Cheap Project: 1972 Saab 96 V4

This next car comes as a tip from Erik202 who writes: If you’re going to buy what amounts to a rolling shell with potential you could do much much worse. Yup, the seller admits that the powertrain has been disassembled, but the German built Taunus V4 is one of those little engines that you can rebuild in your garage with a pair of pliers, a 6-pack of Heineken, and a jar of Loctite. And this is the kind of car that you will drive everywhere because you won't worry about rock chips but you will worry about missing out on beautiful mountain views because you are grabbing fistfuls of opposite-lock. Find this 1972 Saab 96 V4 offered for $2500 CAD ($1800 USD) in Calgary, AB via kijiji.net.

Little Old Lady's Car: 1968 Saab 96 V4

You know what I don't like in craigslist adverts?  Blurry photos and claims that the car was "a little old lady's car"...but this next seller gets a pass because the asking price is reasonable and the little Saab is surrounded by other oddball cars covered in painter's plastic.  The seller is my kind of car collector-- and I give any possible buyers a low chance of having your dismembered corpse stuffed into a suitcase and and a high chance of driving home with a new sweet ride. Find this 1968 Saab 96 V4 offered for $3995 in Burlingame, CA via craigslist. Tip from Erik202.

Call me Ishmael: 1969 Saab 96 V4

The Saab 96 was the final evolution of the original aerospace derived and teardrop shaped Ur-SAAB.  In typical Saab fashion, the 96 continued in production long after its planned replacement (the 99) was released, in fact the 96 continued in production through 1980.  Today the 96 makes a great uncommon alternative to something like the VW Beetle and can be picked up for not a lot of cash. Find this 1969 Saab 96 V4 offered for $7,900 near Denver, CO via craigslist. Tip from Zach Z.

Saabronco: 1958 Saab 96 Monster Truck

The Saab 96 is known for its WRC victories in the International Swedish Rally (1973 with Stig Blomqvist/Arne Hertz, and 1976 with Per Eklund/Björn Cederberg) which was in no part due to the cars basic ruggedness and front-wheel-drive traction in icy conditions...HOWEVER..that doesn't mean it would make a good monster truck.  Or would it? Find this 1958 Saab 96 Monster Truck offered for $2,900 near Nashville, TN. Tip from Fleetwood T. Brougham.

Flygande Avokado: 1972 Saab 96 V4

Nothing gets your taste buds going like the fresh scent of Skagenröra, which for the uninitiated is a classic Swedish shrimp mix that is best served inside an avocado half-shell.  What else is an amorphously oval blob, green, and smells fantastic?  This 1972 Saab 96 V4 offered for $5,500 in Albuquerque, NM via craigslist.  Tip from Zach Z.

Rally Like Erik: 1966 SAAB 96 Special

We all know Thorsday is the best day of the week. How can you have Thorsday without awesome Swedish steel? You can’t, so for your consideration is this example of a car with an engine that sounds like a nest of angry bees, needs oil, and may possibly smoke more than a middle school student behind the teacher’s lounge. With emission standards tightening it is hard to find two stroke marine engines and weed eaters let alone automobile engines. The rules are making it harder, and I submit conspiring, to prevent us from unleashing our inner Erik Carlsson and beating the likes of Porsche, MG, and fellow Swede Volvo in a rally stage with an underpowered car. But wait! Here is your opportunity as some hero has listed this 1966 SAAB 96 Special on Craigslist in Upton Massachusetts for a mere $6,000.00. That price is of course U.S. Dollars and not Swedish Krona.

Auction Watch: 1961 Saab 96 Two-Stroke

Checkout this 1961 Saab 96 Two-Stroke here on eBay bidding for $4,200 with auction ending today (Friday) at 10:49AM PST.

Manuaali 1.8 l Bensiini: 1969 Saab 96 Rally Car

The Saab 96 is on DT's short list of interesting cars to own because it is stylish (okay, it isn't a Ferrari Daytona, but it isn't a Camry either...), fun to drive (I didn't say fast...just fun), simple to maintain/repair, and (most importantly) inexpensive.  You won't find the 96 or any other Saab selling for six figures at some fancy auction, but if you want to drive something extraordinary, the 96 delivers. Find this 1969 Saab 96 Rallycar offered for 7,900€ ($8,923 USD) in Nokia Finland via nettiauto.com.  Tip from Kaibeezy.

Free Wheely: 1973 Saab 96 V4

The Saab 96 was a porpoise shaped classic from Scandinavia that was the final evolution of aerospace inspired Ur-SAAB -- and used a compact 2-stroke or V4 engine connected to the front wheels with a strange freewheeling clutch setup.  With a double wishbone and coil spring front suspension and trailing u-beam rear axle, the 96 made for a surprisingly adept rally car and the likes of Erik Carlsson, Stig Blomqvist and Per Eklund had success in it.  Find this 1973 Saab 96 V4 offered for $4,200 in Ventura, CA via craigslist.

Save The Saabs: 1968 SAAB 96

The vintage car market is a fickle thing -- while plenty of low buck classic marques survive the years due to sheer mass (think VW Beetle, W108 Benz), other oddball classics aren't worth enough for collectors to pay attention, but they weren't built in large enough numbers to survive being used as winter beaters and they are slowly becoming extinct.  These are cars like Studebakers, AMCs, and Saabs -- particularly the old two-stroke variety that ooze charisma and oil in equal quantities.  Find this 1968 SAAB 96 here on eBay bidding for $2,025 reserve-not-met with 2 days to go.

