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 Post subject: What should I look for?
PostPosted: Wed Sep 08, 2010 10:21 pm 
Hello

Hopefully this weekend, though possibly next, I shall be going to look at a 1500fwd. Whist I do intend on keeping the thing running and doing some repair work myself I don't want a massive project that is going to take up more than an hour a week keeping it on the road. What do I need to be looking for? where will it be rusty? what do I do!

Thanks in advance for your invaluable knowledge


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PostPosted: Thu Sep 09, 2010 12:34 pm 
Hello

I to own both the 1500fwd and the 1300fwd and a couple of years ago Classic car weekly printed a buying guild for both models which both our cars were used, we also helped with the write up...

Below is the exact write up that appeared in CCW which i hope will be of help!!

WHAT TO LOOK FOR?

Bodywork

These earlier cars are actually better at withstanding corrosion than their younger RWD successors, thanks to them being constructed out of thicker steel and pre-dating the worst years of British Leyland when, frankly, some cars seemed to be made out of cardboard for all they stood up to a few wet UK winters. That said, with the youngest examples now 35 years old, you’ll be lucky to find an original condition car. And many of those which have been restored in the past may well be getting near the time they need rebuilding again, thanks to their low values possibly meaning some corners may have been cut to save money. How a car appears in general will aid in with finding problems when you get closer; look for panels that don’t fit too well, paint in a slightly different shade to that around it, and any indications of filler. Now go in for the kill...
Starting at the front of the car, the inner wings are known for going, especially where they’re in the firing line from grot thrown up by the road wheels. This is true of the back inners as well, of course. Mudflaps often promote rot where they connect to the steel of the car. Have a close look too at the lower and upper sections of the front outer wings, plus the front panel work (around the indicators in particular)...all known areas for tin-worm to colonise. Proper front valances are difficult to find now, but one from a Dolomite can be made to fit with a little work to the 1500fwd, new front Valances for the 1300fwd are very hard to find, so make sure it has a good one. The front suspension unit turrets, as well as the links between the suspension legs and the subframe should also be scrutinised, as corrosion can often strike here too, and will result in an MoT failure. Batteries often harbour rust underneath them as well
Moving back – after perusing the windscreen surround for problems - the sills are an obvious place to check, check the end of the sill just behind the lower part of the wing, muck is thrown in there and they rot out, 1500s have mud shields fitted but still worth removing them to check as it’s a difficult repair. Also check the adjacent floorpan...in fact, it’s worth checking the pan everywhere, both from underneath if possible, and from inside the cabin underneath the mats and carpets. Here you should look at the where the gearbox tunnel sits on top of the chassis leg especially. From inside, you should also look at the bottoms of the A- and B-posts too. Doors can start to disappear from the bottom upwards if their drain holes have been blocked for any significant length of time.
Going back even further, the rear wheel arches and their accompanying inner wing areas also go flaky, with the 1300fwd, if you can, remove the rear seat cushion and check for rot where the rear subframe mounts to the floor, this is difficult to see from underneath the car and could be costly to repair. The trailing edge of the bootlid is quite notorious for not being quite as solid as it should be (although a later Toledo bootlid will fit the 1300 and dolomite boot will fit the 1500). The same is true of certain areas of the boot, such as where the floor joins up with wheelarch and behind the spare wheel, where water can pool. Another spot that should be checked is the fuel tank, which can rust through, and often escapes attention until it’s too late. Leaking petrol isn’t nice...particularly not when it’s so expensive at the moment. The vent panel above the rear window also tends to go crusty with age.

