needs a couple "before" shots.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1329627567

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1329627567

and your afters.

John goes 10/10 ALL THE TIME

We just gotta sit back and let him do awesome things

The sad thing is, I wasn't sure how it was going to come out as I had to flare it so far, so I cut up the "not as nice" fender in my stash in case I screwed up. Well, after investing six hours just to get to where it sits now, I'm too far in to start over. Oh, well.

The other thing that makes me sad is there is no way it will fit 15x8's so I'll be stuck with 15x7 and 205s. The good thing is there are plenty of tires in that size and there are some Minilite-looking wheels for cheap for that period-correct look. They are only $105 to boot.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1363497595

Quick question. When you do a flare job like that (the alignment and welding) , do you start in the middle and work your way front to back, or do you start from one end and work to the other?

Do you use a template to maintain shape?

I just started cutting and pushing strips around until it looked good and cleared everything. No real science to it, just time.

I then tacked up the fender lip and worked from the center out each way. When it was roughed in I took it off, tacked on the filler strips inside the fender on one side only so everything was still free to move. Then I mounted the fender again and started clamping and tacking. I made a set of 14" reach welding vice grips so I could start at the top, clamp the joints together and tacked from the top down.

I finished tacking the passenger side, finish welded the one side and started grinding. Sorry, no pics because I left me phone in the house.

After they are welded when I go to bodywork I think I'm going to lay a couple of layers of fiberglass over everything before body filler.

Petrolicious - Why you should respect the Saab 96

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1363638506

Started on doors yesterday. The two that were on the car originally were really bad. I picked the best two spares that I had to work on. Unfortunately, the first door had been "repaired" some time ago with a generous application of fiberglass which does a wonderful job of trapping water.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1364787686
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1364787686
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1364787686

I cut out all of the damaged metal, fabbed up new lips to crimp the patch panels around and welded them in. No pics as the phone was in the house.

I them made new panels to bond into place. I used the 3M Panel Bond Adhesive which works extremely well. I didn't want to put that much weld into the door and have it warp the sheetmetal on me. I had used the Clecos before to hold the panels tight so I used them again. They work great right through the adhesive. When you remove them they self-clean. Plus, it lets me drill up the entire panel so it can all be glued up at once, flanges and skins. After clamping I crimped the edges. Looks factory. I have a small patch to weld in along one edge.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1364787686
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1364787686

I had tackled the worse door first so this one will be a breeze.

This corner is about 8" on a side. The opposite is only about 4". Here's the bad stuff cut out. Two small panel flanges and one small skin panel to fix. You can even see the holes where the trim was mounted aren't even rusted. The original doors had a quarter-sized hole around each trim mount hole.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1364787686

Got the patches fabbed for the other door tonight.

New flanges cut, formed and welded in.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1364874743

Patches cut and formed. These are smaller so they will be welded in.

4"x4" patch on inside corner

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1364874743

8"x10" patch for the outside corner

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1364874743

Once these are welded in I need to de-badge the trunk, fill in a couple more screw holes and it's off for sanblasting and primer.

I love how you seem to look at something that looks like it needs a ton of loving, and tear into it to bring it back from the dead. awesome progress so far. definitely makes me want to try my hand at welding and metal working.

So much win. Thanks for the updates.

Heading to sandblasting. Loading went very easy. I weighted the front for balance. I ran a bar the length of the transmission tunnel and lifted it through the shifter hole. My wife had no problem keeping it balanced. I had to remove the tire to get close enough to set it in the center of the trailer. I set it on pallets so they will be able to easily pick it up with a forklift over the side rails.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1365308635
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1365308635
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1365308635
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1365308635
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1365308635
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1365308635

So now that the car is on the trailer waiting to go to sandblast and primer, I'm bored.

Went ahead and disassembled the front and rear suspension for Energy Suspension bushing install and said fuck it-even a track car can be pretty. Sanded everything down and painted it. Ran short on paint so front subframe has to wait for tomorrow.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1365391636
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1365391636

I got the full ES kit so it came with sway bar and diff mount bushings as well. There are several ways to remove the diff bushings. I've seen them torched out, beat out, and the ES suggested way is to press them out with a press. As I work alone I couldn't see myself balancing a diff on the press while holding the right size press tool to push on the bushing and running the jack handle.

I came up with a new way and it worked perfectly. Take one piece of 2.5" exhaust tubing, hose clamp it to a section of 2.5" aluminum stock with a center drilled in it.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1365391636

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1365391636

Get out your trusty bearing puller and ratchet and push it out. Easy peasy. Both removed in two minutes. No torch, no hammer and no need for six arms to hold it in the press. (Press in background looking sad and neglected.)

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1365391636

Just found out it will be three weeks before I get the car back from sandblasting and primer. I have some things to do - tap pan for oil return, build turbo manifold, install clutch and coolant reroute, etc but not three weeks' worth.

Damn, you work fast. That would easily be 3 weeks worth of work for us mere mortals.

Maybe some more inspirational photos
Saab V4 Turbo Stig Z Special Racing 1979 V4 with turbo that raced in the 80s
The thread itself is around building a model if it.

The track seems to be somewhat near the one you will be using.

Another 96 floorpan swap http://www.uksaabs.co.uk/UKS/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=77886

Mother of God!!!

Dropped the car off at the sandblaster this morning. Should be blasted and primed and ready to pick up sometime next week.

