Stags in France

[Guest]

I went to a British car « Do » today near me down here in SW France. Not in my Stag (MGB, sorry), as it is not yet back on the road. There was along delay whilst I waited for the correct RHP quill shaft bearing. It took a week to get here. The supplier of the “no name” bearing quite honestly replied that he had “no information” on the source of that bearing and offered a refund. I have got the diff back in (bit of a struggle) and just need to fill it and put the exhaust pipes back on. But it is 38°C here today and I don’t feel in the mood to crawl underneath it. I have been practically living underneath there recently. I hope I never need to do that job again! The diff has been out before, because you can see the small indentations where spanners have thumped the under tray in the same spots where mine did.

Anyway, at this “Do” were not one, but two Stags. One a LHD and a bit tatty brown one that I saw last April and owned by a French man who is slowly improving it. The other was RHD, recently French Registered (in the Lot) and Java green. In very good nick too. I never saw the owner, but when I came back to have another look, there was a For Sale sign on it in English, with details of all the work that has been done in the last year or so – and it was a lot. The price was €15,500 which is around £13,000 ish.


I wonder how many more are lurking around down here.

PS
Forecast is even hotter tomorrow, so the Stag will lie dormant for another day.

[jpyke]

Hi Don,

Whereabouts do you live in SW France? I've ventured as far South as the Dordogne in the Stag but no further (as yet). I've got some plans for a Pyrenees run at some point

James

[Guest]

James,

This is moi ...

http://maps.google.fr/maps?q=le+grin&hl=fr&sll=46.75984,1.738281&sspn=6.698548,16.875&z=14

Bit of a long link (don't know how just to put "here", like the experts do), but I'm in the SE end of Lot et Garonne, one Dept. down from the Dordogne. The Google map looks flat, but it is hills and valley country and I like it very much. As you will know, it is a long drive to get down to this neck of the woods - Pyrenees are another 3 hours from here - bigger hills and valley country! I've been as far as the foothills, but no further.

[Tdm]

As an ex-pat now living in Tenerife, I was wondering what it costs you to run your Stag where you are.
Mines a 1977 mK2 Auto and will be 35 years old next year.
I pay no Road Tax (because it's over 30) and next year it only needs testing every 5 years.
Petrol is currently just under €1.00 a Litre (about 90P), but I can't get Fully Comp Insurance cover, only 3rd Party.
The weather and the roads are ideal for my Stag, and currently it is well into the hundreds temperature wise, but the car doesn't complain and the temp needle is always way below half way.
Currently 3 Stags within close proximity of where I live with more on the way.
Only problem I have at present is I have nowhere to store my Hardtop as I have no garage, and it's too hot to leave it on.

Regards

[Phil]

Hi Don

My parents live in a small village (Bars) near Montignac I took the Stag there a couple of years ago when my father had a fall. Its a bit far for two burly teenagers in the back so haven't taken it back yet. It would be nice to take it back in the summer.

Its really nice down there

Regards

Phil

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[martin]

Hi Don

My parents live in a small village (Bars) near Montignac I took the Stag there a couple of years ago when my father had a fall. Its a bit far for two burly teenagers in the back so haven't taken it back yet. It would be nice to take it back in the summer.

Its really nice down there

Regards

Phil

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I remember the article Phil, impressive, shame you've not been back. Martin.

[Another Peter]

As much as I like White, Topaz - is that the colour Phil? - looks very 1970s and gorgeous on a Stag.

[Phil]

Peter

Yes its Topaz. Why have a seventies car if not a seventies colour. If it was the right car any colour would have been fine but I wouldn't want any other now. The only down side is when we go out in convoy I always end up tail end Charlie as the lead car can always see me.

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[jpyke]

James,

This is moi ...

http://maps.google.fr/maps?q=le+grin&hl=fr&sll=46.75984,1.738281&sspn=6.698548,16.875&z=14

Bit of a long link (don't know how just to put "here", like the experts do), but I'm in the SE end of Lot et Garonne, one Dept. down from the Dordogne. The Google map looks flat, but it is hills and valley country and I like it very much. As you will know, it is a long drive to get down to this neck of the woods - Pyrenees are another 3 hours from here - bigger hills and valley country! I've been as far as the foothills, but no further.

I know what you mean - you end up spending a day or more travelling and putting a lot of miles on the car just in getting to where you want to be. I've been contemplating a ferry to Bilbao/Santander and starting from there if I do the Pyrenees.

[Ian Durrant]

My wifes parents live in the Lot valley. A village called Salviac. My plan is to do the drive down to them in the stag when its on the road and i have the teething troubles ironed out.

[jleyton]

James,

This is moi ...

http://maps.google.fr/maps?q=le+grin&hl=fr&sll=46.75984,1.738281&sspn=6.698548,16.875&z=14

Hi Don,

We're heading down your way on holiday in a couple of weeks - although with 4 of us it'll have to be my daily car not the Stag.

We're staying near to a place called Domme which, unfortunately, is a bit too far away to call in and check out your Stag, although in previous years we've stayed closer at Monflanquin and, wait for it....... Condom

Cheers

Julian.

[Kevin Garrod]

, wait for it....... Condom

Have you got Mates there?

[jleyton]

Have you got Mates there?

The funny thing is that, although they don't use the word Condom for what we use it for, there is a 'Musee du preservatif' there (Condom museum )

Who says the French haven't got a sense of humour?

Although I haven't visited, I don't think the prices are unduly inflated and you don't have to be a d**k to go in

Cheers

Julian

[dasadrew]

I guess this guy was on his way there? (NOT a spoof advert - this sight met me two times each day on my way to work on giant hoardings!)

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[Guest]

Phil,

Which Montignac, there are four of them, at least.

Ian,

Had a look at Salviac, probably about an hour and a bit away from me. Completely different country though.

There was an Ian Durrant that played for Rangers (Glasgow that is), but you can't be him because you can write English!

Terry,

No road tax here either, they got rid of it about 10 years ago and just upped the price of petrol accordingly. Unleaded 95 is around €1.5 a litre. When I drove the Stag down here on the motorway, all the petrol was E10 and I did not fancy putting that in, so I drove off into a small town and filled up with the old fashioned stuff. Mine is just basically third party insured, with breakdown cover included - one good thing about French insurance policies.