Paul's Triumph Stag 3.0L V8

Having removed the carpets and the seats I can now fully see the state of the floor panels. Drivers side looks fine and I suspect has been replaced before although it's difficult to tell since the inner and outer sills also look like they have been replaced (lots of welding scars).  In order to add a few more years of life to the drivers side floor panels I have cleaned  them down, covered them in rust proofing agent ( Rustbuster Fe-123), and then a coat of white  Rustbuster Epoxy Mastic EM121. Looks much better and should give better protection. In time I will do the underside in a similar way. The passenger side floor is another story. It has a number of molded sound deadening sheets which are keeping it structurally intact and I suspect forming a base for large amounts of underseal underneath to disguise the rot. Rather than rubbing down, sealing and painting this side of the floor I have decided to get it replaced. I have found a local welder and sourced the fron...

As you may have read from my previous posts, a historical rebuild / refurb of this car has introduced some electrical gremlins. Whilst investigating why the battery totally discharged every few days I noticed that there was considerable spurious wiring hanging out of the dash for a) a radio which wasn't fitted b) a rocker switch fixed to the centre console for something or other - unknown. There was also missing bulbs in the dash and issues with non functioning interior lighting, not to mention a random indicator that seems to make it's own mind up whether it works or not. So whilst I was waiting for some paint to dry I decided to investigate and remove the spurious wiring.  Got a little carried away. Now it's all in bits I will put it back together with a little more care than the last time, check and test all of the wiring and replace with LED in the dash and interior - might even do the the indicators as well. The more I look into the electricals the more I need...

43 years have taken their toll on the padding of the front seats. Whilst the structure/frame was sturdy and robust, the bolsters were non-existent and had collapsed. There was also evidence of rust to the rails and the seat frame. So, new fillers were purchased from Mr Rimmer and I started to open up the first seat to see what was inside...... As there are no issues (other than dirt) with the vinyl covering, I carefully removed each of the many retaining clips that hold the fabric to the frame. What I found in there was disgusting. The foam had completely disintegrated in the bolsters and stank!! With the aid of rubber gloves and a razor blade, I parted the vinyl from the padding. Not easy, as the padding had been glued to the vinyl and was still firmly attached even after all of this time. It was also complicated by the need to disassemble the seat frames in order to remove the vinyl in a way that it could be re-used.  I ended up with 3 pieces of frame: the runne...

I t's been a few weeks since I have had any time to work on the Stag. It's been a very busy time at work - the culmination of 2 years work successfully delivered at the end of June 17. So now it's time to take a breath and get back into the garage. The last few weeks have benefited from some very warm, dry weather - perfect for the old Stag. I have had the Stag on the road a few times with the hood down listening to that intoxicating burble. But, every time I get into the car after it has stood for a few days, the battery is flat. As there is now radio or clock at the moment, then this is a little puzzling. Once started the, voltage reading climbs up to 16.5v (as I would expect if the battery was very low) but it stays there and doesn't drop back as I would expect after 20-30 miles. Dropped a quick query on the SOC Forum and the consensus is that the alternator needs replacing. The built in regulator is probably not functioning.  The direct replacement is the 18 ACR. ...

A s I really have no clue as to when this car was last treated to a service, then I thought that I should do it now. At least I will have a baseline to work with. I'll start with the basics: Air filter Oil Filter Oil Plugs Coil Leads Distributor cap Distributor arm Fuel Filter Had to remove the rubber strip from around the outside of the air filter before it would fit in the air box. Also the air box needed a good rub-down to remove surface rust. I need some aluminium colour paint to finish it off now. The temp compensation value also seemed defunct. The coil and plugs were both OK. Although the plugs looked like they had been in there for some time, when removed they were fine. A little blackened from runing on choke recently but no signs of wear and tear. Good for spares. The distributor cap looked fine, although like all of these parts it looked like it had been in-situ for 10 years plus. I replaced it anyway and likewise the rotor arm. The f...

O n inspection I noticed that the belt between the fan and the alternator was shredded and hanging loose. That would explain the other feature of the drive home. The sudden drop in charging of the battery. I was lucky the car had been recently fitted with a new battery as there was no chance it was creating and electricity with the perished belt in such a state. Ordered new belts (alternator and power steering) from Rimmer Brothers. Should be here is a few days along with a small fortune of other bits to cover the other areas that need attention. R immer Brothers delivered as they promised a couple of weeks ago. A minor plumbing emergency in the downstairs cloakroom has prevented me doing anything on the Stag for the last couple of weekends whilst the radiator was fixed, floor dried and relayed and basin replaced - just the tiling to do but that can wait. Slackened off the bolts holding the alternator and power steering pump. Difficult to get at as there isn't a lot ...

On inspection I noticed that the fuel pipe to the drivers side carb has sprung off the carb and was hanging free. The car must have been running on a single carb for the last few miles home. That would explain the loss of power when driving back. Replaced the pipe and re-connected - tighter this time.