1975 Triumph Toledo is back on the road

[Helen]

Hello all

You may remember me as the bearer of bad news a couple of months ago when I posted the news of my blue Dolomite being stolen. Having not heard a peep about her I started the search for a replacement.

I would like to introduce you to Margarita Toledo! She is a 1975 Toledo with about 76,000 miles on the clock with just two owners. She was about to hit the scrap heap which I just couldnt allow....

The engine needed a little TLC and she failed her M.O.T due to her flexible brake hoses...But that is about it....I have replaced her tyres with new /old ones and she is about to get back on the road.

However! As you can see from the pictures she is in need of a good clean and T-Cut and there is a slight cosmetic rust issue. To which end I am a little out of my depth!

I would be grateful fo any handy hints on the best way to treat the costmetic rust around all the wheel arches and also the front drivers wing and the panel under the bumper. I am on the hunt for two panels and a recomended bodyworker...as I thought that it would be an sound investment for her future rather than treat/fill/sand and paint.....

In fact while I am on the hunt issue....I am also after a set of door mirrors as I am without!

Thanks for all your support with Dolly....I promise to have top notch security on this one and keep you posted with the progress!

Helen


He

[Helen]

Here are some more pics........

[drpaul0209]

Well done on saving another short tail Helen!

It's very disheartening to have a car stolen and never recovered, it has happened to me before. I have a couple of wing mountable wing mirrors you can have, if you like them, not everyone does...

I have been looking for a Tolly not dissimilar to this for aaages for my little project but I keep missing them, ho hum.

Hope this project goes well for you.

Dan

[DavePoth]

Well done on saving that one. Hopefully a lot of that rust is just on the surface, and will just sand off.

[xvivalve]

Crikey, lifesize photo's!!

Excellent news! Are you coming to Cosford afterall then?

The majority looks to be surface rust, the scab on the nearside front wing though has come from the inside so likely will go to a hole when sanded or picked and will need a plate letting in. The lower valance looks to be the worst panel and again some of these scabs will likely hole. The rest needs grinding back, some will be quite deep and cause pitting in the metal surface. You need to get to clean metal which isn't always possible with pitting without taking too much metal away, so buy yourself some Jenolite rust remover for these areas; go for the liquid rather than the gel and be careful, its quite a strong acid. Once the rust has been removed, build the profile of the area back up with good quality body filler sand back to profile using progressive grades of wet and dry, finishing with a wipe of stopping, sand with very fine wet and dry paper and prime with grey etch primer. This will show any imperfections in your work which you may then readdress before finishing with top coat Mimosa. Most paint suppliers will mix the colour and put it into handy aerosols for you.

Which panels are you after? I'm likely coming to see you on Thursday evening and may be able help...I have a repro lower front valance that I was going to take to Cosford to sell, it won't be that cheap; but much cheaper than Rimmers who want £188 for one mind!

The bodyworker you need is Steve Wilkes, but he's up here in the Midlands.

Jon Tilson might help you out with the non welding bodywork...West London...

[JPB]

That car looks fine from here, OK, so it has a few cosmetic issues, but I've seen much worse rust on 'S' reg Mercedes Benz, and yes, I mean 'S' prefix ones, 1998/1999. That South African factory could have learned an enormous amount from BL, circa 1974/1975.

Good luck with the car, it'll soon be sparkling.

[DoloWIGHTY]

Wow you can almost reach out a push those rust scabs with your finger!!!

I believe this is the car us Autoshiters got a preview of a couple of weeks back?

But, yes fine prospect, eminently savable.

Oh drpaul, if you want a Toledo, there's this one going over here on the IoW looking for a new home;

viewtopic.php?f=8&t=15927

[JPB]

Crikey, lifesize photos

....I believe this is the car us Autoshiters got a preview of a couple of weeks back?.....

Any chance of a link please? I only just got back on there after the upgrade did silly stuff with my saved password, requiring me to remember it....


Seriously though, its new owner might like to see her car on AS, being adored by people who appreciate fine motors even when said motors aren't in "Ooh, look at me, I'm so shiny I could win the gold shining medal in India at the forthcoming Commonwealth games" condition.

[DavePoth]

The bodyworker you need is Steve Wilkes, but he's up here in the Midlands.

He is brilliant. I drove all the way up from Somerset to get some MOT welding done on my car, when he made up an inner headlamp panel, by eye, from memory.

[NickMorgan]

Good choice of car Helen. Well done on saving it from the scrap heap and I hope you have better luck with this one.
I can only echo the advice above. A good wire brush on a drill or grinder can get into some of the worst pitting. I find that a combination of grinder and wire brush is best. Jenolite is great stuff.
If any of this rust has come through from the inside, then you will also have to attack it from there, otherwise you will find your nice repairs bubbling through quite quickly.
There are plenty of people on here who will be able to offer you no end of advice.