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: Mon Apr 06, 2015 11:33 pm 
Hi all, new to the forum so be gentle.

It all started a few weeks ago when my son asked if we could look for his 1st car. So went through all the usual routes until he stumbled on a dolomite in need of some tlc, on one of the internet sites. Then we went to google images and his eyes lit up, when he saw the rally sprint. So the spark was glowing? Soon contacted the person selling the 1850 dolly and explained the situation, he said he has had bigger offer's than we was proposing, but they wanted to break. He talk to my 18 year old son on the phone and they hit it off. So early Saturday morning off the London we went, (this was the earliest Saturday morning I have seen my son up for months) We live in a little village called Northrepps just outside Cromer, Norfolk. When we pulled up and saw the car on the drive he could not wait have a look around her? (her already?) This is a 1974, light blue 1850 Auto (not the HL) but some one had changed the seats for the HL in the past. This a project but all there and solid, they talk for ages and the owner had a manual gear box with all the trimmings to change it to manual, up rated dash ,extra door cards, skins etc etc ( the car was £450.00) and they did the deal, picking up the car up next week

That day I made one fatal mistake, I sat in it and then my youth came flooding back. I used to own a white sprint for 3 years when I was 19 and it was one on the best cars I every owned.

So, once back home it got me thing wouldn't it be good if I got one and we could do one up each.(father and son). So started glancing through the usual sites as you do, ebay, gumtree, classic car etc etc, and then, there it was, a white sprint needing a little work. slept on it and then made the person offer and he accepted?

The main problem which I have not come across, that the roof is coming away/ parting from the back above the rear window body work . He says this is common as has the piece to splice in, welding is no problem for me? The rest of the body looks good, bubble here and there, mot'd and the back mot's on line gives it a clean bill of health no welding for the last 5 mot's.
So my question is is this common for the roof to part from the body above the window.

So tomorrow my XJS and the T4 are being kicked out of the garage and are off to a new home( in storage) while we prepare the garage for a strip down of hopefully two dolly's, both will be white at the end with the rally strips. We intend to get them ready for your show up north in September (I Believe?)

So any help on the way would be good? Hope I have not rambled on to much.

many thanks for reading

Gary


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 1:37 am 
Good luck with your projects :D
Sounds like fun. There is no shame in visiting your youth.
Hope you and your son have a great time doing them.Im sure you will get all the advice you need here.


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 7:49 am 
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Welcome to the forum.

I went to Cromer last year when I was on my camping holiday near Wisbech. Don't forget to join the Club. it is worth every penny. Dolomites can rot that the back fo the roof. The usual fix is to graft in a replacement section from a donor car. It depends on how bad the rot is and you won't know until you dig a bit deeper. Photos are a must for threads such as these and get those questions asked.

_________________
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: Tue Apr 07, 2015 9:59 am 
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Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 9:45 pm
Posts: 11179
Location: Middlesex
Welcome.

There is no uprated dash or "HL seats" about a 74 dolly auto.

If it has head rests then it could be later seats, but an HL is just a name added to what was always just a dolomite
until the lower order Toledo and 1500 models were rationalised.

There was a change to instrument type face in 73, which I think came with the change to SU carbs from earlier strombergs.

So show us lots of pics and we will tell you what you have.

The roof vent panel does often sadly suffer from corrosion where moisture creeps in under the trim and vynil.

Repair sections have to be found from donor cars sadly or you need good fabrication skills to patch it up.

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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PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 12:45 pm 
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Joined: Thu May 17, 2012 9:34 pm
Posts: 867
Im in Norwich, should you fancy meeting up.
Theres a few of us local Dolomite owners should you get stuck...
If you do convert the Auto dolly to manual (and it would be a shame, the auto Dollys are lovely to drive and very rare) then i would be interested in buying the autobox etc.
Thanks - Matt.


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PostPosted: Tue Apr 07, 2015 9:52 pm 
Hi Many thanks for your comments, this is going to be quick learning curve, the 1850 blue my sons - the dash, the one that is in there does not have chrome outer rings where the one that was given as an extra to my son has? I haver seen 1850 without head rests and this one has so these must of been added later? I have been advised by his driving instructor, while he is still learning and for his 1st car it must be a manual, so that he can learn to drive a manual, if he goes straight to a auto after passing his test then he could loss the experience/knowledge he has gained in the short time of driving of how to operate the gears?

I think I have loaded couple of photo's of each? seem to be solid underneath, but I will not know until I start crawling underneath and start poking around, not looking forward of getting the rust etc in my mouth ears hair etc, I think we have all been there lying on a concrete floor.

I love to meet anyone from the club, we do have a sort of open house here. I live on them main A149 between North Walsham and Cromer in a little hamlet called Crossdale Street, in the parish of Northrepps, more than welcome to drop in for a cuppa.

