Convention Photos Page 2
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More Photos Of the 2001 SAAB Convention In Vero Beach FL



SaabDude's Dad (The guy who bought me my 1st SAAB)

Here's my Dad, Jim posing in front of my 900.

Yep, the year was 1988, my senior year of High School... and we bought my FIRST car... a '79 99GL (2 door notchback/sedan) for a whopping 500 bucks. It had been QUITE some time since Dad had driven a stick shift... but he drove it back to Plant City from deep in downtown Tampa... kinda like ridin' a bike... once you learn, you never forget!

THANKS FOR CREATING THIS DISEASE I NOW HAVE DAD...

I'M A SAAB-A-HOLIC ...

AND IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!!!!!
Preps for the group Photo

Ahhh... the stunningly beautiful red '63 96 stroker of Scott & Cathy Reeson (who drove out from Nebraska--in a PT Cruiser...towing the 96) and Bob Blumstein's orange Sonett III.

Lester Ewing can be spotted between Tim Morgan and Bob... tinkering with the Shrike... and my Sonett is hiding in the background.

And we had to break out the oars and our ski's to get out to the field... it was that soggy!
Group Photo... all lined up

Dave Turner's Sonett, Keith Barden's 99, Scott & Cathy Reeson's 96 and Bob Blumstein's Sonett...


all posing for the Group Photo.
The Business End...

The Concours winner of the 99 category... Keith Barden had the ONLY 99 at the convention... the 1972 99E

...with a "little different" grille badge...

Keith actually put this car together from another parts beast he had...

Out with the early Truimph engine... and in with a later B engine. The car has "factory AC"... but the compressor seems to be under the exhaust manifold... will take some re-positioning to get things "cool" again!

Keith also has an early set of "rally" soccerball rims... not the standard ones. Didn't get a close up... but they look a little different than the standard soccerball rim... and a little tougher I'll wager too!

Keep other motorists guessing... and the Vintage SAABs on the highways!!

Dave's blue Sonett III blues....
Dave Turner's shiny blue Sonett III (with the CD changer mounted, err - screwed into, the gas tank...)

He and his son Alex (holding up the rear of the car) rode down from the Atlanta area. Great trip!

The SCARY part of the trip was just after the convention was over... and once on Interstate 95. Heading North back home, a few minutes on I-95 and traveling at least 65MPH... Dave began to feel a "wierd vibration" in the steering... and then... the driver's front "soccerball" rim and tire FLY OFF!!!!!

Sparks everywhere, motorists whizzing by, hearts beating like mad.... Dave gets the car under control, and stopped SAFELY... Luckily, there are a few other SAABers who pause to render assistance (including LT(j.g.) Gabe Conlon, USN... whose white 9000 is in the background of the pic.) Some of the missing lug bolts are found and one is taken out of each rear wheel... and Dave and Alex are back on the road. The rest of the trip back home... was... well uneventful, compared to that!

Glad you guys made it OK !!

((note to self... check the tightness of all 20 of the lug bolts...))
The View Everybody Else Sees......

Here's another look at John Plankey's highly modified 68 Sonett...

The view most everybody sees when John is out tearing up the Tampa area highways and bi-ways...

I had actually seen John and the car on the 50th Anniversary Waterville Valley Jubilee video a few years ago... and never realized he was a fellow Floridian!!!

John and his family own JP Foriegn Auto Salvage in Largo (just north of Clearwater.) John's been around SAABs for umpteen years and was presented the coveted Walter Kern award at this year's convention, for his creativity!

"It was decided to make an annual Walter Kern Award to be given at each years convention. This award would be for a modified Saab. The car would not have to be concours, as Walter's certainly were not. But they did have to be creative in the spirit of Walter. This is to recognize the people like you, or those that make a race car, or a 99 pick up truck, or a hydrogren powered two-stroke, etc, etc. These people, like you, who put a LOT of time, money and especially passion, into your cars, and do not get acknowledged for it.... this one is for YOU! I think that Walter would be very pleased with who won his award this year. You fit the bill perfectly. And who will be next year's lucky winner?
Sincerely, Ed Lorenz"
(from the VSAAB mailing list)

Airplane Logo... HAIR CLIP???
During the slideshow of the recent International SAAB Convention held in Finland...

I snapped a pic of one of the more interesting items.

SAAB Hair Clips... gotta get me one of those! ;-)
Erik and the BFH

Funny how the BFH...
has a way of showing up at all the SAAB events...

How'd that happen Phil ??







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