Matchbox Saab 9000 Turbo Custom/Restoration

Just finished this one up. I completely forgot to take before pics, but it really wasn't anything remarkable, pretty beat. But I had a donor car, one wing mirror was broken off so I needed an extra door. So that added about $5 to the cost of the project, having to scour ebay to find a cheap donor. It took a while, but I finally found one for cheap. My junkyard just keeps growing and growing.

So anyways, here it is. Nice red paint, and the ONLY proper wheels for a real (pre-GM) Saab, 3 spokes. Red is the best color on the 9000. I usually don't like bright red cars but it just looks so right on that car. Looks good on its platform mates as well, the Alfa Romeo 164 and Lancia Thema. As much as I love Swedish cars, I wish Matchbox had done the Lancia instead of the Saab! But oh well.

The base, I left alone, even though it was kinda beat up. I like to keep some aspect of originality in the cars I restore, usually just the wheels on the Lesneys. But for the newer models with painted metal bases like this, I like to leave them alone as long as the colors work together. Gives them a little character, I think.

I gave the interior a little custom touch as well, black with red inserts! I think it looks pretty cool.