1994-2002 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
Hi Nate; Congrats on buying a very good car. My viggen is also a 5 dr, silver 2000, 5 spd. You hit on most of the marginal characteristics of the car. We are lucky in that we have a great resource here on TSN and vendors like Genuine Saab/MP/Abbott/Group9/etc. to rely on for quality parts and help.
The first thing I did was the Abbott VRK, I got lucky to get one off of ebay for a reasonable price. You should at least get the clamp from MP and then the bushings and 6 point sub-frame brace. The clamp and 2 pt brace is not enough, you will want the bushings and 6 pt brace.
Considering the wet climate here in the NorthWest I went with the 19mm rear bar and it's seem to be right when I hang it out in the wet. The 22mm might be too much but I am not sure. I like a little drop throttle oversteer in the dry.
I probably will add the front and rear strut tower bars next but have not done so yet. Going to 225-45-17 or 235-40-17 will help the tractability and ride a bit too. I would also check to see if the PCV update is on your car. If not get it from Genuine Saab as a precautionary measure.
The stock Viggen shocks seem to get a little tired around the 50+K mark. It would be nice to lower the car more but then the darn front air dam just hits more curbs and asphalt. I have been looking at springs and shocks too. Koni and Bilstein sports have my attention but I am not sure if I am going to change out the springs. I am waiting on the new Koni kit to see what it offers.
Regarding the shifting, I went with the MP short shifter. I really like the more positive feel and shorter throw but a little stiffness was added to the process of downshifting. I still won't not take it out of the car though, it's too good and it's inexpensive.
I think the best addition to the car besides the VRK would be an LSD. All this wonderful power that we can't use until the car is already moving and pointed straight. The bigger tires and stiffening the chassis help but an LSD is required in my opinion.
You are lucky to close to scanwest they are reported to be a very good shop. After a while you'll be wanting a little more power. I am going with some simple bolt on's like the downpipe & cat from MP and a J&R filter. I am also anxiously waiting for the intercooler upgrade from either MP or Group-9.
I upgraded the speakers in the car as well. The Infinity Kappa 32.5's were an easy drop in for the dash and highly recommended. The Kappa 693s were a lot more work in install in the back and while an improvement I would do the dash speakers first and then decided on the rear.
I also had to replace the front rotors, so I went with the 2 piece units from Group-9 and ss brake lines. They are awesome, wear like iron, can take a beating and seem to run cooler than stock. Also the Pagid carbon ceramic pads produce a lot less dust and really haul the car down. I think they are worth it despite the 2x cost of the stock units.
I had a couple of bent stock wheels so I went with some 17" (R7) ronal wheels out of the Saab catalog but direct from ronal usa. I do like the double 3 spoke wheels too.
Another thing to consider is a spare DI cassette. I caught a sale on Abbott racing and got a spare for an excellent price.
Enjoy!
posted by 134.134.1...
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