The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

OCF405R The story that took 21 years to make ..

20 10 1976 keeper a Mrs xxxxxxxx from Ruislip Middx purchased form LEX MEAD Maidenhe

Sold January 1980 to Yeading motors Yeading lane Hayes Middx Mrs xxxxxx brought a new Renault and her husband told me she “ hates it can we have our Dolly back ! “ owned for 3 ¼ years ! and i still have the key fob .

I purchased OCF405R on 31/01/1980 and took it home on 16/02/1980 it was in the January sales for the sum of £ 2195 it needed rear shocks , rear tail pipe and an MOT Mileage 28500
I felt proud that I had a Dolomite my dad had the 1500 FWD HLY184K .At that time I was working for a British Leyland garage
Working on this car was easy change all brakes in around ½ hour Oil change service every 6000 miles … it never let me down …Rubber carb mounts are a pain !!


1980 New starter .new rear O/S light car reversed in when parked
1981 had the CB fitted … meet some one and we went travelling in July the car went to PARIS France for around a month continued on to Brussels , Amsterdam , Zandvoort then back to Calais that car was our home for the 10 week trip
1982 fitted SPRINT badges , Northern France , Belgium for 3 weeks new alternator, bumped o/s/f wing by the head light , fuel tank leak ( rusted out . fixed ) o/s rear wheel bearing replaced
1983 Northern France, Belgium 2 weeks , Full exhaust system fitted
1984 Southern France , Var , st Tropez 2 weeks 2000 mile round trip .. new steering rack , car was reversed into slight damage on front o/s nose valance
1985 Tow Bar Fitted to tow a camping unit for tip to Southern France , st Tropez
1986 Southern France , st Tropez , exhaust rear box fell off just out side Paris
1987 New clutch and gearbox at 88000 miles Southern France , st Tropez , Purchased a speed boat 750 kg IT towed well just would not steer !!
1988 New Speedo cable .. broke on way back from southern France ( have to add 900 >1000 miles to mileage ) new exhaust rear box
1989 Southern France , st Tropez
1990 Off road got Range Rover .. sold boat
1991 started to take the car apart check for rust lots !! new steering rack replaced all rubber bushing , trim clips , Full re spray
1992 just used as and when
1993 …. Southern France , st Tropez
1994 … just used as and when 2 cars
1995 Moved from Middlx to Kettering northants Drove up and down M1 every weekend for 6 months
1996 new alternator , steering rack ( second in 3 weeks last one was faulty ) accelerator cable , front shocks .
1997 Sep/Oct , Car failed MOT Needed new Discs at that time Rimmers and others were charging £ 50 each side , needed welding and the paint was covered with lots of bubbles lots of other stuff . even though I did not want to I sold it for £ 125 the person I sold it to was I believe going to use it BANGER racing , this person lived behind me , I saw OCF405R on a car carrier Painted up ready to go to track I never saw this car again IF that car or parts of it were shown to me I would know if it was the true or a CLONE .
. OWNED for just under 18 years miles 128600 + 1000 cable broke = 130000


And now Its back on the road with 41000 miles in 20 years !!! ummmm

1997 > 1998 resprayed made to look nice and sold to a TD member NO welding work was done at this time Nice car ..
1999 > 2001/2 still in the hands of a TDC club member Passed every MOT New Gearbox , Manifold had bolts replaced , Clutch master cylinder

2002 > 2004 ???

2004 > 2015 some where in a Barn near Edinburgh

2015 to DATE near Edinburgh and still close to its old owner and TDC member

2017 car owner found thanks to DVLA 14 11 17. STILL NO welding on car asked to buy car back to make sure it was dealt with as I know where the rust was a figure of £ 3000 was asked ??? No I did not buy it

STILL gets an MOT every year MY work must be good . ... TOLD owner about RUST ... and to visit this site ... WHAT would you do

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Graz

I've seen a post where TDC member Nick Morgan asks where the car is now after selling it in 2002, who could perhaps add more to that story if you ask him?

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Current fleet: '75 Sprint, '73 1850, Daihatsu Fourtrak, Honda CG125, Yamaha Fazer 600, Shetland 570 (yes it's a boat!)

Past fleet: Triumph 2000, Lancia Beta Coupe, BL Mini Clubman, Austin Metro, Vauxhall Cavalier MK1 & MK2, Renault 18 D, Rover 216 GSI, Honda Accord (most expensive car purchase, hated, made out of magnetic metal as only car I've ever been crashed into...4 times), BMW 318, Golf GTi MK3 16v x 3

That was in 2010, when it had been off road for 6 years. Today it is on SORN and MoT'd until next November...

