Practically Classics Forum

Maybe they come in threes, maybe it's because I was a passenger some of the time, so was able to spot, but I also saw not one, but two of these Corsa As today!
One may have been the Vauxhall-badged version (a 5 door with the conventional arches like that one^^) but the one that flew by on the way back down the middle way toward Inverness - as my travelling companion concentrated on breaking some sort of world speed record for a wagon pulling a caravan chassis - appeared to be the rare 1200cc Rallye version in the bubble-arched 3 door shell, standard white and yellow livery, complete with induction snarl from its twin side draughts and driver grinning like an eejit.
A quick glance at the eBay shows a mere dozen (all bog stock models, no Rallye or GSE anywhere) for sale in both Opel and Vauxhall versions just now, inevitably the ones further south are all Vauxhalls. That compares with hundreds of listings for minis and Ford stuff of the period. Maybe we should all head out and buy a Corsa A now?

And once back on the east side of the border, a very sweet looking Riley Elf was seen in Berwick, though not that sweet sounding, definitely missing rather badly (rather well if that was the intention). On the A1 southbound we were passed by another fine old motor, this one some sort of American pickup in super shiny black paint. It sounded good enough to make up for the Elf's sonic shortcomings.

I spotted this as we were heading out of a petrol station earlier (don't panic, I wasn't driving) And this is at my local LR specialist. It has been in storage for a while and is now for sale. Fitted with a Rover v8 so that is either a good or a bad thing depending how you look at it.

You very rarely see an Austin Nash Metropolitan these days unless at a big show/meet. Nicely photo'd Terry.
As for the stag's V8, surely it would depend on the size? What was triumph's 3000cc normally?

It was indeed.
A Stag with it's original v8 is worth more than an equivalent car with a Rover conversion. Personally I like the Rover v8 but I know people that are very rude about converted cars. Each to their own.

I can see the sense in both the original 3 litre Ricardo engine being kept for its economy, its superior, DOHC layout & that awesome soundtrack - more Italian sports car than American commercial vehicle - and the crude, pushrod Rover thing being in there for its greater availability (parts and core units), however Stags can be made reliable these days thanks to a greater understanding of such things as the need to fasten the heads down in the correct sequence, the way in which worn jackshaft bushes cause water pump problems and the availability of decent quality, none-stretchy timing chains, the last significant as some folk didn't like having to swap a set of chains the length of a tennis court as a service item. And of course aftermarket upgrades such as dowels that can help the terminally dull of thinking to pull the heads down at the correct angle to the faces of the blocks are in use these days, which should help any Stag that finds itself being worked at by someone inexperienced with the breed.

If I'm going to be overtaken by a Stag at full pelt, I'd like it to have the correct engine simply for that incredible, tenor howl that just makes the Rover engine sound like the crude old thing that it is. But, if I had to own a Stag , I'd want the knowledge that it had an engine capable of dying slowly and with lots of warning from the instruments because sadly; the Stag motor, although reliable these days with current parts and practices on its side, would still - if it were going to die - keel over in a much more spectacular fashion, so I'd buy [a Stag] minus engine and fit a Mazda/Suzuki KV6 in there: Best of all worlds; efficient, the right noises, reliable whether chain or belt camshaft drive version, only slightly too light but most of all perfectly dependable for the long term. I've seen a few conversions now and their owners have only good things to say about the cars, things such as "if only the Japanese had done the wiring too.."

JPB wrote:I can see the sense in both the original 3 litre Ricardo engine being kept for its economy, its superior, DOHC layout & that awesome soundtrack - more Italian sports car than American commercial vehicle - and the crude, pushrod Rover thing being in there for its greater availability (parts and core units), however Stags can be made reliable these days thanks to a greater understanding of such things as the need to fasten the heads down in the correct sequence, the way in which worn jackshaft bushes cause water pump problems and the availability of decent quality, none-stretchy timing chains, the last significant as some folk didn't like having to swap a set of chains the length of a tennis court as a service item. And of course aftermarket upgrades such as dowels that can help the terminally dull of thinking to pull the heads down at the correct angle to the faces of the blocks are in use these days, which should help any Stag that finds itself being worked at by someone inexperienced with the breed.

If I'm going to be overtaken by a Stag at full pelt, I'd like it to have the correct engine simply for that incredible, tenor howl that just makes the Rover engine sound like the crude old thing that it is. But, if I had to own a Stag , I'd want the knowledge that it had an engine capable of dying slowly and with lots of warning from the instruments because sadly; the Stag motor, although reliable these days with current parts and practices on its side, would still - if it were going to die - keel over in a much more spectacular fashion, so I'd buy [a Stag] minus engine and fit a Mazda/Suzuki KV6 in there: Best of all worlds; efficient, the right noises, reliable whether chain or belt camshaft drive version, only slightly too light but most of all perfectly dependable for the long term. I've seen a few conversions now and their owners have only good things to say about the cars, things such as "if only the Japanese had done the wiring too.."

i know several people who have put the KV6 in a Eunos/MX5. works great and seems to be a very suitable conversion

Kev

If you really want to a ford 302 from the mustang fits and has the correct number of cylinders.

TerryG wrote:If you really want to a ford 302 from the mustang fits and has the correct number of cylinders.

YES! And it's incredibly compact for its capacity, sounds good and is well served by Ford specialists but [stag purist mode]it's frightfully infra dig, what what. That sort of talk lost Uncle Arthur his right to wear the regimental elbow patches don'cha know![/stag purist mode]

This is in the same place as the stag. There's a K10 and a Bentley there too. I'll take some snaps tomorrow if i get a chance.

Interesting thing about the Minor; it's been out of test since January 2010, has been on a SORN as long, is stood on grass yet appears fresh as a daisy and has inflated tyres which even look shiny. Hmm, does that appear to you as though it hasn't been used in over five years? I'd be asking the owner whether they fancy flogging that seeing as they appear not to need the car.