Looking at both front and rear wraparound bumpers of the various Toledos and Dolomites, I wonder whether they are fully interchangeable between car models and model-years!?!
In effect, I am asking the following:
Can one readily substitute a single-piece Dolomite front bumper onto a Toledo and vice versa?
Can one readily substitute one or more sections of a three-piece Dolomite rear bumper onto a Toledo and vice versa?
Substituting Rear Bumper
Although not in terrible condition, the three-piece wraparound rear bumper of my four-door, 1974 Triumph Toledo 1300, is beginning to look a little shabby, with a rash of tiny rust spots punctuating the chrome plating.
Whilst browsing on the Internet, to see what Triumph Toledos might exist in the World, beyond the shores of the British Isles, I stumbled upon a second-hand sales website in New Zealand, featuring a New Zealand specification, 1974 Triumph Toledo 1500 for sale, which seemed to have a substituted rear bumper (with an integral, centrally-positioned, large single licence-plate illumination lamp), originating from either a Triumph 1500, 1500TC or early-model Dolomite.
New Zealand specification, 1974 Triumph Toledo 1500, having a rear bumper with integral, centrally-positioned, large single licence-plate illumination lamp)
What isn’t evident, is whether the two small wraparound side sections of the rear bumper are from the same origin as the large rear central section (incorporating the licence-plate illumination lamp) or those originally fitted to the Toledo!?!
Noting that the rearmost body panels of the Triumph 1500, 1500TC and Dolomite models are about 6 inches longer than those of the Triumph Toledo, I wonder whether the two small wraparound side sections of the rear bumpers, might also differ in length by up to 6 inches!?!
If illumination of a Toledo’s rear licence-plate is satisfactory (i.e. acceptable to the police authorities and MOT inspectorate), I quite fancy substituting one of these rear bumpers (incorporating the licence-plate illumination lamp) onto my Triumph Toledo.
I have a Triumph Dolomite towing bracket partially fitted to my Triumph Toledo, so I am also concerned about the possible routing of the electrical wiring from the bumper’s integral licence-plate illumination lamp, into the interior of the boot, to connect to the main wiring loom.
From the following picture of a Triumph Dolomite Sprint, which has both this early-model rear bumper and what superficially appears to be the same pattern of towing bracket as mine, I surmise that routing the licence-plate illumination lamp wiring is not a major problem, but I would be interested to know what route the wiring actually takes.
Routing the electrical wiring to the pair of Lucas Square-8 “auxiliary reversing lights” (i.e. one fog light & one auxiliary driving light) mounted below the towing bracket, is probably more straight forward.
M-registration Triumph Dolomite Sprint with early-model rear bumper (single large number-plate illumination lamp) and towing bracket
Incidently, this Triumph Dolomite Sprint has virtually the same colour scheme (including black vinyl covering of the roof and rear-quarter-panels) as my 1974 Triumph Toledo 1300 had from prior to May 1975 onward.
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Regards.
Nigel A. Skeet
Independent tutor of mathematics, physics, technology & engineering, for secondary, tertiary, further & higher education.
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Upgraded 1974 Triumph Toledo 1300 (Toledo / Dolomite HL / Sprint hybrid)
Onetime member + magazine editor & technical editor of Volkswagen Type 2 Owners' Club