Carlsson Trackday - The Journey
Part 2 - by Norse Performance

After the Christmas and New Year festivities were over we were all keen to leave the turkey behind and get back to work on the car. Because it had been sitting in the cold weather for several weeks, the aftermarket alarm and immobiliser had drained the battery. To move the car into the workshop we used a jumper pack to start the car. The surge of power caused the alarm to trigger the siren. With the bonnet up to attach the jump pack the sound was deafening. With the alarm still ringing in our ears we decided to remove the system from the car. This proved to be no simple task. By their very nature alarms are designed to be difficult to remove. Identifying and removing the control module and wiring was quite simple but tracing the modified parts of the wiring loom and repairing them was time consuming. After we had removed all trace of the alarm system and reconnected all of the breaks in the ignition circuit the car would still not start. Time to call in some support from David Greenwood of Saabflight. David quickly identified the problem as a lack of power to the fuel pump and after a little electrical testing we found the final broken link in the wiring loom.

Now we could move the car without being hindered we set out to fit our first set of performance parts. The brakes had already failed us once, giving out completely while moving the car. This spurred us on to give the whole braking system some serious attention. While we wanted to ensure the basic operation of the braking system, we also wanted to enhance it beyond the capabilities of the standard setup. We considered replacing the brakes with larger disks and 4-Pot Callipers, but this would be very expensive. We settled on Brembo disks with Pagid Fast road pads. These would be an excellent first step in upgrading the braking performance of the car and were comparable in price to the standard Saab items. We replaced the existing rubber brake lines with Goodrich braided brake lines. These improve the feel of the braking by stopping any expansion in the rubber lines. This gives both a more direct feel and stops the 'mushy brake' feeling. Because the Saab has ABS the braided brake lines help to stop brake chatter under heavy braking and therefore reduce the car's stopping distance. We replaced the two rear over-axle brake lines at the same time as they were showing heavy signs of rust. As we had drained down the system to replace the brake lines we bled the system through with new DOT 5.1 brake fluid. This has a higher boiling point than the standard DOT 4 and will be more suited to the higher temperatures generated during repeated high speed braking on the track. Brake fluid should be changed at least every two years because it is hydroscopic, meaning it will absorb moisture over time. Failure to change the brake fluid during the recommended period could result in diminished braking performance, increased brake fade and in extreme circumstances brake failure.

With the brakes up-rated the next stage was to enhance the suspension. We knew we needed to improve the handling to balance the increase in power we were planning. The suspension has many joints and rubber bushes which, if loose or worn allow undue movement. This combined with wear in other suspension components reduces the handling ability of the car. So before we went ahead and fitted new up-rated springs and dampers we wanted to ensure these bushes were all in good shape. From experience on our own road cars we decided to replace the front wishbone bushes with Superflex polyurethane bushes. These had been supplied by Elkparts and made a tremendous difference to the feel of the car on the road. They help reduce torque steer and sharpen the steering response. They also have a much longer life than the standard rubber bushes. This is a simple, inexpensive modification we would recommend to any 9000 owner. The other bush we have upgraded on our road cars with excellent results is the rear anti-roll bar bush. Upgrading these to polyurethane helps to reduce the under steer present in the 9000s. These were a must for the track car and were fitted in minutes, without even needing to jack the car up!

Currently Saabflight are producing a custom tuning package to meet our requirements for the Carlsson. This is quite complicated due to the fact that our Carlsson has pre Trionic engine management. The car will be tested before and after tuning on a rolling road to demonstrate the performance gain. Full details will follow in a future article!

With the mechanical upgrades underway, we needed to give the bodywork of the car some attention. The bodywork was generally in good condition, a testament to Saab's build quality, however the black paintwork had bloomed and now had a milky haze over it. There were also some light scratches here and there. Before a livery could be applied to the car we needed to revive this tired paintwork. We 'Mopped' (Mechanically Polished) the paintwork, which involves using a high-speed rotary polishing machine fitted with a closed-cell polishing pad. This used with a fine cutting liquid compound removes the oxidised layer of paint and flattens out minor scratches to leave a mirror finish. A professional rotary polishing machine must be used with great care, as it is quite possible to burn through the paint to the primer or metal below. We have had experience with similar machines, so felt confident to undertake this job ourselves. If inexperienced it is worth entrusting this job to a valeter or body shop as a small mistake can result in large repairs. Once complete, it is important to wax polish the clean paint to add a layer of protection from the elements to prevent the paint from blooming again.

A few of the jobs that are still to be done are:
· Remove the sunroof to strengthen the body shell, remove weight and add extra headroom.
· Repair a small rust patch on the door pillar.
· Remove any unnecessary wiring (to further conserve weight).
· Fit race seats, harnesses and a roll cage.

This list is by no means comprehensive and at times it seems a little endless, especially with our first trackday just months away! We'll keep you updated on our progress in the next edition of Saab Driver. For more information on how the project is progressing, reviews of the parts we have fitted and guides on how to fit them, as well as a whole lot more, visit www.NorsePerformance.com.

Performance parts supplied by Elkparts, www.elkparts.com.