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Saab Accessories
Free US Shipping from State of Nine Monday & Tuesday Only
Help wanted – armrest booster for Saab
I got the following email from Nigel P earlier today and I think there’s probably someone out there with some knowledge of a solution.
I am looking to buy a Turbo Edition 9-5 , one of the last made. For fuel consumption reasons I may go for the 1.9 TiD and have it “Hirsched”, but may go for an Aero having had 3 in the past.
My question is: I need to have a customised arm rest. I had a stroke last year and my left arm gets very tired on longer trips so it needs to be supported. The current one is not really high or long enough.
Do you know of any company that can provide a customised arm rest for a 2008-2009 Saab 9-5?
I’ve already pointed Nigel in the direction of State of Nine, who sell armrest boosters for a variety of Saab models.
Does anyone else know of any solutions? There might be someone else out there with a similar need and all advice would be welcome.
Saab 9-5 accessories at Saab USA Parts
I get product updates from time to time from the sponsors here at SU and I was chuffed to see one recently from SaabUSA Parts, who are now stocking new accessories for the new Saab 9-5.
As is their way, they’re stocking them at pretty good prices compared to list price as well.
Examples:
- New Turbine 19-inch wheel, which is listed at $485, is being sold for $388 per corner. The same wheel in black is $100 off list price.
- Noise cancelling wireless headphones for the entertainment system are $12 off list price, at $46.62.
- Roof racks are $42 off list price, at $185
Their feature product this month (the Saabtoberfest sale) is a new keychain from Saab. It’s got a new padlock style locking mechanism, some classy white stitching and a more durable clear coat for a longer life.
Like everything else, it’s at a good price, too, at just $13.95.
They’re all genuine Saab accessories, too. You can check out the full line at SaabUSA Parts and I’ve put up a little gallery below showing some of the stuff that’s available.
My thanks to SaabUSA Parts (and all the SU sponsors) for their continued support.
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Hanging out with State of Nine
I’m fortunate to have a group of great, long-term sponsors with this website. They’ve all been with me for a number of years now, which is a great show of support and more importantly, a show of their commitment to Saab and the people who drive them.
It’s a double-blessing for me when I get to visit them and meet them in person. Such was the case back at Swedish Car Day, when I got to meet Dan De Vlieger from State of Nine and spend a bit of time getting to know him and his business.
Dan sweating it out at SOC 2010 (photo by Eggs).
For those who are unfamiliar with State of Nine, it’s a small business run by Dan out of his base in Boston, MA. SoN specialises in supplying aftermarket accessories specifically tailored to be two things – (1) perfect for the Saab model they’re designed for, and (2) the best products in the field.
On a personal level, Dan is one of the most pleasant blokes you’d ever meet. We had a couple of lunches together, along with Pierre from Charles River Saab, and had a great time getting to know one another.
Dan is in his late 30s. He lives in Boston with his wife and two young children and maintains his SoN office as a single-room sublet in a grand old house that once hosted some of Boston’s social elite, with rooms in the house now converted into individual offices. Dan has a beautiful Saab 900 convertible that doubles not only as magnificent transport, but also as a test rig for many of the products he sells.
The SoN warehouse is located about an hour or so out of town, maintained as part of a larger logistics operation. When you place an order at SoN’s website, it’s sent to Dan. He checks it and sends it on to the warehouse, where the goods are selected from stock, carefully packaged and prepared for postage.
I think what impressed me most about meeting Dan and getting to know SoN’s operations was the sheer commitment that it takes to do what he does. He sells great stuff and asks a higher price than some people expect for it. He’s taken a bit of flack for that from some people, but when all’s said and done, he knows two things.
First, his business does supply the best products he can get his hands on. Whether it be wind-screens for convertibles, rubber mats for those northern winters or the best Saab clothing, his stuff is specifically sourced because it’s premium quality. I got one of his Classic White Saab Lands’ End Dress Shirts and it’s without doubt, the most comfortable shirt I own.
Second, if Dan’s going to keep serving his client base and feeding his young family, he’s got to stay in business. That means he has to earn a living. To do that, he needs to sell the best stuff he can find, which is exactly what he does.
Like his customers, Dan’s a Saab enthusiast who happens to also make a living serving the needs of other Saab enthusiasts. Thankfully, there’s enough people out there, especially in the north-eastern US, who agree with him when it comes to providing the best Saab official and aftermarket accessories you can find.
I’m proud to call Dan a friend, and especially grateful that State of Nine is a long term Saabs United supporter and sponsor.
Thursday night snippets
Another bunch of small-ish Saab stories that are bouncing around amongst all the BMW engine stories……
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It looks like someone from Autospies has been staying at the Swania in Trollhattan. They’ve done a pictorial ‘tour’ of the town that pretty much features Saabs parked on Storgatan, the street the Swania’s on.
I miss Swania.
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Here’s another story stating the BAIC plan to release their remodelled Saabs by the end of 2011, and they’ve built 30 full electric test vehicles based on Saabs already.
They hope to build 150,000 full electric vehicles per year by 2015. And Pete D the AutoExtremist thought Volkswagen’s targets were ambitious!
