The Triumph Dolomite Club - EzBoard Archive

Between the Ford Escort and the Triumph Dolomite ranges of similar ages?<br>
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Silly question I know but werent they aimed at totally different markets? Like the dolly more higher class and the ford as it is now an everyman car, not of any particular interest? Why are escorts even 1300s so popular with rallying and not dolomites? I know of 1 rallying sprint but 100s of escorts... <br>
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Adam

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Just a quess but it could be down to money. Ford had more to throw away whilst triumph were struggling to make ends meet. Any how ford are and always have been influenced with funds coming from all over the place (germany, US, france ) and the great british goverment managed to make triumph a laughing stock as the goverment has a habit of doing to almost every that puts the great into Britain.<br>
Sorry not a political rant, just the way i feel.<br>
God bless this country and all who take her for a ride.<!--EZCODE EMOTICON START >: --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... ns/mad.gif ALT=">:"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br>
J.

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Hmm yer thats one thing I didnt think about. The fact that Ford is well and truly global where as Triumph were 100% British <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :D --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /happy.gif ALT=":D"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END-->

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One thing we have to think about beyond the strife that BL was involved with at the time is that the sporting fords of the time were two door shells and therefore lighter and stronger.<br>
BL had a two door Dolomite (the bastard child of a Toledo/Dolomite, not my words!) and even a four wheel drive Dolomite in the prototype stages but alas the two were never combined to produce the world beating competion car. Again due to the internal politics that hampered the once great company.

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Just imagine of BL had had the money...<br>
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Group B Dolomite.<br>
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Tasty.<br>
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Well, better than a metro.<!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :D --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /happy.gif ALT=":D"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END-->

<p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p206.ezboard.com/bthetriumphdolo ... avepoth</A> at: 9/10/05 10:37 pm<br></i>

Tolomite 2.0 16 valve 4WD. A Quattro/Delta 10 years ahead of its time.<br>
Just think of the Mini/Maxi/metro suspension on it too!!!<br>
Or even the V8 under the bonnet (alas not the triumph one)<br>
What about an MGB 16 Valve?<br>
I know of a Marina with the Sprint engine.<br>
The list of what might have been is endless!!!

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was the problem. Lets not forget that when the Dolly was conceived Leyland (Rover and Triumph) were competing with BMC/H (AustinMorrisMGJaguar).<br>
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The BMC competition efforts were all mini based. They did try rallying Land Crabs with some success (World cup Rally) but not much else was track competitive. The 2 door marina may have had a chance if it had a decent front suspension. The moggy thou effort was/is hopeless.<br>
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The Dolly offered some new prospects but can you imagine how the previously competing departments would have got on?<br>
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It wasnt competetive without the Sprint engine though.<br>
The escorts Mk1 and Mk2 had replaced the Mk2 cortina as Fords main competition tool in 67 so they were well established and the lotus headed weber carbed ford lump was and is a very tuneable and robust lump. Too many and too well established really to kick off the top spot though Tony Dron and others did their best. The Sprint shell was always giving away far too much weight (4 doors, subframe etc) against the 2 door moocoque mcpherson strut Essiecort even with 200 break. <br>
As a refined sporting saloon for the man in the street the Sprint wees all over the RS2000 as we all know, cos its unpleasant to live with (noisy, no room, cheap inside, ugly and soooo Essex) in the extreme.<br>
Jonners<br>
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If the 1300 with 4wd had made it as far as doing proper rallies do you think the quatro of the 80s wouldnt of been such a big deal?

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Well, the mystic 2-door 4WD 32v V8 <!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :evil --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /devil.gif ALT=":evil"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> , if it had been invented, would have truly been a sight to behold.<br>
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There would probably have been more deaths in the welsh forests and Group B would have been banned before the Quattro and Delta would have been invented....<br>
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Now that car is being added to my "lottery-winning list" as we speak.<br>
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Anyone want to start building one?<br>
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And we need a name for it...<br>
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Triumph Dolomite Tyreshredder™ ?

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Honestly Jon, How can you say the coke bottle Mk1 RS's are ugly? I'm not so keen on the plain Mk2's but a good Mk2 RS2000 is still lovely. RWD Escorts are no longer deserving of the essex image gievn to them by the Kevin, equivalent of 1970's chavs. Most are now owned by sensible enthusiasts.<br>
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There's no point comparing Dolomite Sprints and RS Escorts IMO other than they are both RWD.<br>
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The Sprint is a road car needing serious work for competitive motorsport use, an RS is a competitive rally weapon straight out of the box that was sold on the road. The escort is harsh and hard but has a very tight and well balanced chassis as standard with loads of feedback. A standard dolomite chassis is very comfy and quiet but its vague and corners fast like a drunken baboon on rollerskates.<br>
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It's like comparing a Mitsubishi EVO with a BMW M3. Different machines for different uses.<br>
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As for engines, the ford OHV kent engine in the cheapo escorts is way better than the Triumph 1300/1500 engine. But the Sprint engine whoops an RS2000's pinto in every respect except reliability although the RS's (rare) BDA engine is the daddy and makes a fantastic noise (and carries a horrendous price tag to match).<br>
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For road use, Get a Dolomite<br>
For track use, it pains me to say it, an escort is miles better for the same money and much easier to tune. Thats Part of the reason I want to wipe the smug grin of those escort owners in a Dolomite<!--EZCODE EMOTICON START :lol --><img src=http://www.ezboard.com/intl/aenglish/im ... /laugh.gif ALT=":lol"><!--EZCODE EMOTICON END--> <br>
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<p><!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://www.smifter1971.pwp.blueyonder.c ... >Smifter's Dolomite Sprint Website</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--><br>
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Featherweight 1974 Dolomite Sprint - Soon to be XE'd, NOS'd, Megasquirted and 5 linked Lash up to scare myself (and my wallet) senseless<br>
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2004 Smart Roadster (company car!!) - 698cc of turbo'd adrenaline fuelled rollerskate - destined to classic status thanks to Daimler Chrysler bean counters.<br>
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1997 Audi A4 2.6 to chill out after the above and fill with baby products.....<br>
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2005 Trek 1400 (ok its not a car but still fast) - <br>
a bit like Lance Armstrong but slower and fatter</p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p206.ezboard.com/bthetriumphdolo ... SMIFTER</A> at: 10/10/05 6:47 pm<br></i>

The appearance is down to taste. I do like the Mk1 escort. I learned to drive in one so I'll always have a soft spot for them. My dad was and is a ford man so I suppose I had to be different and after the horrendous experience of owning a Corsair V4 in student days I vowed I would never do a Ford again. The Mk2 Escort I always though of as seriously inferior to the Mk1 and the pinto engine that afflicts the RS2000 and Mk1 RS2000 would have been best left on the American side of the pond in the heaps whose name it bears. <br>
Ford can and do make could engines but they make some serious clonkers too....the cologne V6 and pinto are about the 2 worst engines in class IMO. <br>
So the Dolly has it for me and most on this board. I'd rather sort the squidge in the suspension, which really only becomes significant at 170 bhp up and on the track.<br>
For road use a fit Dolly Sprint will easilly keep up with a road trim RS2000 of either mark, nay even leave it behind on a windy road. I know cos Ive done it on several occasions. I find when out dicing...not that I do it much in these crowded and gatso infested days...RS escorts and BM 3 series and Mk 2 GTI's are the favourites to embarass. Respect to Pug 205 1.9's though.<br>
Jonners

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