An Honest Look At My Saab Sonett
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- Опубликовано: 5 окт 2024
- When I "rustored" this car 5 years ago I expected it to last about 5 months. Five years later how's it holding up? Sorry for any broken hearts in advance..
Here's the playlist for the "rustoration": • First look at the '74 ...
I've never seen a man get that emotional over a car before. With that said, by getting rid of it ,you will spend the rest of your life kicking yourself in the ass for doing so. Don't talk yourself out of the car, take small bites at the repairs and talk yourself back into it. Good luck to you either way.
I remember when Amesie took the Sonett to his workplace when it was a blizzard outside and he just tore through the snow when the plowers came in the morning. haha Best Sonett memory!
My heart breaks for ya man. It's very hard to keep an old vehicle on the road, especially a rare car like your Sonnet. Be proud Amesie, your determination and knowledge gave that car another chance to live. You did a great job!
You've been a great custodian for the Sonnet and in doing so raised the profile of these cars and no doubt encouraged others to save more examples. I'm now a Saab enthusiast thanks to your videos and drive daily a 9000.
whats your time worth and what is the car worth after you are done, its tuff to let them go but the other saab is time better spent,
Wise words
Wise words my friend..
Amesie's Automotive Corner I think Mustie summed it up, as you also did
See if Mustie1 wants another project!
That would be a GREAT idea for the both you guys to hook up and take on this project! The car is worth it, it's like an icon of RUclips.
I really want to see you have your own shop. However, even with time, money, and facility, I don't think it would be worth it to save the car. I was faced with this same dilemma with my old rust bucket 96. I ended up buying another 96 that was the same year and color. That 'new' car now has the engine in it from the old rust bucket. The old car's heart still lives one in that way. I sold the old rust bucket to a Kentucky Saab collector who has a barn full of rusty Saabs for various parts.
Keep the car. There are only about 1100 road worthy sonnetts remaining. It's a unicorn. I have 2 of them and I am doing a restore as well... Lots of money into it... And for me it's a joy, as the original one was my dad's... it reminds me of him every time I work on it. He still helps me once in a while! The other car is a parts car and it was a great investment. I'd buy it from you.... Let me know. The engine is a BEAST... and will live through anything. Thanks for the Video!
Whatever you do please don't let this thing go to scrap or be stripped. There's someone out there who would love to restore it. It would break my heart if this car died off like the majority of them have. If nobody will take on the challenge of restoring it I hope that you would keep it for whenever you are able to do RUclips full time. As long as you upload as consistently as possible you will be able to do it some day. RUclips awards those who are persistent and I know you have the work ethic. But either way I appreciate you and the sonett for educating me and expanding my appreciation for cars. Good luck brother.
Praying for u, it's hard to let go of something. but know u, will make the right decision.
Amesie, I remember watching your very first Sonett video when it came out. Your videos inspired me to buy my own Sonett that I'm currently restoring with my father. I'm very sorry to hear what's happened to yours, but remember that you did what you could and gave it a better life. Whether it's yours or another one I hope that a Sonett will still be a part of your channel. Keep us up to date
Kurt
Another great video of a great old car.
My suggestion is to sell it in its current condition to somebody that can restore it as you suggested. It would be a shame to strip it for parts.
John D my thoughts exactly.
I feel utmost respect for you Amesie. Thank you for great content.
You clearly love the car, and it's paid for and doesn't eat. So grind the rot away from the areas that can be reached, weld in some gussets and other metal to strengthen the suspension mount areas, and keep it around until fortunes change and you can strip the suspension off and fix it right. Keep enjoying it, it's better for the car, and better for you.
I got to put out a good word for Approved Auto. I am a customer and bring my cars there for service. Great people that do very good work and you can trust. I love the fact that they have mature experienced techs that know what they are doing.
Next time by ask for an Amesie's Corner sticker! Thanks for the support!
Many people do repairs like that at home on the ground wish I was close! I would love to help you!!
Your Sonett videos made me take a liking of these cars!
I feel you mate. The bond of man and machine is strong. Amphibious Sonett. The Sonyak!
as Harry once said..."Man has got to know his limitations"...You are doing the right thing...
