[{"id": 17635193, "authorName": "newcarpro", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/newcarpro/", "bidAmount": 420, "content": "USD $420 bid placed by newcarpro", "likes": 0, "timestamp": 1747090077, "type": "bat-bid"}, {"id": 17635218, "authorName": "conrad_s (The Seller)", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/conrad_s/", "bidAmount": 0, "content": "Hello Everybody!\r\n\r\nJust wanted to add some additional information regarding the car that wasn\u2019t included in the listing. I\u2019ve had this car for almost 13 years exactly, and I initially bought it because it was exactly what I was looking for: an unmodified, not rusty, original car (it won 2nd place in Concours for Sonett\u2019s at the 2012 Saab Owners Convention when I took it). \r\n\r\nWhat really sold me was the interior on the car, it is absolutely beautiful. Tom Donney said in the listing I bought it from \u201cThe interior is one of the best I have seen in a 1974 Sonett. The seats are the best (other than my 44 mile car) and the rest is very very good.\u201d To protect the interior I had custom padded seat covers made that will be included with the car. I also installed the \u201csportgrip\u201d steering wheel wrap to protect the wheel, as there was absolutely no damage to the rim or peeling of the rim like these cars often have.\r\n\r\nThe car is an absolute blast to drive, tracks down the road straight, stops straight, just a delight and always puts a smile on my face. The only reason I\u2019m selling is because I bought a 95, and only have room for one fun car in the garage.\r\n\r\nAs far as rust goes, I cannot find any holes on the car, which was another selling point when I bought it, and was part of the reason Donney bought it in the first place. The trunk floor is rock solid, with a little bit of surface rust along the front edge. The floors are also completely solid as far as I can tell, with surface rust primarily along the front edge where the floor meets the wheel well. The rockers are solid as well, with just light surface rust on the bottom. Underneath the car, there is surface rust in places and it LOOKS bad because the factory paint is peeling. The worst area of rust I can find on the car is where the master cylinder access panel was installed, the metal still appears solid and I think could be cleaned up and repaired without too much difficulty.\r\n\r\nThe engine starts up with no troubles, trans shifts smoothly and is quiet, and the freewheel still works. There is very minor oil leakage from the engine, but it doesn\u2019t lose/burn oil at any kind of rate or leave any puddles, just a couple drops here and there like most old cars. The longest trip I\u2019ve taken in the car was ~100 miles non stop and it didn\u2019t miss a beat.\r\n\r\nOne other maintenance item I forgot to mention is I did replace the chunk of rubber hose in the engine compartment under the engine and trans that connects the two hard lines and is common to fail with age.\r\n\r\nOh, and when I installed a new sending unit, I could not find one that would work with the gauge AND the low fuel light, so the gauge is accurate, but will not illuminate the low fuel light.\r\n\r\nIf anyone has any questions please don\u2019t hesitate to ask, I\u2019m hoping she goes to a good home and want to be as up front as possible regarding the car.", "likes": 11, "timestamp": 1747090232, "type": "comment"}, {"id": 17635229, "authorName": "zach900", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/zach900/", "bidAmount": 520, "content": "USD $520 bid placed by zach900", "likes": 0, "timestamp": 1747090343, "type": "bat-bid"}, {"id": 17635380, "authorName": "newcarpro", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/newcarpro/", "bidAmount": 678, "content": "USD $678 bid placed by newcarpro", "likes": 0, "timestamp": 1747091717, "type": "bat-bid"}, {"id": 17635391, "authorName": "Chops", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/chops/", "bidAmount": 5000, "content": "USD $5,000 bid placed by Chops", "likes": 0, "timestamp": 1747091836, "type": "bat-bid"}, {"id": 17635434, "authorName": "newcarpro", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/newcarpro/", "bidAmount": 5420, "content": "USD $5,420 bid placed by newcarpro", "likes": 0, "timestamp": 1747092130, "type": "bat-bid"}, {"id": 17635528, "authorName": "Realmaple", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/realmaple/", "bidAmount": 0, "content": "No matter how you look at it, this is a project vehicle.", "likes": 2, "timestamp": 1747093049, "type": "comment"}, {"id": 17635723, "authorName": "conrad_s (The Seller)", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/conrad_s/", "bidAmount": 0, "content": "@Realmaple, it honestly is a car that can be as much or as little of a project car as someone wants it to be. You can go drive it and enjoy it as is and not do anything to it, you can tackle the little things as you go here and there and get it painted, or you can blow it apart and have a great starting point for a full restoration.", "likes": 12, "timestamp": 1747094847, "type": "comment"}, {"id": 17636032, "authorName": "Myoldcut", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/myoldcut/", "bidAmount": 0, "content": "@Realmaple it\u2019s a project that I\u2019d love to own!", "likes": 2, "timestamp": 1747097440, "type": "comment"}, {"id": 17636089, "authorName": "Chops", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/chops/", "bidAmount": 6000, "content": "USD $6,000 bid placed by Chops", "likes": 0, "timestamp": 1747098000, "type": "bat-bid"}, {"id": 17636377, "authorName": "johnohara", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/johnohara/", "bidAmount": 0, "content": "Very Cool car !