(Update Draken is sold. Thanks for the interest!) It has been a great year with the Draken, I really can't say enough nice things about this car. It has never left me stranded...well...there was a time that the key snapped off in the door, but that was my fault and not the electromechanical failures you'd expect from a 70's Saab -- instead it was a fun weekend/daily driver that got thumbs up and smiles everywhere I went. Today, it is my pleasure to offer this 1978 Saab 99 EMS 
Many Saab enthusiasts have called and talked with me about buying the Draken, but none have pulled the trigger on a purchase. Time for a price drop -- now asking $3000 for this 1978 Saab 99 EMS-- click here for the details.
Nothing better to do this Saturday morning than gawk at other people's cars? Yeah, us neither. That's why we'll be heading down to the 2nd-ever Coffee & Cars with Pelican Parts, a low-stress gathering of SoCal's finest Euro Trash. Come join us, have a brew (of the hot caffeinated morning variety), let us gawk at your cars, and you can make fun of ours.
It isn't often that a car leaves me stranded. Problems are common with the junkers I've driven over the years, but with the exception of a totally grenaded clutch, I can't recall a time that I've needed to call a tow truck in the past decade or two...but that was before I purchased a '70s Saab. This is a continuation of the story of the Draken and part of Daily Turismo's Project Car series. 
When we had last left the Draken, it had come home with me and it still needed a few things fixed before it could be used on a regular basis. First and foremost was the a malfunctioning blinker/hazard light system and second was the noxious odors of gasoline whenever the the Draken was topped up with fuel. These are problems that could have been fixed with a few expensive trips to a local Swedish car mechanic, but, being a tightwad, I opted to fix them myself. 
Another day, another Daily Turismo Project Car -- time to introduce everyone to Draken (Dragon in Swedish). I decided it was time to pick up something inexpensive to use as a part time driver while fixing up a few of my other cars. The criteria was simple, just a car that has seating for two adults, three kids, costs about $3k and can be manually shifted. The three thousand dollar price range on Los Angeles craigslist is like a minefield full of life's bad decisions; finding the right ride took a few months. Japanese econoboxes and 'Merican sedans reign supreme, but the occasional German, Eye-talian and Scandinavian depreciation special shows up. I ended up test driving an E28 535i and a few other common "enthusiast" cars but when I stumbled upon the Draken, I knew it had to be mine.
If you've paid close attention to the posts on this site, you may have seen a failed attempt for this writer to pick up a classic Citroën DS wagon -- it didn't work out and I still harbor homicidal feelings towards the low down son-of-a-gun who bought that from under me...ANYWAY...I am still in the market for a low buck classic/funky driver to pick up for fun and this 1978 Saab EMS offered from a very reputable West LA Saab mechanic is going to be mine...ALL MINE.