Missing my Stag

[Tdm]

On the 9th of April my Stag went into a nearby "bodywork" Garage to have a bottom panel fitted in the drivers door which was "bubbling" quite badly. Next door to the bodywork Garage is a "mechanical " Garage I use on occasions to check my wife's and my own car.

Took about 3 weeks for the bodywork repair (and they do seem to have done a good job), and I had arranged for when it was finished for the car to go next door to have the underside of the Stag thoroughly checked.

I thought this was going to be just a formality, but the Garage found all sorts of things that need sorting, and numerous parts that can only be sourced in the U.K. (weeping core plug, leaking fuel pipe, numerous oil leaks, a corroded oil cooler, leaking rocker cover gaskets, and leaking sump, and dangerously worn front brake pads to name just some of the items requiring attention).

After talking with the owner of the Garage, he said he could fix some of the items, but others required parts I can only get in the U.K., so yesterday I completed an extensive order with James Paddocks, who will send the parts directly to the Garage in Las Chafiras, Tenerife, but how long it will take to get there I have no idea?

That means my Stag has now been away since the beginning of April, and when I will get it back I have no idea, and apparently former Forum member Staggard also had his car in the same Garage not all that long ago for some work to be done on his

I am now seriously missing my car, driving the wife's Honda Accord is just not the same!
I am glad though that I had the car checked underneath after the bodywork repair, (as I have no way of doing so myself), otherwise there could have been serious consequences if it failed on me when driving it on a busy road.

With the weather here now much warmer, and more or less back to it's normal self, I am missing driving it in the sunshine, and everyone here keeps asking me what has happened to my car.

[I am Groot]

Terry it can't be away as long as my car was. Engine builder kept it from April until August. Then the body shop had it from November until early march. I had back until this week and now it's at wards having more than a few bits sorted until June sometime! The only good bit is ever time i get it back its a much better car!
rgds
nigel

[CJG]

Hi Terry
Sad to here you are still without the Stag, but as you say it's better to have it sorted and safe against it being returned only to have it fail whilst driving it and incurring more expense.
Looks like i might have to do the timing chains on mine as they have started to be a little vocal on tick over when warm and looking through the history i have no record of them being done.
Have to look through the forum and see whats the best to fit as i seem to remember there are a few choices with regard to suppliers and makes etc.
Anyway at least the sun is shining and the pool and the beers are no doubt cool over there Terry. Chris.

[DJT]

Sorry to hear you have been deprived for so long Terry. But doesn’t this emphasise the need for an annual independent check? I believe you’ve told us before that, in Tenerife, your car doesn’t need the equivalent of an annual MOT. Is it every 4 years? And now you have volunteered it for an inspection and found “dangerously worn front brake pads”. Just as well these were found now, rather than on the way down from Mt Teide!

As of this weekend, Stags (and thousands of other 40-year-old cars) will be exempt from a formal UK MOT............

[Richard G]

You should contact Jeremy Vine on BBC Radio 2. He could make a whole programme about Stag Deprivation Syndrome!

[Tdm]

Sorry to hear you have been deprived for so long Terry. But doesn’t this emphasise the need for an annual independent check? I believe you’ve told us before that, in Tenerife, your car doesn’t need the equivalent of an annual MOT. Is it every 4 years? And now you have volunteered it for an inspection and found “dangerously worn front brake pads”. Just as well these were found now, rather than on the way down from Mt Teide!
As of this weekend, Stags (and thousands of other 40-year-old cars) will be exempt from a formal UK MOT............

My cerificate says it's evey 5 years, but I'm still going to have the car checked annually for peace of mind, especially as I have no garage, and can't get under the car.
I had new rear brake shoes and cylinders put on the car last year, but hadn't had the front pads checked, and driving the car the brakes "felt" O.K.
Been up Mt Teide a few times, but not in the Stag, prefer to let someone else do the driviing on high, narrow, twisting roads.

[Steve JP]

Love that drive up Mt Teide Terry, mind you I did it in a rented Seat Toledo not a Stag,! I feel for you, mine has just come back from some bodywork repairs(self inflicted) and now it seems to be leaking water into the cylinders somewhere, judging from the copious amount of steam from the exhaust, and water loss in the header tank. So it looks like another trip to Favershams soon.

