If you had a Saab 96

If you were to stumble across a really rough Saab 96, while simultaneously thinking about the 2011 Challenge, what would you do with it? I'm wondering about drive train options,as well as a completed "look".

I think I'd keep looking.

Edit: I think a 96 could be fun to play with but I don't think it would be easy to make competitive in the Challenge. I could be very wrong of course.

does it have the two stroke of the V4? I think the 96 would look really good in a "baby" Mercury hotrod kind of way. Glossy black paint, lowered, nice rims...

I would immediately check to see if t came with a Halda Speed Pilot. If it did, I would promptly sell it to myself.

It's a 2 stroke. If I were to start any Challenge type project, competitiveness wouldn't be a big concern. It would be for the experience of building something different and joining in the fun.

Given the similar drivetrain layout (short engine in front of the transmission), I'd look for a Subie drivetrain to swap in...

A 4wd ,Subie powered 96 ! Rallying DNA for a second life.

might work.. but the subie engine might be too wide?

In some pictures I googled, it looked fairly wide, but...... On the other hand, if it worked I could badge it as a Saab 9-1 !!

I know of a fellow with a stock two stoke 96 that ran a Lemons. Drove it too and from the track. At least he says.

I have no experience with the two strokes, but I used to ice race a V-4, 4 spd on the column. Someone took the turbo off a Corvair and piped it into that engine for pretty good results. It's an industrial engine, when it overheats throw a shovel of snow on it and get back out there. Try that with a Honda.

Look closely at the shock towers.

I have seen videos of 97s being turbocharged.. the Ford V4 works well

Details are scarce, but the black one has some kind of twin turbo Ford V6...

not sure I like them with the big porsche like rear wing.. I was more thinking clean, low, and mean

I was thinking along these lines

Saab 92

Well, this one's a 93, but that's a technicality:

It has a motorcycle engine in it. It goes very fast (close to 150 mph).

The 96 is, in large part, responsible for Saab's rally legacy. They are light, have double wishbone suspensions, yada yada.

EDIT: More 96 :

mad_machine wrote: I was thinking along these lines

Oh yeah!

After you get it looking like that, stuff a pair of crazy 2 stroke snow mobiles under the hood, and 2 in the trunk. Should be one hell of a car. Use some of that grape or strawberry 2T oil to be people's choice.

I was thinking more like this...

I would leave the two stroke but then again a two stroke Saab 96 is on my bucket list.

BAMF wrote:

mad_machine wrote: I was thinking along these lines

Oh yeah! After you get it looking like that, stuff a pair of crazy 2 stroke snow mobiles under the hood, and 2 in the trunk. Should be one hell of a car. Use some of that grape or strawberry 2T oil to be people's choice.

I thought somebody would like that

thestig99 wrote: Details are scarce, but the black one has some kind of twin turbo Ford V6...

My first guess would be Ford 2.8/2.9 Cologne since you can find turbo kits for them and it matches the V4 Taunus bellhousing pattern. I guess it could be a Cossie 24 valve DOHC version, or the 4.0L OHV or SOHC; the latter being unlikely in Europe.

I like the subie-drivetrain idea. But if the body is really far gone you could always build a gasser and go drag racing:

I really like the red one but with a smaller tail on it.

I had a '65 SAAB 96 Special sedan. This was a stock sedan with the Monte Carlo running gear. Oil injected engine, three carbs, disc brakes, 4 bolt wheels. Did some mods to it from the factory competition manual. Much fun, auto cross, hill climbs, ice racing etc. Blew the 850 at Lime Rock, picked up a 940 (oversize pistons , ported etc). Rust finally killed it.

I had a 1967 96 with the V4. Never modified it much but I did beat the E36 M3 out of it. Paved roads, dirt roads, or no road at all, didn't make any difference it just kept going.