5k: Green Beans: 1971 Saab 96 V4

Cruising around in a driver condition Saab 96 isn't going to get you a spot in the Pebble Beach Concours D'Elegance, or even a front row valet parking spot at your local Sizzler -- but with the money you save (compared to other classics) you'll be able to afford a few hundred to your local Golden Corral buffet.  And if that isn't money in your pocket, I don't know what is!  Find this 1971 Saab 96 V4 offered for $4,500 in Bristol, VT via craigslist.

10k: Dumpster Driving: 1970 Saab 96 De Luxe

Someday you might find that you are a recently divorced college professor looking for a small place to call home.  If you feel the strange urge to live in a dumpster for a year (like this guy)...just don't do it.  It is a terrible idea. First, because of disease (have you looked at the inside of a dumpster with a black light -- it ain't pretty), and ultimately, because it isn't a good place to bring home a date.  Additionally, you should ditch the stupid glasses and bowtie because it isn't ironic/hip/retrol/cool, you just look like an idiot. Trust me, it doesn't help the Jaime Escalante wanna-be vibe you are trying to foster and you end up looking like the nerdy cousin of Weird Al Yankovic.  Knock it off.  Dress like a man.  If you really want to save the planet, look cool, and educate the masses, the only dumpster green thing you should consider spending any time inside is this 1970 Saab 96 offered for $12,995 in Laguna Beach, CA via craigslist.  Tip from Kaibeezy.

5k: Funderful: 1972 Saab 96 V4

The SAAB 96 is a slow car, with 60mph achieved in a sundial stopwatch friendly 15 seconds...or more.  Don't make the mistake of confusing slow with un-fun, as a SAAB 96 is not a Prius-like appliance and will provide a thrill a minute, like merging on a major highway for instance.  Another example is cruising down hill, for example.  In a fancy car like a 911 it is a simple choice of which gear to select for engine braking, but the 96 uses a freewheel clutch designed to prolong the life of the previously fitted 2-stroke engine and it lets the car cruise down a hill while the engine settles to a peaceful idle.  Need to pick up speed, just mash the gas and a few minutes later the engine revs match trans speed the power gets put to the wheels.  Want engine braking -- just hit a floor mounted switch and the trans gets engaged.  If this seems like your idea of fun you can pickup this 1972 Saab 96 V4 for $3750 in Seattle, WA via craigslist.  Tip from FuelTruck.

5k: V4 Power: 1972 Saab 96

The Saab 96 was the final evolution of the original aerospace derived and teardrop shaped Ur-SAAB.  In typical Saab fashion, the 96 continued in production long after its planned replacement (the 99) was released, in fact the 96 continued in production through 1980.  Today the 96 makes a great uncommon alternative to something like the VW Beetle and can be picked up for not a lot of cash.  Find this 1972 Saab 96 offered for $3,950 in Hobe Sound, FL via craigslist.  Tip from JPB.

DTO: Topless Custom: 1972 Saab 96 Cabriolet

You didn't think we'd let another Thorsday go by without posting some wild Swedish custom...did you?  The Saab 96 was a modernized version of the 93, which was essentially just an updated 92...and if you keep digging in the Saab historical archives you will eventually find that the 96 traces its roots all the way back to the Ur-Saab concept created in 1945.  The 96 was only available as a 2-door sedan, but some hacksaw wielding customizer created this convertible version...and it doesn't look bad at all. Find this 1972 Saab 96 Cabriolet offered for $29,000 via swedishmotors.com in Marietta, PA.

5k: Back So Soon? 1971 Saab 96 V4

In a dream last night, as I was wandering through the enchanted forest known as CraigsHollow, I stumbled upon a Saab V4 powered unicorn. The Saab mesmerized me with its freewheeling clutch to the point that I had entered a trance, when suddenly within me I was beset with the perplexing sensation of déjà vu.  What was it?  Have I seen this car before?  Rumblings from below gave me another reason to pause.  Did I have Mexican food for dinner last night, or was that a dream too? I attempted to get closer to the green Saab when it started to morph into an avocado and my shoes turned into size 11 jalapenos...and why on earth was Jennifer Aniston...buzz-buzz-buzz.  The staccato of my alarm clock interrupted pleasant slumber like the frantic percussion of a digital woodpecker.  Unfazed, but bleary eyed, I fired up the interweb via my trusty bedside Commodore 64 iPad and surfed to craigslist where I found this 1971 Saab 96 V4 offered in Ventura, CA for $7,500 via craigslist.

5k: Put A Little V4 In Your Life: 1970 SAAB 96 - $3900

 If you had thirty nine hundred smackeroos burning a hole in your pocket and missed the chance to pickup Mrs CFlo's 1800S-- fear not!  The world is full of cheap drivable Swedish classics just looking for your love, affection, time and money.  It is sort of like joining a budget dating service that only matches you up with people from half-way houses, but cheap is cheap, right?  Find this 1970 SAAB 96 offered for $3,900 in Los Angeles, CA via craigslist.