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Well, it's been so long since I've been on the Saab net that some of you may not even remember me. Anyway, I thought I'd report on a couple of performance parts I've been using; sort of a long-term update.
First, some of you may remember that I had trouble with the stock bypass valve leaking; it would not hold more than 16 psi positive manifold pressure. I replaced it with a Bailey Motorsport (located in England) piston-type bypass valve. I've been running strong at 19 psi for months now with no problems. The Abbott Racing ECU is the best upgrade I've made. Coupled with an Abbott exhaust, Abbott motorsport downpipe, and K&N filter, the car is an animal. Acceleration is almost overwhelming, especially in lower gears. The new exhaust creates a little noise, but now that I've replaced the stock down pipe / catalytic converter with the Abbott unit, the car is downright noisy. This is a nice upgrade if you like to hear to turbo spooling, though.
The Viggen Rescue Pack (Abbott again) comes with a front subframe brace, steering rack brace, and TCA bushings. Although it's called the "Viggen" pack, it will fit any NG 900 / 9-3. Torque steer is much less noticable, although with the power I'm generating, it's not completely eliminated.
I've also installed the Abbott rear sway bar with the expected results. Sedish Dynamics springs and Koni shocks make for a great agressive ride, although the springs are generating some noise for some reason. With 215-45-17 tires installed, the ride is more agressive, but also harsher. For around-town driving, I found the new springs and shocks coupled with the stock wheels and tires to be the best ride / handling compromise. Oh well, fuck compromise, the gunmetal gray Speedlines look good enough to sacrifice a little ride quality.
I've dealt with all three of the major Saab tuners (Swedish Dynamics, Accelerated Response, and Abbott Racing). All three seem to be pretty competent, but Abbott's customer service is hard to beat, even from overseas.
So there you have it, tuner car advantages and some disadvantages as well. The disadvantages can be solved by switching back to higher-profile tires and the stock down pipe / catalytic converter, if you're interested in keeping your 9-3 fairly civilized.
, Mon, 6 Nov 2000 23:28:12, Mon, 6 Nov 2000 23:30:15
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