Essential jobs after collection

[johnnym]

Hi Guys

I am hoping to pick up my Stag next week so I can have some fun on our bank Holiday Weekend, as the Service file ends about 10 yrs ago and the current owner has been very honest that he has done nothing with the car and can't vouch for the previous owner I need to do some Jobs (altough it did have an engine rebuld in the 90s). When I drove it, the chain made no noise and the temp was perfect on a 16 -17C sunny day.... very unusual in IE I know :-))

So I plan to flush the coolant, Change the oil and filters, and top up all other fluids as needed so I can enjoy driving for the summer before I start the bigger jobs

What I was hoping for was some guidance and advice from you guys on 1) Is there anything else I should do? 2) what would you guys recommend I buy for the Jobs (oils, fluids, tools etc) and can I use a Standard Motorfactors or do I need specialists and

Cheers

John

[johnnym]

And before I Forget, big thanks to Trevor in Faversham for his time and advice....that call alone convinced me I made the right decision to buy a Stag

[Ziptie_Engineer]

Well worth changing the points for peace of mind or at least keeping a spare set in the car for when they go (when I bought my Stag I didn't and spent 6 hours at the side of the road waiting for recovery as a result). Also have a look at the HT leads - if they are really grubby they probably haven't been changed in a while and are cheap to replace. Have a look at spark plugs too. Again, worth swapping to allay fears of future failure.

[Guest]

Change the coolant hoses and clips, get them from LD parts

oil and air filters from usual stag suppliers, also change the fuel filter.

When you flush make sure the heater is in the hot position so the heater matrix gets flushed out too.

Fit the correct Thermostat for your car, if it a MK2 you need one with a foot to close off the Bypass, I have an 88 degree stat fitted

[StagJonno]

A lot of Forumites have a strong preference for Valvoline VR1 20W50 engine oil. It contains a zinc compound which is beneficial in reducing wear between the cam lobes and followers, which is missing from most modern oils due to it poisoning the cat. Other oils are available with this zinc additive.

Europarts stock VR1 and have a 25% sale on due to end soon (http://www.eurocarparts.com/?utm_sou...92737577813504 )

Code is HOLIDAY25

I'd endorse StagStan's recommendation of LD Part. Peter, the main man, goes the extra mile to get the best quality parts and is always my starting point. I've no commercial interest in either of these companies etc etc.

In addition to your list, I'd definitely add replenishment of brake fluid, "normal" brake fluid is hydroscopic, meaning it absorbs water which can boil at braking temperatures resulting in a spongy pedal and reduced braking effectiveness. Should be changed every 2-years.

Suggest you check which type of antifreeze is already in. There are threads on here. If the PO used pink type (I think that's also called "OAT" type) then you have to stick with it. If it's the old fashioned blue type then probably best to stick with that, at least for the time being. Some owners are reluctant to use the pink type (can't remember the reasons), though some have been using for years with no apparent adverse effects. Apart from threads on here, there's a section of the LDPart blog dedicated to this topic.

Another recommended check is the age of the tyres. Mine we >30 years old and, despite loads of tread and visually good with no cracking, were lethal in the wet due to hardening through oxidation. General consensus on here seems to be to replace by 10 years (or sooner).

Hope this helps. Enjoy

Jonno

[Zanzibar]

A lot of Forumites have a strong preference for Valvoline VR1 20W50 engine oil. It contains a zinc compound which is beneficial in reducing wear between the cam lobes and followers, which is missing from most modern oils due to it poisoning the cat. Other oils are available with this zinc additive.

Europarts stock VR1 and have a 25% sale on due to end soon (http://www.eurocarparts.com/?utm_sou...92737577813504 )

Code is HOLIDAY25

I'd endorse StagStan's recommendation of LD Part. Peter, the main man, goes the extra mile to get the best quality parts and is always my starting point. I've no commercial interest in either of these companies etc etc.

In addition to your list, I'd definitely add replenishment of brake fluid, "normal" brake fluid is hydroscopic, meaning it absorbs water which can boil at braking temperatures resulting in a spongy pedal and reduced braking effectiveness. Should be changed every 2-years.

Suggest you check which type of antifreeze is already in. There are threads on here. If the PO used pink type (I think that's also called "OAT" type) then you have to stick with it. If it's the old fashioned blue type then probably best to stick with that, at least for the time being. Some owners are reluctant to use the pink type (can't remember the reasons), though some have been using for years with no apparent adverse effects. Apart from threads on here, there's a section of the LDPart blog dedicated to this topic.

Another recommended check is the age of the tyres. Mine we >30 years old and, despite loads of tread and visually good with no cracking, were lethal in the wet due to hardening through oxidation. General consensus on here seems to be to replace by 10 years (or sooner).

Hope this helps. Enjoy

Jonno

Hi Jonno,

Many thanks for your advice, just ordered 6 x 1 Litres of VR1 Oil for £26.95 including VAT and Delivery, which seems very good value to me.....

Regards,

Andrew M.