Date: Tue, 31 Oct 2000 21:09:19 +0000 From: David Haydon <home01nopsamorld.com> Subject: Re: saab 900 turbo
LOL - excellent and you kept a straight face the whole time too :o) Jack B wrote: > chris patient family <chrisnopsament1.freeserve.co.uk> wrote: > > I am looking to buy a Saab 900 turbo post 1990 rear wheel drive. > > > is there anything I should be looking out so as not to get done > > YES! Not all RWD conversions are created equal! There are a lot of > unscrupulous RWD Saab converters out there, and a lot of badly made > kits, so the first thing you need to do is to work with a mechanic you > trust. > > The next thing you will need to do is go a junkyard. Most of the > RWD kits out there use the rear suspension from the 1990-1998 Ford > Thunderbirds. Be very careful when choosing your wrecked Thunderbird. > Be sure to tell the junkyard owner that you are putting this > stuff in a Saab; most of them are familiar with this conversion and > will be very helpful. > > After that, find your engine. Many people swear by the "Iron Duke" > GM 2.5L motor, but I prefer the Ford 6.8L "Triton" V10 motor, or the > "Power Stroke" diesel V8 built by Navistar. Either motor will make > your Saab more powerful while adding less than 800 pounds to the > car's total weight. To make these engines fit, you will have to > "stretch" the front clip by eighteen inches, so make sure you have > plenty of sheet metal and a welder handy! Sand those seams afterwards > so it looks like factory work. > > Last but not least, pull the old Saab mill and install the new engine > mounting points. You will need a "dog box" transmission from a > 1914 REO truck, so make sure you have one handy. Watch out for the > ones with blue dots next to the driveshaft; they don't work in Saab > 99s, only 900s. Slap the transmission in, making sure to add six inches > of depth to the door sills using the welder and sheet metal mentioned > earlier. > > The transmission will mount nicely to the Thunderbird rear suspension > and driveshafts. Raising the rear by about 10", using Rancho springs > and shocks, offers a little bit of clearance for the rear differential; > otherwise, you'll have to cut out the floor. > > Good luck - JB