\n\nI remember these from freshman year in college. Unique and cool. 1.7 liters ? Wow \n\nWere there earlier versions that were two stroke ?", "likes": 0, "timestamp": 1747101226, "type": "comment"}, {"id": 17636563, "authorName": "conrad_s (The Seller)", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/conrad_s/", "bidAmount": 0, "content": "@johnohara there was the original Sonett they made 6 of that was a two stroke, and then the Sonett II was a two stroke as well, and they made 258 of those.", "likes": 4, "timestamp": 1747103476, "type": "comment"}, {"id": 17636677, "authorName": "tlewis", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/tlewis/", "bidAmount": 0, "content": "I drove an orange '72 for a couple years during college, defecting for a time from Triumphs, and loved it; gave me no trouble except 1.) for some time missed a blockage secondary fuel filter, inaccessible without sort of taking apart the carb, as I recall 2.) exercise care with the freewheel transmission - they tend to get stuck in freewheel mode. Sonetts drive like they are on rails. From the looks of it, I would not hesitate to drive this like it was 40 years ago. The Ford V-4 is a very tidy package, and despite it's size and the fiberglass shell, Sonetts feel rock solid, like Porsches of the same era.", "likes": 1, "timestamp": 1747105285, "type": "comment"}, {"id": 17636699, "authorName": "conrad_s (The Seller)", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/conrad_s/", "bidAmount": 0, "content": "@tlewis I used the freewheel in this car once when the slave cylinder started leaking and giving out on me just so I could drive the ~20 miles home. It\u2019s a great feature if you use it properly, but yeah if you abuse it you can do some serious damage.", "likes": 3, "timestamp": 1747105456, "type": "comment"}, {"id": 17638086, "authorName": "JoeKretired", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/joekretired/", "bidAmount": 0, "content": "You have to wonder what the Saab designers & engineers were smoking when they designes the Sonett. The engine & the exterior design are not normal for 1974 ! GLWTA.", "likes": 1, "timestamp": 1747145289, "type": "comment"}, {"id": 17638160, "authorName": "Knuckles-R-Busted", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/knuckles-r-busted/", "bidAmount": 0, "content": "I suspect that the designers went to bed with pictures of a 240Z under their pillows.", "likes": 2, "timestamp": 1747145838, "type": "comment"}, {"id": 17638419, "authorName": "juanm105", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/juanm105/", "bidAmount": 0, "content": "I have the exact same Sonett III, also in True Blue. To mine I added a Weber 34ICH carburetor. Doing this eliminated the troublesome auto choke (now manual) and also removed the odd air pollution controls. Mine also had a dealer installed AC which wasn't working so I removed it. I upgrade most of the mechanicals and electrical. This while deemed a \"a project car\" is far ahead on the project curve. Just needs some minor work. But you can have a lot fun working on and driving this car. \r\nAnother person talked about the history and left one model out. After the sonett II came the SONETT Ii/V4 in mid 1967 through 1969. I think there were 1,610 of those made. The III was produced from 1970-74.", "likes": 2, "timestamp": 1747148041, "type": "comment"}, {"id": 17638819, "authorName": "conrad_s (The Seller)", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/conrad_s/", "bidAmount": 0, "content": "@juanm105 I considered adding a Weber to this car, because so many people complain about the thermostatic choke, but it works perfectly on this car and I actually like not having to manually adjust a choke on it. I also considered removing the emissions equipment, but since it wasn\u2019t causing any issues and everything else on the car was original I left it.", "likes": 3, "timestamp": 1747150841, "type": "comment"}, {"id": 17639080, "authorName": "JIMMY", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/jimmy/", "bidAmount": 0, "content": "Seller gets huge bonus points for knowing some Sonett history!\r\nJack Lawrence supplied MSS exhaust is the best for power and sound!\r\nGLWTA!", "likes": 2, "timestamp": 1747152749, "type": "comment"}, {"id": 17639216, "authorName": "conrad_s (The Seller)", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/conrad_s/", "bidAmount": 0, "content": "@JIMMY when I got the car it had a rotted out MSS exhaust on it, and one of the first things I did was call Jack to order a new one. At the time he only had the header pipe and the tailpipe in stock because the guy he was unsung to smoosh the glasspacks stopped doing it, so I figured \u201cwell I\u2019ll figure something out for the middle\u201d. He called me like three days later and said he was digging around in his barn and found an older one that had been misplaced and was the last one he had, but it was black not silver \u201cso it won\u2019t match do you still want it?