SAAB 900 (1979-1994) Special Editions

Turbocab · Joined: 21 Nov 2008 Posts: 78 Location: Götaland, Sweden

Good day all! Im a friend of HenrikG and thought that Id take the time to show some more C900 madness that goes on in Sweden. I dont have quite the time to spend on my cars due to my work, travelling the world, so I shoot a little higher from start and simply cash out. Expensive, but I love these cars a lot, and my mission is to own and preserve some nice C900s for the future. They are a fast dying breed in Sweden, and people outside Sweden are much more enthusiastic about them then here.
Have managed to put my hands on two of Swedens best preserved Aeros lately, a Coupe and a MonteCarlo. I have full info on the Swedish forums so will keep it a little simple here. Here is a teaser of what has been going on. Next projekt is wheelhouse and suspension fininishing-up on the MonteCarlo.

So, Introducing the MonteCarlo edition No 25, a 1991 model. This is one the 300 original "Anniversary Editions" sold worldwide from 1991. 25 stayed in Sweden, half of them are gone, scrapped etc. A few remains in low-mileage and good condition, this one is the 3d or 4th best preserved in Sweden I think. 62000 kms to date, Im 3d active owner it seems.

Here is the original "Anniversary" plate. Without this alu-label on the dash, just like this, numbered from 1 to 300, the car is "just" an ordinary MonteCarlo-yellow Convertible. That is not bad either, but my mind was set on the original for some 5 years now and finally I got it!!!! From 1992 anyone could buy a yellow C900, in AeroCab or "normal" edition. In Sweden very few people did so, but a lot more yellow Convertibles were sold in Europe. Im noting that many of these are sold off as "Limited MonteCarlo" edition on Mobile.de and other pages, but they are not.... They are "normal" yellow cars. The difference lies in some equipment etc, but the difference is not huge at all to be honest.
Note the 1992 model steering-wheel - Im in the process of fitting a 1991 one, the previous owner sold it. (!)

My next Aero is also very rare in Sweden - on of few sold 1992 Turbo 16S Aeros in Sweden. This one is Talladega-red and fully loaded with all the goodies. Its was NOT a cheap car in 1992 where the Financial-crise of those days had hit Sweden, less than 20 cars sold here. (!). Here its swhon along with my "Turbocab" the, white lady - a low-mile 1990 T16 Convertible.

The car was nice, but neglected for some years, the suspension etc was not very good looking, so I strippe all early 2008 and fitted new, original stuff. Super-expensive from Saab it turned out, but what the hell....

Mocca-seats from 9000, electric. Rare in Sweden on C900s.....

The Front:

The car has got one small award so far, "best car" in the Swedish TurboClub summer-meet in 2008. Nice to get som feeback on long hours outside (yes!) finishing everything.

Then I couldnt help getting another Aero... A cherry red 1988 with Beige leather. The seats were just too nice to resist. So I bought it. Cherry Red was not available on an Aero in Sweden in 1988 so its a bit special, but sold here originally back then. Its worn and has done a whopping 230.000 kms on Swedish roads all year round since 1988, but despite that a lot better than many Aeros remaining here, and it runs like hell too!

Here with 16" Aero wheels with grey centre.

Will update later on a little, I hope to start with the MonteCarlo early next year. Will fit new suspension, blast/paint the rear-axle and finish up everything just a little. Its not really bad, but nobody has given the car any attention and that wears on the stuff during 17 years.

Pictures in this thread is taken from this forum, all in Swedish however.
http://www.900klubben.com/phpbb2/viewtopic.php?t=3981
Im "T16Cab" on that forum, someone stole my nick..... Rolling Eyes

Some MonteCarlo bonus-pictures, and from Norway last year....

