I bought two Saab 96 two-strokes unseen – the state of ARL 597 and AWL 714

I’ve always dreamed of owning a two-stroke Saab, but never found the right one. Until a few weeks ago, when two 1962 Saab 96 two-strokes turned up on Blocket, the Swedish classifieds site. The asking price was SEK 30,000, which felt a bit steep. When I got in touch, the seller let them go for 25,000. So I went for it.

The plan was one car. It became two.

The blue AWL 714 and the grey ARL 597 in the warehouse.

Bought unseen – paid to a stranger

I sent money to a man I’d never met. I’ve done that before and been scammed, but this time it felt right. The seller knew a haulier who was heading down to Jönköping anyway, so the cars rode along. About a week and a half after the deal, they were at the terminal.

They lived up to expectations, with one exception: the grey car’s brakes were seized incredibly hard. The whole job of freeing it is in the previous episode – read about the seized brake drum.

I had planned to film the pick-up too. But the camera fell over during loading, so that was that.

The grey one – ARL 597, parked since 1982

ARL 597 – plenty of patina, but fairly solid metal.

The grey car has been sitting since 1982, and it has patina by the bucket. The history is great: one user but three owners. The man who bought it new did so in Östergötland in 1962. In 1963 the car moved north to Piteå, and since then it has lived in Piteå and Malmberget.

It looks a bit ramshackle, but the body is actually fairly good – except in one place. There’s a rust hole in the floor that has to be welded before the inspection.

Surface rust on the front wing. The real job is in the floor.

The best thing about ARL 597 is that it’s still on the register. Only the final inspection is missing, then it can drive. According to the seller it rolled freely last winter and only seized over the summer. I don’t quite believe that – the brake had been stuck for longer. Either way, it’s free now and the wheels turn, although there are punctures and similar bits to sort out.

The engine is supposed to turn over, but I haven’t been able to turn the key that came with the car. It seems stuck in the on position, and you start it with a red start button.

The ignition lock and switches on the dashboard.

The plan for ARL 597:

1. Go through the engine, all the mechanicals and the cooling system.
2. Get it to start.
3. Go through the brakes so they work properly.
4. Weld the floor.
5. Inspection – and out on the road in spring.

The blue one – AWL 714, good body but a seized engine

AWL 714 – the better looking of the two.

The blue car is the opposite. The body is really good – not rust-free, but free from deep rot, and I haven’t found a single hole. Nothing the inspection would fail it on, as far as I can see.

Using the old BD registration number I’ve traced it: the car was sold new in Älvsbyn in 1962 and has spent its whole life up in Norrbotten.

The downsides:

• It has fallen off the register, so getting it back on the road is more work.
• No keys – there’s no ignition lock with a key.
• The engine is seized and won’t turn at all.
• The interior is in worse shape.

The engine doesn’t move a millimetre.

These two-strokes tend to seize when they’ve been standing a long time, so hopefully it’s nothing serious. The plan is to pour two-stroke oil into the cylinders, maybe some engine preservative, and let it soak. Then we’ll see whether it frees up or the engine has to come out.

Got an ignition lock with a key for a Saab 96 two-stroke? Please get in touch – I’m looking for one.

Which car goes first?

To be completely honest, I think the blue car is much nicer. Lovely original condition, just the right amount of patina. But being off the register with a seized engine makes it a longer project.

So the grey ARL 597 goes first. It’s registered, and I definitely think it can be saved. Neither car is meant to become an endless restoration – both will be gone through mechanically, all the way, and then driven.

The goal: the Saab meet in May 2027

The goal is for ARL 597 to be on the road around April 2027. On 1–2 May 2027 there’s a Saab meet I want to drive to in this car. There’s plenty of work left, but these are cars worth saving.

Next episode

Next time I clear out the grey car: all the dust and old junk out, the mats out and every seat except the driver’s. That gives a better picture of its condition so we can decide what happens next.

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Video chapters

• 0:00 Two Saabs bought unseen
• 1:17 Loading up, and the camera that fell
• 1:32 Grey ARL 597, parked since 1982
• 3:23 Blue AWL 714, good body, seized engine
• 4:24 Which car goes first?
• 6:26 The goal: the 2027 Saab meet
• 6:56 Next episode

The video has English subtitles, as well as Swedish, Danish, German, Finnish, French, Dutch and Norwegian.