The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

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PostPosted: Thu Oct 07, 2010 10:01 pm 
Hello everyone, I'm considering purchasing the car in the ad below:

http://www.carandclassic.com/car/C185742/

Does anyone have any experience of this car? or any feelings about the ad?
What key things should I be looking for when I go to test drive it?

It would be my first car, but I wont mind getting my hands dirty a little bit.
Thanks in advance all,
Kind regards,


Hardy


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PostPosted: Thu Oct 07, 2010 10:11 pm 
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Location: Old Basing, Hants.
Sold as a Sprint replica minus the "Tempremental" engine... Which is the main difference anyway besides the wheels and badges... Entirely pointless.

I don't know that car, but one thing I will say, you said first car, get an insurance quote first, depending on how old you are, you might find it best to get a 1500HL first.

That said, my first car is an 1850HL and I managed to get quite a decent price on insurance at 21 years of age.

The others will be better placed to tell you what to look for when test driving, as my dad test drove mine as I had no license at the time... :lol:


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PostPosted: Thu Oct 07, 2010 11:18 pm 
View the car for what it actually is rather than what it tries to emulate. It sounds, from the blurb, like it's a halfway decent example so go to view it accompanied by someone experienced in sniffing out bullsh*t and bodge then, if it really is that good, chances are the price is reasonable.

There's loads of good advice right here on the forum (welcome, by the way) about what to look for when buying but assuming insurance can be had for sensible money, it would be a great choice for a first car since 1850s are much less thirsty than most people expect them to be, can be very reliable in long-term, regular use (mine continues to work properly after 34,000 miles in 2 years and driving that car makes me smile just as much now as I used to do when I drove my first one, some 20-odd years ago), and have plenty of performance to be fun to drive, but not enough to cause shock and distress among insurers.

Check it over thoroughly, listen to your, or a more experienced companion's instinct when talking to the seller and if it doesn't "feel" right in some way, then walk away, there'll always be another for sale soon either here on the forum, on eBay or in classified listing publications such as Loot and the Yellow paper. :)


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 08, 2010 1:08 pm 
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Yes: An 1850 is a good car to start with but totally agree; get an insurance quote first. Mine is my daily driver and is good and reliable ( ooooh yes.... forgot about the diff; failure) but you have to be prepared to work on it, or know someone that really understands them.
The problems can be summed up in 3 words. Rust; rust and errrrr rust. Apart for doing the obvious things first on documentation ( V5, MOT, history , receipts and bills ), have a jolly good poke around jacking points and sills and chassis rails. Then open the boot and check each side with the spare wheel out. I see this one has had sill work. Was this a patch job or full replacement. ? Water pumps can be a bit of a pain. Does it leak from the drain in the side of the block ? Does it run with the temperature gauge at Normal ? Battery volts o.k ?
Is there any blow-by from the oil filler ? Gearboxes are a bit weak on 1850's . Check for a nice gearchange , no crunchy noises and no whine. Big plus if it has the O/D gearbox. Listen for diff noises as well. I've always liked this colour as well. Very Dolomite. Price wise, if the bodywork is sound it looks to be pitched about right for a private sale. It doesn't seem to figure in the registration list I have. Anyboby on here know of it ? I see it is being sold in Middlesex. Jonners may be able to help with looking at it. I imagine you are probably local to it.
I forgot : 30mpg around town and 34 on a run.
Certainly if I was looking for an 1850 I'd be off for a look. But I'd change the rear badging for 1850 items.
Good luck and welcome to the board btw.
Cheers for now,
Tony TDC 0091.


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PostPosted: Sat Oct 09, 2010 2:13 am 
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Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 4:50 pm
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Location: Next to my Computer
One thing to pay attention to. I see the car has an electric fan fitted. This shouldn't be a problem at all, but it's not entirely unknown for an electric fan to be fitted to attempt to solve overheating issues. If an 1850 engine has been severely overheated in the past this might be a problem. But it's more likely it has just been fitted by a careful owner.

Body wise look for rust, rust and rust. Particular places to look are above the rear window underneath the roof, at the bottom corners of the front windscreen, at the back of the wheelarches (front and back), and if you can get underneath, the chassis legs (the box sections that run either side of the engine/gearbox).

On the road, it's a bit difficult to say what to look for, especially if you've learnt to drive in a new car since it will be a fair bit noisier. But certainly you want to make sure that the engine isn't smoking excessively (either when accelerating or braking), doesn't need the choke out to idle when warm, doesn't overheat, and doesn't make any tapping or rumbling noises.

The gearbox should be reasonably quiet - if any gear makes a noise like reverse gear on a modern car it's a bit poorly. Also listen for whining noises from the very back of the car while on the move.

Make sure to check the windscreen for any big chips or cracks.


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PostPosted: Mon Oct 11, 2010 11:49 am 
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Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 9:45 pm
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Location: Middlesex
You could go and look at it then come and see mine too for comparison.

I would be put off by the glass hatch roof. These will always leak or cause condensation into the car. The give away is the fretting on the door cards
that show this car has often been damp inside.

Mine has a webasto....it doesnt leak at all. The damp in mine gets there by via the windscreen seal.

Mine also has Sprint wheels and passed a full MoT last week but isnt taxed and is 50 quid cheaper....:-)

Jonners

_________________
Note from Admin: sadly Jon passed away in February 2018 but his humour and wealth of knowledge will be fondly remembered by all. RIP Jonners.


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