SAAB SEPT/OCT 2007 • ISSUE 5/2007 • £5.00 DRIVERThe Magazine of the Saab Owners Club of Great Britain Limited JOIN TODAY – www.saabclub.co.uk How effective is your Saab’s pollen filter? Compare a Saab Genuine Carbon Pollen Filter with one from another “aftermarket” brand and you’ll find that there’s a bucket full of differences.Whereas some pollen filters are a paper-based product, arguably similar in appearance to household kitchen roll, Saab Genuine Carbon Pollen Filters combine electrostatic fabric with a filter fabric, covered by active carbon pellets.This combination is a highly effective barrier to pollen, dust, fungus and also hazardous substances such as hydrocarbons, nitrogen oxides and ozone – effectively trapping 95% of particles down to 2 thousandths of a millimetre in size. What this all means is that the air inside the car is 20 times cleaner than the air outside. Another genuine reason to always fit Saab Genuine Parts. For further information contact your local Saab Dealer or call 0845 300 9395. Contents 8 6 Steering wheel 8 Saab news 12 A Year in the Life of... 15 Noticeboard 16 Car ClinicCar Clinic 18 Club Shop 32 20 What’s On 23 Around the UK 26 Around the World 28 Damian Lives! 32 Peaks & Dales 34 National Weekend 2007 34 36 60th Anniversary Festival 38 International Meetings 40 Registers 43 Noticeboard 58 Saabsport 60 62 Classifieds This issue’s cover features Don Heath’s 66 Product Offer Saab 96, taken at the National – winner of the Mick Sollars Award. Please state your Membership number in all AGM Meeting correspondence Saturday 13th October 07 - 12 noon Designed & produced by: Mypec, The Old Pottery, Fulneck, Pudsey, Leeds LS28 8NT. Tel: 0113 255 6866 Bond Street Select, Anstey, Leicester E-mail: [email protected] Web: www.mypec.co.uk Please see page 6 for venue directions. ISSN 1477-2604 c Copyright 2007 Mypec Ltd SEPT/OCT 2007 DRIVER 3 4 DRIVER SEPT/OCT 2007 Who’swho For Club Membership, Renewals, Change of Address, Club Queries Chairman Contact the Membership Team on: Peter Turner Phone/Fax: 01206 563976 Tel: 01954 232810 Fax: 01954 232106 E-mail: [email protected] 236 Straight Road, Lexden, Colchester CO3 9DU Postal Address E: [email protected] PO Box 1063, Octagon House, Swavesey, Cambridge, CB24 4YR Vice Chairman Club Insurance Schemes – Tel: 0800 298 4071 Dave Garnett Phone: 01706 368724 Gorsey Field House, Important Birtle, Bury, BL9 6UD Please quote your Membership number on ALL correspondence E: [email protected] Vice Chairman Contributions Richard Elliott Please send your contributions to: ‘DRIVER’ Editor, DAVE GARNETT, Phone: 01457 852944 ‘The Quorls’, 9 Wheatcroft, Gorsey Field House, Birtle, Bury, BL9 6UD. [email protected] Hadfield, Glossop, SK13 2EN. E: [email protected] For information, and ALL articles, Branch Organisers’ reports, Post Bag, Sport, etc. (See above for address) Treasurer/Company Secretary Keith Copperwheat Technical queries for Car Clinic, Richard P Elliott (See Car Clinic for details) Phone: 01692 535482 Cobble End Cottage, Pennygate, Barton Register articles to respective Registrars (See individual Register Pages) Turf, Norfolk NR12 8BG Classified Advertisements – see details on page 64 E: [email protected] Copy should be submitted either by e-mail or on CD or DVD, either in PC or AppleMac Directors format, along with a hard copy for reference where possible. Photographs should be Motorsport Secretary undamaged and of a good quality and, if supplied digitally, be of a high resolution for David Barrow Phone: 0151 510 0681 print, either 300dpi or taken at the highest resolution setting on your camera. 27 Lilac Avenue, Widnes, Cheshire, WA8 6SX Deadline Dates for Contributors E: [email protected] Nov/Dec 2007 ISSUE: 21st September 2007 Information Technology Jan/Feb 2008 ISSUE: 23rd November 2007 Toby Field Phone: 01323 767068 78 Foxglove Road, Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 8BX Display Advertising in the Saab ‘Driver’ E: [email protected] Anyone in the business of selling goods or services related to the motor industry, can advertise in ‘Driver’. If Members can recommend a service or would like to suggest a potential advertiser please contact our Sales Executive: Regional Groups’ Co-ordinator Ellie Wilson Kay Scott Phone: 01527 403596 KJS Advertising Tel: 01943 461679 43 Towbury Close, Oakenshaw South, E-mail: [email protected] Redditch, Worcestershire, B98 7YZ E: [email protected] Club Valuation Scheme Non Directors The Club Valuation Scheme is continuing to provide a very important service to Club Members. However, I would International Liaison like to remind everyone that the purpose of the scheme is to provide The Valuation Service for any model of Saab Iain Hodcroft which qualifies for an ‘Agreed Value’ Insurance Policy. To obtain a Valuation please request a form, return this along Phone: 