IntSaab 2015; 9-5 style – part 3

This is part 3 and final part in the IntSaab 2015 journey, you will find part 1 here , and part 2 here

Tuesday it was time to head for Loen to meet the “real” IntSaab participants. After a late night on Monday, it was nice to have a day with a shorter distance – to Loen was it about one and a half hour to drive. We arrived to Stryn, and after a quick wash we roll into Loen. As a local – I have driven through Loen hundreds, maybe thousands of times – I thought it should be easy to find the site for the event. First we drive trough the city on the main road, then through the city on a smaller road, but nothing that could look like a place for a Saab-convention. OK, we where early but to not see anything I thought seems little fishy. So after a little phone-call, we found it, at the combined school and community center, the exit from the main road was about 50 meter after where we choose the smaller road back to the city… All those times I had driven by the exit from the main road, I’d always thought that area belong to the nearby camping site. :p So this was todays lesson, I learn a new thing every day!

So while we wait for the BBQ later on the evening, we decided to have a look at the cars that arrive to the community center for registration. You will find all the some photos below, unfortunately didn’t my plan to photograph all the cars sort out so good; some of the participants went directly to their accommodation before they come to the conwoy, some came in so close that I had to choose what car to photograph and others drive so fast I didn’t got proper focus… 😉  And as the site were filled up, there came interesting cars to look at and owners to talk with, so I guess I missed some of the cars that way also 😛 Before the BBQ there was planned a convoy around in the Loen village, with coverage from Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK). Quite fun to drive a long Saab-convoy again, even through some foreign elements interfered us. After the convoy it was time for BBQ with delicious burgers, ribs and sausages, and even through the skies opened up and we get a lot of rain, the hosts in Loen had a backup plan, so we simply went inside the community center!

Wednesday was the rest-day, some went to local organized tours to the glaziers and other attractions, and other took the car and went to Vestkapp like we did on Sunday. We went also to Loen this day, and and the day was used to talk with others Saabers and do like the program said – rest. My great traveling companions had to head back to Sweden this day, so after a few hours in Loen they started on their journey back home. Later this evening there was going to be a a gala dinner at the local hotel in Loen, so many went back to their accommodations to rest a little or get in order to the evening, since we were asked to dress somewhat upscale then casual wear. I choose to go on a little trip to a nearby glazier, Kjenndalsbreen Glacier. I guess I started a little too late, so after a while I realized that I’m not would reach back in time to dinner, so the trip to the glazier will be for some other time. At the hotel we got a delicious menu; as a appetizer we got a creamed fish-soup (OK, fish-soup is not my thing, but the other around the table thought is was superb), the main course was local roasted beef filets served with vegetables and wild garlic potatoes, and for desert a apricot mousse. During the dinner there also was some speeches, the hosts got some presents from the visiting Saab-clubs and the hosts for IntSaab 2016 (Lidköping, Sweden)  was presented. All in all a marvelous evening in good company!

In total we was almost 300 persons at  the dinner Wednesday evening, I guess we was a few more people at the BBQ Tuesday. There was between 150-160 participating cars on the main event Bergen-Åndalsnes, and about 40 extra cars with “day pass” I think at the BBQ in Loen. There was many nice cars, worth mention is that red 900 – that was one of my absolute favorites, a red 9000 Carlsson, two mint condition 95 and 96 GT850 from UK owned by the same person (unfortunately I don’t get a good picture of them) and don’t forget those who took the chance to drive their two-stroke the whole journey!

Since the twist on this was “9-5 style”, I can sum up the 9-5’s in the event; two Fjordblue 2.0TiD from Sweden, one solid black 2.0T from Denmark and one Jetblack 2.0TiD from Estonia was participating through the whole event. In Loen I and my traveling companions from Sunday show up (that will say; one Fjordblue 2.0 TiD from Norway, one Carbon-grey 2.0T from Sweden and my red 2.0T), plus a white Norwegian 2.0TiD on the dinner Wednesday. So in total we was eight new generation 9-5’s at the event.

A video from the conwoy, with almost all cars (from NRK) https://www.facebook.com/NRKSF/videos/10153574476004189/
The pictures under is organized roughly at year models, so if you look for something –  the old cars has the rank here.
At least I want to thank every one attending that make this to such a great event, and special thanks to Olav and his team up in Loen for two great  days there!