I don’t claim any expertise in the details of modifying vehicles for rallying or off-road use, but fundamentally everything needs to be as robust & reliable as possible and operate at optimum efficiency!
When driving on mountain roads, especially in regions where there are no safety barriers (see documentary TV series, “The World’s Most Dangerous Roads”), it would be advisable to minimise the likelihood of complete brake failure! This implies that the braking system should be completely overhauled as a matter of course, but also that upgrading to a dual-circuit hydraulic system might also be prudent.
According to my second-hand, dog-eared freebie FWD Triumph 1300/1500 Autodata Car Repair Manual, the Triumph 1300 & 1300TC models were equipped with front disc brakes & rear drum brakes with a single hydraulic circuit, boosted by either a direct-acting servo or a single remote-acting servo. The afore-mentioned manual states that “a ‘Remote’ type brake servo is fitted to 1300TC versions and a ‘Direct-acting’ servo is fitted to the 1500 model”, but no mention is made of the 1300 version!
Upgrading a system that has a direct-acting servo should be relatively straightforward, but alternatively fitting either a double remote-acting servo unit or two single remote-acting servo units, in addition to substituting a dual-circuit master cylinder, should not be beyond the scope of the competent DIY mechanic cum automotive engineer. The ideal would probably be to somehow mimic the triangular-split system that was used on Volvo 240-Series cars.
https://www.volvoclub.org.uk/pdf/brochu ... vo1971.pdf
http://www3.telus.net/wireless/car/man1977/ch6.htm
Board index » The Triumph Dolomite Club » Dolomite-related [Start here!] » 1300 brake upgrades? and more
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=19058&hilit=1300+servo
Board index » The Triumph Dolomite Club » Restoration Projects » Looong term 1300.
viewtopic.php?f=19&t=21856&p=214293&hil ... vo#p214293
Board index » The Triumph Dolomite Club » Dolomite-related [Start here!] » single line brakes to tandem
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=22553
During the winter of 1988/89, I retro-fitted two single remote-acting servo units to my 1973 VW 1600 Type 2 motor-caravan, which already had a dual-circuit hydraulic system, but no servo assistance for the front disc brakes & rear drum brakes.
Home Forums > Help and Assistance > Bay Tech Clinic > Steering, Brakes & Suspension >
Retro-fitting remote-acting brake servos, Kunifer-10 pipework & silicone brake fluid
http://forums.kombiclub.com/threads/ret ... uid.22693/
If driving at night, ensure that you have the best possible headlights, plus supplementary lighting in the legally-prescribed locations for a 1967 vintage car, plus possibly a few on the roof for when you are driving off-road; not forgetting to fit the obligatory tell-tale warning lights. It might also be prudent to protect the lamp lenses, by retro-fitting stone-guards of some sort.
All this extra lighting will require substitution of one or more decent capacity alternators (preferably for a 24V or 36V commercial-vehicle electrical system; remembering to appropriately modify the Triumph 1300’s existing electrical system), in place of the original Lucas C40-1, 22A dynamo. My 1974 Triumph Toledo 1300 “HL Special” is fitted with a second-hand Lucas A133, 65A alternator that I salvaged from a Rover SD1, which necessitated fitting a longer V-belt. If there had been more clearance between the larger-diameter alternator and the lead-acid battery’s front clamp, I could have used a slightly longer V-belt, which would have given better access to the No. 1 spark plug.
My V-belt and alternator markings & specifications are:
V-belt markings: F.A.I. Auto – 10AV1113 Goodyear
Alternator markings: Y in a circle, followed by 24125D | A133 – 65 | 198312V1
Alternator housing diameter: 141 mm
You might or might not be aware, that in the past, there has been at least one 4WD – four-wheel-drive, Triumph 1300 rally car, with potentially improved capability to cope with rough terrain, especially on loose or squishy surfaces. Torque-biasing or limited-slip differentials would also be useful, if one can find a source for this vehicle, with either FWD – front-wheel-drive or 4WD – four-wheel-drive. The four-wheel drive system was derived from the Pony, a vehicle which utilised a Triumph 1300 based transmission and possibly other components.
Malcolm McKay, “Buyer’s guide: Triumph 1300, 1500 & Toledo”, 25th July 2018
https://www.classicandsportscar.com/fea ... 500-toledo
https://www.classicandsportscar.com/fea ... 500-toledo
« The model’s sporting stardom came with a clever 4x4 adaptation using 2000 rear suspension and a Weber-carburetted motor. It wiped the board in its first televised outing in rallycross, but shortly after was rolled, and no more were made. »
« A small 4x4 off-road vehicle, the Pony, was also developed using 1300 running gear; it would eventually be built by Autocars in Israel. »
Having heavier-duty suspension components, would probably be beneficial. Where possible, it might be prudent to retro-fit sturdy skid plates, to protect vulnerable underside areas of the engine, transmission & suspension. Recalling that the FWD Triumph 1300 uses Rotoflex joints (i.e. rubber doughnuts), I would be inclined to upgrade from these to proper steel CVJs – constant velocity joints, which is now the recommended upgrade for one of the Lotus car models, as featured on Wheeler Dealers, presented by Mike Brewer & Edward China.