07976 314012 with a series of good quality photographs showing all aspects of the vehicle. The Valuation will be issued soon after Fax: 01942 878738 receipt of the information, but please remember that if there is any doubt due to lack of information or poor quality 330 Manchester Road, photographs the Valuation may be withheld. Finally, can I please emphasise that Valuations cannot be provided for Tyldesley, M29 8NN cars less than ten years old, and are not based on resale value. E: [email protected] Ken Dover Manor Heath, Manor Brow, Keswick, Cumbria CA12 4AP Librarian/Historian/Press & Publicity Keith Long Phone/Fax: 01226 385139 Saab ‘Driver’ is published bi-monthly by The Saab Owners’ Club of Great Britain Ltd 10 Byrne Close, Barugh Green, Barnsley, South Yorks S75 1NS Designed and produced by E: [email protected] MYPEC, The Old Pottery, Fulneck, Pudsey, Leeds LS28 8NT Valuer Tel: 0113 255 6866 E-mail: [email protected] www.mypec.co.uk Ken Dover Manor Heath, Manor Brow, Keswick, Disclaimer Cumbria CA12 4AP Postal service only The Club welcomes contributions to ‘Driver’, but reserves the right to amend them where necessary. All contributions, whether they bear names, initials or pseudonyms, are accepted on the understanding that the author is responsible for the Shopkeeper opinions expressed and that they do not necessarily reflect or comply with those of the Club, publisher or editor. Although Molly Kenchington every care is taken, the Club, publisher and editor cannot be held responsible for loss or damage to material submitted. Phone: 01780 720 541 Whilst every care is taken to ensure contents are accurate, the Club, publisher and editor assume no responsibility for any 32 Kelthorpe Close, Ketton, Stamford effects arising from errors or omissions. Acceptance of material is not a guarantee of publication in any particular issue, Lincs, PE9 3RS since space is at a premium. The Club, publisher and editor cannot guarantee to return original material and photographs. E: [email protected] Membership Team Number: 01954 232810 – 9.00am to 5.00pm – Monday to Friday SEPT/OCT 2007 DRIVER 5 Steeringwheel This summer the weather has been a The floods have affected thousands of people and no deciding factor for many outside events “ doubt will include some Members of the Club. I hope as to whether they are successful or not and plenty of organisations have had to that the traumas of the aftermath of the floods will cancel or postpone their events. The floods have affected thousands of not linger too long and that normality returns soon. people and no doubt will include some journeys with tales of water coming Two-Stroke and 9000 Registers. They are Members of the Club. I hope that the over their bonnets and many of the Martin Clist-Woodward for the Two- traumas of the aftermath of the floods roads resembling fast flowing rivers. Stroke Register and John Crook for the will not linger too long and that The West Midlands and Warwickshire 9000 Register and no doubt they are normality returns soon. Group who had the task of organising getting their first reports ready for the The first SOC Track Day, held at Croft the weekend events coped next ‘Driver’. We wish them the best of Racing Circuit at the end of May, was magnificently with ever changing luck in their new venture and also thank well attended and started off with good circumstances. They made everyone David Fielden and Dave Garnett for their weather although rain was predicted. welcome and a spirit of camaraderie sterling work over the past thirteen years During the late afternoon the heavens was felt as all those who attended had managing the said Registers. opened and proceedings ceased but suffered in some way due to the I hope to meet some of you at the after a short break recommenced even weather. Many thanks to Rob Gray and Autumn Gold Rally in September and though there was plenty of standing his team for taking on the challenge. also at the Club’s AGM in October. water on the track. One such area was Also attending the National was Geoff Safe Driving, Peter Turner soon found by a particularly quick 900, Ridley from Christchurch, New Zealand which aquaplaned into the barriers and who had just completed an epic journey sustained considerable damage of approximately 12,000kms in his although driver and passenger emerged 1970s 95V4. The journey celebrated the WE NEED unscathed. The joys of motor sport and 100th Anniversary of the Peking to Paris YOUR NEWS they all want to do it again next year! Tour and more of this adventure can be The National ‘Oatcake’ Rally in July found on www.saabclassics.net and Don’t forget, Saab ‘Driver’ is also suffered from the heavy rain hopefully a report may feature in future your magazine and we welcome submissions from you, the forcing many Members not to make the editions of ‘Driver’.