The February "Where's My Saab?" photo has been posted. Can you guess where it was taken? Send your guess to photos [at] saabclub [dot] ca

Click here for more info and the high resolution version.

"Where's My Saab?" is back and the January photo has been posted. Can you guess where it was taken? Send your guess to photos [at] saabclub [dot] ca

Click here for more info and the high resolution version.

Dear Members,

It's been a difficult week for Saab enthusiasts in Canada and around the world. As Scott mentioned earlier this week, the recent events at Saab make the work of our club more relevant than ever.

As 2011 draws to a close we want to invite all members to send in photos and stories of anything related to Saab, for inclusion in our January newsletter. Without a full-time editor we are not able to publish as often as we would like to, but during the holidays we will be preparing a special edition which will celebrate Saab's proud history in Canada and in the lives of our members. We'll also be including an updated Discount List - one of the benefits of paid membership. This issue will be mailed out after our January meeting.

Please send your photos, stories and other contributions to the newsletter to editor [at] saabclub [dot] ca

We also want to wish our members a safe and happy holiday and we look forward to 2012.

Fred Hopper
Vice President, The Saab Club of Canada

Saab Club of Canada Members,

As most of you are probably already aware, Saab corporate yesterday announced that they have filed for bankruptcy. This is no longer protection from creditors, but rather full on closure.

While there has been no official statements yet from either the dealers in Canada or Saab Cars North America, it is very obvious that there will be an impact to them. Given that I haven't been around to see a car company go under like this before, I have no idea what is going to happen or what sort of issues this is going to cause for us Saab owners.

What I do know is that the Saab Club of Canada has never been more relevant than it is right now. Saab owners across Canada are going to need each other's support and help. I for one have over 215,000 miles on my 2005 9-5 Aero Sport Combi and I plan on driving it for many more years. To do this, I will need to be connected to the Saab community even more than I am right now. I think it is safe to say that most of us are in the same situation.

I encourage you to get the word out there that the Saab Club is not going anywhere and that we collectively, as one of the stronger "fan groups" will do what we can to help others out. Please, if you see someone with a Saab that you don't recognize, let them know about the club, let them know that we have ways to help them take care of their Saabs so they can get many more years of enjoyment from them.

And while I am not going to hold my breath on this, there is a very slim chance that this isn't the last we have heard from Saab.

Thanks,

Scott Hutchings
President, The Saab Club of Canada

My clutch slave and hose are arriving on Monday, so I've decided to get prepared. Turns out, dropping the gearbox on the 9-5 takes 3.5 hours. On jack stands, through the bottom, at a leisurely pace. Remembering some clutch job quotes I've heard in the past, I think we're being overcharged for labor around here...

The coolant bypass valve arrived yesterday (thanks, autopartsway.ca... cheaper than eeuroparts too!). Naturally, the gremlin decided to take it up a notch, and the clutch pedal went limp and mushy. Again. Double-clutching helps with shifts, and so does pumping the pedal, but it's getting worse. Could it be the slave? Can't spot any external fluid leaks...

It just keeps happening.

The accelerator pedal sunk into the floor on the 401 today. Popped the hood - the throttle cable is hanging loose. The C-clip that used to hold it to the throttle body had disappeared. Found a bottle cap on the side of the road and fashioned a new clip out of it. Later stopped at Home Depot, picked up a nice stainless hose clamp and secured the cable to its bracket. Better than new!

Replaced the engine back in April.

The car blew a piston on the 400 back in March. It made four holes in the block, so I needed a new engine. I've remembered that I had a 2.0L block sitting in my garage for almost 5 years. It was the original engine from my 1995 900 convertible project car (which was replaced with an Aero engine), and I never got around to finding a buyer. So instead of looking for a direct replacement, I dropped this 2.0L block in, mated to the 9-5 cylinder head.

Ended up with a European spec 9-5 ;], likely one of a kind on this side of Atlantic. Tuned to stage3 (thanks, ecuproject!). The car drives a lot differently than before. There's noticeably less torque in low RPM, but then it revs up easier and pulls hard to the redline. The old 2.3 would run out of turbo by 5000 RPM. It's also nice to be able to take off without spinning the front tires in the rain.

The repairs took some extra turns though.

Broke the clutch plate while bolting up the gearbox. Had to wait another week until the replacement arrived.

Then, when everything was finally installed, and the engine successfully started, the clutch pedal suddenly went into the floor. Luckily, it was just a master cylinder and Beacon had one in stock. I grabbed it first thing next morning, and the car was finally back on the road by noon. Would've been a pain to pull the gearbox for the third time.

A couple of weeks later, the new clutch master died again. Beacon honored the warranty and replaced it right away. So far so good.

This morning, however, there was a puddle on the floor under the firewall. Right, the coolant bypass valve! Hacked it up by bypassing the valve, routing the hose around it. Glad it's summer time, so we can live for a heater for a week, until the new valve arrives.

Topic: Everything you wanted to know (and much, much more) about mobile phones.

Guest Speaker: Scott Hutchings

Scott is currently working for Giesecke & Devrient, a company that specializes in security, mainly surrounding the processing of payments.
G&D currently prints 1/2 of the bills in Canada and supplies 100% of the paper our currency is printed on.
G&D is also a major manufacturer of credit and debit cards globally and also produces the Ontario Driver's Licence and Ontario Health Cards.
Scott's role with G&D is involved with moving these types of money and identity to the mobile phone.
The presentation will cover facts about mobile that you never even guessed at and how you will soon be able to use your phone to pay for your coffee at Tim's in the morning, your gas on the way to work, and the groceries you need to pick up on the way home.

Location: Katz's Deli on Dufferin St, just south of the 401.

Yes - "Where's My Saab?" is back and the October photo has been posted. Can you guess where it was taken?

Click here for more info and the high resolution version.