1963 SAAB 96

We're not changing tires. No how. No way. It's a moot point to speak of better tires. We'd only change to solve a problem, and the owner sees no problems with the current tires and enjoys their bulletproof construction, good longevity and tall size.

We've been running an alternator since day one.

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Jason McDaniel

I ran Nor'Wester last year on the Veredesteins and they were good. The point is that they are the best available tire.

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Robert.

"You are way too normal to be on Rally Anarchy." Eddie Fiorelli.

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modernbeat

The aircraft clock and EGT gauge. We keep a close eye on the exhaust temps.

Will be glad to see it at 100AW. Also good that you went with Weber carb. I hated seeing you guys hit your terminal speed, at like what, 45mph or something crazy slow? (nice keychain btw)

As for your EGT gauge, does it have an idiot light you can set for a certain temp? Mark and I loved the look of the analog temp gauges in our bug (for that old look) but it was a pain in the butt to always look down and check temps on stage. Now the gauges are digital and record peak temp and have an idiot light. Basically we don't worry about temps unless a light comes on. Helps to concentrate on the job at hand more and not always worrying about blowing up the car.

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johnhuebbe
...As for your EGT gauge, does it have an idiot light you can set for a certain temp? Mark and I loved the look of the analog temp gauges in our bug (for that old look) but it was a pain in the butt to always look down and check temps on stage. Now the gauges are digital and record peak temp and have an idiot light. Basically we don't worry about temps unless a light comes on. Helps to concentrate on the job at hand more and not always worrying about blowing up the car.

No, we don't have an idiot light on them. Nor are we recording data. That's how I would set up a competiton car, but Jeff resists many of my suggestions to make the car faster and stronger with more longevity, particularly if they are not period. I can't express how hard it was to get an electric fan on the car. He did do all the suspension strengthening - as all of that was in line with the era the car was built in.

Watching the EGT is one of my codriver jobs. It always has been even when we ran the single at the last few events. We've always had an EGT on the car. This was just an upgrade to a tripple.

And yes, the car still pulling at 7000 rpm in top (fourth) gear was a great feeling. Between the carb and the FIA 95 liter tank we should have a decent time at 100AW.

Ran some sound tests yesterday. First time we've had everything all put together including the new, more civil exhaust. It's no longer the ear splitter it used to be, but still has that great sound at full song. And with the new carb and jetting the EGTs are lower than they've ever been. No more spitting pistons out the tailpipe when the temps hit 1400.

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Jason McDaniel

So, my pal Jeff and I took our Historic class 1963 SAAB to the 100 Acre Wood Rally in and around Salem, Missouri. This is a 50 year old, three cylinder, two stroke cute-but-noisy little car that has had a hard time making it through an event. For the first event, we were out before we even started, literally. The only modern part on the car, a Pertronix Ignitor, failed when we tried to restart the car in the control zone before stage #1. We got to run some of the stages after putting in a replacement module, but we were DNF for the first event. The second rally on Saturday was a hoot. First, we finished. Next, it had been 20+ years since Jeff drive a FWD car quickly, and he has no snow and ice experience except for the one-day-a-year ice storm we get in Dallas. But, he drove the car well and quickly picked up on the never-lift flick and turn method of driving the SAAB in loose conditions. The car was also received very well by the spectators, the other racers and the organizers. Two of the better photos are below. One from David Cosseboom at NoCones.com, the other from Neil McDaid of Rally World News.

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Jason McDaniel

It was great to see it at 100AW. Thing is a beast. Definitely got the love from me and my other Saab fan buddies (even those not in attendance)...

Nice HDR image From Open Paddock dot net: It looks just like my first rally car - except for the roof rack.
The lights for my first car (Cibie's) cost more than the car itself which was driven home, and eventually ran and finished the 1969 Canadian Winter Rally.
The car was so cheap because a friend comvinced the used car guy that the weird engine sound was due to a worn lobe on the camshaft! True story. Thanks again, Bob. RIP

Joking aside... the car sounded like it was going 100mph yet looked like it was doing 40mph. Is the motor or transmission holding it back? Whenever I saw it go by it looked like Jeff wasn't lifting off of the throttle.

The car was definitely a fan favorite. Hopefully Jeff is still going to rally it again and not sell it.

I thought wistfully of John Vanlanidammitalltohellman every time I saw it enter ATC, and his enthusiasm for these cars.

BTW: it's rubbing off on some of us, John.

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Parfois, on fait pas semblant!

I am:
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Creech
I thought wistfully of John Vanlanidammitalltohellman every time I saw it enter ATC, and his enthusiasm for these cars.

BTW: it's rubbing off on some of us, John.

John STRONGLY dislikes ring-ding-ding 3-cylinders. I can remember him swearing up a storm and a half when we were hauling a very early production Sonett down to fawkin' Newark so it could go back across the pond. Of course, the dead battery may have had something to do with it, too.

