The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

I've had a a couple of Dolomites - a 1500 fwd, an 1850 and another 1850 that had a Sprint engine fitted. All have moved on to pastures new.





sadly I can't find a pic of the last one but I still have a tin of Pageant blue paint....

I had a mate who rebuilt his engine in a 1300. I was very impressed with the roadholding, finish and relative luxury (compared to my 1200 Cortina mk1). So I bought a 1500 fwd. The 1500 (fairly sound if a bit staid) ended up being scrapped around 1981 after an altercation with an imp, but PAF 487M stayed with us for quite a while. We had our issues; it came back from an MOT with it jumping out of reverse - no *fault* of the garage of course - which meant a gearbox rebuild (all done on the side of the road in winter as we didn't have a garage). Later on the big ends went awol whilst my girl at the time was at the wheel - she heard a rattle, then a knock and, typically, ignored it.....until the engine seized. I rebuilt it at work - we were living on a narrowboat then so still no garage! - and it carried me from Cornwall to Sheffield most weekends without a murmur. I loved the overdrive unit. Eventually I traded it in about '84 for a (gasp) ... Renault 5 GTL which was so light and skittish on it's nail hard Michelins that I stuffed that one into the front of a school bus one damp morning....oh the ignominy of all the kids crying and laughing in equal measure doesn't bear thinking about. We replaced it with a Moggy thou then a Talbot Horizon. I know, I know. But we were desperate.

Then I bought a '78 1850 in about '92. It brought back all the good times of the first one; a garage local to my work had some spares and knowledge of Triumphs and he also had a dog rough Sprint. Could he rebuild my good 1850 with the running gear? He could and did, but things couldn't last, and sadly the mains rumbled for a while until vision was impaired. I entrusted it to some contacts I knew and they hoicked the motor out, stripped it and declared the crankshaft u/s. They kept saying they would get another but never did, I never paid them and the car disappeared. Sad but true. That was about '98.

So here I am again. Looking at prices and feeling the skip of a heartbeat when I look at pics of Sprints and hear tell of overdrives, and wood cappings. I'm potentially smitten once again if I find the right car. PAF487M is still in the DVLA lists; but it's probably forlorn and dishevelled and I really want to find a good, clean car - preferably rhd, and on the road.

Any ideas, chaps?

Rick

Hi Rick wow that is an interesting potted history!

The problem today (and I am just as bad) is the rose coloured glasses effect.

I still love my classics and I do all my own work, welding spraying trim you name it I have probably cut my hands over it at some point! But these days due to lack of time I don't get to play as much as I would like.

Thankfully I don't need to worry about the only car I have being the only car I have for work, back then I did, so like you I had to do roadside (kerbside) repairs and you learn all those techniques about quick emergency fixes to get you home, like foil from a chewing gum wrapper in the dizzy because the inner earth strap broke!!

Having said all of that if you can still do all your own work and not rely on garages you are onto a winner. I am also looking to buy a dolly but its more sentimental value as I never owned one myself.

Good luck with your search hope you find one - DO IT!!!