Tupperware, recycling box, sixth
sphere? What do they all have in common to the cars I choose to drive
and the question I'm constantly asked?
Why a Saturn?
I specifically like the S-series and
Delta platform (ION) models of Saturn. I currently drive a SW2 but
this is my 6th so yeah I must have something for em.
I drive a Saturn because it's outside
the norm of regular run of the mill chassis building. I'm a sucker
for alternate matereals when putting a car together. Most cars are
built and skinned in steel, where the Saturn uses steel as the
backbone but presents itself in plastic. Yes there is steel in these
strange little machines in fact they have some of their own unique
rust issues. But only some. To the outside world however they show
their polymer skin. Look at a Saturn of any year and the finnish will
still be very presentable if it hasn't been run down a wall, fence,
other car.... ETC. No visible rust. It shelters a great deal of the
structure from the elements. In all the chassis is very unique and
shared among all the itterations that encompass the S-series this
includes a wagon, sedan, and coupe models.
Another upside to the S-series is the
interchangeability of parts. The S-line was made from 1991 right up
until 2002 and most of the components can be interchanged between a
range of the years IE transmissions will work on any year from any
year, same goes for suspension. Have lowering springs from your 1991?
They still work on that 2002 you got for a steal. Need to make a
little more oomph? There are numerous write-ups on how to take the
best engine revisions from the production run of the 1.9 litre and
toss together a scrapyard performer engine. Want a white cluster in
your 3rd gen? Steal it from a 04 VUE! Rims? Yep they're
easy and cheap to come by. The S shares a 4x100mm bolt pattern with
VW and Honda you can get a good set off E-bay or KIJIJI for very
little. It's got huge potential as a tuner car if you approach it
like civics 20 years ago. There is very little aftermarket for the
S-series but they can be tuned with a little creativity plus the buy
in is peanuts.
The Delta platform is better known as
the ION, until recently I owned the 205hp Redline performance
version, what a wonderful car with a ton of potential. GM themselves
offers kits to make the ION run well over the 250HP mark and handle
like nothing else. The ION shares the same indestructible ECOTEC
engine as the Cobalt and Cobalt SS respectively, while still holing
true to the unique polymer skin that made Saturn stand out from the
crowd. The ION can be had from base to well appointed including
Leather, XM radio, Onstar ETC for next to nothing on the used car
market and they are still very well supported by their parent
company. My Redline was written off while I sat waiting for a light to change. Man I miss that car.
As far as I'm concerned there is only a
couple more true Saturns and I haven't owned them. The VUE still
shares they polymer skin all around and carries the original Saturn
feel that made the cars a cult classic. The other is the SKY a bargin
two seater, with a turbo tossing you back with wreckless abandon.
There are other “Saturns” but they crossed to heavily into the GM
family of car building and were skinned entirely in steel, or only
the fenders and a portion of the door was polymer on an Opel and in
the end no effort was made to differentiate, it was just an Opel with
a Saturn badge.
Now sadly unique matereals, and
innovation to build a “Different kind of car” is lost to
downsizing and the march of progress. Innovation and a different
concept in car building, have been lost to ordinary and the almighty
dollar.
I miss the redline too. It was a great car, tho i do remember you swearing over an engine swap on a certain SC2 that someone performed in the late 90's
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