That post I linked to was, but Nick still posts regularly and I thought that he could fill in the 1997 to 2002 gap for the OP.

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Current fleet: '75 Sprint, '73 1850, Daihatsu Fourtrak, Honda CG125, Yamaha Fazer 600, Shetland 570 (yes it's a boat!)

Past fleet: Triumph 2000, Lancia Beta Coupe, BL Mini Clubman, Austin Metro, Vauxhall Cavalier MK1 & MK2, Renault 18 D, Rover 216 GSI, Honda Accord (most expensive car purchase, hated, made out of magnetic metal as only car I've ever been crashed into...4 times), BMW 318, Golf GTi MK3 16v x 3

OAP ? NOT THERE YET

yes I know its SORN , Nick owned it in Scotland until 2001/2 I looked for it around 2010 it went missing come back to life 2015 not taxed / insured has Mot passed in 2015 and 2016 did 18 miles in 1 year (2015/6 ) now has 41600 .... .its sitting in a shed some where ... trying to trace owner ... to view ... maybe buy

shame to be sitting around ...... It was a wonderful car



photo looks like it could be it ... Square No plates , tow bar .. but now that is black was red I need side on pics where did you get that one from please

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Graz

Graz,
I bought OCF405R in March 1999, with 129,700 on the clock. I bought it from a guy in Kettering ( I can give you his name), so possibly the person you sold the car to.
It had just been nicely resprayed, but I was told that it had been off the road for a while.
The car had a number of minor faults when I bought it, which we rectified before driving it home to Scotland. Brake lights and one headlamp non functioning and the throttle badly adjusted.
I ran the car for three years as my everyday car. I worked as a countryside ranger and the car was well known amongst the public, who would search out the car if they needed to talk to me about something.
Over the time I had it, I had to do quite a number of small mechanical jobs and one or two larger ones. Most rubber components needed to be changed and I had to have the engine taken out to put helicoils in the head for the exhaust manifold.
Towards the end of my ownership the gearbox failed and I had a reconditioned unit fitted. Unfortunately the overdrive didn't work after that, which was annoying.
I changed jobs which required me driving longer distances, so I traded it in against a horrible Mk IV Ford Escort! I wanted to keep it at the time, but didn't have anywhere to keep it.
The mileage when I sold it was 140,208. There was a bubble of rust on one rear wheel arch and a bubble on a rear door, but other than that it was immaculate. The interior was in great shape, too.
I am surprised to read that there were rust issues, as there were no signs of repairs. I am also surprised to read that it was destined for banger racing.
Oh yes, I remember that one day on my way into work I noticed a wire hanging down from the dashboard that was shorting out on a screw on the parcel shelf. That lunch time I decided to take out any surplus wires and I ended up taking about 100 feet of various wires out of the car, including some sort of amplifier and a car alarm siren! People walking past looked at me as if I was mad, with an enormous pile of wires on the ground next to the car!

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1959 TR3A, 1970 Triumph 1300, 1974 Toledo
Thanks Photobucket

Oh yes, that picture in the snow was taken in my ownership. I will try to post some more pictures of the car.







There was quite a bit of history with the car when I bought it, which was passed on when I sold the car. I think much of it was notes from the time in your ownership, fuel used and service history, etc.
The car disappeared after I sold it, with no trace on the MOT of Vehicle Tax web sites. Then a couple of years ago it appeared to be taxed and MOTed.
I would be interested to know where it is now.

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1959 TR3A, 1970 Triumph 1300, 1974 Toledo
Thanks Photobucket

OP = Original poster...

A handsome looking vehicle in your ownership Nick, surprising that to hear that it went banger racing at some point in its life!

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Current fleet: '75 Sprint, '73 1850, Daihatsu Fourtrak, Honda CG125, Yamaha Fazer 600, Shetland 570 (yes it's a boat!)

