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Post by sorted on Apr 27, 2019 21:47:53 GMT 1
So as mentioned in another thread, I’ve finally started to restore the Stag. I’ve owned it for around 15 years now, it’s a 1973 fitted with Rover V8 and SD1 5 speed box. Here’s a pic of the start point, quite a solid base to start from but the paint looks far worse close up. Various bits now need doing so I’ve decided to do a full strip and go through
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Post by sorted on Apr 28, 2019 6:09:09 GMT 1
I’m actually about a month in now and the car looks like this. Still looking pretty solid, it’s had sills but they seem to have been quite well done. Floors seem solid except for a bit under the rear seat but have had various patches in the past- obviously well done as they’ve lasted 15 years without rust, but I hate seeing pieces of flat steel where there should be a pressing. I’m tempted to replace the floors to get it all looking original but will wait until I can get it turned over (looking for a cheap rollover jig or some scaffold poles to build one) and the black crap cleaned off before deciding for sure. I also decided to go through all the steering and suspension and refurb before starting on the body so that is all ready to go back together once the shell is done. I’ll leave the engine and box till the end as I’m undecided whether to try and source a genuine Triumph V8 and overdrive box, or freshen up the Rover and put it back in. The Triumph one will add more value I know, but I like to drive this car hard and the 3.9 Rover lends itself to that and is easily replaced if I break it. Leaning towards the Rover for now, what do others think? Attachment Deleted
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Post by Joepublic on Apr 28, 2019 9:34:36 GMT 1
Nice project, looks very solid.
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Post by Noberator on Apr 28, 2019 10:39:03 GMT 1
The rover V8 engine IMO is the engine which should have produced because the initial Triumph engine suffered from cooling issues IIRC. Didn't Triumph plum for their own engine initially because it would meet the USA emissions regs at the time? Have you given yourself a time frame to complete this restoration project? ie a couple of years or so.
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Post by Rhubarb on Apr 28, 2019 10:46:05 GMT 1
I'd stick with the Rover lump, the Triumph unit was troublesome.. Drive and enjoy it, don't turn it into a mint example, as you won't enjoy using it
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Post by sorted on Apr 28, 2019 11:25:38 GMT 1
The rover V8 engine IMO is the engine which should have produced because the initial Triumph engine suffered from cooling issues IIRC. Didn't Triumph plum for their own engine initially because it would meet the USA emissions regs at the time? Have you given yourself a time frame to complete this restoration project? ie a couple of years or so. From what I’ve read there was some Political in-fighting that steered them against the Rover (Buick as it was then?) but I agree it should have been there from the outset- it fits perfectly using all the original mounts if you do it right. It’s much lighter too being all alloy. Yes I reckoned around 2 years- I have a large garden that uses lots of time in the summer months- but for now I’m ahead of where I expected.
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Post by sorted on Apr 28, 2019 11:30:08 GMT 1
I'd stick with the Rover lump, the Triumph unit was troublesome.. Drive and enjoy it, don't turn it into a mint example, as you won't enjoy using it I agree this is what I should do. But I struggle to do anything less than a full job just because I have no time pressure. So if I take something off e.g. starter last year, it gets a full refurb (brushes, bearings, clean and paint) so it all looks like new- in reality I could have got away with cleaning the solenoid contacts! So I suspect I’ll end up treating this the same way. But it’ll definitely get used once done!!
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Post by studabear on Apr 28, 2019 15:15:31 GMT 1
I would stick with the rover engine, would this lend to you fitting a bigger unit with efi?
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Post by Dragon on Apr 28, 2019 21:15:42 GMT 1
I would stick with the Rover unit, I've spent too may hours trying to remove Triumph heads and the bits should cheaper, has yours got a remote oil filter housing? the last one I worked on had the filter resting against the oil cooler and they had bent all fins, with the biggest hammer they could find!!
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Post by valhalla on Apr 29, 2019 0:12:46 GMT 1
Stick with the Rover V8. The Triumph makes a better noise, and all the problems have been sorted now, but it means you will need to invest in all of the aftermarket fixes for each of the problem areas in order to have the reliability you presently have. Then, when you do have to work on the Triumph unit, it will bite you, just like Dragon says....
The Triumph unit was a way of justifying the production-tooling for the 4-cyl engine cylinder heads, by pushing the volumes up. Just like the Dolly, but double-trouble......
There has always been in-fighting between the internal Engineering departments at BL / BLMC / Leyland / Rover Group / Austin / Jaguar / etc. etc. Each had a successful and proud history, none wanted to change its ways, they all "knew better" than each other. The rest is now properly in the history books. Unless you look at the origins of Landrover and Jaguar, and then wonder how they work together so well these days.....
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Post by rhyds on Apr 29, 2019 8:10:48 GMT 1
From what I understand the Triumph V8 vs Rover V8 was partly politics and partly the fact BL couldn't build enough Rover V8s to keep Land/Range Rover and Rover Cars supplied if they had put it in the Stag as well. The only downside I've heard of for the Rover V8 conversion is that the Triumph V8 was much heavier being a cast iron block, so sticking in the lighter alloy block Rover unit in can cause handling oddness. Have you found this an issue?
As for power, I remember reading that Tim Harvey of Touring Car fame used to run an SD1 V8 Vitesse in the 80s, and when he went to the Rover works team for an engine he was offered a choice of 3.5 (the actually homologated unit) 4.0, 4.6 or 5.0!
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Post by sorted on Apr 29, 2019 20:00:28 GMT 1
Thanks for all the replies, looks like I keep the Rover lump then, it’s a 3.9 with a pretty new 4 barrel Edelbrock carb on an Offenhauser low profile manifold which means I can use a standard bonnet. Injection may be an option later but requires machining work or a nasty bonnet bulge, and to be frank it seems plenty quick as it is.
Yes Rhyds it does sit a couple of inches high at the front but never noticed a handling issue. That said I bought a set of springs from a specialist a while ago which are made for the Rover engine and have now reassembled the overhauled struts with these and poly bushes, new dampers, bearings etc.
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Post by studabear on Apr 29, 2019 20:32:14 GMT 1
Sorted, I've got to say I do like the colour of the Stag, colours from that era were a bit questionable for me, esp brown on a Stag, the blue suits it well.
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Post by sorted on Apr 29, 2019 20:37:37 GMT 1
Sorted, I've got to say I do like the colour of the Stag, colours from that era were a bit questionable for me, esp brown on a Stag, the blue suits it well. Thanks yes I like the blue so will be sticking with a version of that. The car is actually Ford midnight blue whilst the bonnet, which I got to replace one with a massive bulge as the engine had twin SU’s when I got it, is actually Rover midnight blue. Triumph did one called Saphire blue which is between the 2 and I think that’s what I’ll use when the time comes.
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Post by Noberator on Apr 29, 2019 21:38:31 GMT 1
Sorted, I've got to say I do like the colour of the Stag, colours from that era were a bit questionable for me, esp brown on a Stag, Thanks yes I like the blue so will be sticking with a version of that. The car is actually Ford midnight blue whilst the bonnet, which I got to replace one with a massive bulge as the engine had twin SU’s when I got it, is actually Rover midnight blue. Triumph did one called Saphire blue which is between the 2 and I think that’s what I’ll use when the time comes. Nice blue IMO what blue is it Sapphire Blue or Imperial Blue or other?
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