1975 Saab 99L Combi Coupe

I have decided to part with my 1975 Saab 99L Combi Coupe 2.0 with a four speed manual gearbox. I have owned her since 2014, but I have four other classic cars, each over forty years old, all vying for my time and attention and I'm not managing to give this old girl the attention and use she deserves.

 This is a properly rare car these days, with just six licenced in 2021 according to the DVLA. Rarer even than the original 99 Turbo with which it shares the body style. 

 A little bit of history of the car as gleaned from a previous owner's thread on the UKSaabs website where I am a long-time member.

 The car spent some 36 years in the Carlisle area, in the ownership if one family who owned it since it was 6 months old. It was refurbished and resprayed in approx. 2007 and still wears that paint well. At the point they sold it, it had covered 118k miles.

 Between 2012 and 2014 it passed through the hands of a couple of UK Saabs members before I purchased it in May of that year.

 In my ownership it has always been dry stored, and I have started and used it regularly, although generally my mileage has been very low. It has always started and run perfectly, even when not used for a couple of months (or more during lockdown!) and when I have taken it on longer runs there have been no issues whatsoever.

 The mileage is now showing 123,545 as at the recent MOT, which it passed with zero advisories. The car is, of course, tax and MOT exempt, but I wanted to get it tested to give myself and the new owner some basic peace of mind. The car is currently taxed and insured so can be road tested.

 Condition - obviously subjective and viewing is entirely recommended. That said, I have a good eye for bodywork and can see plenty of areas where there is room for improvement. Whilst the 2007 respray is still nice and glossy and the car is all one colour, the surface prep. prior to paint could have been better in places, and as you would expect after 14 years, there are now a few areas where a small amount of deterioration is starting to take place - nothing huge but plenty of little bits if you go looking closely.

 Overall though the car presents very well and attracts many positive (and sometimes curious!) comments. I would consider it to be a good usable classic - tidy enough to be proud of and yet not so pristine that you would be afraid to park it in public places. The bodywork is complimented by the genuine (Saab branded) Minilites which I sourced soon after purchase and had refurbished and shod in a set of Nokian all season tyres (virtually unworn). The original steel wheels and trims will come with the car (without tyres) as they were rather perished.

 The bodyshell is extremely good for a mid-seventies example, there is a little corrosion around the corners of the boot floor and some of the other usual spots, but it has been treated and doesn't appear to have worsened in the time I've owned the car. There are a couple of MOT patches underneath, which are good and solid. Overall, the shell is excellent for the year but will need ongoing maintenance to remain so, especially if used in all weathers.

 The interior is in good original condition, with just one small split in the stitching of the driver's seat. The headlining was presumably redone at the same time as the respray and is ok, but not perfect. The fuel gauge is slightly temperamental, it occasionally fails to move from its stop, but a quick tap on the lens always seems to bring it back to life.

 Mechanically there are no real issues I am aware of; the engine runs beautifully (especially after a recent tune up for the MOT) and the gearbox is quiet and selects all gears easily. There is sometimes a little clutch judder pulling away if you slip the clutch too much, more positive engagement results in smoother take up - I would probably put this down to lack of use as I think it has improved with increased use recently. Oil and coolant levels do not move, and the cooling fan kicks in for short periods as needed in traffic etc, keeping the temperature just where it should be. The battery is new.

 Recent parts fitted include a front brake caliper fully rebuilt by Bigg Red, a flexi hose, ball joint, CV boot and steering rack boot. The front coil springs have been replaced with lowering springs and Bilstein shock absorbers from a Turbo to cure the ungainly nose-up look that it originally had. The matching rear springs will come with the car but I do not have a suitable uprated set of shocks to go with them so the purchaser would need to source those themselves.

 The oil and brake fluid are new (as I fully pressure bled the system through to each corner when replacing the front brake for the MOT) and the coolant has been changed very recently too.

 It is fitted with a refurbished genuine Saab 99 Turbo front spoiler which compliments the three-door shape well, but which could easily be removed and sold (for good money) if the look isn't your thing.

 The only two little niggles I am currently aware of are a squeaky bush in the rear suspension - it starts to squeak after a few miles driving, not when cold, and a rattle from the baffles in the silencer at a specific point in the rev range, although the exhaust isn't blowing. I have taken these points into consideration when pricing.

There isn't a great deal of paper history with the car unfortunately, although I have receipts for during my ownership, but at this age I believe condition counts for more, hence viewing is highly recommended, and test drives will be permitted upon evidence of suitable insurance cover.

Probably plenty I've forgotten so please ask. Thanks, Mark

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