My new Dolomite - 1980 1500HL Auto

[JPB]

.......LOOK EVERYONE HOWARD IS TAKING OUR PICTURE!

Everyone wave at Howard!

Alan, you told me, before I joined this forum, that I should.........

Watch out for the one they call Howard. He doesn't have a reflection.

Now we find that, quite clearly, he does!

Aaaaaanyway, nice dealer sticker, must try to track down one for the supplying dealer of my car when he was a newborn.

[Howard81]

Alan, you told me, before I joined this forum, that I should.........

Watch out for the one they call Howard. He doesn't have a reflection.

Now we find that, quite clearly, he does!

He's right - I only get a reflection in Triplex glass!

Aaaaaanyway, nice dealer sticker, must try to track down one for the supplying dealer of my car when he was a newborn.

I tried to find a dealer sticker for my Sprint from Heron Rossleigh in Edinburgh. I settled for one that said "(L) Leyland Cars - great cars and a great deal more" instead

[Jod Clark]

I likes the green

It looks even better now its had another couple of coats

[Jod Clark]

oooooo!

[Jon Tilson]

I like the greenish tinge to the block, but the nickel plated fuel pump and crank pulley is a bit ott...

dives for cover.

Jonners

[Jod Clark]

The perils of a rubbish camera phone are at play here.

The block is black as black can be. The fuel pump is au-naturel.
Nice to know you like it though.....

[Howard81]

Are you sure you can bear to part with such a lovely looking engine?

[Jod Clark]

Kick-up-the-backside received and understood!

All that remains is to fit the crank rear seal, put the engine on the test rig and run it up.

It will have to be weekend fitting from now on though, back behind the wheel weekdays from Monday....

[Howard81]

A visit to David6214 and his (rather incredible) Dolomite Emporium has netted me a few more parts for NGU! Thanks, David

Nice new dashboard wood fitted, which looks much smarter than the original. Looks a lot darker in the photos though. The lacquer had cracked on the old one, but I'm going to try my hand at refurbishing it. If it is successful, I'll have a go at the door wood



New choke cable - the Spitfire one on there was about 300 metres long so rattled on the underside of the bonnet and was REALLY stiff. This new one also has the light switch for the choke lamp in the warning cluster.

Some better "D" badges on the c-pillars - the originals had faded so much you could hardly see the D.



I also got a new oil pressure gauge for my Sprint, so my Sprints old one will get moved into my 1500. Need to find the pipework and T-pieces though.

[Jod Clark]

Replacement engine awaits!

[Howard81]

Fantastic

[Howard81]

It's amazing how troublesome a car can be, despite it not actually moving anywhere for ages.

I haven't started NGU up for a couple of months as I've had the battery inside after it went flat. So yesterday I charged it up and put it back on the car.

Turns over nicely, but no sign of it firing and I then remembered I had swapped the tank over to the one in my Sprint, and it was empty

3 gallons later and exactly the same - still no sign of firing.

I checked and cleaned the points, rotor arm and fitted a new cap (original was manky).

Still the same...

I took the tops off the carb float chambers, and fuel is pumping in okay... the pistons in the carbs are also good. but it still won't fire.

Anyway I've given up for tonight.

The wiper motor has now packed up, with the wipers stuck in the "up" position! They very slowly went up, and now won't budge.

The good news however, this time next week I'll hopefully be homeward bound on the M1 with a lovely new "built by Jod Clark" engine Can't wait

[Howard81]

Also, the MoT is due at the end of Feb 2010, so I need to start planning ahead for that. I think it should pass okay as there is nothing obviously wrong, apart from a big hole in the end of the passenger-side sill. The jacking point has rotted out and it's going to need a bit of work to get that sorted properly. Weirdly, it's only at the end, the rest is fine!

Any recommendations (or volunteers? ) for a competent welder who can sort this out? I'm not really after a £3,000 concours repair, but I don't want to slap a patch over it and pretend it's not there. I have an inner reinforcer and can get a sill from the club

Also Adam, if your reading this - did it have any advisories last year?

[NickMorgan]

I am certainly not an expert, but do you think that is a replacement sill that is on there already?
I think it it was me, I would want to take the outer sill off to have a good look at what is under there. It is probably just as easy to replace a whole sill as to try and make good repairs to either end. Then at least you know that you have cut out all of the rot and done a good job.

[Howard81]

I am certainly not an expert, but do you think that is a replacement sill that is on there already?
I think it it was me, I would want to take the outer sill off to have a good look at what is under there. It is probably just as easy to replace a whole sill as to try and make good repairs to either end. Then at least you know that you have cut out all of the rot and done a good job.

According to the paperwork I have, it had two new sills put on about 10 years ago. I'd certainly have the whole outer skin replaced with a club panel but the inner box section will need to be repaired at the end, along with the jacking point. The rest of the box section is totally solid