Triumph Stag on the British TV.

The Triumph Stag, that was really a car for the dedicated.
I remember a neighbour having one, second hand, and spending all his week ends fixing it.
The original V8 went out after a while, to be replaced by an ex-police car Rover V8 that gave up the ghost two years later.
A 3L Ford Capri V6 was next; the guy wouldn't give up!

When he wasn't chasing the rust on the chassis, he was dealing with cooling problems, ignition gremlins and so on... When everything seemed OK, he was just polishing it.
He only had a rest when it was raining (he worked on his car outside).

But a well sorted Stag, with some alterations to its cooling, gearbox and an engine professionally rebuilt is a serious piece of kit, mostly if the suspension and brakes have been upgraded with more modern components (larger ventilated discs, nylon bushes, etc...).
I saw one showing 300hp on the dyno once. It's owner used to race it on hillclimbs against 911 Porsche of the same period.

 

The aluminum head would warp; I believe it was a Pontiac unit if my old brain serves me.

 

i thought it was the old Buick block

The Stag if you like driving a car with playground set welded into the back seat.

Will the brits ever get it right?

 

The Stag engine (originally) was 100% Triumph from inception to execution. It's a 3.0 litre, OHC V8 of a very unique design. The Buick engine was the 215cid whose design was sold to Rover so became the vaunted 3.5 Rover V8, many of which have found their way into Stags, but IMHO the original mill, once sorted is the best way to fly. Nothing sounds quite like it and in these modern times, there are plenty of very knowledgeable folks who can iron out the original kinks and make the TV8 reliable.