I once had a 1973 Ford F-250 4x4. I always wanted a "HighBoy" Ford pickup, but it was far gone back when I bought it. The whole truck would of needed a total frame off to make it a nice truck again. I had the ablity to fix the truck, but I never had the facility or the disposable income to do so. So, one day I put the F-250 on Craigslist, and sent it down the road. There's parts of me the still wishes that I have never sold that truck, and there's parts of me that tell me that it was one of the best decision of my life, by selling it.
Ams, Bud probably watched all your Sonnet vids. Thumbs up. I’m retired now but my hands heart are broken. I can’t keep up. I never had a shop. I wish that you will be blessed to have your own one day. Thanks for all you do.
I really love your videos, specialy Saab related videos (y)
I'm sure you can find a decent new owner, a Sonett aficionado through social media or just spread the word. As you said it can be saved. So if you made the value of these Saabs go up you can find a good new home for the Sonett!
Don't be sad because it's over, be happy because it happened! That car could have just sat around like so many others wasting away but you gave it some TLC & it stretched its legs once again
I'm sure this moment will be a stepping stone onto another car for us all to enjoy with you again
Dan Dan this comment made me far less bummed. Hopefully it can live on in some way.
Chris Nobles let’s hope so 😊 at the very worst, if it ends up a parts car that’s still good. Who knows how many more examples it could keep on the road as a result.
Thanks Amesie I never heard of a Sonett until I saw your videos on RUclips years back. You are experiencing the typical Dark night of
the soul for your CAR. We all come to a point where we have to let a car go. That can be very satisfying too. I would focus more on knowing a person out there will probably take
on the project of restoration with a fresh mind and see it through. Maybe that person can post videos on the resto project!
Paul hang onto the sonett and one day when you get time & a space restore it do so. And focus on the 96 in the mean time and enjoy the 96 tell you can restore the sonett. Don't let the sonett go or you will regret the decision. It means more to you then the money value you could get for it. Maybe darren/Mustie1 would now someone that has a place where you could store the sonett tell you get time for it.
I would love for you to have your own shop, where you can build and restore Saabs, especially the Sonnett. I do understand the need for security and a paycheck though. Ultimately, I think sending it to someone who can and will restore her would be the best. She's a survivor for sure. I also feel for ya, it is really hard to keep an old car on the road, and it does require a lot of time and love. I also agree, you and that Sonnett probably did contribute a lot to them being worth more. Whatever you decide to do Paul, we stand by your decision. Good luck to you brother.
A lot of work to keep it alive dude. BUT........... as you get older you will always wish you kept it alive for sure.
Circumstances at the moment means she is dead man and that's a shame.
Just imagine when your 50 yrs old driving that old girl about town.
Don't give up on the old girl dude.
That car IS YOU!!! If there is ANY car you will want to keep for always , that's the baby right there.
Best wishes to you bro.
Thank's for the vid, Paul. Emotional relation to cars is just something special. It is kinda speaking of life it self, a car follows you, but is has it's end to. It is fucked, for sure. I'd put the parts in the 96 and keep the body on the yard, make it a lost sonett and maintain it's legacy. I must say this, what you really need is a OG 900 Turbo, from a guy that has owned almost all Saabs manufactured, i'd say that is the best one. Still a lot of rust, but more modern and just a wonderful and solid driving machine.
Been watching your channel for a short while now and a bunch of your videos, coming over via Mustie1 when he showed the video of him helping you extract the 96 and decided to check other videos out. Well, here I am, subscribed and keeping up with what you do.
As to the Saab Sonnet, sad to read of this dilemma as has been said, there comes a time when you must make that crucial decision about what to do.
I agree, the 96, though not as rare as the Sonnet is in far better shape much of the actual underpinning structure is in better shape than the Sonnet despite what you had to do to get it patched back up from sitting next to the garage for 30 years but the Sonnet started out far worse and now time is catching up to it.
I've had to ditch a really good car, two in fact due to mechanical issues that I didn't have the time, money, or energy, let alone a safe place to work on them and the costs to repair them probably were more than the cars were actually worth. Fortunately, here on the west coast, except out on the coast itself, most cars here don't rust out so a 30 YO car native to this area is still largely rust free despite the rain from Oct through April most years. So seeing vintage cars of the 70's as daily survivors/drivers is not too uncommon around here so a Sonnet like yours would probably have fared better out here.
