In the SU garage (or should I say…. out of the SU Garage)
February 16, 2010 in Uncategorized
This one isn’t going to be popular, but here goes…..
A better man than me once said the incredibly truthful words “A man’s got to know his limitations”. I bought a car late last year with the notion that I would fix it up and learn a little bit about fixing cars up along the way.
I’ve since learned that the lingering thought occupying the back of my mind was an accurate one – I’m totally freaking useless at that sort of stuff.
The car, of course, was a Saab 99 Turbo in an rescuing this one, I hoped to rediscover the love that I had for my original Saab 99T, which I rescued some years ago and managed to get driveable again via the two gearboxes and the turbo I replaced at a considerable cost.
I’ve since found the help I need to be more voluminous than I thought and more difficult to secure in a timeframe that will keep me interested in the project. I also worry a little about what the endgame will look like – whether the car will really allow me to do some of the things I’d like to do. All of these points are things that I should have thought about more before I bought the car.
My Alfa 33 taught me that I can take a running car that’s less than optimal and make it a really well sorted and fun driving car. The Monte is teaching me the same thing. Perhaps it’s because I can enjoy driving it and seeing the results straight away? But bringing a car back from the dead is something beyond my scope.
I’m fickle and poorly equipped for such things, both in terms of skills and patience. I admit it.
Thankfully, I have managed to find a buyer with Saabs on the brain and a willingness to bag a bargain. The car will join his already considerable collection of Saab 99 Turbos awaiting completion and I’m sure all the spares that come with it will be very handy indeed.