Maybe, just maybe, I will bring the MonteCarlo - or the T16S - to the Dutch International Saabfest in 2009. We will see! Razz

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5x C900 Turbos Including 2x Aero and MonteCarlo-Edition.

orca · Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 1:51 pm Post subject:

Hi TurboCab - Welcome to the forum. You do have a lovely set of cars there Cool

The Monte Carlo convertible is very nice indeed!

henrikg · Joined: 06 Aug 2007 Posts: 206 Location: Sweden

Welcome Martin!

Your cars are lovely as always, I gave some thought about your Aero -92 when i was in the garage today and worked on my car.. A bit left to go.. Smile

/Henrik
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3 x 900 Aero 16v
2 x 900 Turbo 8v
9-3 Aero -04

Golfhunter · Joined: 05 Apr 2007 Posts: 384 Location: Grenoble / France

Welcome aboard , and thank you for this complete presentation ! Very Happy

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Turbocab · Joined: 21 Nov 2008 Posts: 78 Location: Götaland, Sweden

Thanks guys! I will update later on when the light renovation of the MonteCarlo starts. I also have a complete Airflow-kit to move from my old Gray Aero which I decided to give up on, this will be fitted on the 1988 CherryAero. So there are a lot of things cooking, but as I have to do all the mods outside due to lack of Garage to work in, Im quite limited due to the Swedish wheather.

Orca - I miss the Limited Edt Homepage, hope it can be brought back to life later on. I read about the problems you had, incredible.... The world is a strange place! Shocked

Today its snowing here in Gothenburg... My winter-car (!), a Cherry 900S 1991, is not fitted with mandatory winter-wheels yet..... Will be interesting to skid home I think. Im glad the other beauties are safely locked in Garages Im renting. Exclamation

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5x C900 Turbos Including 2x Aero and MonteCarlo-Edition.

Golfhunter · Joined: 05 Apr 2007 Posts: 384 Location: Grenoble / France

Nice , thank you !
We can feel your enthusiasm by reading you . But also your sceptism : do you mean that 900s cabriolet are not considered in Sweden as they should be ? Your collection of 900s is great!
The Monte Carlo is stunning . I love the stereo in 2 parts ! A pure genuine one , so classy ! With the genuine steering wheel , she will be just perfect !
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Turbocab · Joined: 21 Nov 2008 Posts: 78 Location: Götaland, Sweden

Thanks! The Stereo is cool indeed, and all in the car is original. It was in 1991 the "Saab Audio system" was introduced. Its a bit funny with the red 1992 - it has same setup - but upgraded to the model from Saab 9000. It seems an early owner retrofitted the 9000 system sometime in the 90´s for improved Sound. As its Saab original stuff that was fitted I consider it original kit - and it seems to have been fitted by Saab theme selves.

Another funny thing in the MonteCarlo - electrically adjustable headlights! Very useful when I fit a huge Caravan behind it or simply use the car to load buildingmaterials that wheigh a lot and drive on dark winter-roads..... Rolling Eyes

Can show a picture of it later on! I have never seen it before on C900 in Sweden, but according to Henrik it was available.

What I mean about the Convertibles is simply that during the final years of the Classic 900, Sweden was a land in deep financial Crisis. Just like now! The 900 Aero, both as a Coupe and Convertible, was a very expensive pleasure that few people could afford around 1991 and 1992. The cars were simply "dreamcars", and as such few people had them. Another important factor however was the newly released 9000. Most people wanted that one instead, it was much more modern and bigger. This effects the number of cars today remaining - but the problem today is also that they are simply very old cars - in Sweden "everybody" wants a new 9-3SS V6 Aero. If you show up in the C900 Convertible many people seem to think "couldnt you afford a new one?". Only a fairly small amount of enthusiast love these cars.... But they are limited in numbers, and the interest is strongly growing we feel. Last figure I heard - 388 Classic Convertibels remaining in Sweden, totally. Thats all! I suppose that just around London alone you can find that many cars, and in Germany etc they are quite common too.

