DIRAC DUO TOUR 99  

The Rally SAAB 600

This picture of the the rally Saab 600 is taken just outside the hotel in Lumezzane, Brescia.

The Hamburg (exhaust system) Incident

After speeding through a foggy Denmark we took the Rödby-Puttgarten ferry to Germany. Germany was not on our tour plan, so the intention was to go straight through this nation using the Autobahn all the way.
Driving on the Autobahn in a comfortable tempo (100-110 km/h) we noticed that the car was making more and more noise. This loud sound originated from the exhaust pipe which was broken right before the silencer. When reaching Hamburg (a very short part of our long trip) the pipe was completely off and our car produced maximum sound.

The car still worked fine of course, but there was some minor disturbances for the people in the car (The Dirac Duo). The sound level was so high that we couldn't talk when accelerating or keeping the pace, only when decelerating or putting it out of gear it was possible to communicate or hear the car stereo. Another thing that was not totally perfect was the smell of exhaust gases in the cabin. The gases came in through the vent system, but even worse from the rust holes in the back if we rolled down the side windows.

Then it was unbearable. But we needed ventilation in some way and at first we stopped at almost every 'rast stätte' (rest area) and ventilated the car, but it would take too long to get to Italy in this way. So we solved it in another way; at every down hill part we gave the car a good burst and then turned off the engine, so we could roll down the windows and stick out our heads to get some 'fresh' Autobahn air without filling the cabin with fumes. This 'modus operandi' was used until shortly after Hannover where a temporary fix was done.

The fix held all through the rest of Germany, Austria (over the Alpes and Europa Brücke) and just into Italy. Then it broke again. Now the temperature was higher and the need for keeping the windows down increased rapidly, so we made a big part of Italy with the engine turned off. Half the time, I think. The car's sound was really 'sporty'.

The car was later more seriously fixed at the Penna Carozzeria, Lazercar, in Lumezzane by Giambi and his father, Giovanni Penna.

Giambi dismounting and Giovanni welding...

Exhaust system ready for the tour to Spain...

The end of the rally SAAB 600

After the trip to Spain the Dirac members went back to Lumezzane to take the new Lancia Integrale back to Sweden. The plan was to leave the old rally SAAB 600 for demolition. At the end of the car's life there was a small door problem which can be seen on the left picture below. In Lumezzane the license plates were removed and the car was put aside for later "treatment". Member Dirac Brogren shows at the picture below (right) how big the car will be the day after the photo was taken.

That was the end of the rally SAAB 600...

© DiracDuo
Last updated: juli 11, 1999.