1979 Dolomite 1300 New proud owner! :D

[boybiffa]

Hi everyone

I today,picked up a lovely little paegent blue 1300 dolomite

we picked her up this moring at 10am from Doncastershire,came back on the motorway (m180) and wafted home at 50-60mph with the beach boys on the 8 track with the crisp spring sunday morning sun,very pleasant ride home

When i finally got home,i have decided that it could really do with 2 new front wings (well 2nd hand) if any one can help me out at a decent price
and a drivers side rear door (as the bottom has been bitten by the rust worm) (again if anyone has one in good condition,please don't hesitate to let me know!

the wings on the front and the door are the only points that "let" the car down,
hh
i have noticed when we were driving it home this morning,that the front heater vents (car) wouldn't blow warm or hot air - but if i put it on "screen" it blew warm air on the screen.and the gearbox/transimission tunnel was warming us up anyway - was rather warm and the box does have a slight "whine" - would it a good idea to flush the gearbox and top up with the correct gearbox oil ?

when we coming home,it seemed to be running out of chuff when we overtook a car (65mph) it did feel as if it could have gone a little more ( but not much! not without blowing it up) - is this normal? for a 1300 to run out of steam at 65?

my plans for her are to keep her original to the time, over time,sort out the bodywork with new wings,door,full respray and then a black vinyl roof with a black vinyl (or leather) interior but this will be something done over time

if anyone can help me out with the wings or doors please let me know
and will upload some pictures of her soon

Thanks

Rob

[JPB]

Your best bet for wings would be to join the club and buy a pair of those superb new GRP ones. They're available and cheaper than even a scruffy pair of steel wings tend to be on eBay nowadays. Fitted with care, they'd be indistinguishable from steel - unless someone were sad enough to walk around with a magnet in their pocket - and have the advantage of being able to take the odd knock without damage.

I doubt that many of those of us who have spare steel wings would sell them since they're hard to find now, but you never know.

Good luck with this, it sounds like you've found a decent car there.

[boybiffa]

Thanks JPB

The car came with a steel 2nd hand replacement wing but would mean cut sections from that wing,and piecing it into the wing already on the car,but would still be left with a slightly holed lower section that joins the outer lower valance.
I will be joining the club shortly (next few days).

also, to update, the whine that can be heard in the car when driving only "whines" when you apply any amount of throttle,and seems to whine louder - in the back - but when me and my dad drove the car back the carpet around the gear stick (transmission tunnel section) felt rather warm,not hot just pretty warm... is this a sign of low fluid in the box or is this normal ?

Thanks

Rob

[JPB]

The heat's probably coming up from the exhaust system. Worry only if there are flames.

You say that the noise is louder in the back? Many Dolomite axles are a little whiney. As long as there's no roughness or vibration that can be felt through the seat, it's no cause for immediate concern, especially since a 1300 won't tear its axle to bits so easily as an 1850 would do. My car's diff (1850) has been moaning a little ever since I've had the car but it's become no worse and all the bearings are in decent condition, 140 weight oil in the diff did make a noticeable difference and opening the windows solves the "problem" in any case!

[boybiffa]

Thanks

No it dosen't vibrate (no more than normal for a classic car) - at some point i will have a look at all the bearings (the one on the propshaft too) and will most likely re-fill the diff with the 140 weight oil

if the weather's good tomorrow il be posting up some picies for you guys to cast your eyes over

Rob

[boybiffa]

how do you get the GRP wings to mount securely to the lower valance?

Thanks

Rob

[Lord Tolly]

congratulations on your new car Rob

[boybiffa]

Thanks Lord Tolly

I love it,parents went out shopping in her earlier today (rather than moving the cars about on the drive) and they came back with huge smiles on their faces and their now looking at buying another classic again RESULT!

I really enjoy the little dolly,few little things to sort out to make perfect but will look good when she's all done.

Thanks guys

Rob

[Lord Tolly]

great syff
find more charm in the Tolly i have now than any of the Vauxhall Viva's I had previously owned so I think you have made a good choice

on the subject of the club wings I have seen them today and I must say the quality is excellent

[boybiffa]

yeah ive seen pics of an orange dolly with them fitted and painted - look super smart! not a single ripple from the pics so... without a doubt,its going to be a pair of GRP wings - oh yeah, i found these GRP fibreglass wings on http://www.quillertriumph.co.uk/Quiller ... alogue.htm £70 each!
only other panel i would need is a door for the drivers side rear.. might just get another replacement door from quillers or rimmers and send it off for painting when its time for the respray (won't be for a while yet)

Cheers

Rob

[JPB]

how do you get the GRP wings to mount securely to the lower valance?

Thanks

Rob

Wing guru Alun (XVIvalve) will doubtless expand on this, but I'd expect them to bolt to the flange at the edge of the valance.

[boybiffa]

i have a steel wing in british racing green - little bit holed at the lower front section where it curves round to meet the lower valance, and has a few little dings and marks, could it be worth anything?

Rob

[boybiffa]

got out nice and early this morning to give the car a little tidy up and have a little poke around

while i was hoovering the inside out i noticed on the floor pan where the front seats mount there's an extra set of holes (look to be the original ones for the car) but the seat isn't bolted in these holes... the seat bolts on both front seats are mounted about 2-3 inch in different holes next to the original mounting holes... will take some pics later


here she is "molly the Dolly"

























as you can in the pic of the front,the passenger side front wing is "taped over and sprayed" and needs replacing- also to note,the car isn't different colors,its just the light its all the same shade of paegent blue - hhmm would you put a black vinyl roof on and a black interior? or keep her as is (just take it back to showroom condition ? )

Thanks

Rob

[DoloWIGHTY]

Looking lovely there mate .

The extra holes in the floor are for the fitment of the wider seats if your car was to have become a 1500HL/1850HL/Sprint.

Why they chose to make two different seat widths is a mystery to me.

[boybiffa]

least you have the option rather than butchering seats or runners or the floor pan to fit other seats in

Thanks,I really like it, and glad i bought this than a vauxhall viva i looked at last weekend

Rob