Freshly pulled from the barn - a Saab 9000 Turbo 16

The most critical day of the week in the everyday life of male representatives of the genus Homo sapiens? Definitely Sunday! Man(n) sits decelerated on the sofa, is in good spirits and surfs the digital wave. The world is round. Discovered a barn find in a classifieds portal.

A Saab, of course. Alarm!

You have to pull him ashore, you have to save him, and that's when danger threatens. For the bank and time account. And the best wife of all.

A barn find. You often read about it, but mostly it is not from a barn, but describes junk that has languished in corners for years unnoticed and is now to be silvered. The real, true finds are rare. But yes there is. And when you find them, that's cool.

Like this Saab 9000 Turbo 16

It was approved in 1988, presumably had 3 owners who treated it more or less well. One of them must have been an avid aviator, maybe a pilot. It wouldn't be surprising, because the affinity between a Saab and members of the aviation industry has always existed. In 2003 it was put away for the time being. Why is still unclear, and the Swedish upper class parked in a barn for 17 years!

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The barn is now a demolition site, and before that it had to be cleared. The owner rediscovered the Saab and found it too good to be scrapped. Without a key, but with papers, he advertised the 9000. And then, one Sunday afternoon, Gerard Ratzmann discovered the Turbo on the Internet.

Odoardo Gray in undefinable but apparently complete condition. A little over 200.000 kilometers on the odometer, which for 9000 circles comes close to being knighted for a new car.

The Saab needs to be saved!

The rescue was organized quickly, and a transporter was hired to bring the Saab out of some Hessian barn to Frankfurt. He got there 3 days later. In a condition that cars look like after 17 years in a near-natural environment.

One can guess the Odoardo-grey paintwork, small arachnids inhabit the interior and have left traces there - a sign rated as good by car archaeologists. Because where spiders build, it is dry and not wet. Rust only plays a minor role.

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What is missing is the key

Of course, the key is missing to bring the Saab to life. Exchange fluids, new batteries, no problem. The key number is quickly found, then the search begins. At Saab Service Frankfurt stores a good part of the artifacts that have left several plant branches in the greater Frankfurt area. It is useful if you never dispose of anything because you could use it at some point. Just like the prehistoric key collection from Berner Strasse, which contains the key number you are looking for.

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And does the 9000 Turbo 16 run?

It is the decisive moment in the life of all hunters of the barn finds. The key moment, so to speak. Does it start, or has an engine and transmission damage been brought to the yard? Anxious seconds, they feel like they're long. Then he does it. After 17 years the turbo is back and running. Breathe easy in Frankfurt!

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The next goal? Turn the first lap with the Saab, drive it for an eternity. A lot has to be done to do this. The first recording of the damage: The clutch is in an unexplained condition. The brakes are firm. Then later on it comes down to business. Thorough cleaning, the absorption of rust damage. They are there, but don't seem that serious. But that's one thing for the large restoration.

The good news: The Saab 9000 Turbo 16 is 99% complete, it is not tinkered with. Nobody humiliated him with holes in the dashboard and wild attachments. It is as it was put away in 2003 as an old car with normal signs of use. A time capsule that has been preserved in a now quite rare year of construction.

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We will accompany the rebirth of the 88 Saab 9000 Turbo. The project can go on for a long time, it's exciting. In the end, there could be a fascinating vehicle. An Odoardo-gray Saab 9000 Turbo 16, a pioneer that made the turbo drive and downsizing more than 30 years ago socially acceptable in the luxury car class. Today more than ever an example of Swedish cultural heritage worth preserving.