When Paul Cowland first collected this moss-covered Saab 900i Convertible, the question was not how far its restoration should go. The more immediate question was whether there was enough car left to justify starting.
It had spent roughly two and a half years on Glenn’s driveway, exposed to moisture and steadily becoming a source of spare parts rather than a usable Saab. The first inspection had already uncovered a cracked engine block, a mismatched gearbox and evidence that water had been entering the rear of the cabin. Its Odoardo Grey paint and Buffalo leather still made an appealing period combination, but neither could settle the argument over the car’s future.
That dilemma formed the basis of our earlier feature, “Moss, Memories and a Cracked Block: Paul Cowland’s Saab 900 Cabriolet Dilemma”. The Saab started, moved and reminded Cowland of the 900 Convertibles he had sold when they were new, but an MOT inspection would eventually reveal how much structural work stood between that driveway recovery and regular road use.
Cowland has now returned to Auto Lass Workshops to collect the result. In the latest Cowland on Cars video, the Saab leaves with a fresh MOT, working convertible roof, repaired brakes and enough structural metal to serve as a car again rather than an unusually complete parts donor.
The Brief Was Road-Legal, Not Restored
The distinction matters because the finished Saab still wears mismatched panels and visible evidence of the decisions required to save it.
Cowland does not present it as a completed restoration. His description is more accurate: the car is now a road-legal and usable foundation that can be improved while being driven. Paint, trim and cosmetic consistency were deliberately placed behind corrosion, brakes, water ingress and the roof mechanism in the order of work.
That approach prevented the project from becoming trapped in the familiar cycle in which a stripped classic waits for a complete body restoration that its owner can no longer afford. The Saab has retained its imperfect paint, worn interior and assorted exterior colors, but it can now be driven, assessed and developed one job at a time.
Auto Lass used a secondhand front wing where an original component made sense, while the service and safety-related parts were replaced with new items. The workshop also worked through the braking faults and the other defects required for the MOT. Cowland acknowledges that the car will not win a bodywork competition, but the important systems have been addressed before any discussion about wheels, spoilers or repainting.
The Rust Became Worse Once the Grinder Came Out
The initial MOT inspection could only indicate the extent of the corrosion visible under pressure from a finger or testing tool. Once the affected areas were stripped and ground back, the apparently localized failures spread into much larger sections.
Jody Bevan explains that there was very little sound metal remaining in some of the failed areas. This is one reason the Saab remained at the workshop for so long and became what Cowland describes as a job fitted around normal customer work. Several Saturdays were devoted to it, with the team returning to the car whenever workshop time allowed.
The main fabrication work fell to Andy, who estimates that he completed around 45 hours of welding.
Much of that work is now difficult to see, which is precisely the point. Instead of simply covering the visible perforations, the damaged material was removed until the repairs could be attached to viable structure. The rear of the car and the left-hand side required the heaviest intervention, including repairs both inside and outside the wheel-arch area.
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The rear repair extended from the affected arch section and continued behind the bumper. This was not a patch placed over a small MOT hole; it required the reconstruction of a broader section whose original shape still had to match the bumper, arch and surrounding bodywork.
Replacing the Front Wing Was Not a Simple Bolt-On Job
The left-front wing presented a specifically Saab 900 problem. Although a replacement wing had been sourced, it still carried part of its original wheel-arch structure. The 900’s layered construction meant that Andy could not simply remove one panel and attach another as a complete outer skin.
He repeatedly installed the replacement, marked it, removed it, trimmed a small amount and tried it again. The goal was to retain the correct relationship between the original arch and the replacement section, then stitch the two together without leaving an obvious disturbance in the wheel opening.
Cowland draws attention to the resulting panel gap. Even before paint, the wing follows the door and surrounding structure convincingly. Once refinished in the correct color, the amount of work behind that alignment should be almost impossible to detect from outside.
The episode therefore shows why rust repairs on a Classic 900 can become expensive even when the visible hole initially appears modest. The time is consumed not only by welding but by dismantling layered sections, fabricating unavailable shapes and repeatedly checking the fit against panels that must still open and align correctly.
The Saab No Longer Carries Its Own Water Supply
Water ingress had contributed to the deterioration.
The soft top had been leaking badly enough for a considerable amount of water to collect inside the rear of the car. In the video, Cowland and the Auto Lass team joke about the Saab previously functioning as a water feature, but the consequences were structural rather than cosmetic.
The fabric roof has now received a localized repair that prevents water from entering through the damaged area. More surprisingly, the powered roof mechanism is functioning again.
Cowland demonstrates a complete opening and closing cycle outside the workshop. Some trim covers and finishing details remain to be installed, and the hood itself will eventually benefit from further cosmetic attention, but the mechanism performs the job that matters most: the car can be used as a Convertible rather than permanently driven with the roof fixed in one position.
