Maiden drive advice

[oscarn]

Hi there. I’m taking delivery of a lovely 1976 Stag next week and taking it on its maiden drive from Norfolk to Dorset - I’m showing it to my Dad who got me hooked when he had one back in the 70s. I wondered if you had any advice for this my first drive in the car. For instance what range and mpg should I expect. It’s the original stag v8. How many gallons is the tank? Roughly? What insurer company’s do you recommend for Stags? Any other advice gratefully received. Thank you.

[gbb483]

The insurance will depend on whether it will be your daily drive or if it will only come out on nice days. If the latter, there is a company that advertises in the magazine :

https://www.rhspecialistinsurance.co.uk/

but there is an annual mileage limit, and you must have another daily drive.

[Jeff]

I'm insured with RH specialist and have been for many, many years. I have never been asked if it's my daily car or drive another.

I have fully comp insurance and it matters not as long as I keep within the stated mileage. Even if I didn't, they charge per mile over the agreed.

[Goldstar]

Oscar is it manual or automatic? former with overdrive about 25-28 on a run, latter about 22-23. The tank gauge is notoriously inaccurate. Mine goes down to half quite quickly, stays there for ages then goes down to the light coming on quite quickly. Mine is a manual overdrive and I usually go from full to 250 miles before I fill up again and the red fuel light is just flickering on/off but I usually have 3 gallons or so left.

From memory the tank is about 14 gallons so about 62 litres or £110!!

[RobinLegin]

Watch the temperature gauge as well as the fuel gauge. Before I had the Tate & Lewis auto 4 speed box, I reckoned with the BW 65 I did no more than 23 mpg. So at about 200 miles on the trip I fuelled up.

[AJLC]

Hi, You haven't really given much info on the car. Has it been restored, what work has been done etc, has it been in regular use? Norfolk to Dorset is a very long way for a 50yr old car as a first run. From experience (270 miles from Scotland) even a restored car may have some shake down issues you need to sort out. Plan some local runs to check everything out, Depite my car having MOT and extensive restoration, I naively assumed I could just jump in and drive it home. On the way back the overdrive packed up, starter motor failed, wipers had a mind of their own, electric windows only went down rather than up and headlights (only 1 worked) were shocking. But it did the journey without any mechanical or overheating issues and is great now I have sorted the electrics. So, I learnt that 50yr old cars generally need something doing and it's better to find out what that is locally rather than on a potentially 4+ hour long trip to Dorset. Dont get me wrong, the Stag is more than capable of doing that journey and much, much more in comfort and style, but you do need to know and understand your car.

[SaphireSpud]

Plus one for RH (SOC recommended insurers) not the cheapest but does include recovery. 14 gallons sounds about right. How far is this first run? Being in a different country, Norfolk to Dorset means nothing to me. Don't thrash it, check the temperature gauge occasionally but, .most importantly, enjoy your drive. Regards, John.

[022Dave]

Hello Oscar,,

In addition to the above suggestions, definitely do a few local drives of 30+ miles to understand its foibles, so that you are comfortable with it before setting out on your maiden journey. The fuel gauge lies; after the needle goes under the halfway mark, start planning a fuel stop - fuel consumption is directly proportional to how much you are enjoying yourself.

The Club insurance scheme with RH also has UK & European breakdown & recovery included, so is worthwhile considering when comparing prices (other classic policies may also include this too), so that's peace of mind if your pride & joy throws a strop. Two essential tools to carry are a mobile 'phone and a credit card.

Always check your fluids before going anywhere when the engine is cold, and stood on level ground. You will get to know what your Stag consumes, and therefore any sudden changes that need attention (don't overfill any, as this can cause unwanted problems). Almost all Stags will leak something wet onto the ground, particularly the original BW auto boxes, so don't get too despondent. Again, knowing your Stag's habits will let you know when something is amiss.

I've taken mine down to Italy, the Alps, and several times to the south of France in the heat of summer, with no problems, so don't worry that they are not reliable; taking care, and carrying out preventative maintenance is key.

Dave

[oscarn]

Thank you so much

[RobinLegin]

Notwithstanding the advice to do only “local” runs to find out the foibles first, I bought my Stag from the owner living in Wadebridge North Cornwall. I drove it back to Bournemouth with my wife following behind in our daily driver. The only precaution I took was to have a local mechanic check it over first. He knew Stags from his days as an apprentice so was looking for head gasket and heating issues. The 150 mile drive to Bournemouth was most pleasurable.

The car has since been down to the Loire and rallied around Brittany. And like most of us, I have since spent way too much money on improving the bodywork, engine rebuild and Tate & Lewis 4 speed auto box.

[NickBristol]

Local drives first. Bring spare oil, water, steering fluid, food/drink and a reflective jacket. Check fluids at the start when cold (rad full, expansion tank one third ish full). Stop for a coffee after 50 miles and take a pic of the clean patch of car park beneath the car - see if it looks much different when you come back to the car in 15 mins. If you need the choke, depress the accelerator and hold before pulling the knob gently (replacing them is a b1tch). If you leave it overnight, chock the wheels and leave the handbrake off (partic if it’s wet). Get someone to show you how the soft top works (if it’s not a hard top) - it shouldn’t need force but sometimes feels like it should if you haven’t flicked the right switches.
Classic line UK for my insurance have always been good and fairly competitively priced. I’ve seen little between multiple quotes so pick on service - Classic Line seem helpful, it comes with breakdown cover and the minimum value we agreed on reflects what I’ve spent on the thing, not what it’s worth (which gives me peace of mind!).
Enjoy the ride.
Let us know how you get on.
Ta
Nick

[Ukpooky]

Hope you love your new car! I picked up my first Stag too the other month I love it.

Also a V8 manual - I get about 28mpg on B roads/motorways

RH insurance refused me because I don't own another car (it has to be your 'hobby' car for them to quote)

Adrian Flux were great though - couple of hundred pounds a year including breakdown and agreed value - I hopefully won't ever need their claims service but the customer service has been good so far.

[MandM]

I went to classic line from R&H after 10 yrs as they become un competitive, same cover saved £130 , put my daily with them as well from R&H breakdown cover on both

[AJLC]

And try Lancaster. Their package with breakdown cover has gone down in price year on year for me and was cheaper than a number of other classic car insurers.