Still, good luck to them. The better they go, the better off Saab’s relationship with them should become. Does that make Saab BAIC’s BMW?
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By the time you read this there will be mere hours to go on the auction, but it might be worth a look.
Selling via Ebay in the US is a rare Saab 900 rear spoiler
(and no, I don’t know the seller). Apparently it’s a genuine Saab part, though not seen very often. Below is an image of the spoiler attached to an actual 900.
Definitely different.
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A few US Saab events coming up this weekend that locals might want to check out…..
People are gathering at various places for a drive up Mount Washington, New Hampshire, on Sunday 3rd October. There’s a Facebook Page for the gathering, so check it out if you’re nearby and in the mood to take on one of Mr Pastrana’s favourite roads.
The Mitchell Saab and Volvo dealerships in Simsbury, CT, are having an Annual Swedish Beauty Contest Car Show. Send photos, please.
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Don’t put your eggs all in one basket, or your executives all on one plane.
TROLLHATTAN, Sweden — Whoever books Saab’s charter flights at the automaker’s headquarters here apparently thought this was a good way to reduce costs.
The plan was simple: Put Saab’s senior management, everyone scheduled to be at the Paris auto show, all on the same plane today along with journalists from Europe and the United States.
When the plan was discovered, and fearing the potential for disaster to the small automaker, several executives were taken off the list and issued plane tickets on a commercial aircraft. It is not known when the plan surfaced and was quickly modified.
Saab Automobile Chairman Victor Muller and Saab Automobile CEO Jan Ake Jonsson remained on the two-hour charter flight. Their time was spent in interviews with journalists.
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Saab 9-5 wheels that can maketh the car
You know I love wheels, right. They maketh the car.
I hadn’t seen these wheel options that being made available for the new Saab 9-5, so I figured I’d better share them here as some of you may not have seen them either.
These are taken from the options available on the Saab Sweden website. Click that link, select Fälgar from the first drop down, then the appropriate Saab 9-5 options from the second and third drop downs. You’ll then see something like this:
Those are the available wheel options for the car.
Patrik B, who emailed me about this, made some good selections that I’d like to share with you as well. On the right color car, these could look awesome.
Click to enlarge.
Saab’s new turbine wheels in black!
Light, Medium and darker shades of Edge wheels.
And the 20 inch Turbostar wheels for maximum bling!
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Saab Washer Fluid and Maptun Air Filter – done
Tonight I managed to squeeze in a couple of the jobs I told you about last night – fitting the Maptun air filter and filling up with the Saab washer fluid.
Maptun Air Filter
It was definitely time to change the stock filter as it was quite dirty at one end. As expected, the Maptun unit fitted straight in and I was off for a drive.
Once again, like the BSR open unit I had before, there seems to be a slight increase in urgency, though that may be psychological. I did take the car on a good sprint before changing over, though, and another one straight after. I therefore think my conclusions are reasonably objective as I was driving in the same conditions both times.
Any increase is marginal, at best. Still, it’s good to have it in there and know that I won’t have to think about it again for a while.
The other good news is that the irritating noise that got me to pull out the BSR unit hasn’t made a return with the Maptun unit. One thought that crossed my mind with that noise is that it could have been a minor split in an air hose somewhere and the noise was accentuated by the increased airflow. It hasn’t returned, though, so I think I must have got one made late on a Friday afternoon.
The BSR unit feels solid and there’s no splits anywhere as far as I can tell. I’ve heard good things from everyone else about them but unfortunately it just doesn’t seem to have worked for me. I’ll definitely miss the noise.
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Saab Washer Fluid
The Saab washer fluid comes in a concentrate form and costs just A$10 here, so it’s very good value for money.
This is pretty clever stuff, actually. The fluid concentrate has got a high alcohol content. This will not only prevent your washer fluid from freezing in the winter, but it also means quick, streak free drying when you actually use it. The fluid has a lubricant in it, too. Modern Saab washer systems have a one-way valve in them and the lubricant in the fluid keeps this valve in good working condition.
Oh yeah, and it cleans the glass pretty darn well, too.
The before shot from my little snap test this evening:
And the after shot…. pretty clear though a few stubborn spots remain as this car hasn’t been cleaned in some time (and I need to clean the inside glass, too)
The part number for the Saab washer fluid is 12799116 and if you quote that to your local Saab accessories place, they should be able to put their hands on it pretty quick. At $10 here in Oz, it’s pretty cheap and I imagine it’s equally good value where you live.
Though there is one issue……
A note to Saab about this fluid bottle
This is a concentrate, but I couldn’t find any instructions on the bottle as to the right ratio I was supposed to use to mix it.
I looked in my owner’s manual and whilst it recommended the use of the genuine Saab fluid, it didn’t mention a ratio, either. It just said to follow the instructions on the bottle (or box). The washer fluid reservoir is 4.7 litres so I just guesstimated that around 300-400ml would do the trick
I received my bottle as you see it there. Maybe when you get it over the counter it comes in a box with the instructions printed on it.
I think it’d be a good idea to have the mixing instructions on the actual bottle, too, because there’s a distinct possibility that some buyers would throw the box away after opening it.
Just a suggestion.