Free onlineFörfina magazine, from Great Western SAABs, for SAAB owners and enthusiasts around the World • Summer 2020 Welcome to the latest Summer issue of Förfina. It remains quite a year. The Covid-19 and social distancing we now find ourselves in has resulted in many jobs, both large and small being completed on our SAABs, which can only be a good thing. So once again: To those who take the time to view Förfina, many thanks. To those who submit an article or photo, my deep gratitude. To those who have yet to do either, I await your input with anticipation. If you are reading this and have some free time, send in your SAAB story or photo and share it with fellow enthusiasts. Simply email [email protected] Stay safe everyone David Dallimore Great Western SAABs The Saab Session Slovakia meeting in 2019. This meeting is a well organised, exciting, full weekend program for SAAB owners and enthusiasts. It is also very well attended, making it probably the largest Saab SAAB meeting in Central Europe. At the last meeting we had over 80 cars and 180 persons Session participating, from nine countries. Slovakia By Száraz-Szabó Marika aka Mary from Hungary. www.saabpartstrade.co.uk During the first four years of SAAB ownership I’ve had some amazing times. The next two years would be quite epic then, wouldn’t they? I am confident that not one person could have predicted them. It all began, for me, like this. black clouds with silver linings n late Summer of 2008 my Dad bought his “Well Mike, I’m thinking about buying new car, a SAAB 9-3 Aero TTiD sedan in a new car. If yours isn’t gonna make ISnow Silver. Over the six years my Dad it, I’ll buy the car earlier and you owned it I was fortunate enough to drive it can have the SAAB.” or borrow it on occasion for a period of time, It was like a dream for me, particularly when my car, an ageing Ford a sense of pure elation Mondeo, went wrong or broke. running through my entire I’ve got to be honest driving it for those body. I simply couldn’t say periods, even just a few miles, did put a ‘no’. And so, in the Summer massive smile on my face. So one could of 2014, I became a SAAB imagine just how happy I was, and just owner. I loved the car from how big a smile I had, when the following the first day I saw her, on conversation happened: every occasion driving her, “Mike, how much longer is it until your car’s and the love got stronger every next MOT?” year since taking ownership I had just come inside after trying to solve a in 2014. I was in my happy place, coolant leak at this point. everything perfectly normal and everything totally predictable. Affectionately named “The MOT is in about a month, but I don’t think Kara(Supergirl’s name in the TV show), my I can fix this leak.” 9-3 was sensational. Just awesome. A couple more questions, myself feeling a little defeated and dejected, then: However, 2018 would be something completely different... For a good amount of 2018 everything was going well. I’d joined quite a few SAAB groups, attended a meet near St. Andrews, here in Scotland and received an invite to another SAAB meet in Kirkcaldy that September. It was a barbecue meet at Dirty Hands Garage. But when I was on my way to this meet, it all went disastrously wrong. Upon joining the motorway at Perth, having driven 90 miles or so, I put the foot down and got no acceleration. Nothing. I had no idea what had happened. I’d got as far as Kinross when my beauty could not go further. I did eventually make the meet two hours late and on a recovery wagon, not what I had planned, but I was fortunate that the 2019, a new lease of life, a new set of At least that’s what I thought. So at the moment she is at a garage with the meet was hosted by a well known garage. adventures. A small crash in February pipes needed, the repair can start. I woke I had no choice but to leave her there and brought it all back to me, but it wasn’t that So it’s April 2020. Late February I discovered to a call from the garage. They had to close decide what the plan would be. That plan bad. How could one be that unlucky? Huge an oil pipe had developed a leak and I was due to Corona virus and social distancing became “have her fixed and have her home.” thanks to reactions and a very good set of unable to sort this one myself. I sensibly regulations, so work will resume when they I couldn’t let her go, I was not brakes. And so she’s off to a garage… again. arranged to have this done professionally. open again. Was only for a week this time, but she With limited tools and space I thought this ready to say bye. was returned one day before her was the best solution. This had to be done. I was going to have her first arranged meet of the What is it with my car fixed no matter what. It turned out to be a year – the Lecht Ski and garages? massive undertaking but both my dad and Centre meet. But still, every day without her myself felt this was the right thing to do. And It’s fair to say reminds me of how good she is. so, after suffering total engine failure due SAAB 9-3 Aero 2019 started I guess it’s true what they say, absence to oil starvation, and after receiving a new TTiD sedan good, apart from really does make the heart grow twin turbo manifold, a reconditioned engine the crash, but fonder. So when the garage opens and • Snow Silver with timing belt kit, a DPF flush, a new front the rest of she is mended I have a full set of sky • 180PS pipe, new oil return pipe, clutch kit and a few the year blue brake calipers and new discs to fit. • 400Nm hiccups, she was ready. 19 weeks of torture was epic. had ended. January 19 of 2019 I was to be 7 meets, But over those several weeks in found on a train heading south relieved that including maintenance I’ve had the backing the nightmare had ended. Arrived at the a car show, of various groups and countless train station, a quick journey to the garage, lots of driving suggestions, recommendations the arrival of a number of SAABs, this was a with amazing scenery, and help, and certainly I’ve been fantastic day. quite a few parts changed most thankful. It was great to have her back on the road and the wheel arches Every black cloud does indeed have after that long, but she was still in the tunnel repaired, 2020 should a silver lining. leading up to the garage. I did break down a work out to be an little walking up to her, I’m not going to lie, amazing year. By Mike Cairns but one turn of the key and this was it. She was back on the road. The Used Car Roadshow was the only UK TV Initially screened on the ‘Men & Motors’ satellite TV motoring show dedicated to the used car market channel, the show quickly gathered an enthusiastic following. and helping real buyers and sellers of used cars. SAAB 99 A transfer to ITV soon made the programme one of the most popular motoring shows on UK satellite and Freeview television, resulting in three series that saw the presenters travel the length and breadth of the UK. T on Hosted by Jason Dawe and Penny Mallory, the show aimed to help you choose your next used car purchase, from selling your existing car, through to negotiation and securing the deal. the V The final episode aired in 2007. Topless in Norway We took our 1992 SAAB 900 16 valve cabriolet on a six day trip covering 1704 km (1060 miles ) with every single kilometer driven with top down. The starting point was our home in with a dinner stop at the mountain village of Jessheim, travelling north to Trondheim, Beitostølen”, we the continued to Fagernes past Gudbransdalen and the famous Dovre and along the very nice and long lake mountain pass. We stay in Trondheim Randsfjorden, and back home to Jessheim. for three days visiting the city and all its attractions, before travelling south to the This was an extremely nice trip with an city of Molde, and the ferry over the fjord, overwhelming sense of the beauty of to Vestnes, past the very famous attraction nature. A lot of sun block was consumed “Trollstigen” or ‘Trolls Ladder’, a mountain for not to become sun burned. If you really side winding road with stunning views. want breathtaking vacation, please come and visit the Norwegian west coast and A ferry from Valldal to Eidsdal took us to mountain areas. Geiranger, famous for its views of the fjord and valleys, with a stop at the incredible view You will get an experience you never will point knwon as “Dalsnibba”. forget, and by do the trip by an convertible, it will be an even more overwhelming Our journey continued over the very experience.