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Restoration thoughts Posted by thetallguy [Email] (#1698) [Profile/Gallery] (more from thetallguy) on Tue, 24 Jul 2018 14:40:14 In Reply to: Jumping back in again...., Noel, Sat, 21 Jul 2018 05:42:10 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
I occasionally post here. I am looking at a "soft" restoration of my car, an 1995 Aero with 410K miles and a TCS car to boot. I had intended to do a "build' on an '97 CSE but life and daughter problems got in the way. The '97 has donated so many parts to the current car that I am despairing about ever getting that project on the road again. After some thought, the current plan is to rebuild the '95 with an engine from a '98 CSE with 95K miles and attempt to incorporate the '94 non- turbo longish intake runners into the restoration a-la Kevin Yankton's beast, Restorations takes time and money but consider this: these are unique cars-probably the best that Saab made as far as durability, speed, ease of over boosting, and software availability. Every problem one might encounter is documented at length here at Saabnet. I am looking at an engine swap from a parts car @ $300, plus a 19T turbo @ $120 (compressor wheel plus housing), a rebuild/replacement of rear brake calipers @ ~ $30, newish struts (came with $300 '98 parts car), larger innercooler @ $300, plus 3 bar Map and larger injectors @ ~ $350, plus paint job on front hood/bumper @ $800. I might redo some of the leather panels on the passenger seat (salvage yard 9-5 leather) at ~$160. Oh, and an exhaust system we will estimate at about $800. That would make my car pretty nice. Then its just the "tune" which would probably end up at $200 to $350 possibly a lot more for the NA intake. What you have at the end of this project is something unique and cool. $2660 and time. It keeps me off the streets at night. Conversely a less "performance" build brings the cost down to less than a $1200 (paint, motor, and leather).My engine, at 440K, is still smooth, boosts well, transmission shifts well, all power locks and mirrors work, interior is "mostly good", original water pump and struts. Clutch rebuilt at 300K by Carolina Clutch with new friction material from Sachs but about 20% thicker than "stock". This is still holding at 20 lbs of boost. So the 9000 will last and last and last. I have really enjoyed my time in and under this car. The main point being the cost of restoration is chump change compared to other marques restoration costs and could well be worth the effort in grins and bragging rights. I'm not sure what the ratio for grins per dollars spent works out to be for others but I am thinking that the dollars I have spent and the time invested is really heavy on the positive side.
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