Hi - I am in New Zealand and have recently imported a 1977 automatic Stag from Australia. The last Stag I owned was a 1975 auto, which I bought in 1981 when I lived in England (former SOC member) - I brought the car with me when I emigrated here in 1985, but sold it the following year to fund a house purchase. So it has taken me 33 years to regain what I lost... The car I have bought has "good bones" though has not enjoyed an unmolested life, and my intention is to bring it back up to where it should be. The car was supplied new in Australia and there are a couple of things about it which have me scratching my head, and I'm hoping that Club members may be able to advise -
The car has a modification to the cooling system which is not like anything I have seen, or read about previously - there is a take-off from the top radiator hose back to the Water Transfer Housing on the rear of the right-hand cylinder head. A T-junction in this pipe bridges to another T-junction in the normal heater outlet hose which connects (as normal) to the Water Transfer Housing on the rear of the left-hand cylinder head. My understanding is that there is normally no connection to the Water Transfer Housing on the rear of the right-hand cylinder head, this being blanked off with a plug. Can anybody explain to me why this may have been done, and if it is a recognised modification?
Being late-model Aus specification, the car was fitted with the Evaporative Loss Control system, though at some stage it has had the engine replaced and it would appear that the original carbs have been replaced with another pair of Strombergs, and some of the connections to the ELC system have been abandoned. I am intending to restore the car, bringing it to what would be a NZ spec. (similar to UK) and would like to ditch the ELC system altogether, but am not sure what implications this may have on the running of the car. If any members have knowledge of Aus spec. Stags I would appreciate any advice.
Thanks - Dave Hopkinson
The car has a modification to the cooling system which is not like anything I have seen, or read about previously - there is a take-off from the top radiator hose back to the Water Transfer Housing on the rear of the right-hand cylinder head. A T-junction in this pipe bridges to another T-junction in the normal heater outlet hose which connects (as normal) to the Water Transfer Housing on the rear of the left-hand cylinder head. My understanding is that there is normally no connection to the Water Transfer Housing on the rear of the right-hand cylinder head, this being blanked off with a plug. Can anybody explain to me why this may have been done, and if it is a recognised modification?
Being late-model Aus specification, the car was fitted with the Evaporative Loss Control system, though at some stage it has had the engine replaced and it would appear that the original carbs have been replaced with another pair of Strombergs, and some of the connections to the ELC system have been abandoned. I am intending to restore the car, bringing it to what would be a NZ spec. (similar to UK) and would like to ditch the ELC system altogether, but am not sure what implications this may have on the running of the car. If any members have knowledge of Aus spec. Stags I would appreciate any advice.
Thanks - Dave Hopkinson
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