STARTING ON STELLA

My previous project, a replica of a 1930's Morgan Three Wheeler disappeared down the drive last Tuesday. I had hugely enjoyed building it during 2013 through to 2015 and had great fun driving it about and acknowledging the accolades it received, but sooner than I had planned another project loomed into view. A 1974 Triumph Stag, 3 litre, V8, white, a proper car, four wheels, two doors, a roof and a heater, all the things that Marjorie didn't have. This beautiful car, was not in need of restoration, nothing like it, and it is a sound runner, but only having covered very low annual  mileage for the last 30 years, it is in need of some serious fettling and tidying up to ensure that it is capable of some serious future journeys.

No sooner was my Morgan, Marjorie, well not mine anymore, on the trailer and gone, Stella Stag was in the garage. First job was to change the oil and filter and the next was to upgrade the cooling system by fitting a high level header tank, thereby dispensing with the low level expansion bottle.

The idea is that any trapped air in the system will find it's way into the header tank. I think it has worked as the Kenlow electric fan doesn't keep switching on as it used to and the temperature gauge is steady at just a tad over 90 deg., which I assume is just under when one would expect the fan to start whirring. There is even a float in the header tank, connected to a buzzer, which will give early warning of any loss of coolant before any damage can occur.

I still intend to drain, flush and refill the cooling system fairly soon and will probably take the rad out and back flush it. whilst out I will probably tart it up with some black spray. The two photos above show that a lot of cable tidying and tarting up need to take place before I will be happy, but plenty of time. Keep watching this space.