\u201d\r\n\r\nUh, YEAH!", "likes": 2, "timestamp": 1747153639, "type": "comment"}, {"id": 17640329, "authorName": "Leonia", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/leonia/", "bidAmount": 0, "content": "It's a freaky, in a good way, kind of car. You want to turn away from it but then you spend time looking at it some more. GLWTA", "likes": 4, "timestamp": 1747158054, "type": "comment"}, {"id": 17647687, "authorName": "dfwsig", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/dfwsig/", "bidAmount": 0, "content": "Do you know where this car was originally sold?", "likes": 0, "timestamp": 1747187454, "type": "comment"}, {"id": 17648556, "authorName": "jacksabba", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/jacksabba/", "bidAmount": 0, "content": "What a great example! I've enjoyed taking my 74 Sonett to shows over the years. It is always a great conversation starter as people either never knew it existed or knew somebody that had one! So much fun to drive too! Great to see such a nice one - rust free, in good condition, and clean interior. GLWTA!", "likes": 3, "timestamp": 1747208798, "type": "comment"}, {"id": 17649735, "authorName": "conrad_s (The Seller)", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/conrad_s/", "bidAmount": 0, "content": "@dfwsig from the history I got when I bought it, it was sold new in Southern Ohio, then sold to a gentleman in Park Rapids, MN who was a Saab enthusiast and never drove it in the winter, he left it in his airplane hangar for the winter, until Tom Donney bought it in 2010z", "likes": 0, "timestamp": 1747232974, "type": "comment"}, {"id": 17663471, "authorName": "juanm105", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/juanm105/", "bidAmount": 0, "content": "I didn't notice where the electric pump is located. Also what brand is it? Thank you.", "likes": 0, "timestamp": 1747329245, "type": "comment"}, {"id": 17666251, "authorName": "conrad_s (The Seller)", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/conrad_s/", "bidAmount": 0, "content": "@juanm105 the fuel pump is mounted in the engine compartment, basically right across from where the mechanical pump would be. It\u2019s an Airtex E8012S if I remember correctly.", "likes": 0, "timestamp": 1747336256, "type": "comment"}, {"id": 17671236, "authorName": "Ken_Ford", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/ken_ford/", "bidAmount": 0, "content": "Does anyone want to comment on the smushed in oil pan and more importantly the bend and kinked frame cross member?", "likes": 1, "timestamp": 1747363888, "type": "comment"}, {"id": 17671341, "authorName": "conrad_s (The Seller)", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/conrad_s/", "bidAmount": 0, "content": "@Ken_Ford, the smushed in oil pan is pretty common on these cars with how low they sit and how far forward of the wheels the front of the pan is.\r\n\r\nAs far as the kink in the lower radiator support, that was there when I purchased the car. It\u2019s an odd kink and I still haven\u2019t been able to figure out how it happened without causing any other damage. When I\u2019ve had the nose off to do the clutch and radiator there is no other indication of any kind of front end collision, everything else is straight and original with no damage or evidence of repairs of any kind. It doesn\u2019t cause any kind of handling, tracking, alignment or alignment of body panel/parts issues, so I was never concerned about it.", "likes": 0, "timestamp": 1747365714, "type": "comment"}, {"id": 17673117, "authorName": "JIMMY", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/jimmy/", "bidAmount": 0, "content": "The smashed oil pan is standard equipment on a Sonett lll .\r\nThe kink in the cross bar is from a lazy tow truck driver hooking the winch cable there to winch it on to a truck. Years ago I had a Sonett lll with both of these features. I had to rebuild the gearbox so when it was apart I made a stronger steel tubing bar with a tow ring on it. I also hammered out the oil pan and then it leaked - so I replaced the oil pan with a undamaged one and it was all good.", "likes": 1, "timestamp": 1747407873, "type": "comment"}, {"id": 17673389, "authorName": "conrad_s (The Seller)", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/conrad_s/", "bidAmount": 0, "content": "@jimmy that explains it perfectly and I never thought of that", "likes": 0, "timestamp": 1747409984, "type": "comment"}, {"id": 17676342, "authorName": "LoTex", "authorUrl": "https://bringatrailer.com/member/lotex/", "bidAmount": 0, "content": "@Knuckles-R-Busted I believe the Sonnett I came out several years before the 240Z, so perhaps it was the Datsun guys who were dreaming of Saabs instead of the other way around?", "likes": 1, "timestamp": 1747422058, "type": "comment"}]