The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

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PostPosted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 5:23 pm 
Hi,

Well after much searching I think I found the perfect Dolomite 1300. It's extremely sound mechanically, is in daily use and has had a ton of recommissioning work.

My question is, what are they like to use as a daily hack? I currently am using a modern car (Peugeot 306) which I intend to sell eventually. I only work four miles away from where I live so long journeys would only be happening weekly at the most.

Is the car reliable enough? Are they too slow to use on modern roads? Just curious as to people's experiences and any advice they may have.

Thanks


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PostPosted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 6:51 pm 
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I have driven 1300 and 1500 as daily drivers, they will keep up with modem traffic without a problem as long as you look after the engine with regular checks and use decent oil etc and remember its an old car so treat it with respect and it will return the respect by not breaking down.
Investigate any strange noises straight away, that rattle or knocking noise won't go away.

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PostPosted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 8:32 am 
Iv got a triumph 1300fwd, and your dolly shares the same engine, a few weeks ago I drove from Coventry to North Yorkshire for a show at the North Yorkshire railway. In total my car covered 565miles in one weekend using £80 of fuel, that's an average of 39mpg even on a motorway which the 1300fwds weren't really designed for so for a 8 mile commute you see a good return of mpg.

As with the post above this, don't stress the car out, you shouldn't need to, the 1300 is a good strong engine with a good heritage behind it so its well developed (think it started out in the standard 8).

They will keep up with modern traffic easily but modern owners don't understand it will pull off from a stop slower so get used to a bit of tailgating when pulling off from lights etc.......but that's there problem, they will learn :D on the other hand get used to a lot of waving, pointing, smiling and thumbs up from other folk on the road!

All in all, the 1300 engine is a great strong engine, but as said, listen out for any strange noises and keep it well serviced.

Enjoy the car, I'm currently using a dolly 1850 auto as a daily commute of 12miles.

Nathan


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PostPosted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 12:52 pm 
I use a Toledo (same 1300 engine) on my daily commute to work and it is perfect... I travel probably the same distance as you do and I cannot fault it.

It pulls away from lights and junctions etc... with enough verve to get off the mark just as quickly as anyone else (within reason!) and it will keep up with other traffic without any dramas! Being small and compact it is good for getting through gaps which bloated modern cars may think twice about too!!!

I have to admit that in this hot weather we've been having recently I've had to 'pop' the bonnet a few times in 'static' traffic to let a bit of extra heat escape but I've never been fearful of the car conking out, it never fails to inspire be with confidence and happiness...

Get the engine well serviced every 3000 miles and you'll keep it in very rude health indeed and it will thank you for that. As commented on above don't ignore anything that doesn't feel, look or sound right! Get it investigated and get it sorted as it will only get worse as time goes by (I should really practice what I preach!!!)...

Make sure you keep the car as clean as possible so you can try and spot bodywork problems as they occur and also just generally help with the cars preservation... It is harder to spot problems on a dirty car and they look better when they're clean :wink:

All I can add to this is GO FOR IT...!!! You will not regret it if you buy the right car...


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PostPosted: Fri Jul 26, 2013 8:44 pm 
Thanks for all the info and advice. Much appreciated!


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PostPosted: Thu Aug 01, 2013 7:53 am 
I also use a 1300 toledo for my daily commute, it does about 40 miles a day and i'm seeing 39-46 mpg from it and for me it gets off from a stop just as quickly as any corsa etc

I found when I got mine it was running well but it wasnt brilliant, so as said before just keep it well maintained and it wont let you down! Mine hasnt failed me once yet

And as also said before, be prepared for staring, waving and the sort, the amount of people who overtake me (as a learner so I stick to the speed limits :P) and just stare as they go past


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PostPosted: Thu Aug 01, 2013 8:05 pm 
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My Dolly 1300 is a 2nd car but you could easily use one for such a short commute. My car copes fine with my 16 mile (each way) drive to work on the occasions I use it, and my car is a shambles, a car with a decent engine would be no problem! I can't say much in the way of reliability as my car has done nothing but break down constantly and the list of problems is growing faster than I can fix them, but I seem to be a rather unfortunate exception to the rule. They also rust, simply as a matter of course I find, mine is cosmetically pretty grotty and I found myself at the local jetwash washing off salt during winter at -5 Celsius more times than I'd care to think about. :lol:

