I saw a beautiful red 1978 Triumph Stag for sale today - it looks pristine and I'm quite close to impulse buying it... Out of interest I got an insurance quote and I was shocked at how little it was, given that I've only be driving for a couple of years. So, does anyone have any experience with these cars? I'd be really interested to hear if anyone has anything to say about reliability, safety, handling etc. I've never been in one, and know very little about Triumphs in general... Here's a picture: And a link to the site: Link Many thanks.
Safety is god-awful, being from the era before anyone really cared about it, handling will be comfortably out-paced by just about any modern hatch, and unless it's been regularly used and cared for you can probably expect flaky reliability. That said, classics like this are rather wonderful. My Dad has an MG-B and it's a brilliant little car. That has the added bonus of a V8, so the noise will be magnificent (although you'll get comical economy figures). To be honest, if you're asking about safety and reliability, a classic like that might not be for you. Don't let me put you off, but it's worth not getting swept up in the nostalgia and excitement so you can see the downsides. For insurance try Footman James - they're excellent.
Thanks for the advice mate, this is going to take some serious thought. I could live with the poor reliability (although this one looks fairly well cared for) and poor handling (by modern standards) just for the sound of that V8 on a nice summer day - if such a thing exists in this country . My only real concern is that I don't want to die quite yet... and whilst I really have no intentions of crashing or driving like an idiot, there's always the possibility that someone else is going to make a mistake around you. As a car for summer weekends I'm sorely tempted however. I'll try getting a quote from Footman James tomorrow, see how it works out.
Stags originally basically had two Dolomite engines welded together, which badly overheated. Others used Rover engines. If "your" Stag has the former, check tomake sure the radiator has been upgraded. There are several aftermarket alternatives.
I don't think the "other people crashing into me" argument is really very effective, , even more so on a car like this which won't get driven as much. If everyone took this attitude we'd all still be living in caves, Looks a nice car. I'd imagine that as with any British car from this sort of era that rust could be a problem, so if you do go for it, check it over well, or get someone who knows them to go with you and alert you to any of the common problems. I don't think reliability should be much of an issue, if you can hold a spanner, most jobs you should be able to do yourself, and as you say, if it's been well looked after, which at that price, I'd hope it has, then there shouldn't be any major problems.
Interesting! That one would appear to have the Triumph V8 rather than the ubiquitous Rover. I'm assuming you'd be using the car as a daily S1W1? Reading around, an engine known for extreme tendencies for overheating, needs a chain tensioner every 25k miles and a habit of eating main bearings probably isn't a great choice. Can I make another suggestion? TVR Chimaera. V8, convertible, great handling and much safer than a Stag (although still not a safe car by modern standards, you've got a chance of surviving a half-decent accident). There's loads of good ones available within your budget, and reliability really isn't what the TVR rep would have you believe. They're right at the bottom of their depreciation curve now, and poised to start going up a touch like the Griffith has done this last 12m or so.
Wooooooo, TVR, , why the hell didn't I think of recommending one, Insurance will probably be higher, but then if your buying the car for 7-8k, you've already got 2-3k spare over buying the Stag, so probably works out the same. Prices are certainly at the tipping point, lots of them have started going up again. I wouldn't be surprised if a TVR is probably safer than quite a few modern cars, as it's a spaceframe chassis rather than a monocoque, and fibreglass is stronger than steel too. A chim might not be the safest of them all due to being a soft-top, so there's no roll cage, but I reckon they should still be pretty good. Especially if the stories of the old 70s M series are true (chassis was almost too stiff for the crash tests, and I believe was the only car to pass new US crash tests or something at the time). Can you tell I'm a fan of TVRs, (not sure fan is the right word, )
Didn't the stag have an issue where if you went over a crest at speed if would pop it's suspension springs free of there mounts and cause certain death. I know when jacking them up you've got to be careful not to do that same thing. Friend had his years ago in for some tyres and they used a 4 point lift and watched the front wish bones drop to a hilarious angle and the springs just fell out.
Lol. Top-notch BL engineering then. Cerb: I think you might be a bit adventurous claiming better safety than a fully FEA'd monocoque that most cars have. It's not a bad chassis, but generally a chassis+body car doesn't fair as well in crashes. Don't get me wrong, I love TVR's, but the Blackpool boys were starting to get very much left behind in design terms by the 90s.
Couldn't agree more, TVR wen't under because the mad sales technique of Lamborghini where everything made no sense on it's own, but together it makes something magically just didn't work for TVR. Every TVR feels like a student concept car from an automotive degree, it looks awesome but you dig a little deeper and find they've used wood screws to hold the dash in and the engine has been pulled out of a scrap 1983 range rover or rover SD1. TVR were the lotus of the west, but lacked chassis and engine development abilities, lotus contracts it's in house skills out to more car manufactures than it spends on it's own road cars, and at least the elan evolved into the elise keeping the vision of a composite monocoque chassis alive. Yes I am aware of the Speed Six engine, but that came too late. I am sad that TVR are gone, but the slap dash approach just let them down, especially when your charging £50K+
A little harsh on the Rover V8 I know, if rover didn't give it a chance modern aluminium engine block with iron sleeves may have taken a lot longer to come to market. I know the PRV V6 used iron liners but I can't remember the casting alloy if it were iron or aluminium. (Dog of an engine, dam you 1973 energy crisis!) Side tracked.. The only Triumph you should get is a TR6, that's a man's car with a better sounding engine!
My best man's dad has a tr6 and its beautiful. I'm still trying to get a go in it though. Triumph will always hold a special place in my heart but I wouldn't want to use one as a daily drive. Especially if I didn't own a garage. The same as an old school mini.
lol, only just! I like the TVR winter pack, that when it breaks down it's usually on fire so you can keep warm whilst waiting for a tow!
Overheating would have been a better one, , I'm sure I've seen/heard of more modern exotic cars bursting into flames than TVRs, *cough* 458 *cough*,
As already mentioned on here, overheating is a MASSIVE problem. My mate had so many problems with his he broke the car for spares and the engine has now been polished up and is used as a coffee table with a glass top... (I kid you not !) Now a Porsche 944 on the other hand.... great fun and still quite cheap to buy and insure.