Once one travels far beyond the confines of Western Europe, the quality of road surfaces is likely to diminish significantly, with a significant proportion of poorly-surfaced or unsurfaced roads; possibly including razor-sharp flints or other hazards that might damage wheels and/or tyres.
I know that in some parts of the World it is not unusual to incur at least one puncture during a single day’s driving. One of my local acquaintances told me recently, that he had incurred three punctures during a single journey, whilst driving on the A1 highway in England. He now carries a set of four spare-wheels & tyres in both his cars!
Hence it would be advisable to carry at least two spare wheels & tyres, plus maybe a few inner-tubes, puncture-repair kit and a set of tyre levers. It would also be advisable to have a large, thick plywood board (maybe a circular one, forming a lid to the original spare-wheel & tyre) to support the lifting-jack on soft ground.
I am aware that one tyre company (Nokian in Finland I believe!?!), recently introduced Kevlar reinforced all-terrain tyres, but I don’t whether they are available in sizes suitable for Triumph 1300 standard 13 inch steel wheels. They are certainly available in sizes suitable for the 7 x 16 inch Mercedes C-Class wheels that I shall be fitting to my 1973 VW Type 2.
One “upgrade” which would contribute to raising the car’s ground clearance, would be to substitute larger-diameter wheels and tyres of larger external-diameter. However, the challenge would be to source wheels having the required fixing-stud PCD – pitch circle diameter and wheel-offset, that would be compatible with the FWD Triumph 1300; about which there has already been much discussion pertaining to Triumph Toledos & Dolomites.
Triumph Torque › Chit Chat Boards › Technical Chit-Chat › Triumph PCD & Suitable Wheels
http://club.triumph.org.uk/cgi-bin/foru ... 197304398/
Board index » The Triumph Dolomite Club » Dolomite-related [Start here!] » wheel sizes PCD?
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=18366
Board index » The Triumph Dolomite Club » Dolomite-related [Start here!] » Looking for different wheels? A warning!
https://forum.triumphdolomite.co.uk/vie ... =4&t=37338
Board index » The Triumph Dolomite Club » Dolomite-related [Start here!] » MG-Rover-Austin Maestro or Montego alloy wheels for Triumph Toledo & Dolomite
https://forum.triumphdolomite.co.uk/vie ... =4&t=34572
Board index » The Triumph Dolomite Club » Dolomite-related [Start here!] » MGF WHEELS
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=33153
Board index » The Triumph Dolomite Club » Dolomite-related [Start here!] » Dolomite Sprint Tyres
https://forum.triumphdolomite.co.uk/vie ... =4&t=37285
Some Triumph Dolomite Club forum members, have recently indicated that they habitually wear out tyres after ridiculously low mileages (as little as 4,000 miles!), but whether this is attributable to their choice of tyres and/or where & how they drive, is still a matter of contention!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniform_T ... ty_Grading
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniform_T ... #Treadwear
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tire_code#Wear_rating
Noting that batteries, starter-motors & starter-motor circuits are normally reliable, until they cease to be reliable with little or no advance warning, retro-fitment of a hand-cranked, engine starting-handle facility, might be a useful backup when travelling in sparsely populated areas with little traffic. I have had one of these on my 1973 VW Type 2’s air-cooled engine since the late-1980s; having grown up with my father’s late-1940s vintage Morris 8 Series E, which had this facility as standard! The Citroën 2CVs were still so equipped when production ended in the early-1990s.
Board index » The Triumph Dolomite Club » Dolomite-related [Start here!] » Toledo With Starting Handle
https://forum.triumphdolomite.co.uk/vie ... =4&t=25537
Ideally reinforce the car’s unitary-frame construction, by seam-welding or at least brazing, every single spot welded seam, to minimise concentration of the stresses. There might be areas where it would be useful to weld-in additional reinforcement buttresses, gussets or flitch-plates; especially at less than or equal to 90º angle joints between adjoining panels and/or components.
Whilst you are sorting out the “80% structural rust”, it would seem to be the most appropriate time to do this, as much of the vehicle would need repainting afterwards anyway; preferably in one or more high-visibility colours (e.g. high-saturation orange, yellow and/or yellow-green) which are the most easily seen colours in any weather, under both daytime & night-time conditions! Avoid using any colours (especially white, silver & grey, plus any pastel colours) which offer poor contrast with the background terrain or sky. Red is highly visible in daytime, but under low-light-intensity dawn & dusk and night-time conditions, it appears black.
Once you drive outside Great Britain or Sweden, the likelihood of being involved in a vehicle collision, increases significantly (sometimes more than 10 fold!) and not merely because in some of the countries, people drive on the left, centre or right hand sides of the road dependent upon how they feel at the time, whilst you are diligently obeying the local rules of driving on the right.
