1973 Triumph Stag

Convertible

8 - Cyl.

Automatic

LE21742UB

Gasoline

The Stag. Triumph's all-time styling masterpiece. Now here's your chance to own one that has been mechanically restored to the highest standard. A lack of garage space if forcing me to part with my very low mileage 1973 Triumph Stag. My loss -- and it will be a big one -- will be some lucky Triumph fan’s gain. I bought this car three years ago after seeing it advertised on the Vintage Triumph Register website. It has been stored since the mid-1980s in a barn in a small town in Indiana. Of course, it did not run then, and every mechanical system on the car needed to be completely overhauled. And that’s what I did, with the exception of the transmission, which only needed new seals. Ease back in your chair and take a few minutes to read about this car and then you will see why it just may be the best Stag buy of the year on eBay. I’ll take you through every system of the car and let you know what has been done to it. Once you have digested this information, you will see that this car is just a paint job and a few minor cosmetic improvements away from total excellence. Under the hood: ENGINE: My Stag retains the original OHC 3.0-liter V8 it left Coventry with, as certifed by the British Heritage Trust certicate. However, there have been several upgades designed to improve reliability, reduce maintenance and increase peformance. When I got the Stag back to my garage in Detroit, I discovered that the engine was not seized and it did start after I rebuilt the carbs and made a few other quick repairs. That’s when I decided to use the decades of knowledge gained by Stag enthusiasts to make the car as reliable as possible. And I have been successful. I pulled the heads and discovered the combustion chambers were were deeply pitted, as were the pistons. I obtained from England a completely refurbished set of Mk II heads (at a cost of $2,500 + shipping). The heads were given new valves, seats, springs and retainers. They were lightly skimmed and all worn threads were helicoiled. Finally, the valve clearances were set to the proper specs. Next came a set of UK market high compression pistons, raising the ratio from the low U.S. 7.75:1 to a healthy 9.25: 1. Since the cylinder walls were undamaged, I honed them and installed the new pistons with Deves rings, and NOS Vandervell main and rod bearings. I used a set of thick Payen head gaskets -- the best money can buy -- because these rdesigned, re-engineered gaskets are made from modern materials and they seal perfectly. That eliminates leaks, which goes a long way to improving the reliability of the Stag engine. Finally, the heads were buttoned down with ARP fasteners. The exhaust manifolds were heat-treated with a ceramic coating and reinstalled on the engine using gaskets from a fuel injected 1981 TR7 to ensure an tight, leak free seal. The result: No weeps or leaks from the heads and quiet, smooth-running engine that is nearly noiseless. Nice. Very nice. While inside the engine, I examined the timing chains, tensioners and sprockets and found there was no measureable wear. But those were the original, 34-year old factory installed parts. And I felt that replacing them with NOS originals would guarantee that I would never again have to mess with the timing chains. I bought an Austin-Rover issued Stag timing kit made in the early 1980s on eBay UK and installed it. These have the tensioners with the large oil holes, not the crappy replacements you get today with pinhole sized oil ports. The inside of the engine, was of course, spotless. No sludge or other imperfections. The oil pump was cleaned and checked to ensure it was within factory specs, then it was re-installed with new O rings. The result: no leaks. The valve covers, intake, air cleaner assembly, PAS brackets and other parts were powder coated. Closing out the engine: I bought a pair of UK Spec Stag carbs -- minus the troublesome bypass assemblies and a UK spec Stag distributor. The carbs were completely overhauled, as was the distributor. No mods for the carbs. The distributor uses a Pertonix electronic ignition. Obviously, I fitted a new cap, rotor and the proper green Lucas wires. The engine is now built to British specs. Horsepower is around 145, not the 125 the Federal version came with. COOLING SYSTEM: As you know, the Stag’s cooling system is delicate. It work’s well when properly set up -- along with a few minor modifications. I installed an NOS BL 6-vane water pump. The radiator is key to keeping a Stag healthy. I have a real magician of a radiator man here in Detroit who has solved the cooling problems in my Dolomite Sprints and other cars. For the Stag, he used a core that has nearly twice as many rows and with fins spaced further apart to enable a greater volume of air to pass through. Combining that upgraded radiator with the fan clutch from a 1980 Rover 3500, a 160 degree thermostat and a 30/70 mixture of coolant/water, keeps the temperature gauge from going no higher than 1/4 even on the hottest summer day and even when crawling in stop-n-start traffic. This car WILL NOT run hot and WILL NOT overheat. The Rover fan clutch is designed for a much larger and heavier fan, and therefore spins the Stag fan faster, drawing more air through the radiator. Obviously, all new hoses and clamps were fitted. The heater works perfectly. And yes, the very rare original radiator fan shroud is in place, powdercoated as well. ALTERNATOR: New GM/Delco 105 amp conversion. POWER STEERING SYSTEM: All new hoses, rebuilt pump, rebuilt rack, new tie rod ends. A/C: Compressor removed, but hoses in place and could be reinstalled. TRANSMISSION: The Borg Warner 35 three-speed automatic was given a thorough flush, new pan gasket and new seals. The shifts are crisp and firm and timed acording to factory specs. FRONT SUSPENSION: The subframe, control arms and related parts were removed, stripped and powder coated. New poly bushes were fitted along with new ball joints and tie rod ends, new springs, front Spax adjustable struts and rubber gaiters. The turrets were rebuilt, to ensure smooth steering. REAR SUSPENSION: The rear subframe was removed and powder coated. The swing arms were powder coated. The