Description
Now for something extremely special and totally unique, many of you in the UK will recognise this car, its the 900 T16S 2 door, show winning special built without the restraint of cost for Dr Robin Eardley by probably one of the top Saab specialist's in the World, Abbott Racing in Essex, the car was totally rebuild from the stripped bodyshell upwards, its like a new car and still feels "tight and solid" like you'd expect from a new car and not like at all like one that been restored, I speak with experience on the Marque after working in the Saab UK dealer network from 1979 (at the time of release of the 900) to running Saab dealer service department's, working as a technical advisor for Saab GB and now as a quality classic car enthusiast.
I first saw this car at the 2016 Saab show in Pembrey Wales where it won best Saab at the show and immediately admired it from a distance and have now been privileged to have owned and driven the car.
Build specification includes the following receipts
Expenditure at Saab Abbott Racing £44, 216
Expenditure at Abbott's body shop £24, 367
These figures don't include the original value/ purchase price of the car.
I'll list major Abbott work but not to the detail available on the cars file.
Engine rebuild including
Wossner forged Alloy pistons, all new bearings, oil seals, timing chain components, major engine bolts etc
Stage 1 Camshafts
3. 3 bar fuel pressure regulator
Lightweight flywheel
Turbo fully rebuilt and coated
Abbott charge cooler system
Custom Stainless exhaust manifold (amazing!) Coated with Zircotec
Stainless exhaust system
Engine ECU softwear enhanced to produce 230 bhp from the factory 175
Brand new Saab Air-conditioning system
Total restoration to engine block and cylinder head.
New radiator with Evans waterless coolant
Stainless oil cooler
All new coolant hoses
New starter motor, alternator, header tank, heater control valve, vacuum hoses, Distributor
Recent new Battery
Gearbox
Fully rebuilt and strengthened
Quaife Limited Slip Differential
New clutch assembly and all hydraulics, short shift gear change (which is lovely to use)
All new CV joints
Chassis
All new brakes, everything replaced
Koni gas shock absorbers with Abbott racing springs, supple but sporty ride that isn't rock hard, lowered by half an inch.
16 inch Super Aero Saab Alloys
Dunlop Blue response tyres
All new suspension bushes throughout.
Other
Additional insulation throughout
New headlining
Two tone windscreen
Upgraded speakers front and rear.
VDO auxiliary gauges
Roof mounted radio antenna
Leather seats fully retrimmed including door cards
Thatcham remote control alarm system, two keys and fobs
New handbrake cables
Shell and paint
No quick respray here, everything stripped on shell, any traces of corrosion dealt with, before being totally restored to a better than new show winning finish.
Mileage shown is incorrect, is about 160, 000 however it's largely irrelevant on this car as shes been totally rebuilt and only covered about 15, 000 miles since then.
Overall, a truly very special 900, and probably the most desirable and best specification ever available, for sale at a much lower price than it would cost to reproduce something like this and of course this ones available today, values of these are only going one way and I believe will continue to do so and so much more fun than looking at a bank statement!Saab introduced the 900 T16 S 2 door as the version that was the strongest and then put their most powerful engine in it and this was the result, only 256 were produced and it was the stiffest and lightest 900 available.
They then proceeded to organise their own one make race series with the car in 87 and 88, known as the Turbo Mobil Challenge, at the time it was extremely competitive with amateur and professional entries, many supported by the Saab UK dealer network, I worked for Saab UK technical department at the time and was involved with Janspeed in an attempt of "managing" the maximum Turbo boost pressure the cars were able to produce, whilst we suspected they were running much higher levels during racing, only many many years later did a former mechanic tell me about "some" of the tricks they used to increase boost and other ways to get around scrutineering and to get the most out of the cars and give their drivers the edge!
But it was incredible 80's experience and now available to watch on the internet!
One of the very successful drivers in the series was Lionel Abbott who went on to form Abbott racing with his brother, the company used for the cars restoration work.