To get back to the - still - fairly low interest for these cars in Sweden: The TurboS 1992 I bought in stiff competition from Danish, Dutch, Belgian and German people.... The Cherry 1988 owner got called from Finland, Denmark, Holland..... Eventually he got tired of it all and called me, I seem to have been the only Swedish guy who considered buying the car for about EUR3000:- which was asking price....
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5x C900 Turbos Including 2x Aero and MonteCarlo-Edition.

Turbocab · Joined: 21 Nov 2008 Posts: 78 Location: Götaland, Sweden

While Im at it, let me show the latest mods on the MonteCarlo, I did them two weeks ago. In sweden we can order new numberplates to the cars when they get old. A vast majority have the "long" type plates that fit well on the C900. Some American cars and very small cars with limited space in front or rear can have the "small" type, or American type. I ordered new ones - and it seems our beloved road-authorities in Sweden has some errors in their system. I got the small ones..... So, either contact them to correct - or fit them! I like a low profile on my cars, so decided to fit them. It was not 100% easy, the factory fittings are quite wide - wider than the small plate. Hence the "S Euro" symbol. Not original on a 1991 car, but what the hell.... What do you think?

Will get som pictures on the front too....
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5x C900 Turbos Including 2x Aero and MonteCarlo-Edition.

orca · Posted: Mon Nov 24, 2008 7:59 pm Post subject:

Hang on a minute ... are you the guy whose yellow convertible is shown in Anders Tunberg’s 'SAAB 900: A Swedish Story' on page 35? That car has a mystery Aero badge adjacent to the numberplate, too Question

cyber · Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 162 Location: Tallinn, Estonia

Our "american" plates are a bit more like real US plates.
Look from this album, on first couple of pics its visible. (Car is also '91 Monte Carlo, but from US).

Turbocab · Joined: 21 Nov 2008 Posts: 78 Location: Götaland, Sweden

Orca: I dont know? What number is that on the car? I actually dont have that book. Any info you have would be interesting, send a message or so.

I havent owned the car for more than a few months and I dont have the full history. Many of these cars were used in official pictures etc, but the one normally seen - like in the Saab900 sales Catalouge from 1992, is another one. That is a 192 model, now in the city of Linköping, Sweden.
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5x C900 Turbos Including 2x Aero and MonteCarlo-Edition.

Golfhunter · Joined: 05 Apr 2007 Posts: 384 Location: Grenoble / France

Nice album of Latvia
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orca · Posted: Tue Nov 25, 2008 1:55 pm Post subject:

Turbocab · Joined: 21 Nov 2008 Posts: 78 Location: Götaland, Sweden

Ahhh... Lovely! It seems to be the "real thing" with the soft-cover for the roof, all the limited editions were fitted with this as an extra feature, along with a wind-protecter to fit between the seats - also soft!

However it seems this car is not with us anymore - last examined by swedish road-authorities in 2004, its now owned by a company that according to same register is not existing anymore. Sad to say - this car is scrapped by the looks of it! It managed 219.498 kms until it was last checked in October 2004. It was officially written off in August 2005. And as the company who is registered owner also is "de-registered" I suppose that was the end of it. Hm. Too bad.

How the hell I got these facts? Well, in Sweden you can retreive all this fully legal from the offical website just by clicking in the registration number.
Razz

Regarding the "Aero" label in the back - its not original. Saab never fitted them. Its from a 9000Aero I think. However, in Sweden a lot of owner fit Aero-stickers on their cars more often than they re-fuel them. I had it on the TurboS 1992 too!!! It was taken away during the renovation.
I think it was something that was just popular during the 80s and 90s. Nowadays people simply remove all labels and stickers on their car, for the anonymous look. I do belive that Saab even has a factory code for "no labels" during production, if the owner orders it like that. Sillly - if you ask me.

Another thing: In Sweden, the "TurboS" insignia was fitted from 1991 and onwards. I do belive it was fitted on export-cars sooner though. Anyone knows?
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5x C900 Turbos Including 2x Aero and MonteCarlo-Edition.

henrikg · Joined: 06 Aug 2007 Posts: 206 Location: Sweden