Partially refurbished, this well-preserved 1972 Triumph Stag in Lyons, Illinois seeks a buyer to source parts and get this British drophead 2+2 back in the wind. The listing here on eBay describes overhauled systems including a claimed $5000 engine rebuild. The latter seems odd considering this project car puzzle is missing one big piece, or two actually:  the cylinder heads for the 3.0L V8. More on that later. If you haven’t seen a Stag, consider it utilizes a wheelbase one foot longer than its TR6 stablemate. This one shows a mere 39,108 miles, and the brightwork and interior support that number. Purchase options include Make Offer and a Buy It Now price of $8750. Hagerty puts a #3 Good Condition specimen at $15,700.

A new carpet kit comes with the sale, and we might surmise the excellent-looking claimed original seats were loosely set on the floorboards for this photo session. Zoom in and you see rust across the A-pillar and inner rockers, though the floor looks solid. Expect at least some pin holes in the floorboards, and don’t forget this classic’s Illinois address. Two pedals and the shift lever suggest a three-speed automatic gearbox. Black interiors lined nearly all imported convertibles of this era, making this saddle upholstery an attractive find.

Aside from some dust, there’s little to complain about here. The wire wheels and chrome trim look classy on the big (2800 lb) convertible. Pro-tip:  when photographing a subject that’s wider than it is tall, such as most automobiles, turn your phone 90 degrees and, almost as if by magic, more of the vehicle fits in the captured image. If you still do not see the entire car, carefully step further away and try again. You may wish to practice this technique so it becomes second nature when you sell something worth thousands of dollars.

Those shiny piston tops support the recent rebuild story. Forgive yourself if you don’t recognize this V8 as it’s Triumph’s own design. Interesting features include the ability to remove the heads and overhead cams (one per bank) without losing ignition timing, and the arrangement of skew-cut gears driving the distributor and oil and water pumps at their required speeds from a jackshaft driven by the timing chain. Thanks to wikipedia for some details. The 3.0 made 145 HP during a year when the base Corvette’s 5.7L V8 made 200 according to thelostcorvettes.

Like the Corvette, an optional hard top and roll-up windows made for four-season driving, and the grisly trailing edge of this top suggests it sat outside for some time before its rescue. British cars of the ’70s didn’t fare well in rusty climates, rendering this Stag even more interesting. Several undercarriage pictures show black undercoating and nothing horrible at all. The ideal buyer has the correct cylinder heads in a dusty corner of their garage, or a roasted Triumph V8 with good heads. Rebuild of the heads runs about $1200 for two and cores without valvetrain are about $300 the pair. Call the “missing head” quest $2000 and the buyer would have to consider if $4000 makes this a #3 car or not. Each buyer will need to do their own mathematics of course. Don’t let concerns about resale value stop you from buying something you love and can afford! When’s the last time you saw a V8 Triumph 2+2 in your neighborhood?