About my car

[Bhart_Canada]

Hello fellow Saab owners. I am a Canadian, from Dutch parents, and I like cars. I can speak Nederlandse but find it very difficult to read. I have had many different cars over the years but I sort of stumbled over this latest purchase.

Here's the situation. My friend Phill wants an old Saab (long nose, V4). I sent him some pix from on-line ads and there were a couple of nice ones from Holland. Phill asked if we could buy one of those. I suggested, he should at least have a look at one here in Canada, have a sit in one and maybe even go for a spin (since he never has), before we fly to Europe and buy one.

I found an older example for sale in Kitchener/Waterloo and suggested we go for a quick road trip and at least, check one out. That's where it gets difficult. The original owner, Hans - 73 years old, brought this car with him from Holland in 1964 and has modified, upgraded, and restored this one in 2002. It's now a very nice Monte Carlo 850 clone (3 cyl, oil injection, triple carb, discs, 4 speed)and it has then spent most of it's time stored in the garage. The reason it's been stored is that he has been fighting cancer for the last few years. He now has, literally, months to live and is clearing out his selection of Saabs ( 96, 99, 2000+ lbs of spare parts).

It's a sad situation for him, his wife and his grown kids. Phil and I were the only ones to show an interest in his listing for the car. We went down to look and it was very nice. Phil tried to back out politely by saying that he was not really looking for a 3 cylinder, two stroke but then Hans said he also had a V4 'winter car' in the back garage and would do a deal for the two. Needless to say, I checked with my wife, measured the inside of my garage and we made a deal for the two, and associated parts.

Phill, being a car dealer and with assurance to Hans that we were not re-selling them, made the arrangements. We drove back in the old parts truck, met the independent transporter in K/W, and delivered a certified cheque to Hans. The frail old guys insisted that he drive the cars out one last time and, with visible fear in everyone else's eyes, said he wanted to drive them up onto the trailer. Can't dissuade a stubborn Dutchman.

We then loaded at least 2000lbs of Saab parts onto the 1 ton parts van. We needed to get the rear tires up to 50 psi to get them round again. It was an uneventful drive home and the Saabs were waiting at the dealership. I've still got a bit of work to do re-shuffling stuff in the garage. However, I need to do a lot of research on the mysteries of two stroke.

We had a few final minutes chat with Hans and his family and they announced to us that he was donating the money from the cars to the Children's Cancer Hospice.

We are now obligated to keep these cars for life....

Saab pix to date;
http://s1057.photobucket.com/albums/t39 ... ?start=all" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

My other cars;
http://rides.webshots.com/album/580935617gYMCHS" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://rides.webshots.com/album/573309991hMtXxm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://rides.webshots.com/album/578944380oXOwmk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[sb153b]

Oh my, astonishing story and cars ! The 2 stroke looks like the best you can buy.

Most parts are very rare or even unobtainable so please be carefull with it.
Be sure to use the right oil (or better. the same that was used by the former owner) and as important to drive it like a two stroke (which is very different to 4 strokes.
How to do so you can see on youtube from Tom Donney (which we met on a two stroke race grillning from a common friend in Sweden a few years ago).
If you threat them in the right way you can have spectacular and quite reliable friend for life and something almost no neighbour had, has, or will have or even will understand .

They are ment for driving so enjoy!

[72sonett3]

If you threat them in the right way...

... treat...

[Bhart_Canada]

I do have a big responsibility and a lot to learn with this car.

Here is the list of information I got from the previous owner about the car;


1964 Saab 96

Engine
Three Carb (Solex)
Porting is not modified and is between the older single carb 850 cc and the later wild ported engine (red colored engine)
Cylinder were found to be standard size, but barrel shaped by .004 inches. Boring it out by 0.5mm and new pistons and rings cleaned that up; piston clearance is now .002inches
The crankshaft is rebuilt with new rollers (double) which are now housed in my own designed cages machined from bronze. The principle is to prevent the rollers from skewing.
The factory cages are stamped with chambers that hold the two rollers and only hold them in line by line contact. As the cage starts to wear at the contact line, the rollers can start skewing and destroying themselves.
My design is a cage with rollers that has slots with a round shape giving the rollers much more support and preventing them from skewing.