Picking the blue one on Sunday and the other one next week. getting itchy fingers. There is lots of spares with the blue one door cards and bumpers etc and if the manual gear box works ok then you are more than welcome for the auto box.

forgot to mention that the blue has been lowered at the back but we have the original springs and/or the lower ones for the front?

will get some photo's when we have them back here for a proper look, any information is invaluable at this time, Yes i will be coming a full member without question as I believe supporting clubs like this, as this is only way forward in order to tap into all the experience out there.

many thanks

Gary


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Last edited by Toledo Man on Wed Apr 08, 2015 6:51 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Resized the photos.
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PostPosted: Wed Apr 08, 2015 10:45 am 
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Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 9:45 pm
Posts: 11179
Location: Middlesex
Your blue one APX is quite an early auto so may well have had the older type face clocks with black bezels and stromberg
carbs when new. If the chassis number is below about 22000 it would be like that originally.

As Matt says this is quite a rare car and I would say should be kept as original as possible being an early one.

The diff ratio will be wrong for a manual and not helpful for a learner driver. On a 3.27 diff you would never get out of 1st gear and hill starts would be "challenging". Even on a 3.63 diff a manual dolly will do 40 in 1st gear.

Can I suggest you get yourself a manual 1300 as well for learning and keep this one for yourself as a later "original" project. I'd lay odds you will eventually love it more that a Sprint....:-)

Love the colour too...please keep it.

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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PostPosted: Wed Apr 08, 2015 12:26 pm 
Blue one was a topic on the For Sale section recently:

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=27994


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PostPosted: Wed Apr 08, 2015 12:43 pm 
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Joined: Sun Apr 06, 2014 10:49 pm
Posts: 967
Location: Northwich
Hello Gary, welcome to the club! In my opinion there's not a better club or forum on the net....sure there's the odd Tin Hat, but generally, the help and advice on here is world class!

I looked long and hard at that 1850 and really fancied saving it knowing that it is one of only something like 40 autos worldwide.

With that in mind, it would be a real shame to change it and I think it would be worth a lot more in the future as a restored original car!

Your Sprint by the way was that Lees' s car....I do recognise it!

Both have bags of potential and look really cool! :)


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PostPosted: Wed Apr 08, 2015 12:47 pm 
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Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 5:52 pm
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Location: Halifax, West Yorkshire
I agree with Matt 100%. The 1850 auto is a rare beast (there's about 40 left worldwide that I know of) and it should be kept as it is. Matt is down your way so he's your man especially with his Dolomite of choice being an early 1850 auto. I'm planning on camping down in Wisbech again in the summer (some time in August) so another visit to Cromer could well be on the cards. Some of your photos are a bit too big so I'll resize them when I get home from work tonight.

_________________
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: Wed Apr 08, 2015 1:46 pm 
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Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2009 11:41 pm
Posts: 1031
Location: Silsoe, Beds
I would also support the debate in keeping it as an Auto. I have a 1973 1850 Auto and I find it great fun to drive, especially in London.

When I used the 'how many left' website it climed there were only 14 in the country on the road and I had put 2 of them back on the road. of the the others, some have been converted.

I am also looking forward to putting my sprint auto on the road sometime this year too.

Malc


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PostPosted: Wed Apr 08, 2015 3:53 pm 
Hi Gary.....................

Yes the White Sprint is/was mine :D

If you get time, when you collect the Sprint, I will show some little projects near me.

1. a 1980 White Sprint sat rusting away.
2. a mint Dolomite shell in a garage, both this and the Sprint owner will not sell :(
3. A Works "lookalike, ex race car that is sat on a drive under tarpaulin and I believe as a V8 in it.......


Se you after my France trip in the Big Six Triumph.


Lee


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PostPosted: Wed Apr 08, 2015 7:35 pm 
Hi wow what a response, that put the cat amongst the pigeons. what do I do know? as new to the site no idea that there was so few auto's out there. I do not believe in destroying cars if there is no need. So with that in mind, does anyone know where I can get hold of another for my son, I was even temped to buy the blue 1850 (barn find)that was sold on ebay a couple of days ago for a back up car. but just a little to far away.

My son has fallen in love the 1850's,(twin head lights etc) Don't get me wrong he is not a boy racer, far from it, but a very level headed practical son. The insurance is not a problem I own a building company and already 12 vans on a fleet insurance and the insurance broker said he could be able to get it included.

So should I buy another is the question? if anyone know's where a good solid one is with a little work, that can be modified (resprayed white without causing offence to anyone) or a even a better a white 1850's if they do them, but not the sprint, not to far from Norfolk, would be greatful for any PM's

So if I do get another at a good price, then the blue will resprayed/remain blue, (where do I find the paint code?) and will remain a auto and would be fully restored.

many thanks again for all the info

Gary


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PostPosted: Wed Apr 08, 2015 7:42 pm 
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Location: Northwich
It was meant to be Gary!

viewtopic.php?f=9&t=28929

Originally here....viewtopic.php?f=19&t=27298

I'm just really pleased you've not got the hump Gary - it can't be easy going on to a new forum and then getting an avalanche of replies, must have been daunting!


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PostPosted: Wed Apr 08, 2015 8:06 pm 
there is no reason for me to get the hump with anyone as there is far more people out with more experience and knowledge than me.
I am not sure if someone's pride a joy would be happy for my son the have it all resprayed etc and may be out of his price range? . but will pm him? However there is one on gumtree a green one that is a project that is at the right price. mot ran out april last year. But as we have a full set of carpets and door cards - black, new dash etc that was spares with the blue one. Do you think any one have any objects to this being modified.

many thanks

Gary


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