The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

The Number One Club for owners of Triumph's range of small saloons from the 1960s and 1970s.
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PostPosted: Wed Dec 05, 2012 11:45 pm 
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Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2012 6:04 pm
Posts: 1549
Original topic name I know. Basically I joined the forum, because I am interested in getting a dolomite and thought it would be a good idea to talk to some experts. I have fancied getting a classic British car for whiled, and I spotted a green 1500HL in York, and just liked the look of it (sadly the poor thing was in quite a bad way). I could pretend that I had pratical reason for wanting the car, but it is definitely heart over head.

Still I think it would be a good idea to get a bit of practical advice before doing anything else. I don't need the car as a daily driver, I have a diesel Xantia for that (20 years old, so it is getting near classic status itself). My budget is £1000, and increasing with every month I save. My mechanical skills are Ok, I practice the noble art of bangernomics, so can replace cambelts, brake pads etc. Plus the odd more complex job, like replacing a suspension bearing. Body work, my skills are limited to a pop rivet gun and a tub of filler. So rust is a worry.

I am in Leeds, and most cars seem to be for sale down South.

So basically what sort of budget is realistic to get an overdrive model, without too much rot? How easy are parts to get? How easy are dolomites to work on? What about the driving experience, I never driven a rear wheel drive car. Running costs, the club scene, any info would be very gratefully recieved.

Thanks in advance.


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PostPosted: Fri Dec 07, 2012 8:46 pm 
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Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 9:45 pm
Posts: 11179
Location: Middlesex
It is possible to get a tidy car with overdrive for around a 1000 but you would have to be quite lucky...and its lilely to be a 1500.

Normally a good 1850 with o-d is worth 1500 quid. For that it should have a nice set of panels, no serious rot and a long MoT.
You can browse several other threads where the rot spots are discussed in detail, but you want to look at the front panel and wings above the headlights,
A post corners at the screen base but on the door side, cills obvioulsy, rear wheel arches, boot floor and chassis rails where the sub frame mounts, bulkhead to inner wing joints and front floor pans. You also want a dry set of carpets...screen seals are pretty leak prone and good quality screen seals are hard to come by.

Good luck with the search. there are still some good cars to be had out there...

Jonners

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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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PostPosted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 12:29 am 
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Future Club member hopefully!
Future Club member hopefully!

Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2012 6:04 pm
Posts: 1549
Quote:
It is possible to get a tidy car with overdrive for around a 1000 but you would have to be quite lucky...and its lilely to be a 1500.

Normally a good 1850 with o-d is worth 1500 quid. For that it should have a nice set of panels, no serious rot and a long MoT.
You can browse several other threads where the rot spots are discussed in detail, but you want to look at the front panel and wings above the headlights,
A post corners at the screen base but on the door side, cills obvioulsy, rear wheel arches, boot floor and chassis rails where the sub frame mounts, bulkhead to inner wing joints and front floor pans. You also want a dry set of carpets...screen seals are pretty leak prone and good quality screen seals are hard to come by.

Good luck with the search. there are still some good cars to be had out there...

Jonners
Thanks for the reply. A thousand is what I currently have saved, but I am willing to wait till my budget is bigger to get a better car. Mechanicals I can do, I know I can fix those sort of problems without going bankrupt. Body work issues are beyond my skill set, so I think it would be sensible to spend more to avoid those sort of issues.

At the moment there seems to be a lot of automatics for sale, but I would prefer a manual.

As for engine size, my dad owned cars in the 70's (a marina and a chevette) and said that the 1300 would be too underpowered. As for as I understand it, the 1500 is a less advanced engine than the 1850? Is there any real economy advantage from the smaller engine, or would it be better to look for one with the larger unit?


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PostPosted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 10:11 am 
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Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 5:52 pm
Posts: 7566
Location: Halifax, West Yorkshire
Welcome to the forum. You've come to the right place.

Don't rule out the autos. The 1850 is the best of the autos. You should be able to get a solid car needing some work within your budget. Keep your eye out and buy the best that you can afford. I'm not too far away from you so I can offer some help. Classic car insurance is cheap (cheaper still if you join the Club) and if you do your own repairs you'll save on garage labour. Electronic ignition is well worth considering (if the car you buy doesn't already have it).

_________________
Toledo Man

West Yorkshire Area Organiser & forum moderator
Meetings take place on the first Wednesday of the month at 8.00pm at The Old Brickworks, Wakefield Road, Drighlington, Bradford, BD11 1EA

1972 Dolomite 1850 auto (NYE 751L - Now for sale)
2003 Volvo XC90 D5 SE (PX53 OVZ - The daily driver)
2009 Mercedes-Benz W204 C200 CDI Sport (BJ58 NCV - The 2nd car)
1991 Toyota Celica GT (J481 ONB - another project car)
Former stable of SAY 414M (1974 Toledo), GRH 244D (1966 1300fwd), CDB 324L (1973 1500fwd), GGN 573J (1971 1500fwd), DCP 625S (1977 Dolomite 1300) & LCG 367N (1975 Dolomite Sprint) plus 5 Acclaims and that's just the Triumphs!

Check my blog at http://triumphtoledo.blogspot.com
My YouTube Channel with a bit of Dolomite content.

"There is only one way to avoid criticsm: Do nothing, say nothing and BE nothing." Aristotle


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PostPosted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 6:06 pm 
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Future Club member hopefully!
Future Club member hopefully!

Joined: Mon Dec 03, 2012 6:04 pm
Posts: 1549
Quote:
Welcome to the forum. You've come to the right place.

Don't rule out the autos. The 1850 is the best of the autos. You should be able to get a solid car needing some work within your budget. Keep your eye out and buy the best that you can afford. I'm not too far away from you so I can offer some help. Classic car insurance is cheap (cheaper still if you join the Club) and if you do your own repairs you'll save on garage labour. Electronic ignition is well worth considering (if the car you buy doesn't already have it).
Thanks for the reply. As for an auto, I think a 70's auto would be too slow and thirsty. Besides mauals are more fun, and I definitely want to buy the car for fun. I would agree about buying the best car you can afford, I suspect that trying to do up a bad one is a false economy.

As for garage labour, I never use them unless I really have to. My current everyday car is a 20 year old Xantia, and it does need a bit of TLC now and again. Which generally means trips to the scrap yard for parts, days trying to not round that b****dy rusty nut that refuses to move, generally when it is either freezing or raining. Wondering why I do all this, and then finding it oddly statisfying when I fix the damn thing.


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