[Paul Kelley]

I feel for you Terry, especially as we have had some great weather here in the UK and you cannot beat a sunny trip out in your Stag. But don't they say that absence makes the heart grow fonder? (Or is it Absynth....!). Either way I'm sure you'll appreciate it all the more when it's back. not least knowing it is in better (and safer) shape than before. We go to Greece every year to stay with old friends. My friend developed Parkinson's some time ago so I do the most of the driving in his Honda Jazz auto. It's a good enough little car actually, but a Honda box is no substitute for a Stag, that's for sure!
PK

[djtaylor]

I can't claim deprivation for that long but I took two wheels off and dropped them off locally for refurbishment last Saturday. When I get them back, I'll turn the car around and back into the garage to remove the other two. It will be my luck that the summer will be over in two weeks and back to cloud and rain until next May.

[Tdm]

Love that drive up Mt Teide Terry, mind you I did it in a rented Seat Toledo not a Stag,! I feel for you, mine has just come back from some bodywork repairs(self inflicted) and now it seems to be leaking water into the cylinders somewhere, judging from the copious amount of steam from the exhaust, and water loss in the header tank. So it looks like another trip to Favershams soon.

Last time I went up Teide was a coach trip in October 2016, with the wife (the blond one in the video), her brother and his wife, and included a cable car ride to the top. Did a short video of it which includes at the end, a trip to play snooker at a local Bar in my Stag, and a couple of minutes footage of my storeroom model railway as it then was (since modified).
Click on the Link to view.

https://youtu.be/L2S0VXZHcFY

[Tdm]

Been a funny and frustrating couple of days.

My Stag is still awaiting repair in a local Garage, but blow me if yesterday some kind soul scraped all the side of the wife's Honda whilst it was in our Car Park, then drove off without leaving any note, and no one saw it happen. The Honda is itself now having to go into a Garage for repair, but at least today the Garage who have my Stag rang to say the Parts it needs have finally arrived from Paddocks. It could be that we are without both cars at the same time (Sods Law), but at least I can drive the Honda to pick up Son and family from the Airport this Sunday as it's Half-Term for 2 of our grandchildren and they are spending it with us here in Tenerife.

After getting a bodywork man to look at the Honda damage this morning, blow me if then the wife's IPad woudn't switch on, and at the same time "Firefox" crashed on my Laptop. Fortunately after much searching and fiddling about managed to get both devices working again. If only could get the 2 cars repaired as quickly.

[Tdm]

Get my Stag back tomorrow, it's a good job as no car at all at present, as someone hit the wife's Honda in our car park, and badly scraped it. and it was picked up today by my bodywork man, who will hopefully make it like new again.

Stag has been away since the 9th of April, first of all to have a new panel put in the driver's door, then to have the underside sorted as several problems were found when it went up on a ramp. Have had to wait for parts to be shipped out from Paddocks, then other parts to be sourced locally (such as core plugs).

Just received June's mag, and there is a nice picture on the back page of Stags near Conwy Castle, parked by the Country's smallest house and the "Liverpool Arms" where I used to go for lunch when I worked at Conwy Council - by the way Conwy is spelt wrongly on the photo as there is no "A" in the true Welsh Spelling of Conwy.

When I get my Stag back might have to remove the hardtop, as Summer has finally arrived here, with day & night temperatures back to normal for this time of year (high 20's). Off to Germany (Rhine Cruise) end of July, then a week in London, followed by a week at the "Palace Hotel" Lake Como. Will be back in the U.K. though in December, as my son celebrates his 40th birthday then (Xmas Day), and the family are meeting up in Market Harborough as it is half way between where he lives (Chester), and where my daughter lives (Chelmsford), and we will be flying to East Midlands Airport to join up with everyone at a large Barn conversion property near there that we have hired for the occasion.

Almost 2 months without my Stag, I am defineately suffering from withdrawal symtoms, but it has given me time to do other things that I enjoy, and I am drinking more beer than normal, but at only 1.30 Euros for a nice Pint, I can't complain, and I get free small "Tapas" with every pint I order.

[CJG]

After all that beer and tapas lets hope you can still get in it Terry. All the best for tomorrow. Chris.

[Guest]

Maybe you will see a green Stag along the Rhine around Rüdesheim

[Tdm]

Maybe you will see a green Stag along the Rhine around Rüdesheim

Rudesheim is one of our stops on Day 5 (30th July) as we sail North from Basel in Switzerland to Dusseldorf, Germany. The brochure says it is a prolific wine making town,
and one of the top landmarks is Drosselgasse. Also mentions Marksburg Castle, it would be nice to see a Stag there as well..