The best-laid plans, or obsessions for the month

So here's the deal: I have a 1985 Saab 900 Turbo (a so-called Classic 900) that I acquired a couple of years ago for TSD rallying. When it followed me home, it was in dire need of basic work, like an entire replacement of the clutch system. There were some other mechanical issues, like doors and windows not working properly, that were soon sorted out.

Nearly two years later, the car has held up well in unpaved rallies in Washington, British Columbia and California. In all sorts of conditions, from snow to blazing heat, and on some pretty rough roads, the car has held together nicely and never given trouble. Sometimes we even have some good results.

Coming up in August is the Alcan 5000 summer rally, and the plan is to take this car all the way to the Arctic Circle -- maybe even beyond. Not as a competitor, but as a worker for the event. This is a different proposition, where travelling way beyond the known Saabiverse means making sure the car will get us there and back without a major mechanical disaster. Also, this should get the car ready to compete in the 2008 winter Alcan.

Thanks to very able help from a knowledgeable Saab mentor, the engine is out and the transmission is at Scanwest for a rebuild. The trannys on these cars (the Turbos) are notoriously weak, and I don't want to experience the dreaded pinion whine that precedes a breakdown when I'm thousands of miles from home.

Apart from the transmission, other planned work was revealed during the engine removal:
Radiator, front shocks, brake lines and brake booster all need to be replaced. The turbo ate a rubber washer from the intake and needs to be rebuilt. All the suspension bushings are being replaced. Will have the lower control arms welded to strengthen them. I'm sure there are other things that need to be addressed, but that's plenty to start with, considering I'm trying to have everything done in time to work the No Alibi rally at the beginning of June.

At least the following has been done/addressed: all the coolant lines, including the odd little throttle body ones, have been replaced in the last year. All the belts have been done. The leaky power steering hoses were replaced last winter (and THAT was a messy job). The front seats have been replaced with less skanky ones, and the driver's seat platform rebuilt. A new headliner was installed a while ago, and driving and fog lights added last year. A new air mass meter and oxygen sensor were recently installed, as well as a bunch of little odds and ends that are a prerequisite for keeping a car with over 235K miles alive.

Stay tuned.