Past fleet: Triumph 2000, Lancia Beta Coupe, BL Mini Clubman, Austin Metro, Vauxhall Cavalier MK1 & MK2, Renault 18 D, Rover 216 GSI, Honda Accord (most expensive car purchase, hated, made out of magnetic metal as only car I've ever been crashed into...4 times), BMW 318, Golf GTi MK3 16v x 3

thanks ever one for your help


NICK so SORRY I kept emailing I did not know that you had posted all this info ... i will not email to you any more and I DO THANK you for all the info you have given


All the notes were by me , I know who I sold it to .. I could see his garage from my bedroom window , The manifold kept coming away every 6 months or so ... the exhaust kept hitting the chassis leg ... hence the down pipe was flat

yes there was a siren as part of the 2 alarms , engine cut off , rear fogs , electric aerial and a very early engine diagnostic system plug


TO say I am very ANGRY that the car was not scraped .. is an under statement .. I sold it to Mr key and was told he would scrap it in a banger race .... THE CAR SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN PUT BACK ON THE ROAD ...


you say a bit of rust on the rear wheel arch ... well most of that was filler , .75 mild steel and rivets ... all the way along to the rear bumper .. the boot floor had rust



As I said the front Chassis legs at the point where the front sub frame joins had big holes I just riveted a patch over ... painted in under seal ... I just wanted 2 or 3 more years more out of it .... .. it was sold for scrap
the guy just flipped it did no more them front discs .. a paint job and put a car back on the road that should not be there

accelerator cable ... opps the peddle had ripped out of the floor I just put a bit of steel on the bulkhead to hold it on needed welding in to place

the foot wells at the seams were rusted through , around the headlights again steel , filler and rivets , fuel tank had a patch of fibre glass on to stop it leaking

gearbox same a 1.8 marina very week box overdrive ... 2 wires run down the gear stick they come apart .. just join back happens a lot rubber mounts for carbs hit brake peddle very fast .. engine revs and stays at steady speed there ok if engine speed rises and falls .. Air leek

If you own this car ?? strip it find all the rust ( new shell ) and start again IF YOU MOT this car take the rust off by the front sub frame bolts PLEASE




1993




Car found. Been told car was in barn EH33 post code. Owner. Told me. Its never been welded. Oppppps. Have to tell them ...

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Graz

Ah yes, but in the 20 year gap from when you waved goodbye to the car, you have no idea if it is even the same shell.

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Current fleet: '75 Sprint, '73 1850, Daihatsu Fourtrak, Honda CG125, Yamaha Fazer 600, Shetland 570 (yes it's a boat!)

Past fleet: Triumph 2000, Lancia Beta Coupe, BL Mini Clubman, Austin Metro, Vauxhall Cavalier MK1 & MK2, Renault 18 D, Rover 216 GSI, Honda Accord (most expensive car purchase, hated, made out of magnetic metal as only car I've ever been crashed into...4 times), BMW 318, Golf GTi MK3 16v x 3

It looks like it was the same shell when I bought the car and it did seem to be in really good shape then. I can normally spot filler a mile off, but I wasn't aware of any of the listed repairs. I ran the car for three years through salty winters. I did my best to keep it clean, but salt can normally find any rusty areas or filler. When I came to trade the car in, it still seemed to be in great shape. Certainly there was no sign of any rust in the sills and all of the seams were visible.
It didn't appear to be on the road for a number of years after I sold the car, so it is possible it has been re-shelled since, but I suspect that if it has been stored in doors it won't look much different now.
I am quite shocked to hear how bad it was before I bought it.

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1959 TR3A, 1970 Triumph 1300, 1974 Toledo
Thanks Photobucket

Of course it could have been shelled in the 2 years between Graz and Nick. And the painted up original shell did indeed die on a banger track!

Steve

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'73 2 door Toledo with Vauxhall Carlton 2.0 8v engine (The Carledo)
'78 Sprint Auto with Vauxhall Omega 2.2 16v engine (The Dolomega)
'72 Triumph 1500FWD in Slate Grey, Now with RWD and Carledo powertrain!

Maverick Triumph, Servicing, Repairs, Electrical, Recomissioning, MOT prep, Trackerjack brake fitting service.
Apprentice served Triumph Specialist for 50 years. PM for more info or quotes.

Back in '93 panelwork was in plentiful supply, so why assume a reshell?

I saw a Sprint last evening in a garage in Wolverhampton that was restored with new panels about the same time and has sat there ever since; you'd not think the pre restoration photos were the same car!

This gets my vote!

Nick has told me things about this car that ONLY I would now .. it has not been re shelled the last factory shell was sold in 1980

if a car was shelled it would be torn apart like photo



this to 2 of us 1 year to gut and rebuiled

if you want to make a car look good add wider fibre glass wings and do a 500 pound paint job any one can do this ???

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Graz