43:30 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Hi Derek, so you have finally parted company , with your 'show room '
car. Thanks for all your help to me and the forum.
It's MOT time again but sadly our car is 'deceased' as the near-side suspension has collapsed !!
Hope to meet up and see your Amazons some-time .
Cheers,

Trevor
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Derek
V4 Guru

United Kingdom
2187 Posts

Posted - 12 Jul 2011 :  22:09:30 Show Profile Reply with Quote
Just to sort of button up this thread. Thanks for all the kind comments about the car. I'm not known as a polisher, and the car, as seen in the pictures, has had one wash with Triplewax shampoo this year. OK it was 2 days before the pics were taken. From memory it got a going over with AG Resin polish early in 2010 with a coat of Turtlewax Ice sealer/glosser. I was surprised how good the Ice was, as it goes on like water, and you buff it off after it dries, leaving a durable high gloss. With some Collinite 476S after the resin it would have been even better. Tip: leave the resin polish to dry off for about 30 minutes before buffing so that the fillers stay in the "scratches".
I hope it enjoys its new home.
Trevor, you can strike it off your apres lottery win shopping list now.......... Hope you've sorted the suspension out OK.
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