One car I miss is my 1983 Honda Civic 1500 DX hatchback, 5Spd, AC and a blast to drive. It got rear ended and the side rails were likely bent, as was the rear frame rail and this was the second time it was rear ended. The first time they did a good job as all the doors and the hatch closed just fine and no odd gaps between panels etc. I did see evidence of bondo on the rear qtr panel though during the pre purchase inspection when I bought it in the spring of 1992. It was super reliable, economical and when I sold it ($500 still running strong but leaking water inside), it had just shy of 183K miles on the clock and sold it to a young couple just before Christmas 1998 when their car got stolen and they needed something to get around for the short term. What replaced it was a 1988 Honda Accord LX-I 4 door sedan. I put a bunch of miles on that car, selling it at about the same miles accumulated but also rear ended with some front end damage (mostly all cosmetic), shot tires, likely in need of a new clutch and front brakes but the motor still was solid and sold it to a couple that had the same car, year, and color but it had a blown motor. I think I sold it in Craig's List for good price in less than 24 hours after posting the ad so it went to do some good deed for someone who wanted to get their car back out of the cabbage. This was 1996 and I ended up with a 1992 Ford Ranger truck, 2 wheeler STX top grade with the thirsty 4.0L V6 and the Mazda sourced 5spd. bout it with 189K, got it up to 237K and by then, 6 years later, it was leaking power steering, perhaps brake fluid (brake light would light momentarily while cold but would still stop just fine for the first 2 or 3 pumps of the pedal to slow or stop), went through 2 Qts of oil in 2 weeks, and leaking externally and then the idler air controller went wonky and on the day I had it adjusted so I could get it safely to the Honda dealer where I bought my current car, the shift linkage went for the second time since 2009 when I replaced much of it then when it went, but it was still drive-able, just that to deal with all that was probably $1300 or so, money I just didn't have to spend so traded it in for 1K towards my 2003 Mazda Protege 5 wagon that I still drive and so far has been super reliable but in the past year and a half, has been dealing with a brutal commute as traffic here is some of, if not the worst in the country. I bought it with 110+K miles on it and now it has just over 184K.
So the Civic and the truck are the two that held most dear to my heart of my past cars outside of my first, a 1968 Chrysler Newport back in HS (early 80's) and I'm not a truck person but that Ranger grew on me surprisingly in many ways and I loved that thing, and it was more fun than it should be for a truck. Had a canopy so it could do the snow rather well all things considered (and thankfully I can drive in the stuff despite being a native of these parts). I think the Mazda will be right up there too when the time comes to move on.
But again, there comes a time you have to let it go, find the best solution to what to do and move on, and hope it can continue to live on.
I do agree that cost wise, it may not be too terrible to rebuild those areas, but the space, time and what not to safely do so is another thing and it's obvious you lack those things to safely work on it for more than a weekend, so I say, try to sell it to someone that can restore/rustore it and have it live on, or maybe have it professionally repaired where it needs it and know it's still in your possession.
But whatever you do, I'm sure you'll make the right decision.
Feel for you dude! I really hope you can get something sorted! If I lived near you, I'd offer to help!
You kept saying heartache, when you pushed that hole in the rocker my heart ached too.
Tough to let em go,years ago I had my dream Suburban but came a time when the house needed a new roof,we had a large family not enough cash so i had to sell the "burban.I remember tears in my eyes as it drove away(on my wifes birthday) but I knew i did the right thing at that moment.I feel for you my friend!
Hang in there, all hope is not lost yet! I think you got plenty of people who can help you out and buy you a lot more time with this car. Yes I agree all the stuff you mentioned absolutely needs to be addressed and I know that Saab parts aren’t that easy to come by a lot of the time but with enough persistence you’ll figure out something that will work. I think the idea of giving it to mustie is a great idea if he’s willing to take on ownership of this car. You know him well he’s a car guy and I know that he’d take great care of it.
Its sad, but think of it this way, she went out with her boots on. I had to let my 73 super beetle go, that tore my heart strings. So you did good man, she had a good run, and died happy.
