Chris Bullock and Vito Pacione have both expressed an interest in the Stag,
an interest I have shared since I saw one on the showroom floor in 1972.
I even seriously looked at one a couple of years ago. However, I pulled up
some Stag discussions from about 3-1/2 year ago, appended below for your,
ah, entertainment. ANYONE considering a Stag should read these!
Lee M. Daniels Laboratory for Molecular Structure and Bonding Texas A&M
daniels@tamu.edu '74 TR6 '77 MGB
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From: pismobch@netcom.com (Ed Devinney)
Steve Rudinsky writes:
> I have owned a 1969 TR6, and am considering a 1973 STAG.
In the immortal words from Monty Python & the Holy Grail:
Run Away! Run Away!
This is not a car for the meek. Or the unsuspecting. I'll play the Ghost
of Christmas Future, and give you a taste of what may come.
> How reliable (wrong word, I know) is a STAG compared to a TR6?
Quoth Garth: NOT! Not compared to a TR6, not reliable compared to anything,
except maybe something like a Citroen. "Reliable" and "Stag" are rarely
used together constructively, without a good deal of labor and debugging.
> Is the 3.0 liter much different than the 2.5 liter in a TR6?
Well, let's see: TR6 - OHV straight-6, all iron, built like a tank.
Stag - OHC V8, iron block, alloy heads, crankshaft made
of spaghetti, tiny radiator.
In a word, Yes.
> How long do they (on average) run before rebuilds?
In my case, just over 10 days and about 1000 miles. Used, obviously, but the
car had only 64K on it and ran like a watch. Until it spun a main bearing.
Some of the cars apparently failed driving off the showroom floor. The
motors are sensitive to temperature, mostly, and can be built to run reliably.
However, one should not expect one to do so as issued.
> How 'collectable' are STAGs today? In the future? (opinions?)
Collectable, yes. Now, and as the numbers are limited (and getting fewer),
they should become more valuable. They're a blast to drive, comfy, pretty
quick, and seat 4 with the top down. However, they're going to cost $$$ to
keep up. Think of it as a Jaguar and the numbers look better.
> How much should I pay for one in 'excel cond'?
That's a toughie. Many are priced very high, IMHO. If excellent includes a
documented engine rebuild by a competent builder with the correct fixes for
longevity, mid-teens ($12-15K) is reasonable. A properly built engine and
no rust (along with being complete down to the trim parts) is much more
important than any options. Options can be fitted later, for the most part.
They won't be original, but the car will run. Pay yer money and take your
chances. If the car is nice, but mechanically as-manufactured, $4-8K max.
> Do the soft-tops leak much? How about the hardtops?
Both are fine. The soft top is a bit ponderous compared to modern cars,
but no worse than other LBCs.
> What electric overdrive options were there?
Standard Laycock deNormanville installed on a 4-speed whihc is similar to, but
crucially different from the regular 4-speed box.
> What year was the last imported to the US?
First imports were in the '71 model year, last were '74 or '75.
> What years or options to avoid?
I'd avoid the '71 through '74or any with the 3.0L V8 :-). Seriously,
this car deserves a lot of thought before purchase. It can be a dream
come true or your worst nightmare, and there's very little way to predict
what your experience will be. Please don't take this personally, but I'm
not sure that you know enough to make a good decision here - I know I
didn't, and I paid for it. I'm still paying for it, as I bought the car
expecting to drive it for a summer, and when it went tits-up, so did
the resto on my 'cuda. I'll eventually get the Stag up again, after the
'cuda's done, but it's going to take a while, as the only place I seem to
be able to get a good answer is from places in England. Supplies are slow,
parts are expensive, the cars are rare and finicky. Then again, they're
great touring cars (as long as you don't tour too far from home...).
ed 'that's not an albatross, it's a Stag' devinney
ed devinney pismobch@netcom.com
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