So I am thinking about a Triumph Stag......
Discussion
550Hep said:
I just fancy something with an open top and 2+2 for the summer, the burbling V8, the Brutish, Britishness and all for £3k-£5k for what seem like some nice examples.
Any thoughts
If it's £3-5k it won't be a nice example......it may 'look' like a nice example...but, Stag's like 2000/2500's have a serious rust problem, and one that is usually hidden and undetectable until outer sills etc are removed.Any thoughts
You need to be in the £10k budget for a nice Stag IMHO.
Mr Will said:
Lovely cars, but buy the absolute best one you can find (and get it inspected by a specialist). A good one will be pretty cheap to run. a bad one will make up the price difference between itself and a good one very quickly.
Good advice - Does anyone know a specialist in the Midlands (Leicester/Nottingham)?Thanks,
550Hep said:
Mr Will said:
Lovely cars, but buy the absolute best one you can find (and get it inspected by a specialist). A good one will be pretty cheap to run. a bad one will make up the price difference between itself and a good one very quickly.
Good advice - Does anyone know a specialist in the Midlands (Leicester/Nottingham)?Thanks,
jbi said:
didn't they have that problem with the heads cooking and warping?
something else to watch for.
Most of the design flaws have been cured by the specialists over the years (or can be cured), but they do need to be cared for correctly. Or buy one with a Rover V8 conversion, tend to be less valuable these days but cheaper, tougher and more tunable (if that is your thing!). something else to watch for.
Agree with the above, 5K could get you a fairly nice runner but you need to be very carefull, be aware of rust and overheated engines.
Mine has original V8 and to be honest takes minimal maintenance, just need to ensure coolant is regularly checked and changed out. They reckon most overheating issues were due to poor manufacturing process of heads; components of sand core shifting during casting, so if an engine was going to overheat it will of done so by now. Otherwise if looked after should be OK. A lot of people have fitted Kenlowe fans to give extra cooling. I havent and never have any problems, although its never that hot in N.E. Scotland!
Most spare parts readily availble online failry cheaply, good owners network for help with any niggles.
Really comes into its own in the summer with the roof down and the V8 burbling away, I never fit the hard top.
For me its not a proper stag unless its got a Triumph V8 in it, however plenty of Rover V8 conversions out there, some require ugly bonnet bulge that I think spoil the looks.
Soft top operation is a pain in the ass, and its easy to get the hood caught in the process and damaged, so check hood fully for any holes / tears.
Beware 70's colour schemes, there are some shockers out there!
Mine has original V8 and to be honest takes minimal maintenance, just need to ensure coolant is regularly checked and changed out. They reckon most overheating issues were due to poor manufacturing process of heads; components of sand core shifting during casting, so if an engine was going to overheat it will of done so by now. Otherwise if looked after should be OK. A lot of people have fitted Kenlowe fans to give extra cooling. I havent and never have any problems, although its never that hot in N.E. Scotland!
Most spare parts readily availble online failry cheaply, good owners network for help with any niggles.
Really comes into its own in the summer with the roof down and the V8 burbling away, I never fit the hard top.
For me its not a proper stag unless its got a Triumph V8 in it, however plenty of Rover V8 conversions out there, some require ugly bonnet bulge that I think spoil the looks.
Soft top operation is a pain in the ass, and its easy to get the hood caught in the process and damaged, so check hood fully for any holes / tears.
Beware 70's colour schemes, there are some shockers out there!
I would love a Stag, and have always wanted one since seeing my first one soon after they came out when I would only have been 7. The other day I was idly wondering if it would be possible to run one as my only car as the concept is just what I want - an open car which just about seats 4, has a reasonable amount of power and a nice V8 sound. Trouble is that as I cover 20k miles per year and don't have a chance to get a car into my garage I just don't see it would be realistic without very high maintenance either financially or in time terms.
What does anyone think?
What does anyone think?
I'd be thinking 20k a year isn't cheap at mid-teens to the gallon, but there's plenty of folk who wouldn't care. Normally that would be me but for that sort of thirst I'd want real performance. And you might find servicing isn't always a same-day thing - could you cope without it for week? You might well need to.
Petrolhead Nirvana are about to bring one back to life. It will be uprated and improved but will keep the original engine which was subject to a £2,500 rebuild by Hart Racing Services prior to being put into dry storage some years back. Keep an eye on progress at http://www.petrolheadnirvana.com/torque/showthread...
If you're looking to buy one then I echo what others have said in that the body does tend to rust through, so be careful. Surprisingly, older pre 1974 bodies tend to be more robust as BL cut back on steel quality towards the end of the life of the Stag. With the help of specialists like Rimmer Bros and Monarch Stag these cars can be kept on the road in either standard guise of with well developed and tested upgrades.
It's not an out and out sportscar but is a joy to drive on sunny summer evenings
If you're looking to buy one then I echo what others have said in that the body does tend to rust through, so be careful. Surprisingly, older pre 1974 bodies tend to be more robust as BL cut back on steel quality towards the end of the life of the Stag. With the help of specialists like Rimmer Bros and Monarch Stag these cars can be kept on the road in either standard guise of with well developed and tested upgrades.
It's not an out and out sportscar but is a joy to drive on sunny summer evenings
pacoryan said:
I'd be thinking 20k a year isn't cheap at mid-teens to the gallon, but there's plenty of folk who wouldn't care. Normally that would be me but for that sort of thirst I'd want real performance. And you might find servicing isn't always a same-day thing - could you cope without it for week? You might well need to.
Whilst the former would not be too much of a problem with the price of fuel as it is I would have to consider it. It is the latter which would be the real issue with one I suspect - predicted off road wouldn't be too bad, but uncalled for is a problem. If I did go for one the owner of my local garage knows a lot about them having had one of his own for many years so at least I know somewhere to get it fixed.andyps said:
I would love a Stag, and have always wanted one since seeing my first one soon after they came out when I would only have been 7. The other day I was idly wondering if it would be possible to run one as my only car as the concept is just what I want - an open car which just about seats 4, has a reasonable amount of power and a nice V8 sound. Trouble is that as I cover 20k miles per year and don't have a chance to get a car into my garage I just don't see it would be realistic without very high maintenance either financially or in time terms.
What does anyone think?
Don't bother.What does anyone think?
You'd be looking at two major services a year at least, and I suspect a full body strip and body restoration after 4/5 years use at that usage rate. 20k per year throughout the year will kill the car sooooo quickly. I can remember what state my fathers 2500S was in at 120k miles and only 6 years old after similar high milage year round use..... the shell was shot.
An example of how a Stag restoration can get out of hand.... price wise. It looked pretty good before it was restored and then a quote for £15,000 to do the work turned into £44,000 as problems were encountered.
http://www.stagbytriumph.co.uk/mine
http://www.stagbytriumph.co.uk/mine
jbi said:
didn't they have that problem with the heads cooking and warping?
something else to watch for.
:Yes:something else to watch for.
They did have a reputation for overheating
Corrosion caused by the wrong type on antifreeze also made the heads extremely difficult to get off.
I have seen cars hung on engine cranes by thier manifolds with all the head bolts removed and the front wheels 6 inches of the ground.
Lots of hammering with a soft mallet, loads of soaking with WD40(or similar) and being left hung up over night, usually saw the car back on its wheels in the morning with the head left swinging from the crane
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