How many Mimosa Sprints

[dogrich_0]

Why would a paint colour make any difference to how long a car lasts? -strange statement. How a cars looked after and prepared before paint would be a big factor.My 73 sprint is mimosa and still going ,,! Russet brown hides rust better....

[73sprint]

I have had my mimosa sprint for about 9 years, its a VA 1456 DL . It was rust treated from new and is still very presentable, but a respray is on the cards for next year. I rebuilt the overdrive this summer and now have a slight leak on the flange that connects the prop, do i have to drain the gearbox to replace this, i know mad mart did one recently on his sapphire sprint, i will get some pictures up of mine soon.

[Mad Mart]

No, no need to drain the g/box as long as you jack the car up at the rear, oil runs forward.

[xvivalve]

Therefore as most Sprints were made after this time there would have been very few Mimosa Sprints made compared to other colours. Inca replaced Mimosa in 1975/6.

But the first 2000 alone equates to almost 10% of total production.

By the end of 1976 some 17 200 Sprints had been made! (about 3/4 total!)

[Reg]

My mimosa sprint looks like it left the factory last week

That long? It looks newer to me!

[xvivalve]

Mimosa Mike? I thought you'd had it sprayed Inca!

[tinweevil]

Why would a paint colour make any difference to how long a car lasts?

Because paint in the 60s & 70s was not concocted like it is today, a common base medium plus whatever combination of synthetic pigment you choose. Back then each paint would be chemically quite different. Lead compounds for example were used as both pigment and to improve protective properties. You can't have free reign of how much protective lead you put in a paint if it is also going to affect the colour.

[Jon Tilson]

There will also be an effect whereby certain colours reflect more IR from the sun and therefore dont warm up and flash off the condensation from the inside of box sections and cills and door bottoms.

The rustiest dolomite I ever saw was a white auto 1850 and on a W plate too...

Russet cars clearly absorb heat quicker and seem to last longer.

Jonners

[TahitiSPRINT]

About the Mimosa 2000 Sprints myth: Since the nineties, I’m keeping up a private register of Dolomite Sprints. Currently, a little over 500 chassis numbers are registered. To me, it seems the 2000 Mimosa Sprint myth is true.

But remember that in the first year of production (’73) a grand total of 5446 Sprints were produced. I reckon that between early February and the end of June, already 2000 Sprints were produced, so by the time the Sprint went officially on sale (19th June) it didn’t take that long to have your car ordered in the colour you would have wanted

From the cars produced between July and end of December ‘73, the most popular colours in my records seem to be Pimento red and Emerald green, followed by White and French blue. So definitely not all cars produced in ’73 were Mimosa!

For the Australian market, I’m led to believe only cars in the -> VA 15001 series were officially imported and only in Mimosa yellow

@ Sprintoz: The chassis number you quote is probably your engine number, as chassis numbers in the VA 11000 – VA 15000 range were not used. Engine numbers were used consecutively from the start.

Inca yellow was introduced in the 3rd series production run, starting at VA 20001 in March 1976. It seems logic that Mimosa was replaced by Inca, but I know of one exception that exists in Australia.

@ 73sprint: Did your car have Overdrive from new, does it have the DLO suffix?

Hope this helps

[73sprint]

No overdrive when i bought the car as the chassis plate states DL meaning no overdrive.

[dogrich_0]

Have you got my sprint on your list ? Va1606dlo uye743m cheers rich

[TahitiSPRINT]

Cheers Rich, yours is on! It’s kind of rare in that it has factory fitted Overdrive, only a few pre VA 2000 Sprints had “DLO” on the chassis plate. Rumour says that many of these early cars were later retrofitted with Overdrive by the dealers as the Overdrive option was in short supply from the start….

73sprint, is yours an “L” reg or an “M” reg?

Both your cars are probably built in June 1973, the month of UK introduction

Cheers,

[Jon Tilson]

Autocars long term test car sprint had the overdrive fitted at the dealer back in the day.

Jonners

[dogrich_0]

Mines m reg ron,reg Is in previous post august 73' registered. I've only got one sprint though mate ,ones enough to look after ....... if you know what I mean. Regards rich

[73sprint]

My sprint is an L plate which is probably why i will keep this one. I have had a red P plate, a french blue N plate,and a white W plate. The white one was given to me many years ago by a fishing magnate on the proviso that i didnt scrap it. I restored it on a budget but the rust kept coming through, the previous owner who owns the Stevenson fishing fleet in Newlyn would park the sprint up on the pier any watch his boats come in. He did this for years hence the rust. I think he has a white L reg parked up in his garage but he cant drive it because of no power steering. This Mr Stevenson has always had triumphs and when production of the sprint ended he tried to negotiate having 3 cars put together just for him Didnt happen though.