I just happened to know Where another Saab Sonett is for sale . It's in good shape and has a lot of extra parts. Including another motor.
Bummer, I was hoping you would be able to do your Sonnet body on a WRX idea. Hopefully you can find someone who wants to restore the old girl. BTW "Patches" perfect name.
Your the man Amesie !
You said you single handily raised value of all sonetts I think that's true I came here to check out all the old trucks and SUVs you post as a 88 dodge W150 owner I saw the sonetts and was like WTF never seen that. I tell my friends have you ever heard of a sonnet they always say no.
The playlist of the Rustoration:ruclips.net/video/aNCuHpUsDew/видео.html
hey paul i will be at the car show in the 26th looking forward to meeting you and the saabs
Damn it man. Been there myself, and felt for you at the end of the video.
RIP, Rust In Peace
That's Hard man! You must be proud of the sonett :) I understand your feelings, it is a heartbreak.. Take care! 😊
As you said you could save it these cars are so rare no saab deserves to die if you love the sonnett as much as you say put it on the back burner and maybe in the future you will be able to save it its hard when life gets in the way of things but if you want the sonett to live it can happen slow pace like do abit when you can and slowly the car will come back i just hope this isnt the end i feel your pain
Start up a crowd funding page to raise funds to pay someone with the facility to restore it. Advertise that you’ll do that at the car show on 26th
Mustie I was thinking about you while watchingthis. Also thinking that it would make a great collaberation searies for you 2 to get together and do a resto on this. Enjoy the vids both of you put out.
Im guessing you have water leaks from above (window seals etc...gone bad) so no amount of undercoating will stop the rot underneath. Use SUGRU (silicone putty) for smaller leaks, or larger leaks if you dont mind the co$t. I even repaired my old falling apart window rubbers on my 72 145 volvo wagon (dried out rubber CA car), worked great!
First let me say I have been impressed with your efforts with the sonnet. Also, Mustie 1 is right. That said, if you got a trailer you could take the sonnet on and off the trailer with the lift, keep your bay clear without having to have the car drivable, and then work on it as time allows
Sorry to here I'm in the same boat with a old truck I have.
Have you considered patreon for a consistent income so you dont have to worry about youtube income.
robert stewart great idea. I'd totally support as a patron. I don't even care to gain perks I just really want to see this car live on.
I had a '71 Sonett back in '75-'81. It was my daily driver that I raced in autocross/gymkhanas on the week-ends when I was in college. We "warmed up" the German Ford V4 by 60 hp and it's performance was amazing for such a light car! The Sonett was also outstanding in the snow. With the engine ahead of the front wheels, traction was never a problem unless the snow got more than 16 inches deep. Do you still have it? Does it still drive, or is it yard art? Would love to see an update on the car now.
well that's too bad awesome little car it is! I would park it until someone makes you the right offer, or until you can no longer leave it parked or you need the parts. At least then you can still fire it up once or twice a year let the engine warm up. But if you part it out now that's it, and it will take up a lot of storage space to store everything properly out of the weather. Good luck either way Amsie!
This is so heartbreaking to see... Well, you've given it a great five-year life extension, but sadly, rust will take what it wants in the end.
You need to restore that car, no matter the cost, if not send it to me and I will restore it then I will drive it across country and take you for a ride in your restored Sonett.
I kind of agree with some of the comments. Get a hold of Mustie. I know you know him. He might have the time this winter.
Granted it is not a VW, but it does have heart!
"a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do" - John Wayne but it's harc
Move to the Czech Republic :) ... I bought a shop and i need a technician :) ... Working on motorcycles but lift and garage are at site :) And free to use :) ... I dont have time for my projects either :)
Amazing work!
I hope the other techs take their "tech grade" as more a challenge to be better than to take it as a slight! lol
As a tech who has seen very many come and go I stand behind my evaluation.
calling out someone's grade for all the world can see and hear without someone asking is just plain...…….
Since when?
Anybody grading you for youtube to see?
Yeah... it always boils down to how strong the emotional connection is. Ive sold some really cool and clean 70s and 80s lincoln town cars, clean f150s, explorers, camrys.... but boy if anyone even glances at my 1991 ford escort station wagon theyre guna get a beating!! Shes been long retired from the road and lawn art for years but I just cant let her go. I sold her once and had so many night terrors i actually bought her back 😂😂
Sell the Sonett... there must be someone who wants a Sonett to rescue, there's not many left and it deserves another "new" life!!