For a project intended to be driven through the British summer, restoring the roof operation changes how the car can be used far more immediately than repainting the replacement wing.
Why the Repair Only Worked Financially
Cowland is unusually direct about the economics.
Auto Lass accepted the Saab on a flexible basis, working on it between scheduled jobs and charging what he repeatedly describes as favorable rates. Cowland estimates that the same work completed at full retail labor and parts prices could easily have reached £10,000 to £11,000.
That figure would be difficult to recover from the eventual value of a naturally aspirated 900i Cabriolet, particularly one that still requires paint, servicing and drivetrain corrections. The project therefore does not prove that every badly corroded 900 can be restored profitably. It shows that this particular one could be returned to the road because several conditions aligned:
The workshop was prepared to accommodate a long-running job, suitable used parts were available, the owner accepted a functional rather than cosmetic finish, and much of the labor was supplied at substantially reduced rates.
Jody Bevan and the Auto Lass team operate from Woodend Mills in Oldham, carrying out MOT testing, servicing, mechanical repairs, classic-car work and vehicle welding. Their published workshop information also confirms that Bevan is both an automotive technician and an MOT tester, making the Saab project a natural fit for the workshop’s experience rather than an unrelated promotional exercise.
Without that arrangement, breaking the Saab for panels, interior components and Convertible-specific parts might still have been the financially logical outcome.
The first drive makes clear that the Saab is legal, but unfinished.
Its naturally aspirated 16-valve engine produces around 130 horsepower, and Cowland makes no attempt to portray it as a substitute for a Turbo 16S. The attraction lies in its mechanical character, roof-down usability and the absence of pressure to preserve a flawless exterior.
The gearbox installation remains one of the largest unresolved faults. The car has the wrong gearbox and selector arrangement, leaving a gear change that Cowland compares to stirring porridge. Fifth gear is particularly difficult to locate because the gate does not correspond properly with the Saab’s original arrangement.
A full service is also still on the list. The brakes have been corrected as part of the safety work, but the recommissioning process will inevitably reveal smaller faults once the car begins covering meaningful distances.
Cosmetically, Cowland plans to bring the repaired side closer to one consistent color. He has also acquired a Turbo-style bumper and is considering a set of alloy wheels. A missing badge, remaining wheel-arch trim and several roof-finishing pieces still need attention.
The danger, which he recognizes himself, is that a modest rolling project gradually acquires lowered suspension, spoilers, new wheels and a paint standard that makes its owner reluctant to leave it unattended.
Cowland Does Not Want a Concours Saab
The most persuasive part of the video arrives after the workshop inspection.
Cowland says he is tempted to keep the Saab precisely because it is not perfect. He can park it without studying the neighboring car’s door clearance, carry friends, load a paddleboard into the back and allow children to climb inside after visiting the beach.
He intends to improve the car, but not to the point that every journey becomes a risk to its presentation.
That position was also identified by Nic Sands when he shared the video in the “I Love Saab 900’s” Facebook group. Sands compared Cowland’s approach with his own Saab ownership: polished examples deserve admiration, but the practical priority is keeping these cars usable, taking the roof down and continuing to drive them rather than postponing enjoyment until every cosmetic defect has disappeared.
Cowland makes the same point through examples rather than slogans. This Saab can be taken to the shops, used for an ordinary journey or left with sand and luggage in the rear. Its imperfect finish removes some of the restrictions that often accompany an expensive restoration.
He also offers an interesting comparison after recently driving a 2001 Saab 9-3 Convertible. Despite the Classic 900’s age, he feels that his repaired car displays less noticeable scuttle shake and feels more cohesive. He jokingly credits Andy’s extensive welding, although this remains a subjective observation rather than a chassis measurement.
Saving It Was Not Automatically the Correct Answer
The useful conclusion is not that every corroded Saab 900 should be repaired regardless of cost.
This car had extensive structural corrosion, water damage, an incorrect gearbox arrangement and a list of unfinished details that will continue consuming time and money. At standard commercial rates, Cowland admits that the project would have been difficult to justify.
What changed the calculation was the decision to separate roadworthiness from restoration.
Auto Lass did not attempt to repaint the entire car, refurbish every piece of trim or convert it into the most valuable possible specification. The workshop repaired the structure, braking system and roof, using new safety components and suitable secondhand body parts where appropriate. That produced an MOT-certified Saab before the available budget disappeared into surface finish.
The result is still visibly a project. One side carries the scars of repair, the gearbox needs correcting and the car has not yet received the complete service Cowland plans for it. None of those points prevents him from driving it.
After years without a role, the Odoardo Grey 900i Cabriolet once dismissed as a likely parts car now has a fresh MOT and an owner already planning ordinary journeys with the roof folded away. That is a considerably more useful result than another dismantled shell accompanied by a collection of individually saleable Saab parts.