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Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY

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fiasco

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Creech
I thought wistfully of John Vanlanidammitalltohellman every time I saw it enter ATC, and his enthusiasm for these cars.

BTW: it's rubbing off on some of us, John.

John STRONGLY dislikes ring-ding-ding 3-cylinders. I can remember him swearing up a storm and a half when we were hauling a very early production Sonett down to fawkin' Newark so it could go back across the pond. Of course, the dead battery may have had something to do with it, too.

No no no I dislike the way bad, evil weasels would slam worn out junk together that was way worn out and obsess over "I got some Class AA pistons" but they were junk, and junk rods on junk journals and junk bearings and charge people labor again and again assembling this junk---and then people would tire of the car and say "Saabs are unreliable."

The basic motor is what is called "A Thing of Beauty"..

But ignorance and obstinance and cheap-ass-tude means people think it's "cute' and don't want to build them right...and do the ports right..

Ya know the guy I stay with in Sweden, the guy who worked as Sport and Rally engine guy from '58 thru 1980?
Turns out he would do his ports in reference to the deck surface.. I asked why he wouldn't do t to the degree using that big gawddam 2 foot diameter Moroso degree wheel hanging over there-->?"

He said, "we we always measured from the deck surface...., what did you do?"

Me "that goes a ways to 'splainin' why you say "one motor would go like hell, and the next was maybe just OK", you have to do the ports by timing---crank rotation and then its engine to engine consistent"


Bengt-Erik "hmmmmmm I better look into that" and "You ain't half-dumb"

See a decently done 850, done to the spec of a 1970 trailbike would return about 85 bhp and who knows what for ft/lbs but way way more than a similar sized normal aspirated 4 stroke and at lower rpm..

If they were ported, and done like a 80s trailbike maybe twice that.

They do this without all the aides and crutches that 4 strokes have to use to make any decent power: lots of valves and springs and camshafts and on some junk like pushrods and rockers and they run so poorly some even use exhaust driven pumps to PUMP AIR into the cylinders.

And they still run so poorly, like they have a bad bad miss.. Like they twirl around doing nothing half the time..
HALF the time they doing sweet fack all..
So to try to make any power, or enough to wake you up they have to rev up to 7, 8, 9 or even 10,000 rpm

All to beat simple motors that fire EVERY TIME THE PISTON GOES UP...

A thing of beauty---just waiting for thinking about what was all developed post 1967

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
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is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

What held us up in this rally was:

A balky shifter that ended up locking us out of 3rd and 4th gear on the first day. Fixed it for the second day.

With the tuning we did at home (warm temps) we got a good balance of power and exhaust gas temp. In the denser air at the event we didn't have enough time to really retune the carb and frequently let off the throttle as the EGT climbed past 1200 degrees. We fattened it up (which causes it to lose power) twice and that certainly helped, but we still had to let off on occasion to let the EGTs go back down.

Novice driver getting his feet wet with FWD, two-stroke, the balky freewheeling flywheel (a must when using premix oil-fuel), and ice driving. He was getting the hang of it before the second service on Saturday. But once the sun set everything refroze and it was pretty exciting.

Tires. Had I realized Brianne had packed my tire groover the tread pattern would look a whole lot different and I would have tractionized what tread I left.

Gearing. It might be a little too low. With the old carb I didn't think you could go too low. But, we were able to pull fourth at home, and not at the rally. So I'm not so sure.

I got lost in the notes on two stages and it took half a stage to find my place. Jeff slowed down (even more) and just drove what he could see.

And yes, it's sounds like it's going hell bent for leather, but the speedo read 40-65 mph for much of the event.

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Jason McDaniel

It comes back to Massholes are Evil.

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Andrew Steere
Lyndeborough, NH
KB1PJY

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johnhuebbe
...The car was definitely a fan favorite. Hopefully Jeff is still going to rally it again and not sell it.

Jeff is most likely done driving. He's enjoyed it, but I think he doesn't want to do it unless he can do it well, and to do it well you accept more risk than a father with a 5 and 3 year old daughter wants to take on.

We're thinking of tweeking the car some and putting Brianne in it for Rally West Virginia this summer. Maybe get Kieran Wright to codrive with her for that event. As long as NASA doesn't ban two-stroke cars like they have the bikes. I'd like to see how it can do with a good driver and navvie in it. None of the stumblebum stuff that Jeff and I did.

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Jason McDaniel

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modernbeat
And yes, it's sounds like it's going hell bent for leather, but the speedo read 40-65 mph for much of the event.

Well, for SS8 and SS14 I and The Wife (in ATC Medical) followed Heavy Sweep, which followed Safety Sweep - just as fast as we could (DARED go, with no Safety Gear!) all in front of the Greenlight. To my recollection, we never caught up with you in a 49-odd-year-newer car, with snows....

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Parfois, on fait pas semblant!

I am:
I know:
I am from:

Nobody.
Nothing.
Nowhere.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/06/2013 03:31AM by Creech.