Engines

With the engines being derivatives of the Herald unit, parts are still quite easy to come by, and they’re simple enough to work on and fix...even if you haven’t got the same level of access as you have in the flip-fronted earlier Triumph. The higher state of tune of the 1300TC can make the engines in these cars feel less smooth when compared to the 1300 and 1500 with single carburettors and less power. Good care and regular maintenance should result in a long-lasting engine, but they’re not best-known for standing up well to abuse or constant high speeds over many years.
Piston and bearing problems will strike high-mileage cars, signalling their presence by excessive oil smoke, plus the usual rumbles or knocking from the bottom end. Both engines had a three-bearing crankshaft, which is something of an Achilles’ heel. Their life expectancy isn’t helped by the oil filter, which is angled and therefore allows the black stuff to drain away after a period of time. This means that there can be initial oil starvation when first starting...it may only last for a few seconds, but think of all those seconds over the course of 40 years or so! Genuine filters have a non-return valve to stop this, many cheaper pattern ones don’t. Try to ascertain from the owner which ones he or she has used.
Starter motors aren’t the same as on the other RWD Triumph engines of the same type and capacity...they spin the other way because of the FWD format. Something to remember if the car you’re looking at is displaying signs that its starter will need replacement soon, as they’re starting to get very scarce now but are rebuildable by a competent auto electrician

Transmission

On 1300s, the quill (input) shaft between the clutch and primary drive gear can give up the ghost. It can happen on the 1500 as well, but 1300s are known to be weaker, and can strip its splines more easily. Difficult gear engagement signals something amiss, graduating to a complete failure to engage any gears if left unresolved. Stronger replacements are now available.
However, there are other, simpler maladies that can cause the gears to be difficult to find. These should be quite slick ‘boxes, so if you are finding it very difficult to get all the ratios, it could just be down to the screw securing the gear selector mechanism having worked loose. That’s much easier to put right than the quill shaft. Synchromesh, of course, also wears with time, with problems likely around second initially. Jumping out of gear while on the move may afflict well-used vehicles.
Probably the most notorious FWD Triumph parts prone to failure are the Rotoflex couplings in the driveshafts, which disintegrate at high mileages. Genuine original specification ones are difficult to come by and some pattern ones aren’t known for their ability to last very long. Fortunately, uprated Spitfire ones will fit.

Suspension

Front wheel bearings don’t have a long life...listen out for the traditional whine from them during your test drive. The steering should be quite tight and direct, so play at the wheel or a tendency to wander all denote wear in the steering components Steering racks are available for the front wheel drive models but make sure you buy the right one as they are different from there RWD cousins, this also applies to the top ball joints. Watch out for rear end play on bumpy roads too. Bushes can be upgraded for tougher Polyurethane items.

Brakes

Even though the single carb 1300 don’t have servo assisted brakes they do stop the car very well but with everything give them a good check, the front disc’s are unique to the 1300fwd so check for wear and warping, they are still available but aren’t as easy to find as other models in the range. Front pads are the same a dolomite and rear brake shoes are the same as the Vitesse. The TC model is equipped with servo assisted brakes, again these are unique to the model so check everything is working as it should be!
The 1500fwd shares a lot of its brake set up from the Dolomite and so parts are readily available, only the rear drums are different.

Interior

Thanks to Triumph’s policy of standardisation – especially when it came to making the interiors of many of its cars look the same – a lot of the parts and trim from the cabin can still be easily found, as they were used in other stablemates of the same era. That eight-segment warning dial did become something of a Triumph trademark cliché. However, that all means that there’s no need to worry too much about damaged items, although the thoughtful touch of the foldaway window winder handles on the 1300 are unique to that car only.
Check the wooden dash and door cappings for cracks in the veneer or evidence of water getting under the edges and lifting the varnish up. You’ll probably find some faults, but it all depends how many you can live with, as redoing these items will require specialist attention, with a suitable bill to match.
You should check the electrics to see if everything works. While they’re quite simple, they are courtesy of Lucas...which, trust us, isn’t a recommendation!

here a couple of photo of mine

Image
Its worst state
Image
photo taken for CCW

Hope this helps

Nathan


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PostPosted: Fri Sep 10, 2010 11:49 am 
Not really anything to add to Nathans little write up except to say thats a top class description.


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