differential was removed and resealed. A new quill shaft bearing was installed. The diff does have a slight whine at around 70 mph, common for the Stag. Spax adjustable rear shocks, new springs and all new poly bushes were fitted to the rear. BRAKES: A new master cylinder, rebuilt front calipers, new rear wheel cylinders and braided steel hoses took care of the hydraulics. Resurfaced drums, new rotors, new shoes, new pads and all new hardware was fitted. New wheel bearings were installed in the front. The rear hubs were rebuilt with solid spacers. Emergency brake was adjusted. The brake booster works fine and was not replaced. FUEL SYSTEM: The tank was taken out and treated to the RENU process and now is guaranteed for the life of the car to never leak or rust. A new SU fuel pump was fitted. The fuel lines were replaced as needed. The British market Z-S carbs were totally rebuilt and set to factory specs. EXHAUST SYSTEM: All new and stainless steel from the manifolds back. And wow does it sound glorious. The wonderful deep burble of a Stag V8 is one of the most endearing traits of the car. No other English classic car sounds this luscious. TIRES: New. Wheels are original and looking a bit tired. The car is totally trustworthy. Except to change the oil twice a year at 500 mile intervals, I have not even had to touch this car with a wrench or screwdriver in two driving seasons. My Stag is ready to be driven anywhere RIGHT NOW. BODY: Cosmetics are not my specialty. I do mechanical work. Therefore, except for a major cleaning, I have not done much to the Stag to refurbish it cosmetically. It still wears its original Mallard Blue paint and has its original tan interior. The body has areas of surface rust due to poor storage. Looking at the scaly areas on the hardtop, it appears as if water dripped there. The good news is the rusty areas are few and not rusted through. No surgery is required to prepare the body for its new paint. There are minor dents and plenty of dings, again due to poor storage. Still, the car a nice original patina to it. And I have driven around Detroit to many old car gatherings and it shows just fine. There is a growing appreciation for original, survivor cars, and that’s what my Stag is cosmetically. Both bumpers need to be rechromed. The front bumper needs minor straightening. All other chrome trim is present. I will include a new Stag grille badge to replace the missing one. INTERIOR: The seat upholstery is in fine shape and show wears wear commensurate with a car of 1970s vintage that has 24,600 miles. That is to say, not much wear is present. The driver’s seat has a small cigarette burn courtesy of the previous owner. Both seats could use new seat foams as the originals have started to disintegrate. The carpet is totally threadbare, eaten by moths all those years the car was stored in the barn. The dash is in excellent shape with just one or two small and extremely minor cracks that aren’t noticed unless specifically looked for. The wood trim is in excellent shape. Door panels are excellent. The hardtop headliner is a little weathered but has no structural defects. CONVERTIBLE TOP: The car still has its original black cloth top and it is in excellent shape with the exception of the plastic rear window which has yellowed with age. That can be be replaced easily, so no new top is needed. Just the window. ELECTRIC SYSTEM: The electric windows go up and down fine. The clock works, as do all guages. All lights works as they should. So do the wipers and heater fan. There is no radio. Oddly, the fender was never drilled for an antenna. I found the fender antenna inside the car. There was a Radio Shack AM/FM radio fitted, but I removed it. I will include an original BL/Triumph AM/FM radio with the car. My car would pass any state’s most rigorous safety inspection. SUMMING UP: I bought this car for $3,500 when it had just over 21,000 original miles. I spent $10,000 more (easily) and now the car has 24,600 miles. Mechanically, all the heavy lifting has been done and the car is set for many years of dependable driving as long as it continues to see regular and proper maintenance. It’s a joy to drive. The exhaust sound is intoxicating. The engine is nearly silent except for some really pleasing mechanical sounds. She runs smooth, cool and quiet, has plenty of pep and really shines in city driving. Highway driving is not a Stag’s styrong point when it is equipped with an automatic. Because of the rear axle gearing, at 70 mph the engine is turning over at 3500 RPM. That can get tiresome. The next owner has many choices: -- If someone wants a daily driver Triumph Stag they don’t have to worry about in terms of door dings and road rash, this is the car. -- If someone wants a Stag they don’t and won’t have to spend money fixing and rebuilding and would rather just finish up a cosmetic restoration, this is the car. --If someone wants a close to 100 point show car, they would pull the engine and exterior trim, have the paint and body work done and install new carpet and weatherstripping. This is the perfect platform for that. The Stag has a clear Michigan title. You can see from the Buy It Now price I will be taking a huge loss. But, hey, I had fun bringing this car back to life and driving it for three years. If the Buy It Now option is used, I will include the following items with the deal: --New Wool deluxe carpet kit, imported from England from Rimmers --New windshield weatherstripping. --Xlnt. used front bumper. --New seat foams for both front seats. This is about $1,000 worth of parts. This is a hell of a deal. You can’t buy and bring an old worn out Stag up to this mechanical condition with as much attention to detail as my car for anywhere near the price. The car is currently in winter storage and will be available for shipping in early March. Bid with confidence. I have 100 percent positive feedback and I am very proud of that. You can bid with confidence. This is a great classic Triumph, the last year for U.S. models and very rare car. How many can be left with less than 25,000 original miles? How many are in the superb mechanical condition as this one? Got questions? Fire away. Thanks for reading my long, long ad. Richard Truett, Detroit, Mich.