Im a Swede and i miss Saabs on the road!
its so sad to see the sonett Die dont let it Die
I wouldn’t break it as you saved it, and it’s a rare car. let a collector/restorer buy it as is
My dad had one loved to drive it
Next time you do any kind of rust repair, soak everything (both sides) with Fluid Film. It’s too bad you didn’t do that, $12 five years ago could have saved you heartache today.
It is what it is, and what it is is an amazing parts car for one that isn't so rotten. Like, the best parts car ever. Can it be restored? Sure. But it would be a tremendous undertaking at this point. There's no structure you can trust, so it all has to come apart. And that takes a ton of time and/or money.
a few thoughts....how about a kickstarter kind of fund raiser..to buy the shoptime from your employer...and if not what about saving it for the body swap ide you had?...would be sad to see it go.....
I love the Sonett, it is not that bad, as you say if you had the time it could be saved. The motor is not that special being a Ford. If you have lost the passion for the car sell it to someone who has a passion for this car and the time as well as the ability to repair it. I understand a passion for cars I have had several classic cars over the years and am currently restoring a classic Alfa Romeo.
Yeah we all come to that point but still Amesie i think you shall try to find some place to store it and if you get some time later restore it. And fact is that there is not so many left i know it is hard but you should keep this and see what you could do in the future.
Had the same thing with a project of my own, turns out this thing, had a bent frame, and was breaking a key part every time I used it, got one last good run out of it before it broke again and then found out what had been causing it, same deal, like god knows how many years trying to keep the thing going. and it sounds like that was its last good run with how that A arms looking, if only you could find a good flatbed truck to keep the thing on, and then use that to sheppard the thing in and out of the shops while the repairs going on
and then store it in the goldwing hangar, as the goldwings not that big looking, it looks like it could stay at the shop, hell maybe ask mustie if he's got something like that that he uses to tow his projects in and out with as that volkswaggen bus he had looked that bad
but it looks like once you start, you cant stop, as patches has gotta be turned into solids, other alternatives would be to look for a wrecked sonnet with a bad body but a good chasis, like something you'd see on the cold war motors channel that corvette ben pointed me towards
ruclips.net/user/coldwarmotorsvideos
third option would be a shot in the dark, now theres been this a rare 64 pontiac that's been sitting next to someones place for years that I passed by ever time I walked to school, a 64 pontiac catalina with the GTO option, first year, and well Leno mentioned wanting one, but the guy has no contact info
and with how many people post on his videos he's never seen it or anything, despite me saying HEY I know of one locally and its not like I can shoot the guy an email, most of the people who get into contact with him to save their rides are local to him and find him in the phonebook
what Im getting at is you could see if, well say hey Leno would you save this sonnet? for a video
its kinda crazy, stupid, but, well stupid often works, and its unique enough and oddball enough that it could work.
other option would be to find a sonnet owners club see if anyone could save it, or well, their is a rally school in NH I was looking at where they've got a rare UR quattro that their restoring that I Was thinking of attending, if they rallyed sonnets it could be possible to see if they'd be keen on it
next up would be that parts guy you mentioned, see if he would take it and save it, at the very least if the worst happened alot of stuff would be saved on it if you find you just dont have the time or storage to part it out properly.
maybe use that money to fund a new search for anew sonnet while keeping keepsakes of it, like I did with my first car and the like
as the main thing, you'll miss is having a sonnet, but it doesnt mean that the new one, cant have the soul of your old one
look for a project with a good chasis, body but no engine, and turn patches into a patches mark II, or some variance of that idea.
funny thing is type saab sonnet for sale in Bing, and the first thing that shows up is a sonnet in the UK that looks like a dead ringer for it
other thing would be maybe samcrac or some other youtuber that can restore cars like that.
Or even better, isn't there a bodyshop in the vicinity you could figure out a deal to rent a lift for a week or two and leave the car there and fix it in the eveings and the weekend. Job done.
Ya u did that Saab justice u should just use it to keep the 96 going when it's to far gone it's hard but u have to let them go .