Realistically it's a slow car in modern traffic and I'm glad I've never had to go on anything other than fast A-roads but it's not much slower than my Yaris. Beware, nobody expects you to be going over 30mph so prepare to be overtaken when exiting towns and for people to pull out of junctions right in front of you. :roll:
Anything over 50mph is pretty noisy compared to a modern car too, ride comfort is decent and I've never had an issue with handling even in the frost and snow. Visibility is fantastic, easy to park, light and responsive steering (get it on some decent tyres though), servo brakes, loads of interior room for the size and a sizeable boot.

Mine averages 30mpg, but as I've said it isn't very healthy in general. At least parts are easy to get and it's a doddle to work on. :lol:

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1976 Triumph Dolomite 1850HL "Trevor, the Tenaciously Terrible Triumph" - Rotten as a pear and dissolving into a field in rural Aberdeenshire.
1977 Triumph Dolomite 1300 "Daisy, the Dilapidated Dolomite of Disaster" - Major resto, planned for completion 2021.
1983 Triumph Acclaim L "Angus, the Arguably Adequate Acclaim - On the road as a daily driver.


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PostPosted: Thu Sep 12, 2013 2:39 pm 
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I drove a Dolly 1300 (exactly like the one I have now) for thousands of miles as my daily from 1991 to 1995, it was the rust that finally put it off the road, it went all over Ireland as I was big into the hill - walking, and it even pulled off 1,500 miles in 2 weeks on a trip to France in the summer of 1993, visiting Brittany & Normandy. All I did to that car was a head gasket (one day job) and new ball joints, shocks & brakes, propshaft centre joint & exchange starter & alternator and electronic ignition. It never broke down, the oil pressure light flickered on tickover when hot, but at 120,000+ miles one could hardly blame that, the engine always started in the mornings and MPG was superb. Would not hesitate recommending it as a daily, treat it to regular servicing and drive it sympathetically (i.e. bear in mind that the engine spins at 4000 RPM+ at only 60 mph - really 50 - 55 MPH is the best speed to cruise at. Just make sure to take good anti-theft precautions, since these older cars are easy targets compared to the modern transponder-equipped security systems in todays' cars.

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1977 Dolomite 1300 Brooklands Green, 10 trouble free years
2007 Toyota Auris Terra (boring but reliable daily driver)


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PostPosted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 5:51 pm 
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Quote:
Hi,

Well after much searching I think I found the perfect Dolomite 1300. It's extremely sound mechanically, is in daily use and has had a ton of recommissioning work.

My question is, what are they like to use as a daily hack? I currently am using a modern car (Peugeot 306) which I intend to sell eventually. I only work four miles away from where I live so long journeys would only be happening weekly at the most.

Is the car reliable enough? Are they too slow to use on modern roads? Just curious as to people's experiences and any advice they may have.

Thanks
I am going to throw in a note of caution.

Using the car Daily involves winter driving and these cars are rear wheel drive. They will work in the snow, but not like a modern front wheel drive car. It is much easier to lose control. I've driven a 1500 in those conditions, and it wasn't fun.

The next issue is rust, even a short daily run in winter means salty roads, which will play havock with the chrome, and could start rot in the usual places.

There is also no getting around the fact it is an old, with old tech. Depending on the condition, things will go wrong.

If you think you have found a good one, and you have checked it over, then give it go.

To be honest, something like a yaris would give you an easier life.


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PostPosted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 3:10 pm 
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^^^^^^^What??? are you serious, a fecking YARIS why the hell would someone interested in wanting a Dolomite even consider the (none) benefits of driving a Imported piece of crap.
As for rear wheel drive cars being easier to lose control of there are a lot of people who still drive RWD all year round, its down to driving to the conditions , I have a tail happy Volvo estate that will kick out its rear in the dry so it goes without saying that I take it easy in less than dry conditions, The only cars I have ever ditched have been Front wheel drive.

Old Tech mean less to go work and when, if, it does go wrong it is easier and cheaper to repair.

