1974 Saab Other

Sport coupe

V4

4-speed

97745001574

Clear

GAS

This ls one of the nicest Sonetts you will see. A restoration was started in ’07, paint work was done in ’08 (three base coats and two clear coats). Paint looks new and is of very high quality. I bought the car two years ago, planning to complete the restoration. The interior was freshened (seats were reupholstered and the seat bolsters were retinted) in ’13. The original corduroy fabric is impossible to find now but we located a substitute that is extremely close.(see photos) Having repaired the major cosmetics, we thought we were finished — we had been told the interior work was all the car needed. Not so. The transmission was noisy in third and fourth gears and the brakes needed work. We found a used transmission but it had the same problem. That meant pulling the engine again and rebuilding the original tranny, so we decided to go through the car’s mechanical systems while we had everything apart, and bring it all up to the same high level as the rest. The result was as follows: Interior: Reupholstered center seat panels. Retinted side seat bolsters. Crackle dash finish - There is a small area where the crackle finish has worn down. repair is scheduled next week. Exterior: The exterior needed nothing. Mechanical: Pertronix ignition Rebuilt transmission New clutch disc, pressure plate, throwout bearing New intake manifold New Weber 32/36 DVG 5A carburetor, with K&N filter kit Fuel filler kit New tires (yokohama) Brake repair (had been weak and pulling to the left) Exhaust system. We had planned to install a new exhausts system, but the tech at the muffler shop said the system on the car was in excellent condition and exactly the right spec to give maximum performance. The car now runs better that a brand new, stock Sonett. This is my fourth Sonett and it is far and away the best of the (3) V4s I’ve had. (It is not better than my first Sonett, a highly modified two stroke that won three consecutive autocross championships several decades ago — but that’s another story for another day.)The modifications have probably added 10-12 horsepower, the clutch is smooth and positive, the transmission is quiet. The car is fun to drive and looks as good as it goes.