Pass her on. Someone out there wants a Sonet.
I would see how much the car sells whole or see how much you can get parting it out or how much the (good) parts are worth for the 96. Or you could give it to a auto dept at Jc collage for a deduction.
Keep it complete,
now its time for a metal/body specialist there will be one who will take it.
some cars want to live...
Even back in the early 80's I remember all the Sonetts I saw on the streets were really beat up.
Saab just did not build those cars to last.....
The engine on the Sonetts are also very agricultural sounding. They do not sound sporty at all.
To me, the heartbreaking part would be the knowing that I could do the work and the frustration of knowing that I just don’t have the time and space to actually do the work. Maybe, you can find someone who can bring it back and restore it?
Just send it!
Oh, wait... wrong channel.
try start indiegogo compaign. I really enjoy your videos and this car. I will donate.
What a lousey choice to have to make, Amesie. Although it may be a tough descison to make, I would put it up for sale ' As seen ', and let someone with the time, money and skill " Keep It Out Of The Cabbage " !
Peter Brown agreed
Ice racing in New Hamp? If so you are sitting on a winner.
That car was shipped to Holland.
Take it to the show and sell it to someone who has the facilities to rebuild it ---- at least if you go that way you'll feel you've saved it even if it's not you that rebuilds it
Sorry, but I would sell the 96 before I would the Sonnet. The Sonnet has a sporty style that the 96 will never have. I’ve never seen one of those in our area. If it was me, I wouldn’t just keep taking on projects without my own shop to work in. Period. If you don’t have the space, time, or money, you shouldn’t keep searching out projects. JMHO Maybe you should been putting some of your money into buying your own home with a nice outbuilding to have your own shop to work in. Renting is throwing away your money.
how does a car that only has less than 15,000 original miles and is that far rotted? Was it left outside? why with that kind of miles?
Tough call fella, but it's reached the point when it's just not safe to drive :(
Put s for sale sign on it at the car show. Show those interested all the trouble spots. Maybe someone will want to restore it.
From a Saab enthusiast to another.. I'm sure there's someone else out there who would love to save this gem. Just reach out to the Saab people on Facebook, you'll find someone.
the best thing to do would probably keep it around for the parts.
Aspra but stripping the parts would be such a shame.
👍
It would be great if someone bought it and had approved auto fix it up
Didnt you say you could put it on another frame? I thought at one point you said you could find another frame and slide the sonnets body on it. I think that a tree branch could hold a sonnet shell and you could put it on another frame, it just doesnt end there either, you can fit it across many platforms too by cutting bits of a frame off or bits of the sonnet and piece them together so they fit literally like a glove. the fiberglass itself has to be less than 1500 pounds and a good strong branch off of a tree should be able to pull it off easily and make it effortless with a pulley system. Also just get a pos under 1000$ with a solid frame but with a junk shell, I dont know if you have any solid trees like we do down here. Me and my dad pulled a fiberglass boat weighing in around 3 or 4000 pounds and the tree held it there, but we would lower it down when storms would hit so it wasn't beaten to hell or snapped the tree, but other than that it worked while we were restoring the trailer, the boat was in that tree for around 3 or 4 weeks.
I could if I had a place to do it.. I can't take on a project of that magnitude at work..
Mustie1 may give a hand with the rustoration.
Amesie, it looks like it's time to either let her go or get a complete western body/monocoque and place your body on it. One good jolt or one good hard braking to avoid an obstacle and it will break into pieces. Good luck and thanks.
Why not ask your boss for help, offer to pay him for bay space! I’m sure he will give you a deal✌️
Id liek one of these Im swedish and I have never seen one in real life.
there is one for sale a saab sonnet on facebook market place
You always talked about wanting a sonett body on a chassis from a subaru or something like that.
Maybe now is not the time, but if the sonett is so bad underneath..
You could keep the car, unregistered on your property, untill you have some time to undertake such a thing. Like you said, the fiberglass body isn't going anywhere rust wise..
I think it maybe time to look for a new home for saab, on one of the saab forums. Someone looking for that collectors car
Nice rims
if i had the car i would fix it up.. a long term project just like my 72 vw super beetle... rusted out worst than that saab, fixing it up slowly!