A total newby....helpppp!

[Thelisterman]

Hi guys
Sorry for dramatic intro but really am a total Stag apprentice! Have a couple of classic cars but always had an eye for a stag so joint the club Carless. Embarrassed to say despite loving the looks I've never sat in one let alone driven one. Bought a few guides this week. Question is, my budget is £15kish...colour hopefully blue or green. Is patience the order of the day and what are the basics to look for.
By the way great looking club and website.
Clayton
Ps any owners in the Southampton area?

[Guest]

£15k will buy you a cracker. Patience is the order of the day, but I didn't have any when I was looking! However, I was lucky and got a good 'un, but still needs things done all the time.
Take a "Stag man" with you when viewing will be the advice of many on here.

[DJT]

Hi Clayton, and welcome. The best advice I can give is to get in touch with your local Area Coordinator - details on website and in magazine - and go along to the local area meetings. Get to know some of the owners and they will happily let you sit in their cars and take you out for a spin. You may even get one or more of them to let you have a drive. You will certainly learn about what to look for and what to avoid. There is a classic dealer in Lymington who always seems to have a Stag or two for sale, but don't fall for the first one you see. As you say, patience is the key. Good luck.

[V Mad]

Hi, welcome to the club and forum. Good idea to join before buying. Your budget should find a very good one, but only if you are patient and vigilant. Unfortunately even at 15k there are many around at that price that are not even worth 10k!

[Thelisterman]

Thanks guys. I visited the NEC last November and it all started when I was side tracked by your club stand. Great looking cars but more importantly real genuine people on the stand. Ok so the research begins. Happy regards the patience after a heart over the head experience with an Austin Healey a couple of years ago!!! My fault entirely...grinning while driving and looking down the road is no use if the rear view mirror tells you black smoke ain't no good, Lol.
Thanks again guys
Clayton

[MandM]

Hi Clayton, and welcome. The best advice I can give is to get in touch with your local Area Coordinator - details on website and in magazine - and go along to the local area meetings. Get to know some of the owners and they will happily let you sit in their cars and take you out for a spin. You may even get one or more of them to let you have a drive. You will certainly learn about what to look for and what to avoid. There is a classic dealer in Lymington who always seems to have a Stag or two for sale, but don't fall for the first one you see. As you say, patience is the key. Good luck.

I'm with Dave go to the meetings and look at other members cars, and take someone with you when you go looking, good hunting it took me a year to find ours, which still needed work and still does, they always will , but that's part of the fun, don't forget the yellow ones are the sunshine machines

[Thelisterman]

I'm with Dave go to the meetings and look at other members cars, and take someone with you when you go looking, good hunting it took me a year to find ours, which still needed work and still does, they always will , but that's part of the fun, don't forget the yellow ones are the sunshine machines

Thanks again.
Looking forward to the searching if I'm honest, and no doubt will pester you all relentlessly over the coming months. Open to yellow and Magenta as well although Mrs J turns her nose up to this!! any leads to a purchase much appreciated.
Clayton

[DJT]

Thanks again.
Looking forward to the searching if I'm honest, and no doubt will pester you all relentlessly over the coming months. Open to yellow and Magenta as well although Mrs J turns her nose up to this!! any leads to a purchase much appreciated.
Clayton

Mrs J obviously has taste, in which case she would love Carmine Red..........

[brooklands green]

Evening Clayton as the more experienced gents on here say take your time with that sort of budget you should get a good one i was very lucky to buy a low milage car from a club member.
Thanks glyn

[Guest]

Hi Clayton. Welcome to the club and future Stag ownership. If your budget is £15K buy one for £12K then that's £3K to spend on shiney things!

Stags look good in any colour, with Pimento Red obviously coming out on top

You will NEED a sense of humour, not for the Stag but for this Forum. Topics go off, err topic very easily which is all part of the "fun" they do come back on topic after a while though

Enjoy your search

Jason

[jleyton]

Hi Clayton,

Welcome to the forum and potential Stag ownership from me too.

I think most of the good advice has already been given. Like you, I too joined before buying and when I saw a car I fancied I was accompanied on my test drive by an experienced owner who I had 'met' on here - his advice was invaluable, although, sadly, he no longer posts on here.

Good luck and hope o hear that you're a happy owner before too long

Cheers

Julian

[Thelisterman]

Hi Clayton. Welcome to the club and future Stag ownership. If your budget is £15K buy one for £12K then that's £3K to spend on shiney things!

Stags look good in any colour, with Pimento Red obviously coming out on top

You will NEED a sense of humour, not for the Stag but for this Forum. Topics go off, err topic very easily which is all part of the "fun" they do come back on topic after a while though

Enjoy your search

Jason

Lol Jason....With the past 37 years spent in the building industry....yep count me in on the humour front. I own an MG as well, how much more humour do you need!! A fellow MG friend of mine reckons I'm being lured to the dark side and has started wearing a black arm band??
Thanks for the welcome guys.
Clayton

[Guest]

Lol Jason....With the past 37 years spent in the building industry....yep count me in on the humour front. I own an MG as well, how much more humour do you need!! A fellow MG friend of mine reckons I'm being lured to the dark side and has started wearing a black arm band??
Thanks for the welcome guys.
Clayton

I had an MG then saw sense and bought a proper classic tell your friend MGs are good starter classics

Jason

[Gilespfr]

Hi Clayton
Nice to hear from you.
I bought my MK 1 1972 Saffron yellow stag four years ago for £8,000, it was in good shape.

I agree with all the advice that has been given here, everyone on the forum have been true stars and really helped me along. I spoke to a couple of area coordinators and one even offered to come and look at a car with me, which was great.

My car was a great choice and probably the six or seventh one I looked at. From what I remember, I liked this one best as it had been local to where I live for a decade or so, had a complete refurb five years back, great interior, proper 70s colour, hard top in one piece and lots of good history with it by way of folder / photo book. That said, what I have learnt over the last year is the one thing you need over and above everything else is a good engine. My head gasket packed up last year and I have had problems with the infamous cooling issue every since, despite spending £5k on an engine refurb. It's a great car to drive but has given me a few more grey hairs!

I would say the advice of spend less than your budget and using the rest to do essential upgrades like putting in a header tank, maybe redoing the hood (but I would hope for a £10k you wouldn't need to do that), is sound.

Good luck and have fun.

Giles

[Stagman66]

Hi Clayton, solent&new forest area meet at the Bell pub at Bramshaw this coming Monday for about 8 o'clock,not to far for you. Have a chat with Ralph who services many of our cars, he often has a stag or 2 for sale
Hope to see you there
Cheers Mark