1971 Saab 97

Sonett Coupe

4 - Cyl.

Manual

71500128

Gasoline

Normal 0 For sale is my 1971-titled SAAB Sonett. (The sill plate says 1970.) This is the first evolution of Sonett III body design, so it has the minimal bumpers and lightweight doors. Depending on one’s preference, this may be the most visually attractive look for the car, and is certainly irreproducible today. The prior owner and I have each taken many steps to keep this one in good working order. The car has been well cared for, but still has a few glitches to be addressed before it will be a reliable daily driver. It is also a good candidate for a full resto without much welding, etc, or a parent/child tinkering project. As far as Sonetts go, I believe I’m fair in saying this one is in fair to good shape. If you know vintage SAABS, then you know many if not most Sonetts are rusted beyond reasonable consideration. This one is solid…just not perfect. Here’s the list of what’s been done in the last thousand or so miles: A complete clutch job which consisted of rebuilding the clutch master cylinder and clutch slave cylinder, replacing the clutch line and putting in a new clutch, pressure plate and throwout bearing.Rebuilding of the brake master cylinder New rear brake shoesNew rear wheel cylinders rear wheel bearing seals New flexible brake lines in the front of the car New rotors and caliper sealsA front tie rod end Plugs, cap, rotor, points and wires, air filters that are a touch bigger than the stock ones. I also have a stock set Re-set dwell and timing Rebuilt the (FoMoCo) carb, checked valve clearances and put in new valve cover gaskets, exhaust gaskets, and fan belt. New water pump The car starts up immediately and sounds good with the stock dual exhaust, is driveable, and does not smoke. It has 96 (stiffer) springs, so rolls very little under cornering. The prior owner also put in a front anti-roll bar from a 96 (bolts right in) that keeps the front even more level. 1971 models had steel wheels, but this one has the soccer ball wheels. The freewheel assembly is intact, but has been sleeved. Neither the prior owner nor I know if it works. The car has been stored in garages for years, and seldom driven in the rain. The floors are solid and in good condition! The engine has been pulled and the engine compartment painted with POR-15 to prevent rust. The foot area of the passenger compartment has also been painted with POR-15. The front wheel wells had fist-sized holes from the tires spitting gravel against the ends of the rockers over the years, but were patched by the prior owner to keep the rockers themselves undamaged. I removed the patches, inspected the rockers, painted the insides of the rockers with POR-15 (long brush) and resealed them with steel plates, then fiberglass on top of that. Based on my observations while doing the work, they are in good condition and are not a liability to the car. Rust spots include a quarter-sized one beneath the battery in the trunk, a saucer-sized one beneath the brake fluid reservoir (common to these cars) and a similar one on the other side of the engine compartment. If you want to use the car as a daily driver just keep an eye on those spots, and for a restoration, it’s not too hard a fix. I would place the car in the “good” category if not for those two spots. The interior is in very good condition, with the seats being nearly flawless. The body has small dings and wear that show its age, but overall is better than fair. From 10 yards away, it looks perfect. The headlights have been relocated to the grill, which is a common modification to the Sonett. Included with the sale is the Jack Ashcraft book on doing the tilt-hood conversion, which is now possible with this car. I also have two manuals and boxes of spare parts that go with the car, including another set of doors and a front clip of an incorrect year. For purists, I have a rolling chassis-w-engine parts car with the original front end for this year. That is available for $200.00. I have a title for each car. The price is $2900.00. I feel the price is more than fair for the care that’s been put into it, the integrity of the steel, and it’s overall appearance. I’m happy to show it of course, but time is precious, so serious inquiries only, please. Lastly, I’d like the car to go to a good home. If you appreciate old SAABS, and you’ve wanted one of these, and aren’t afraid to turn a wrench now and then, this is a nice one at a fair price with lots of extra parts. Thanks for reading. PS: I'm also advertising this locally, so if someone buys it I'm going to cancel this posting.