The crank is full web, with oil injection.
There is a dash warning light system to monitor the oil injection system.
The oil tank is brass with a gauge glass, new rubber seals have been installed on the glass gauge tube

Transmission is in perfect condition (overhauled), freewheel taken out. As the engine has oil pump injection, there is no problem in using the engine as a brake.
The original drive train is replaced by a three prong inner drive (model 99), shortened shafts and CV outer drive (model 96)
New CV boots and shaft seals have been installed in steering knuckles.
Hubs and wheels are the four bolt type.

Suspension all parts were individually sandblasted and painted.
All rubber bushings are in good condition. Nothing was really rusted when disassembled.
Wheel alignment is to ideal factory settings.

Brakes at the front are wheel disks type and dual stainless steel pistons.
All rubber seals have been replaced.
Master cylinder is equipped with pressed in 304 Stainless Steel sleeve, no more pitting.
Master cylinder sits in awful place.

Exhaust is all 304 Stainless Steel, handmade copied factory muffler and TIG welded
Front muffler is new factory type

Body is absolutely rust free
No plastic filler
The car has been repainted in a Silver metallic DuPont's IMRON 1
The car has a metal sunroof which was installed in Holland by Hollandia in 1965(check Hollandia out on the internet)
The car was imported into Canada in 1965 and has never been winter driven and has always been winter stored inside on blocks and with brake pads and shoes removed to prevent rusting
The Radiator curtain is new and operable
Chrome hubcaps are clean
Wheel covers are aluminum and in good shape
Steel rims are spotless and painted with epoxy paint
A dual speed wiper motor and an electric windscreen wash pump have been fitted but the original container is still utilized
4 New Michelin 155 x 70 x 15 inch tires, the spare is used
Saabs (bed) Sleep kit is also included
All drain lines for the sunroof have all been renewed
Bumpers are in good shape as are the steel plates that are fastened to the bumper and fill the gap to the body
Door rubbers are still soft and pliable
The dash is a Monte Carlo with the name on the glove box
All the upholstery is original and in very nice condition
The head liner is in perfect condition
Front seat belts installed
The retracting mechanism for the seat belts is hidden behind rear seat side panels.
A wooden subfloor has been fitted to raise the floor 1cm above its normal level in order to to ensure that the floor remains dry and that way rust is kept at bay
Floor is original with holes for rubber drains
Suspension A arms have no cracked rubber bushings

Spare parts
There is a considerable amount of spare parts to go with the car including the following:
• 2 full web crankshafts with same roller cages
• new main bearings and needle bearings and matched pins
• 1 set of 1mm O.S. pistons
• 1 spare red engine bored to 1mm O.S
• a set of pistons and rings
• steering box
• brakes
• radiator
• suspension
• doors
• numerous other items

I am using synthetic injection oil in the reservoir although it still smokes a lot when cold. I enjoy the freewheeling in the city. Most of my Canadian friends think it sounds like a snowmobile, but to them a 3 carb, 850 cc triple is a good thing.

[N2024]

Wow, 2 stroke really is great Bhart, I have a `95 V4 but 2 stroke is great. Where do you live in Canada btw? Maybe Brittish Colombia (because there are a lot of dutch people overthere).

[Francel]

nice to hear this story! you have a nice collection of cars,not only the saab's you recently bought but I like the other pictures as well. I hope you enjoy your 'new' cars.

[Bhart_Canada]

Thanks for the compliments - the credit really goes to Hans, the previous owner. It's now my responsibility to keep it at least as nice as the others I've got.

N2024, I am about 4000 km from British Columbia. Just a short drive

There are lots of Dutch people everywhere in Canada. It's quite easy to find hagle slag or stroop waffles in most cities. Not so easy to find a PSV match on TV though.

[N2024]

Ah clear, now I see Ontario (sorry). I`ve 2 Canadian friends, both living in BC. One of them has a daughter living in Alberta (13 hours driving).

Strange that you where the only ones interested in the 2 Saabs, if you want to get rid of the 2 stroke

[Bhart_Canada]

No, I'm quite happy to stay with the two stroke.

We are in a land of American pickup trucks. That's what most people want to drive, and still manage to pay for the fuel too. I have a small collection of cars no one here is familiar with.