If you're relatively new to Saabs United then you may not be aware that in 2009/10 we decided to do something a little bit daring - we're fiscally conservative types around here - and support some grassroots Saab motorsport.
The Saabs United Historic Rally Team is being run by a couple of guys in Sweden, Jörgen Trued and Bo Janzon, and with a bit of support from SU and other sponsors, they're building not one, but TWO Saab 99 Turbos to compete in the 2010 Midnight Sun Rally.
The addition of a second car might even be news to some of you who already knew about the team.
The #1 car is going to be a replica of Stig Blomqvist's black car that competed in the 1978 Lombard RAC Rally. The #2 car is going to be a replica of Per Eklund's white car of the same era.
I think the last time I did an update here, the #1 car was just getting stripped of its paint using a fascinating process called Dry Ice Blasting.
All of that has now finished and the car has just come back from the painting booth, where it's had several coats of glossy black truck paint applied.
Car #2, meanwhile, has been getting stripped out and ready for its own trip to the paint shop. It'll probably go for the dry ice treatment pretty soon.
It's all getting pretty exciting now. Tearing the cars down is a lot of work for little satisfaction. But when you start to put everything back together, that's when it starts looking like something that you'll be able to compete with.
And that's exciting.
Keep checking in with the Saabs United Historic Rally Team website and watching the progress. The Midnight Sun Rally is now less than 6 months away, running from the 14th to th 17th July.
good effort Jörgen and Bo but how much $$$ does all this cost.
Rally Up!!
next stop...
the Daytona 500!
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See the classic Saabs and other brands tough it out on the classic SS Kabelvägen outside Trollhättan. A gravelroad used bu the Saab car testers as well as the old Saab Factory Rally Team.
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If anyone in interested in supporting the team please feel to contact Me, Bo or Swade. We have space on the car for advertisement. Or if You have any of the stuff we need (we have a list of stuff on www.saabsunitedhistoricrally.com).
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Right now we need 8 rallytires, FIA approved rally seats, FIA approved belts. Porsche 928 Fuelhead/Bosch..... the list can be made longer.
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We have great sponsors in SU, Peltor, RP Glasfiber, MapTun, Ferrita but we would be happy to add more to the crowd.
just curious.
VM as driver and JAJ as co-pilot ;-)
A SAAB 99EMS Rallye won the 2008 Victorian Rally Championship Classics here in Australia :)))