After some activity on the forum, maybe time to introduce myself.
Since I got my drivers' license 33 years ago, I am a daily driver and lover of old British cars. When I was 16, I actually persuaded my father to buy a secondhand Triumph 2500 TC to replace the rusty Peugeot 404 Familiale. He did not take up the suggestion to buy a Jaguar Mk2 though!
A number of cars followed - 1967 Mini, 71 2CV, 69 XJ S1, 69 Chamois, 69 Herald, 65 Oxford, 71 2000 Mk2, 71 Imp, 59 Minor, 63 TR4, 67 Westminster, 67 MGBGT, 61 Minx, 68 Interceptor, 51 Champ, 82 CX Pallas, 83 CX GTI, 84 CX GTI, 86 2600 VdP, 75 2500 PI, 67 Jag 420, 67 Chamois, 84 Range Rover 3 door, 66 2000 Mk1. Plus a couple of Subaru Legacy / Outback. Some of these I still have.
My wife does not mind my illness for classic cars. Our last modern (2001 Outback 3 litre) was sold a month ago, we now have a 1989 BX GTI as a modern.
Attached to our house is a big garage which I built myself 9 years ago. Three years ago some adjoining land could be bought so the garage was extended further.
With a friend I began a business in my garage which had a main focus - converting classics to electric power steering. Later we also installed air conditioning and many other adaptions to classics. I sold my share to my friend, and now I have the garage for myself again which I do not mind at all!
It has a lathe, welding equipment, a 4 poster lift and room for 7 or 8 cars if really needed - usually there are 5 cars. That is, until the Stag arrives!
I have just bought a Stag in the USA, near New York. I had been looking for a Stag for years but could not find one to my linking: cheap, not too rusty, not too bad mechanically. Most Stags I saw needed too much welding for my liking. Most USA cars have a nice specification: Sundym glass, air conditioning and many have hardtops. They are pretty good with regards to the body but many have had engine transplants. Regrettably most of the cars are located in the middle of nowhere - and seeing that the USA is one big continent this means transporting them to a port was going to be too expensive.
A month ago I saw a car advertised near New York. That is not a favorite area, cars can be very rusty there but this one seems to be good. A few pictures accompanied the ad, all showing the car being buried under parts and garage stuff. I think this put many prospective buyers away. Also, there was not much information in the ad and not much time left. So, with No Reserve, I put in a very low bid and waited..... and won! I am the owner of a VERY cheap car - the cheapest Stag I ever have seen apart from some dismantled cars.
The seller have sent me much more information. A list of owners since new. Basically the car had just two owners who drove the car. Second owner sold it in 1995, and it has been stored ever since. The seller owned it since 2002.
Originally Sienna brown, it has been dark green for a very long time - at least before 1995. Maybe the second owner had it resprayed. Recorded milage in 1995, and 2015 is 75.000.
The chassis number - 22992 - and the Heritage Certificate which the seller got in 2004, point to a date of build as April 1973. This would mean a Mk2, which, as far as I see mentioned everywhere on the internet, would mean it would have an override as standard. But the picture of the inside does show a gear stick without the OD switch... Hmm maybe a special order? Or did not all Mk2 cars have OD? Or maybe the car got a transmission transplant? The Heritage certificate does not specify what transmission the car had when new, and there is no suffix to the chassis number.
The seller has been picking some parts from the car and sold these: the dashboard wood, the air conditioning compressor, condensor and fans. He had installed a Holley carburettor, but had sold that as well a few months ago. He said the engine runs really well. The Strombergs are still with the car but dismantled. He had the rusty wire wheels replaced by the standard alloys - but had the alloys polished first. The radiator shroud is gone. He had the air cleaner housing advertised but luckily removed the ad and it is with the car now. He had the tank professionally cleaned by a firm (bills provided). He also sold the softtop including the frame. He bought a good hardtop for the car.
Why all this? Why invest in a car (Heritage form, carb, wheels, tank, hardtop) and after some years take it apart? The ad did mention the car was for parts or restoration. I am sure that if the car was located Europe, no-one would think of it as a parts car, it is much too good for that.
I have not had the guts to ask him the reasons, first I want to have the car safely on its way to me.... He did pack the car for transport carefully and was really helpful.
Two pics of the car in 2002:
rightfront.jpg
rightside.jpg
Three years ago:
Stag LH Rear.jpg
Stag RH Front.jpg
From the ad:
A.jpg
More pics in the next post.
