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Hello all! This is my first post on this forum, and before I get started I want to first say "thank you" for being such a great resource for me and my wife during our recent car search. I lurked and searched here quite a bit, and was able to get most all of my Saab related questions answered. To make a longish story shortish...I purchased a silver ’00 Viggen 5dr. this past weekend and am VERY happy with my decision! Got a great deal on a flawless vehicle with only 30k on the clock. However, I know that my Viggen is not nearly all it could/should be in stock form and I’d like to begin addressing some of her shortcomings. Right now I am thrilled with the engine and associated power, so it is my plan to leave that realm alone until I feel otherwise (I’m coming from a 140hp and 3.1 lb. ft. of torque Integra, so I may be fine here for awhile:-). What I would like to do, as much as funds allow, is some work to the chassis and maybe the transmission too. This is my daily driver, so I want to do my best at maintaining drivability along the way. Can you help? Here are some things I’d like to address.
1) Torque Steer: While the Viggen's torque steer can be fun (in the same way I suppose trying to tame a wild stallion could be fun), I would like to take some measures to minimize this potentially unnerving personality trait. I have looked at “rescue kits” from MPPerformance, GenuineSaab, and Abbott and am wondering if there are any opinions out there as to what represents the best value (read: best combination of quality, effectiveness, and price). MP looks to be the price leader, with Genuine in the middle and Abbott at the high end. Price is important to me, but quality is not something I want to overlook. Any suggestions? What are your experiences?
Note: Scanwest Auto, Abbott’s exclusive US distributor, is fairly close to where I live. That is something that may improve the value proposition for me when considering them.
2) Flexing Chassis: Having driven the Viggen for a week, I have noticed that the chassis lacks the feeling of solidity I’ve experienced in other late model vehicles. This is especially evident over uneven surfaces or broken pavement. I know it is an old platform that is hindered by the hatchback design, but I’d like to do my best at tightening things up. Sway and strut bars seem to be the way to go in this department, yes? It seems like the consensus is that the place to start is with the rear sway bar. MP and Genuine both have offerings that are very close in price while Abbott’s example (through Scanwest) is almost 3 times as expensive! Also, I know Genuine has a front strut bar specially designed for the Viggen, but I heard somewhere that the Viggen's stock bar was intentionally designed to be “softer” in order to best work with the front suspension? Finally, does anyone have experience with the Genuine 6 point sub-frame brace? Would that be overkill on a daily driver?
3) Body Roll: Though the Viggen sticks pretty well in corners (at least to me), it rolls much more than you’d expect of a car with its sporting intentions. It also doesn’t transition as crisply as I’d like it to either. I’d like to cut down on the roll as much as possible while still preserving everyday drivability. In addition to the aforementioned roll/sway/strut bar upgrades, what upgrades to shocks springs are suggested, if any? It seems like Koni adjustables are popular as far as shocks go...doesn’t seem to be consensus on springs. Are both shocks and springs even needed? I remember reading somewhere that simply replacing the springs was a huge improvement as the Viggen shocks are already decent…
4) Shifting: The Viggen’s shifting (at least in my case) is nothing to write home about. It is neither especially smooth nor direct. What’s the best way to improve on this? Honda S2000 shifter swap;-)? I’m curious about the Genuine tranny mount…it seems like a good option. Any other options?
5) Wheelspin: I was certainly expecting this in a front driver with gobs of torque, but am hoping there might be some ways to cut down on this other than judicious use of the throttle and wider and/or stickier tires. I know the LSD would be the ultimate solution, and I’d like to spring for a Quaife unit at some point. Is there anything else to consider beforehand?
Sorry about the length of this post! As you can tell, I’m really looking for some direction. I’d very much appreciate any and all help/advice/suggestions. Please join me in getting the first stage of my Viggen Improvement Project of the ground! I’ll be sure to post updates/pics as I go. Thanks.
Nate
posted by 12.34.24...
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