EpochNZ

Me to @h4nd: "Im at home in an empty house smashing chinese takeaways!" H4Nd: "Excellent! Time for Saab!!" Me: : (UUUmmmmmmmmmmmmm).......Yeah, yeah........" I worked out tonight that back in 1968, a Swedish engineer said "I know! Ven za stupid englisher swine goes to take of ze handbrake cable, I'll put a sharp as fuck bracket in ze vay!! Wundabar!!" (Why the Swedish engineer was speaking Commando Comic german I'm not sure...) So after much head scratching, exertion, time under the car getting rained on by swedish under coatings and general all round good times, I got to this: Which left me with this: Getting the handbrake cable out caused a bit of grief for about half an hour and the Haynes manual was no bloody use ("2. Remove the Hand Brake Cable...." WHAT DO YOU THINK I'M TRYING TO DO, FUCKTARD!!!) . Anyway, I'll be able to get this onto the workbench to disassemble and generally zush up a bit, luckily most of the bits you see here are available as spares for pretty cheap. Right, next goal is to get the wishbones, shock and spring off and gain access to the main diseased bit ready for hacking and welding. For those who might be interested, I'm starting a "Give a Little" page to fund a barrel of heavy duty handwash, shares in a company that produces anti-rust primer and to purchase the 40 CD box set of "How to Swear fluently in Swedish....in under 2 weeks!". Any donations will be gratefully received.

Had we known there could have been a smoke display from Christchurchs finest.

Got to drive @h4nd's Dai home, now I've got a wet bum as well. /There may have been a few "Oh Crap" moments......thanks drum brakes and old suspension....

Nah, should blow through. Photos from Timaru are already in sunshine

Hopefully hitching a lift with @h4nd...

So the orange skoda will only live on in my dreams amidst regrets of the one that got away...

So how much is left there now? Are we all too late?

So I’m safe for a few years, that’s good to know.

Saab Racecar??

Seized and temperamental......Its a fight I dont really want to keep on having. Also because of European madness the release is on the passenger side.

Do I have to book a time, or will you just turn up unannounced?

I've finally had enough of struggling with the bonnet release mechanism on the Saab and I'm thinking of removing it and replacing it with bonnet pins. Now I dont want to get into a philosophical debate about how ugly they are or awkward etc but I'm interested to know what the rules are around them? For example, if I have the pins do I still need a secondary catch on the bonnet as well (which the Saab still has)? Or can they just be used as the only mechanical system for holding the front of the hood down? (Theoretically it isn't as much of a deal on the Saab anyway as the bonnet lifts forward so cant obscure vision if it lets go at speed). All help appreciated.

Show me your Swedish bits..... Admittedly via Britain but its the thought that counts. Bill at SaaBits is an all round GC and will be getting much more of my money. Was asked when it was going in. I replied "When the outside temperature gets over 20...."

As I'm an old cunt Im waiting for it to get lighter and warmer....

Episode 104: Loading up on dem carbs.... So after a weekend of migraines and feeling shitty I decided that some progress is better than none (no shit, Sherlock) so decided to get all down and funky on the carb. After a pre-emptive raid on @h4nd's toolkit I dodged the rain showers to wrestle off my prize.....Strombergs finest (175CD for those following along at home). This afternoons trick was to get it in bits ready for a bit of a clean (come in @Mr Vapour, I've got a job for you!)....and much to my surprise it looks like, despite having sat in a paddock for the last 10 years, the scrotes who were the last owners had the decency to at least get the carb overhauled before parking her. As such, the float bowl, butterfly and diaphragm all look in seriously good nick. Sure, the outside is a tad, crusty, be we know how to fix that, dont we? Right, now my eyes are out on stalks again (with attendant headache) so its drugs and back to bed....still, its progress init?