Since I got my drivers' license 33 years ago, I am a daily driver and lover of old British cars. When I was 16, I actually persuaded my father to buy a secondhand Triumph 2500 TC to replace the rusty Peugeot 404 Familiale. He did not take up the suggestion to buy a Jaguar Mk2 though!
A number of cars followed - 1967 Mini, 71 2CV, 69 XJ S1, 69 Chamois, 69 Herald, 65 Oxford, 71 2000 Mk2, 71 Imp, 59 Minor, 63 TR4, 67 Westminster, 67 MGBGT, 61 Minx, 68 Interceptor, 51 Champ, 82 CX Pallas, 83 CX GTI, 84 CX GTI, 86 2600 VdP, 75 2500 PI, 67 Jag 420, 67 Chamois, 84 Range Rover 3 door, 66 2000 Mk1. Plus a couple of Subaru Legacy / Outback. Some of these I still have.
My wife does not mind my illness for classic cars. Our last modern (2001 Outback 3 litre) was sold a month ago, we now have a 1989 BX GTI as a modern.
Attached to our house is a big garage which I built myself 9 years ago. Three years ago some adjoining land could be bought so the garage was extended further.
With a friend I began a business in my garage which had a main focus - converting classics to electric power steering. Later we also installed air conditioning and many other adaptions to classics. I sold my share to my friend, and now I have the garage for myself again which I do not mind at all!
It has a lathe, welding equipment, a 4 poster lift and room for 7 or 8 cars if really needed - usually there are 5 cars. That is, until the Stag arrives!
I have just bought a Stag in the USA, near New York. I had been looking for a Stag for years but could not find one to my linking: cheap, not too rusty, not too bad mechanically. Most Stags I saw needed too much welding for my liking. Most USA cars have a nice specification: Sundym glass, air conditioning and many have hardtops. They are pretty good with regards to the body but many have had engine transplants. Regrettably most of the cars are located in the middle of nowhere - and seeing that the USA is one big continent this means transporting them to a port was going to be too expensive.
A month ago I saw a car advertised near New York. That is not a favorite area, cars can be very rusty there but this one seems to be good. A few pictures accompanied the ad, all showing the car being buried under parts and garage stuff. I think this put many prospective buyers away. Also, there was not much information in the ad and not much time left. So, with No Reserve, I put in a very low bid and waited..... and won! I am the owner of a VERY cheap car - the cheapest Stag I ever have seen apart from some dismantled cars.
The seller have sent me much more information. A list of owners since new. Basically the car had just two owners who drove the car. Second owner sold it in 1995, and it has been stored ever since. The seller owned it since 2002.
Originally Sienna brown, it has been dark green for a very long time - at least before 1995. Maybe the second owner had it resprayed. Recorded milage in 1995, and 2015 is 75.000.
The chassis number - 22992 - and the Heritage Certificate which the seller got in 2004, point to a date of build as April 1973. This would mean a Mk2, which, as far as I see mentioned everywhere on the internet, would mean it would have an override as standard. But the picture of the inside does show a gear stick without the OD switch... Hmm maybe a special order? Or did not all Mk2 cars have OD? Or maybe the car got a transmission transplant? The Heritage certificate does not specify what transmission the car had when new, and there is no suffix to the chassis number.
The seller has been picking some parts from the car and sold these: the dashboard wood, the air conditioning compressor, condensor and fans. He had installed a Holley carburettor, but had sold that as well a few months ago. He said the engine runs really well. The Strombergs are still with the car but dismantled. He had the rusty wire wheels replaced by the standard alloys - but had the alloys polished first. The radiator shroud is gone. He had the air cleaner housing advertised but luckily removed the ad and it is with the car now. He had the tank professionally cleaned by a firm (bills provided). He also sold the softtop including the frame. He bought a good hardtop for the car.
Why all this? Why invest in a car (Heritage form, carb, wheels, tank, hardtop) and after some years take it apart? The ad did mention the car was for parts or restoration. I am sure that if the car was located Europe, no-one would think of it as a parts car, it is much too good for that.
I have not had the guts to ask him the reasons, first I want to have the car safely on its way to me.... He did pack the car for transport carefully and was really helpful.
Two pics of the car in 2002:
rightfront.jpg
rightside.jpg
Three years ago:
Stag LH Rear.jpg
Stag RH Front.jpg
From the ad:
A.jpg
More pics in the next post.
The front lower grille panel is bent and has sheared. Presumably a rope or whatever was fed through the grille aperture for securing the car. I hope I can get some insurance money for this, have emailed the transporter.
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