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Ashley · #1 Post by **Ashley** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 7:14 pm

Hi all, thought I ought to introduce myself....not sure if this is the right area or not? As you may be able to gather from my user name m name is Ashley. Im 22 and live in Middlesbrough.

Just bought a Dolomite 1500HL off ebay, in fact its this one http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... K:MEWNX:IT some of you may have seen it on there. Always wanted a Dolomite, and just happended to have some spare cash to buy one, plus It was quite cheap for me to insure (surprisingly).

Its my first Dolomite, and bodywise its worse than the photos and descrption. Its going to need at least 2 doors, passenger side, but will probably replace all 4. Needs a pair of sills, pair of rear arches, maybe a drivers side wing, a boot lid and a front valance. Visited a local panel supplier today to find out that rear arches and skin sills are still available. But going to the BL spares day at the weekend and hoping to find some parts I need there.

Would I be correct in thinking that the colour of my car is Vermillion red?

Its not my first classic car, as I allready own a 1984 Vauxhall Chevette 4 door saloon automatic which I restored last year to a very good standard. Will get some photos up on here if anybody wants to see it. I am also in the Chevette Owners Group which has a very good online forum, which I am a very active member on, and hope to replicate that on here as I learn more about Dolomites.

Ashley

Oli_88 · #2 Post by **Oli_88** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 7:32 pm

I'm rubbish with colours, so I can't answer that.
However, welcome to the forum and Dolly ownership. Unusually for me, I won't make an insurance based comment other than "Yes, they're good"
Now to wait for the Sprint wheels and Laurel leaf complaints...

I must say, for what was stated in the advert and the amount of work you now find yourself with, I'd have been pretty annoyed.

There is (maybe gone, can't remember) a bootlid in (I think) the right colour on here for sale not long ago. Wings, good luck finding steel ones for reasonable money, ditto the front valance.
But the clubs GRP replacements are excellent.

I'd quite like to see the Chevette too.

Howard81 · #3 Post by **Howard81** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 7:32 pm

Welcome Ashley and welcome to Dolomite ownership!

Car looks nice, if you want parts and panels look at the club first, the panels especially are of very high quality!

It's not Vermillion Red. It's Vermillion Orange!

Stamped on the commission plate as CAE.

Ashley · #4 Post by **Ashley** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 7:43 pm

Thanks for the comments,

Your right about it being Orange, several shades in fact

Its saving grace is that in the last 3 weeks its had over £1300 spent on the engine and mechanical, but still has some issues which need attending too

As for panel availability it doesnt surprise that parts are near impossible to get hold, Its the same with the Chevette. Front wings and front panels are almost impossible to get. Fortunatley my Chevette didnt need as much metal work as the Dolly will, but luckily I work at classic car restorers as a tin basher, so what I cant get ill have to make.

So how much is membership to the Dolomite club and what would I get for my money?

Aar0sc · #5 Post by **Aar0sc** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 8:24 pm

Yey Mountney wheel!
YEY Spot lights!

Bit orange though

Ashley · #6 Post by **Ashley** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 10:10 pm

Moutney wheel has already come off, and wont be going back on. It was making the steering far too heavy, along with mis-matched front tyres.

xsquared_uk · #7 Post by **xsquared_uk** » Mon Aug 01, 2011 11:11 pm

Welcome to the world of Dolomites, and welcome to the world of 'just what shade of red/orange is my car supposed to be?' - according to the VIN plate mine is Flamenco, which is supposedly red. My car is clearly orange. It's orange all over, including under the carpets and in the engine bay. I think the paint fairies must have mixed Vermillion in with it at some stage!

Jon Tilson · #8 Post by **Jon Tilson** » Thu Aug 11, 2011 11:24 am

Vermillion, Pimento and Flamenco are all quite close....
I stuck a pimento bonnet on my vermillion car for a couple of days while I had a hinge fixed and it barely looked out of place.

and Flamenco is in between...

Pimento was K to P reg....Flamenco on R and S and Vermillion from T to the end of the line...rough guide only as cars were sat around with some overlap.#

Yours will be Vermillion....not a bad match with aerosols on the whole.

Jonners

JPB · #9 Post by **JPB** » Thu Aug 11, 2011 12:00 pm

Jon Tilson wrote:.....Vermillion....not a bad match with aerosols on the whole.

Jonners

This car has had an aerosol paint touch-in to one of its doors. Looking at it, it was reasonably well blended and had been compounded fairly well too, but the nozzle had let it down and the finish - if not the colour as such - stood out from the surrounding paint. Cans from http://www.paints4u.com would have been one solution but Ashley is going to paint the whole car, properly, which will look absolutely stunning once done.

(Probably my fault; I sold a brown boot lid to him so the gun's going to have to come out to hide that if nowt else.

)

Good luck with the project Ashley. That sweet engine, those perfect wings, the solid nature of the car's underside and the fact that the interior's so good make this a very well worthwhile project which will show an amazing transformation for a little Vermillion paint.

Ashley · #10 Post by **Ashley** » Thu Aug 11, 2011 5:32 pm

Theres a few little welding jobs needed and then it will be getting painted. Im hoping to have it done before the end of the year however it all depends on funds and time (as most projects do

)

Want a set of doors first before I star on anything else.

#11 Post by **sprint95m** » Thu Aug 11, 2011 9:58 pm

Welcome to the forum, Ashley.

If I may be so bold, I suggest you should join the Triumph Dolomite Club.
TDC members have access to various Club supplied spares including panels.
These include outer sills (almost certainly better than the skins you have been offered),
lower door panels, plus a multitude of other repair sections.
Using repair sections will hopefully be a cost effective way for you to make lasting repairs.

In my opinion, you should do the structural repairs first.
Leave the doors until last. Doing this allows you to check alignment (by looking at the door gaps)
as you go along.

Ashley · #12 Post by **Ashley** » Sun Aug 14, 2011 5:18 pm

Finally got some photos of it today, and here's some information about it too.

Its a 1980 'V' Triumph Dolomite 1500HL, Its been fitted with a set of Dolly Sprint alloys and its also got Lumenition Magnetronic ignition on it other than that its pretty much standard. It is quite high mileage though at 102K, and according to a recent garage report it quite possibly needs new cam followers.

Im owner 13 and the guy who had it before me got the car in may this year and sold it end of July. In that time he spent £1661.88 on it

and then it sold on ebay for the grand sum of £640. So I dont think it was a bad deal for me apart from the rust being worse than i was expecting, however its solid in all the important places so it wont take much to get it sorted and to a similar standard as the Chevette.