Many people do other crazy things which increase the likelihood of collisions, which one seldom witnesses in Great Britain or Sweden; some of which I have seen whilst travelling overseas in second-world & third-world countries! In 1970, in Turkey, which straddles the boundary between Europe & Asia, I witnessed people driving the centre of the road and saw bald tyres which were worn down to the textile reinforcement cords.
In Albania in 1967, where private-car ownership was NOT permitted, the public-transport buses and the few “tourist” coaches had flaps of rubber hanging off the sidewalls of the tyres. In the Baltic States (Lithuania, Latvia & Estonia) in 1993, vehicle condition & maintenance was not much better. The “tourist” coach in which we travelled back from Vilnius in Lithuania to St. Petersburg in Russia kept breaking down on an almost daily basis and when I had the opportunity to peer into the rear engine compartment, I observed coolant-system hoses and V-belts, that would probably soon fail at the least provocation.
If you are going to subject your car’s drivetrain and electrical system close to their limits, then it would be wise to retro-fit some supplementary instrumentation and modify the factory-standard ammeter circuit, so that it actually registers battery charging & discharging.
Here are some of my own thoughts which I have so far posted on what I regard as useful upgrades to a RWD 1973 Triumph Toledo 1300, which is closely related to a FWD Triumph 1300:
Board index » The Triumph Dolomite Club » Dolomite-related [Start here!] » 40+ Years With A 1974 Triumph Toledo 1300 “HL Special”
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=29933
Board index » The Triumph Dolomite Club » The Public Bar - General Chat » “Factory-Standard, Alternative & Supplementary Instruments”
viewtopic.php?f=5&t=29524
Board index » The Triumph Dolomite Club » Dolomite-related [Start here!] » Customising Lucas 60 mm, 8-Segment, Warning-Light Clusters
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=29490
Board index » The Triumph Dolomite Club » Dolomite-related [Start here!] » Triumph Toledo / Dolomite, Front & Rear Window, Wiper & Washer Upgrades
https://forum.triumphdolomite.co.uk/vie ... =4&t=37150
Board index » The Triumph Dolomite Club » Dolomite-related [Start here!] » Improving Heating, Ventilation, Demisting & Defrosting
https://forum.triumphdolomite.co.uk/vie ... =4&t=36917
Board index » The Triumph Dolomite Club » Dolomite-related [Start here!] » Substituting a Triumph Dolomite 1500 HL Engine Cooling-System Radiator into a Triumph Toledo 1300
https://forum.triumphdolomite.co.uk/vie ... =4&t=36892
Board index » The Triumph Dolomite Club » Dolomite-related [Start here!] » Exterior rear-view mirrors: which were factory standard; door or wing mounted?
https://forum.triumphdolomite.co.uk/vie ... =4&t=34789
If I were contemplating participating in this or any other International rallies, I would probably choose to use my extensively modified, 1973 VW “1600” Type 2 Westfalia Continental motor-caravan (with 1911 cm³ displacement, 90+ horsepower, 1972 VW 412LE based, VW Type 4 style air-cooled engine), which as well as having on-board living accommodation, is inherently more robust and better able to cope than my 1974 Triumph Toledo 1300 “HL Special”, with high or low ambient temperatures, unmade roads and off-road conditions.
Although my father paid £1,450 for this second-hand 1973 model-year VW Type 2 in January 1975, you probably could
NOT buy one these days in factory-standard form for less than £15,000, and I have seen significantly higher asking prices on more than a few occasions. Even the original factory-fitted 1584 cm³ displacement, 50 horsepower, 1973 VW 1600 Type 1 Beetle style air-cooled engine, would probably exclude its acceptance for the Mongol rally.
The 1968~79 VW Type 2, was in its time, at the forefront of commercial van & minibus technology and to the best of my knowledge, was the only one with fully-independent front & rear suspension, whose ruggedness and low un-sprung weight, made it the vehicle of choice, for expeditions over any rough terrain, where all-wheel drive was not required; especially if one had the factory-fitted, limited slip differential option (M220).
In fact, a journey by Harry B. Coleman & Peggy Larson, in a VW Type 2 campervan, during 20th August 1976 to 20th April 1978, through 113 countries, over a distance of 231,288 km (i.e. 143,716 miles), holds the World record (see Guinness Book of Records, 1996, Page 119), for the longest continuous motor-caravan journey.
Another couple, who undertook a World tour, of about two thirds this distance, in a 1972 VW 1700 Type 2 motor-caravan (looks as though it might be a North American specification, Westfalia campervan, with a British Weathershields elevating roof!), wrote a book of advice for independent World travellers (see
Theresa & Jonathan Hewat, "Overland and Beyond", Roger Lascelles, 5th Edition, 1981), during their 143,305 km (89,045 miles) journey, which crossed the International Date Line on Friday, 21st March 1975 and crossed the equator on four separate occasions, travelling through Europe, Africa, Asia and Europe, plus Central, North & South America.