CONSOLES

CENTER CONSOLE
The 99 either had:
- No center console.
- Saabs own (old type) center console.
- The Foha type center console.
To upgrade from the old type to the Foha type, you must remember to get the correct base-bracket. It is positioned under the carpet, and screwed on top of the rear-air-ducts.

GEAR CONSOLE
As of m83 models, the 99 (and the 900) got a new gear console. It is much higher than the old one, and wraps around the handbrake lever hinge, the seat belt anchors, and has a rear ashtray. The levers for regulating the rear-air-ducts were deleted, so the air cannot be shut off.
The console is a two-piece affair; The console itself, and the top plate. The console itself is identical on all 99's, 90's and 900's from m83 to m87. The top plate differs between models.
- From m83 -m85 the same little grey interior-light-switch as the older cars, was used.
- From m86 -m87 a larger black switch was used. Consequently, the hole in the top plate is different.
- 900's with carburettors had the choke lever in the gear console, next to the interior-light-switch
- On 99/90's this hole was blinded with a coin tray.
- 900's with automatic transmission had a different top plate. It is, however, possible to fit a "manual" top plate on an automatic. Remove the rubber boot, cut away material behind and in front of the gear lever, to allow full travel of it. Refit the boot.

As of m88 models a one-piece console is fitted and conceals a different handbrake mechanisme, which now operates the rear wheels. The interior-light-switch now has three positions (on-off-door) but is identically shaped as the previous model.

Robbing a donor car of it's console is straightforward. The top plate has two screws under the rubber boot. The console itself has two screws under the ashtray, one behind the key, and two in front of the gearlever. Lifting the console out of the donor car, you'll see several items that need to be carried over with it.
- The bulb-bracket, for illuminating the key. With as much wire as possible.
- The green plastic ring around the key hole. (Optics for ditto)
- The handbrake lever, hinge pin, and circlip.
- The handbrake warning light switch, and it's bracket. (Make a paper template for position)
- The rear-gearconsole-bracket, bolted on the tunnel, next to the seat belt anchors. (Make a paper template for position)

Strip your car
Remove both front seats, the old console, handbrake lever, and so on...
The new handbrake lever is slimmer than the old one, which means cutting the transverse cylinder in which the handbrake lever hinge pin runs. Hold the the new handbrake lever above the cylinder and mark where to cut with a pencil. The left side of it must be cut with a hand-held loose hacksaw-blade. There is simply no room for power tools. At the opposite side I was able to use my favourite angle grinder, and it chopped the cylinder in seconds!
Also, a slight adjustment is needed on the handbrake lever hinge pin. The old (longer) one is ½ inch thick. The new (short) one is 13 mm thick. Which means that 0,3 mm has to be grinded off the new hinge pin. A lathe and 600 grade sandpaper did the trick.

Piecing together
Fit the new handbrake lever, warning light switch and bracket, belt anchors, and so on.
If your 99 is an m81 - m82, it already has the matching seatbelts and belt-anchors. For m80 and earlier models, you will have to take the belts from the donor car aswell.

Installing the new gear console rear bracket on m80 and earlier models, is not straightforward. Over the tunnel, under the carpet, where the rear-center-passenger has his feet, is a wide metal shield. This metal shield partly covers the area where the rear gearconsole bracket is supposed to be fitted.
- To gain access to the metal shield, remove the rear seatbench, and the three metal panels below the seatbench.
- Remove both front seats.
- Remove all four sill plates
- Remove the carpet rear piece.
- Remove the seatbelts anchors. They are on top of the metal shield.
- Remove the metal shield.
- Put the paper template in it's position, using the seatbelt-anchor-holes as guides.
- Mark, and drill for the rear-gearconsole-bracket's screw.
- Bolt the rear-gearconsole-bracket to the car.
- The gearconsole will not fit yet, at the front sides are to guide pins, pointing downwards.
- Mark and drill holes for these guide pins, in the crossmember that runs beneath the front seats.
- Temporarily fit the gearconsole, to check alignment. Remove the gearconsole.
Hold the metal shield close to its original position, and mark where to cut in it.
- Cut out the marked area from the metal shield. I used an angle grinder.
- Fit the metal shield.
- Fit the seatbelt-anchors.
- Fit the carpet, and cut out space for the rear-gearconsole-bracket.
- Fit the rest.