Got a lead from another SAAB guy doing a Miata swap on m.net for a windshield. I called him and he thinks he may have a used one but if not he brought in eight new ones this week from Sweden. They are $375. Either way I'm picking one up. He's only a couple hours from me.

More motivation:

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1367109642

^I wish mine was a bull nose short windshield car like that.

Fun fact - the car above has a coefficient of drag of approximately .30. Tom is pretty confident that my car will NOT be the brick on the racetrack that I thought it would be. With a splitter and lowered he thinks it will be in the .30-.32 range.

Here's a vid about some old SAABs for sale from Tom Donney who I'm getting the windshield from. Skip the walkaround on the 9-3.

Words fail me.

And whatever words fail to fail me are not fit to be displayed in this thread.

Subscribed.

Wow crazy thread! Can't believe I didn't see this sooner! I did a feature on a 93F and 96 a few months ago and these cars are really something to see in person. Can't wait to see how yours turns out!

http://i1.wp.com/otcmaterial.com/wp-...ize=1000%2C562

The Best Things Come in Pairs - Jason Bailey's 93F and 96 SAAB | OTC material


Excuse my thread jacking! :jerkit:

Stein - I'm going to need you to paint some whitewalls on your track tires. :D

And add some hubcaps, FTW!

I keep thinking this:

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1367261490

I never really knew anything about 96, but a local Portland shop runs a couple of them in the regional rallies. Keep up the work!

Being blasted right meow, primer tomorrow, pick up Saturday after it has cured.:party:

Then bust ass all of saturday night so itll be at the dyno day sunday?

Not bloody likely. I might show up for a bit but won't dyno stock 335 and I know what the Miata does already.

Picked up the SAAB today.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1367717178
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1367717178
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1367717178
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1367717178

Wow. Looks amazing. That's a coat of primer?

Yes. I wish I would have taken his suggestion and went with the black which was an option. He said it's so tough I could have left it bare in the fenderwells and underneath. I'll still do it but it would have looked better black.

oh girl, you baby so preious.

Some progress pics. It's been slow going as I've never done this before and I have pretty much passed on the DA in favor of block sanding everything. Slower, but waviness is pretty much nil. I've taken it as a challenge because my friend who is part owner at the shop that painted my V8 Miata and has been in bodywork for 30 years said that it would be wavy my first time.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1369108833
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1369108833
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1369108833

looks like Spi epoxy primer. Is it?

It is a two part epoxy but not sure of the brand. It's an industrial epoxy that the sandblaster uses. Not specifically automotive but it's what he uses for everything including autos. It laid down great and my painter really liked it.

I love these:
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1369143735

I have some shorter ones and the metal stiffener rods for them along with some rolls of adhesive backed coarse paper (I forge what grit).

You have any interest in them?

I love this build dude, and your v8 Miata build, both are awesome. I too kind of took on that challenge, my cousin has been doing bodywork since he was 20, he is now 55. He told me it would be a little wavy, and to be honest, there are some spots on my car that are wavy still. And I thought the car was really good and straight, did guide coats blah blah blah...once I got the color on it and it was all shiny I could see some spots. But for my first time I am more than pleased with it. And most people never even notice it. I'm sure Vlad saw the spots though lol he has been nice enough not to say anything.

Keep up the amazing work, I can't wait to see if you start another project.

If?:giggle:

There will be another.

I want to do a real 60's muscle car, an old Mercedes with a V8 swap or a 240-260Z next.

Sure. Shoot me a price on the lot if you want to part with it.

let me determine what I have tonight and get back to you. I may just want shipping cost and call it a long term loan if I ever want them back. And you can use as much paper as you need.

Thanks for the offer. You have a PM.

I just got an email from Pat about his ridiculously crazy new miata build.
Between him and you, I feel like I should just give up

QQ

I am doing all the body work on my car, and am afraid it will be wavy. I think I am going to budget for professionals to make any adjustments they find necessary before paint.

I can not tell you how many times I shot primer on the car with the shocking revelation on how crappy it looked.

Any updates?

Well, apparently it's a monstrosity now, so no.

It always was. That doesn't mean you shouldn't finish it.

Has the wife labeled it a monstrosity?

no, rleete did in Joe's cross country trip. :cry:

Seriously though, I haven't touched it in a couple of months. Vacations to Sweden and Canada this summer, going again to Canada on Friday for another week, plus it's been blasted hot and sanding bondo is no fun in the heat. After this vacation I plan to get back to it.

Yeah, like anyone ever listens to me anyway.

Picking up more body panels in Sweden? That's a really expensive junk yard run.

Really pissed me off, we set aside one day to go to the SAAB museum on Trollhatten on Saturday. Turned out to be Midsummer holiday and everything was closed.

what pisses me off is the lack of pics you just posted.

Mr. Stein - Your lack of updates is very troubling, especially after selling the '50s pickup.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1380722504

Rumor has it he hasn't laid a finger on it for over three months. He also said that he didn't see much happening in the next month or so, but once time change happens and the deer are all done bein kill't durin' huntin' season (his words, not mine) and it's dark as soon as he gets off work there's nothing else to do but spend time in the shop.

Given the amount left to do he sees no reason why it won't be painted over winter and then is a matter of bolting together. Said it should be assembled and running by Spring. That's the rumor, anyway.

Are you done slaughtering the wildlife yet?

LOL, not quite. I have shot two doe and a 5x5 buck so far. Still muzzle loader hunting for the huge one that I saw an hour after shooting the 5x5.

Saabs are lame, anyway.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1387669281

do want!

Just realized that was Santa. Propped.