Current cars
Here's short presentations on the car projects I own and drive today.
Morris Minor 1955 "Hilding"
Prior to winning this car on auction I've had been looking on and off during a year, or so, for a new classic car. I did consider every car for sale from 1950s through to 1970s, mainly which were produced in Europe, but also some Asian models too. At the end it was clear that it would be a British car (again), and the Morris Minor and the Austin A30/A35 were the candidates. I did go see an Austin A30 that hadn't been in the register since at least the early 1970s, and hadn't run in 6-7 years. There was no doubt in my mind that I had the skills to get it road worthy and get it registered again, but was I prepared to put in the time required?
I decided to concentrate the search on a specimen of the slightly larger Minor, and one that was at least running. In the late winter the supply was scarce. On an auction site I found one that was running, was registrered and had its last ever official vehicle inspection done. It looked to be in good condition in the pictures and the inspector's description was promising. I started to bid almost immediately. On the day when the auction ended there was me and another bidder that fought for the car. I won. Some weeks later I rented a trailer and embarked on a 1400 km round trip to pick the Morris up.
In our family we have a tradition to name our cars, and often they are namned after the day we bought the car. I chose the name "Hilding", which felt right for the car and was somewhat close to both the day I won the auction and the day I picked the Minor up.
Hilding will be my summer cruiser and I will continously maintain, and restore it. Hopfully it will be relaibly enough to go on road trips several 100 kms long. And as always, thoughts of tasteful and lowkeyy modernisation exists. Time will tell if I do these or if the car will stay original.
Follow my adventures with the Morris on social media via the tag #MinorHilding.
See more pictures here.
Saab 99 GLT16 1984
This is my track-day car. It's an 1984 Saab 99 GL from the beginning. When I bought it, it had already been converted to the later Saab og900 suspension. Over the years I've put in a T16 turbo-engine from an og900, gutted the interior, put in a roll cage, stiffened up the suspension and more.
Apart from a track-day car it's also a country/back road flyer, and that is half the fun with the car - to be able to do some spirited driving and drive it under its own power from track to track. For the foreseeable future I will just maintain its current status as a fun un-complicated week-end car. However, thoughts of more power and a ground-up restoration do exists. And as it is my for-ever-car that will probably happen in some form, some day...
Read more specs and see links to picture galleries and video playlists, below.
Follow my forum thread (Swedish) or follow #99GLT16 on social media for updates on the car.
Picture galleries
Engine
Original B202, in-line four cylinder, 2,0 liters, from Saab 900s 1991. Engine management and turbo charger from Saab 900 turbo 1990. Full 3 inch exhaust system with racing catalytic converter and 3,5 inch tail pipe.
Power & Torque
Original 160hk / 260Nm.
Transmission
Original 5-speed gearbox from Saab 900. Drive shafts and CV joints from Saab 90 1987.
Chassis
Front uprights and complete rear axle from Saab 900 1992. Original anti-roll bar in the rear and no anti-roll bar in the front. Mostly polyuretane and some nylon bushings. One-way adjustable AVO shock absorbers. Lesjöfors/ Kilen lowering springs.
Brakes
General: EBC grooved discs. Steel braided lines. Original Saab 99 master cylinder and vacuum servo.
Front: Saab 9000 turbo calipers. Carbotech XP8 pads. Home made brake cooling.
Rear: Saab 900/9000 calipers. EBC RedStuff pads.
Tires & rims
Track day: Nankang NS-2R 195/50 R16 tires on Saab 9000 16x6,5" cross-spoke rims.
Street: GoodYear Efficient Grip Performance 185/65 R15 tires on Saab 9000 A50 rims.
Body
Original.
Interior
General: More or less completely stripped of carpet, door cards, etc. Auxillary boost pressure gauge. Six point roll cage.
Driver: Sparco Evo 2+ glas fibre seat and six point harness (retracting three point seat belt on the street).
Passenger: Original seat and retracting three point seat belt.
Audio
Bluetooth headphones connected to my mobile phone.
Kobolt Runabout
Together with my brother I'm learning the skills to build a whole (sports) car from the frame up. We are building the frame, the suspension and all other systems our self. Of course the bigger and more complicated parts will be bought.
The car will be a Lotus Super Seven replica, of-sorts, based on the Haynes Roadster design and mainly Ford parts.
Read more about it here (Swedish). On social media we tag pictures about the build with #KoboltRunabout.
