Seller Submission: 1978 Saab 99 Turbo
When I first got a look at this next car, I thought that perhaps someone had restored the Draken…but no. This next Saab 99 is not a simple 99 EMS, but it is the real deal 99 Turbo. The Turbo was the car that put Saab on the map for performance oriented folks who cared more about snow/sand performance and 30-70mph acceleration than they did the 1/4 mile times printed in magazines. DT’s Editor-in-Heaven Hunsbloger could tell stories about racing 911s in the 99 Turbo back in the day, and the result wasn’t good for the yuppy in the Porsche. But this Turbo does have the same Saab Inca alloys, spleen colored exterior, and blood red interior that charmed me for many miles in the Draken…but it also has a boosted B-series 2.0 liter pushing power to the front wheels. Find this 1978 Saab 99 Turbo offered for $20,000 in Choiniere, RI via saabnet.com. Seller Submission from Ben.
From the seller:
I have my 99 listed on Saabnet.com right now… https://www.saabnet.com/tsn/class/99.html#21071948191bchoi
There are 2 other 99 turbos listed right now. Mine is the most original, has racing history and a cool story. It is also priced in the middle of the 3.
Pictures and videos can be found here…
https://flic.kr/s/aHsmVRAqTsHere is a more detailed description. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thank you!
This is a great example of the iconic original Saab Turbo with 85,000 miles. I am the third owner of this 99. The original owner never used it as a daily driver, it was a weekend trip car. It then became a weekend racer in the 90s. The car was successful at autocross, winning the G stock title in central Carolina’s region of SCCA. The second owner was a friend of the original owner, who was going to continue racing the car but changed his mind and sold it to me sight unseen.
When I received it, I was amazed! It was missing a lot of pieces, but it was very original and solid. I decided to do a mini restoration with the intent to keep the car as original as possible, track down and replace all the missing pieces with original parts. In 2014, I drove the car on a thousand-mile round trip to the Canadian Saab Convention in Toronto. It was the only 99 in attendance. Later that summer, I drove six thousand miles to Bend Oregon and back for the Saab Owners Convention. There were many 99s in attendance and this car won the concourse prize. I have included the scoring sheet. This is also where Erik Carlsson signed the steering wheel. I also drove it to the 2016 SOC in Georgia and several Carlisle Import Nationals. It really is a highway machine! I have stored the car indoors through my ownership.
In my ownership, I have replaced the complete clutch system. I cleaned or replaced every component of the CIS fuel system. The distributor was replaced. I rebuilt the brake master cylinder and replaced the pads and rotors. I decided to paint only areas of the car which needed it, to keep it as original as possible. The color match is very good, and most people do not notice it unless you tell them.
The car has the dealer supplied Sport & Rally rear sway bar as installed by the original owner. The car was also fitted with a “high altitude†wastegate spring. The second owner installed stiffer springs, they are not too harsh, and I believe they improve the stance. I sourced a period correct “For Saab†Blaupunkt radio. I believe it is labeled for Saab because it has green illumination. I also wired an aux in. The dashboard has a SCCA Plaque from its championship year. The car has a full tool kit, manuals, and dealer slates stickers. The spare tire is brand new. The sunroof vent really cools down the interior. The original dealer accessory sisal floor mats with Saab logo are in great condition. The car is fitted with a bypass valve from later 900 to reduce back pressure on the turbo. Original turbo pipe and hoses are included to return to stock as is the warm air hose for cold weather. The car comes with a full set of spare hoses and spares including fuel injectors and a wastegate. It also comes with a car cover.
There really is only one spot of rust on the car at the rear hatch gasket seal. This should be an easy repair. There are some light “walnut†dings on the roof. There is a slight wave in the Passenger side door. Both could be repaired with paintless dent removal. The driver seat upholstery is coming unstitched in a few places. The front spoiler has slight damage.
See a better way to drive a turbo? tips@dailyturismo.com
Still kicking myself for passing on a green over green $1k rust free runner 78 Saab 99 turbo about 8 years ago in Santa Barbara, CA (I still have the craigslist URL saved in my gmail haha).
But alas, I was out of off-street parking spaces, and it needed some work to pass smog.
I think about that car almost daily.
This car looks great and evokes some strong memories of that 99 that got away, but its unfortunately too rich for my blood.
20,000? How much in US dollars?
Fett! Yep, a Saab 30-70 is a kick in the pants. OK, not my first choice of viscera-inspired paint color, and the price seems aspirational, but it sure looks tended (unlike the cacophonous cheese grater I drove in college) and the interior is super (then again, the insides of my leaky rust bucket were still almost as good; orange nylon towel seats FTW). That’s got to be a very satisfying and enjoyable ride.
I bet a turbo 99 is a blast. I had a yellow 4 door ’73 for a minute in my teens before the engine spun a bearing. Rebuilt it but it didn’t seem right after that.