Triumph · 1970–1977The Stag Archive

How-To & Repairs / Bodywork

Rust inspection walkthrough

A systematic walk around the car to assess where rust hides on a Triumph Stag: sills, floors, front and rear valances, inner wings, boot floor and hood-well area. Suitable for a first-time buyer's inspection and for annual health checks on a car you already own.

Tools needed

  • Strong torch
  • Small inspection mirror
  • Magnet (checks for filler over rust)
  • Trolley jack and axle stands (only for a car you own or with the seller's permission)
  • Overalls and a groundsheet

Parts needed

No consumable parts required.

Warnings

  • Never lie under a car supported only on a jack. Use axle stands on firm, level ground.
  • Only lift and inspect underside on a car you own or with the seller's explicit permission.

Steps

  1. 01. Start with the sills, from underneath

    The sills are the Stag's structural spine. Check the outer sill, inner sill and jacking points from below, front to back, with the torch. Bubbling, previous overplating and filler here are serious findings.

  2. Owner-uploaded photo slot
    Sill inspection from below. Underside of the sill, torch-lit, showing its actual condition.

  3. 02. Check the floors and inner wings from inside

    Lift the carpets front and rear and inspect the floor pans and the inner wings by torchlight. Look for previous patches, seam-sealer that has been recently disturbed and rust bubbling around seatbelt mounts.

  4. 03. Inspect the hood well and rear deck

    Water sitting in the hood-well area is a well-known Stag corrosion source. Check the drain channels, the rear-deck panel and the base of the T-bar mounts.

  5. Owner-uploaded photo slot
    Hood well and drains. The hood well and its drain channels, clean and dry — or otherwise.

  6. 04. Front and rear valances, wheel arches and bumpers

    Rust commonly forms behind the front and rear valances, in the wheel arch lips and around bumper mounting points. A magnet test helps identify filler that has been used to disguise it.

  7. 05. Boot floor and spare-wheel well

    Lift the boot carpet and spare wheel. Check the boot floor, the spare-wheel well and the rear panel seams for perforation and previous repairs.

  8. Owner-uploaded photo slot
    Boot floor and spare-wheel well. The boot floor and spare-wheel well with the carpet lifted.

  9. 06. Record your findings and photograph everything

    Take clear photographs of anything questionable and note it on a simple checklist. A photographic record is invaluable for a buying decision, an insurance valuation and future welding work.

Related faults

No directly linked fault-finding entries yet.

Further reading

Figures and procedures should be confirmed against the official Triumph workshop manual; for safety-critical or specialist work, consult a specialist.

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