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Vehicle Description
The Rundown:
If you have been looking for a Stag to restore, or any project car to restore for that matter, here is your car. Here we have a 1973 Triumph Stag 2-door convertible with a Chevy V-6 Conversion, with approx 1000 miles on motor and tranny. Automatic. Both Hard Top Soft Top. VIN: LE24425UBW. This is a 2-owner car with 28,131 original miles. 2nd owner bought this car in 1975, only a year after the original owner did, so it is basically a 1-owner car. This car is an excellent candidate for a full restoration, having no rot or rust whatsoever on the car. I have paperwork and history on this car from day one!! No Bullcrap here, mileage can be documented. I have a copy of the original title and the title I hold in my hand is from the 2nd owner and is dated 1975!! This car has been off the road since 1994. It was restored in about 1990, then it was parked in 1994. The owner told me he used to start it ever year and let it run until the past few years when it would no longer start and the motor would just turn over. I have a full appraisal that was done in June of 1991 and documents ownership of the car, as well as verifying the original low mileage. These cars are pretty rare as they only produced them for 3 years and a limited number were exported to the US.
The Engine:
If you read anything about the Triumph Stag, you will learn that the original Buick made engines were troublesome. They had major cooling problems as well as leaky gaskets etc. The original Triumph motor had these problems and the car sat for a while, hence the reason for the low mileage as described in the appraisal. As quoted from the appraisal “The mileage appears original to the car and the car has been stored for many years being plagued with mechanical engine problems”. Around 1990 the 2nd owner replaced the Triumph motor and put in the Chevy V6. The motor was installed by Sorbello Racing Company in Lawrence, MA. It was a nice clean-cut job. Not a hack-job at all. Unfortunately, the guy I bought this car from had a whole folder of paperwork from the car, but not the paperwork for the engine. He told me it was installed a little before the car was appraised, so that’s where I get the time frame from. My parts guy looked at it and told me it is the 262 cubic inch 4.3 Liter Chevy V6. Engine is topped with an aluminum intake and a 4 barrel Holley Carb. It took me a bit to get it running again, but this thing fires right up and runs mint. Nice and quiet, not a lifter noise or anything. Most of the trouble getting it started was from bad fuel. I did drain all of the bad fuel out of the tank and the lines. I replaced the fuel pump with the original style SU Electric Fuel Pump made out of Britain, it wasn’t easy to find. I saved the old one because there are people online that rebuild them, that way the new buyer will have an extra. I changed the fuel filter and the spark plugs. I changed the oil and sprayed mystery oil in the cylinders. The carb was gummed up from sitting so I took the primary bowl apart and cleaned it, the secondaries will probably need to be done as well, but I just wanted to get this thing yard drivable. The alternator is junk and needs to be replaced. Other than that, the motor would only need cosmetics and small stuff, tune-up, belts, hoses etc that I can see. This big motor must make this car haul.
The Transmission:
According to the appraisal the transmission is a Chevy or GM transmission. At this time, the condition of the transmission is unknown, I have not driven the car as of yet. It has been on jack stands since I have been working on it. I did put it into every gear and it moved easily with no grinding. The fluid is full and clean. The rear brakes are locked up and I didn’t have time to take them apart and free them up to drive the car around, I’m sure with that the low mileage and the fact that it went in and out of gear freely that the transmission is fine, however, since I was unable to verify by actually driving the car, I feel like it’s a more honest way to describe it.
The Body:
This is where this car shines. There is no rot on this car at all. The car was treated with Ziebart Rust-proofing when it was brand new. I have the paperwork on that as well. And I would say it was worth every penny. I was amazed when I pulled up the carpet and found no rot holes. There is a small dent in the drivers side front fender, which I am told happened when they installed the motor and there is a small crease in the passenger side fender there are also a couple of very small shopping cart type dings……very minor body work to be done on this car considering there is no rot. Both of these dents are mentioned in the appraisal and I took pictures of both of them to show you. The fenders are otherwise in good condition and are well worth repairing. The paint could possibly be buffed out to some sort of shine, but considering the two small dents, the car should probably be painted anyway. Easy work since there will be no rot and rust repair needed. I do have the hardtop. It is in excellent shape. Unlike the car, it was stored inside the garage since 1994. It really just needs a good cleaning and a polish. The glass is all there and intact. I didn’t get a chance to take pictures of it before I put it into storage, but if I get the chance to pull it out I will add them. The soft top canvas is junk and will need to be replaced, however the framework is all there. It will probably need to come apart and be greased and cleaned up to operate a little more efficiently. The front tires are dry rotted but are holding air, the rear tires that were on the car when I got it would not hold air, so I put a couple of used tires on there that were the same size. These used tires are in excellent shape. The spare is flat also, but it is the same aluminum rim as the ones that are on the car. The aluminum rims are average for the age with the coating peeling off a bit. The bumpers are in excellent shape with very minor rust pits, about the size of a pencil tip.
The Interior:
This car will need interior work. Over the years the soft top gave way to the weather and the interior got wet. The carpets were a total loss, so I tossed them all out. The bottom to the rear seat is in tough shape and will definitely need to be reupholstered. The upper to the rear seat survived a little better. The drivers and passenger seats upholstery are OK, but I would recommend redoing them all to avoid any mold issues since they were once wet. All of the seat framework is there. The door panels are in pretty good shape and the dash is pretty good. The woodwork around the shifter is water damaged. There is minor rust pitting in the steering wheel metal.
Paperwork:
Here is a sample of some of the paperwork I have on this car: Current 2nd Owners Title, copy of original title, 11-page appraisal, old registrations, old insurance papers, Ziebart Rust-proofing Receipt, Owners Manual, Triumph Owner’s Club Manual, Misc Repairs Receipts.
Terms:
This car is sold as is, where is. No refunds exchanges or returns. Buyer will receive the signed 2nd owner title to be placed in their name. Along with all the paperwork I have with the car, this includes old registrations if your state requires them. Please understand, you are buying a project car for the purpose of restoration, it has been sitting for 14 years, while it is fairly complete and a running car, this is currently not a street-legal vehicle without restoration and must be towed off site. I have tried to the best of my ability to give an honest and accurate description of this vehicle. There may me unforeseen problems. If you are local, you are strongly urged to come and view the car. Fridays and weekends work best for viewing times. If you are not local, please ask questions before bidding! $1000 deposit required within 48 hours via cash (in person), or by certified check out of state buyer. I will accept Paypal for payment of the deposit or payment in full, but please e-mail me to discuss first. Full payment required within 7 days. Vehicle must be removed from property within 10 days. Shipping is the responsibility of the buyer. I will do what I can to help, but you must make your own arrangements. The car is located at my office, so I can be pretty flexible with pickup times. I also work part time for a towing and transport company and could get you a price for delivery within New England. Feel free to ask.
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