Good news: the 1991 Saab 900 SE Turbo in Monte Carlo Yellow is actually on its way to the manual conversion I thought would start last October. Progress is progress! The shop, Conntech Saab of Warwick, is well-versed in converting 900 Classics to manuals, so they knew what to do: Mike, the owner, found a parts car with a good manual transmission, and as an added bonus, he knows the owner and confirmed it has a recent clutch and resurfaced flywheel, so it should be built for the long-haul.
I took the carpets home with me and steam cleaned them; there's a stubborn coffee stain I plan to get out. We're going to tackle a few things "while we're in there," which includes adding some additional wiring to reside behind the head unit in case I want to swap in a new radio (easier to add the necessary wiring with the carpet out), and swap the steering column for a pre-airbag car so as to add an earlier three-spoke wheel that looks better than the standard airbag wheel.
While the Saab is apart, the new Koni adjustable shocks and OEM Saab lowering springs will be installed, along with the Super Aero wheels. It will still need a replacement top, but for now, I just want it home to drive on nice days and for the impromptu ice cream run.