> I have already contemplated undercoating and frequent under
> body washes to compensate for the salt. Would it likely be enough?
The Stag is like any 1970's car - Main rust areas are: Front wheel
arches, the area where the sill meets the B pillar body panel, and the
boot (trunk) lid.
It would benefit from a total body injection rust proofing, but it WILL
rust.
> How does the stag handle in the snow?
Main problem is traction on the rear wheels, the power spins them too
easily - I used to put a couple of hundred-weight cement bags in the
boot (trunk) in winter. Apart from that, it's like any other rear wheel
drive.
> I would purchase a car with the original Rover V8, not a transplant.
NO! The Rover engine was not the original - The original was a Triumph
V8.
The main problem with the Rover engine transplant is that it messes up
the handling because it is so much lighter.
The main problem with the Triumph engine is that it warps heads if not
maintained in top condition.
The alloy Triumph used corrodes easily, so if the cooling system is not
flushed once a year and filled with high quality corrosion inhibitor,
the engine will eventually overheat and warp the head.
I had no trouble with my Triumph V8 once I rebuilt it and cared for it.
(And the Triumph V8 exhaust note is much more sexy than the Rover!)
> Is stag ownership as messy as it sounds?
Not once you've sorted out the main problems. I drove mine 3000 miles on
holiday in Europe one week after rebuilding it, and never had any
problems until I sold it <sob, sob> four years later.
> From what I read, it sounds like the mark I has more power (as the
> compression was reduced on the mark II)...
Not in the UK <grin>
> Is there a preference between the mark I vs the mark II?
Triumph had spent some time improving the overheating problem on the
Mark II, but mine was a Mark I and worked fine. The Mark II has
stainless steel sill caps and head restraints and looks nicer.
>Are the maintenance issues easier or harder with a manual tranny?
Manual transmission is far more reliable - the auto box will need
rebuilding much more frequently.
> what kind of price range should I expect to find?
In the UK, 10,000 pounds upwards for a decent one.
Antony - Skipton, UK
PS. I think the Saab connection was that they bought the Dolomite four
cylinder design, from which the V8 was developed.
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