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PostPosted: Sat Nov 23, 2013 11:04 pm 
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Actually, a 1300 will probably be much better in the snow than a modern car. What you need in snow is thin tyres:

Image

In my experience having RWD is actually a bit better because you aren't asking the front wheels to do everything, meaning you can accelerate and turn at the same time if you do it gently, and slow down with engine braking and still have a bit of traction left to turn the car.

It'll take a bit more maintaining than a modern car, and you do need to clean it regularly to keep the rust at bay, but if I had a short commute I would quite happily use a dolly for it - I used to use my Sprint everyday.


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PostPosted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 11:23 pm 
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Quote:
^^^^^^^What??? are you serious, a fecking YARIS why the hell would someone interested in wanting a Dolomite even consider the (none) benefits of driving a Imported piece of crap.
As for rear wheel drive cars being easier to lose control of there are a lot of people who still drive RWD all year round, its down to driving to the conditions , I have a tail happy Volvo estate that will kick out its rear in the dry so it goes without saying that I take it easy in less than dry conditions, The only cars I have ever ditched have been Front wheel drive.

Old Tech mean less to go work and when, if, it does go wrong it is easier and cheaper to repair.
The imported piece of crap doesn't rust, passes the MOT with little hassle and is cheap to run. Lots of people buy classic cars without properly researching them. I'm not saying the OP is such a person, but a Dolomite with worn parts and bodywork that is starting to rot will be difficult and expensive to live with.

As for rear wheel drive being easier, not if you have been brought up with front wheel drive. Front wheel drive cars with a heavy engine over the wheels, can be driven far easier in icy/snowing conditions than a rear wheel drive motor. Rear wheel takes more care. SKinny tires may help, but if I had a choice between my Xantia, a Yaris or a Dolomite in winter, I wouldn't pick the Dolly.

I like Dolomites, I have one, but running run as a daily driver is different to running one as a second car. The daily driver needs to start, it needs to stand up to salt on winter roads, and it needs to be reliable. A well maintained Dolomite with the right owner can do this, but it is very different to owning a modern car that will survive far more neglect.


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PostPosted: Tue Dec 31, 2013 11:30 pm 
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Quote:
Actually, a 1300 will probably be much better in the snow than a modern car. What you need in snow is thin tyres:

Image

In my experience having RWD is actually a bit better because you aren't asking the front wheels to do everything, meaning you can accelerate and turn at the same time if you do it gently, and slow down with engine braking and still have a bit of traction left to turn the car.

It'll take a bit more maintaining than a modern car, and you do need to clean it regularly to keep the rust at bay, but if I had a short commute I would quite happily use a dolly for it - I used to use my Sprint everyday.
I tried engine braking in the dolly, driving up the M1 in the snow, with no grit on the road. Dropped gear too soon, revs shotup and lost the backend. Fish tailing wildly, I was lucky there was nobody in the next lane. I got control over it, but it was one of more frightening driving experiences.

Did something similar in the Xantia, inexperience in the snow, gave it too much power. The difference was the front let go. I reduced the power, and I regained traction virtually instantly, because of all the weight over the front wheels. It was much more forgiving of errors.

If people want to use their Dolomites for what they are designed for, everyday driving, that's great. All I wanted to do was make sure people have their eyes open. Dolomites need more care to keep the rust away, some of the cheaper cars are worn and need allot of work.

It is different and fun, but it could also be a money pit. Leaving the new owner dissapointed and the car in a worse condition than when it was bought.


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PostPosted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 10:52 pm 
A yaris? I think I'd rather eat my spare wheel! True they can be a complete nightmare as a daily drive, say it does break down, but that said, when it breaks down, theres hardly anything to replace! And ontop of that, in my experiance, my ratty old rusty 89k engine that rattled like hell, a bodytub with rust, badly repaired sills and a £40 hammerite paint job never ever failed me... My 'restored' current toledo... Thats a problem... Headgasket failed, alternator failed, water pump failed, vacuum advance failed all within a week... Even then, if I hadnt got the hump because I missed my old one so much, could have had that done in an afternoon... And since then has run flawlessly... Even did 1k miles in a week like it was nothing... Take care of them, do the repairs properly and you'll only have to do them once... Every so often... And its worth the trouble! At the end of the day these were daily drivers at one point, not much has changed since then, if people in the 70's could drive them in the snow, so can I.

Turning up in a yaris.. Or turning up in a classic... I know which I prefer


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