c900 pickup - anyone ever thought about it?

[ejenner]

My local Saab specialists used to have one of these. I went out in it once to go and collect some freshly refurbished 16" aero's with one of the blokes who worked there.

Never thought about actually building one myself but the thought did cross my mind today. It's the sort of thing I don't have any time to do at any point in the near future and I plan to learn how to weld and paint before I even consider firing up the grinder so it's unlikely to happen. On the other hand, I can think of the perfect car to try it out on and it would be a pretty cool project to complete. I also reckon I could make it look a bit better as well!

[Si]

I think you read my mind!!!

Since aquiring the new one and it being a hatch back i might actually do it(already got a tow bar aswell).

Maybe £100 on stainless steel tube for a roll over bar and supports, another £100 for lengths of steel U and sheet, £300ish for aluminium chequer plate for the floor.

I'd keep the bottom of the boot lid and just fit some hinges to the bottom and modify the latch on it.

Set of heavy duty rear springs and hey presto, one Saab-pickup

[ShadowWorks]

LOL, that dont look bad at all

I would rather you made an estate car

[Canadasaab]

They frequently do that to S13 silvias due to their heavy hatch lid (Not as heavy as a c900) and to stiffen the rear with x bracing.

Neat-O.

-Dan

[ejenner]

Reckon a saloon is more suitable than a hatchback. I think all the existing pickups were saloon based.

[Tomarse]

i reckon it would be pretty sweet!. go for it Si!

ally chequer plate shouldnt cost you as much as £300 either. Its £70 for a huge (8x4ft or 8x6ft 2mm thick sheet i think) sheet here and the place next door will cut it to size/bend it for you on the guilotene for a few quid (less if the boss isnt about and you pay cash! )
I've reskinned the roof of my truck with it and made a few landrover floors and still have a bit left!

[Si]

Reckon a saloon is more suitable than a hatchback. I think all the existing pickups were saloon based.

If you do it to a hatchback it would be alot easier to load stuff in at there's nothing in the way, with a saloon you've got the lights and no plate bit in the way, i think if you could make it so the hatchback is on hinges at the boot floor it would flip down flat so you could slide stuff in.

[nutcase]

Somewhere recently was a 99 turbo that had been converted to a pickup. Needed TLC but the hard bit is already done.

[Orca]

My SAAB Specialist used to have 9000 pickup with a long platform for picking up cars. They sold it to another SAAB Specialist in the area.

[Si]

In return for a bed, beer and food, would anyone like to join me for a weekend of turning a 900 hatchback into a pickup ?

If a few of you are interested i'll sort out all the metal to do it in the mean time, we can try a 2 day conversion (always wanted to go on Scrap Heap challenge ).

[unkleG'sif]

Originally Posted by Si

In return for a bed, beer and food,

i'll do just about anything for these 3..... so......
I'm IN!!!

[Si]

Drg23, there are other unmentionable consumables on offer too

[ejenner]

hmm


Angle grinder, welder, metal supplies, an old car, beer, unmentionables and a
gathering of nutty petrol heads - how's this thing going to turn out!!










So here's one plan. I don't think it's the only way to do it but rather than just hacking two
straight lines why not go for some gentle curves so it looks like it was meant to be a cool
pickup. Something extra metal would have to be added in behind the B-pillars to create the
curve and how about welding in some scaffold poles behind them to join the tops of the
B-Pillars with the rear struts. Also, Alan Buckingham (alanb) has a convertible he is breaking
so maybe it would be possible to get hold of the strengthening bar that normally runs
under the rear seat and those dodgy corner pieces fitted at the front of the engine bay.

I've straightened up the back and I think the height of the rear looks about right but it
might look better higher or lower. Hard to tell what would look good and what would look nasty.
I've put it higher than the door line but low enough to make sure it does not make the wheel
arch look too small.



Anyone though about how to do the rear window?

[Si]

I was thinking it would be cool to keep the manual sunroof so you could leave enough roof behind to accomodate it open, then just a bit of sheet metal on either side to cover the gap between the pillar and the end of the roof .

[ejenner]

In fact. Looking at it again.

What if the C-Pillars and joining roof peice were brought forward to remove the rear windows and the hatch was removed and the holes filled where the hinges were.

That would look pretty neat and sort of keep the original lines of the car.

I'm going to do a bit of cut and pasting to see how it comes out!

[ejenner]

That's with the original hatch line moved forward. Not sure it looks all that good. Seems too artificial - but it would be so much easier than trying to fabricate a filler peice to do almost the same job.

[ejenner]

I've just tweaked the rear line a bit and added a bee-sting ariel.

[ejenner]

What about a rear window from a MK2 toyota MR2?

[nutcase]

Originally Posted by ejenner

What about a rear window from a MK2 toyota MR2?

If this had come up a couple of months ago I could have got one for free!

I'd be up for a conversion weekend if I was available

[ShadowWorks]

Wont this chop shop job make the 900 really weak?

Both my 900 flex even on a 4 point jack.