Project Dolomega, the next level

[sprint95m]

That shell doesn't look that bad. I have sorted worse.
It needs what are really typical repairs, not only for a Dolomite but most monocoque designs.
In the TDC we are blessed with having repair panels at good prices readily available.

[Carledo]

Thats basically what I was thinking, the sills are very obviously buggered but the doors and the osf wing make it look worse than it really is, at least theres no rust bleeding out under the vinyl on the "C" pillars or the back of the roof and all the floor pans still have good clean paint on the inside and no holes. both screen frames are good too, no bubbling at all! Since it was last taxed in 1997 my theory is that it's done most of its rusting whilst stationary! Steve
PS, I think when it goes back together I'm going to delete the lower rubbing strips and the chrome sill moulding as these seem to be massive rust traps!

[Jon Tilson]

Dont forget the old ballast bypass voltage checks when trying to get this to start. Flying lead from battery plus to coil plus
is your friend to start it...

Also Ive had grief with a duff set of resistive plugs at Reg's once....which wouldn't fire up even on a magnetronic....so a new set of
plugs is a good move....

Jonners

[Carledo]

ITS ALIIIIIIIIIVE!!! New points and condenser, new NGK BP6EFSs, Quick check of the water level, added half a litre and full! Dip the pipe in the can, switch on, wait for the pump to stop ticking, choke out, (quick prayer) couple of cranks and away with the mixer! Came in on all 4 straight away too! Wasn't too keen to Idle at first but replacing a split breather pipe cured that. Its chucking water out of the broken header tank pipe but thats OK for now and miracle of miracles its got antifreeze in it! While I'm on a roll, time to try the trans, theres no footbrake so yank the handbrake on tight, make sure theres nothing in front and engage "Drive" Big clunk, jerk and revs drop to 500, YES! Cautiously manouever round the yard with creep switch and handbrake (reverse works too) and onto the ramp for a proper inspection tomorrow when i've got my camera with me! I will say this though, very few people would be able to resist a peek at this stage and i'm not one of them! And I may have been just a tad pessimistic with my first appraisal! Steve

[DazasDolly]

ITS ALIIIIIIIIIVE!!! New points and condenser, new NGK BP6EFSs, Quick check of the water level, added half a litre and full! Dip the pipe in the can, switch on, wait for the pump to stop ticking, choke out, (quick prayer) couple of cranks and away with the mixer! Came in on all 4 straight away too! Wasn't too keen to Idle at first but replacing a split breather pipe cured that. Its chucking water out of the broken header tank pipe but thats OK for now and miracle of miracles its got antifreeze in it! While I'm on a roll, time to try the trans, theres no footbrake so yank the handbrake on tight, make sure theres nothing in front and engage "Drive" Big clunk, jerk and revs drop to 500, YES! Cautiously manouever round the yard with creep switch and handbrake (reverse works too) and onto the ramp for a proper inspection tomorrow when i've got my camera with me! I will say this though, very few people would be able to resist a peek at this stage and i'm not one of them! And I may have been just a tad pessimistic with my first appraisal! Steve

Excellent news Steve. Well done mate.

Darren

[DoloWIGHTY]

Indeed another one breathes life - great news, well done.

[Reg]

That is very good news indeed..

[tinweevil]

Is there a particular attraction to the early MGF electric steering columns?
Are the adjustable ones rake only or rake & reach?

Ta.

[Carledo]

Is there a particular attraction to the early MGF electric steering columns?
Are the adjustable ones rake only or rake & reach?

Ta.

The thinking behind it is simple (and could be wrong!) The MGF is basically a BL car, the rack and front subframe is pure Metro! with this in mind and knowing BLs cheapskate habits, it strikes me that splines and similar fittings will match the Dolly's. As near as I know the MGF column is adjustable for both rake and reach. Steve

[tinweevil]

Ta, that makes eminent sense. I'll be interested to know how it pans out when you get one as Mrs Weevil finds the steering heavy in her 1500TC.

[Carledo]

Well I've given it a really thorough going over and the verdict is in, ITS A KEEPER!!! But I wish I knew the name of the bodge artist who put a pair of cover sills on it many years ago, it might help me curse him more thoroughly! This muppet did the unforgiveable (but all too common) trick of hammering in the remains of the original sills then tacking a pair of cheap cover over the top! it wouldn't even pass a current MOT if the sills were sound due to the naff tack welding all round. I've chopped off the worst (NS) side for a look leaving the other in place for now in hopes of maintaining SOME degree of structural integrity!









Its had a degree of patching at the rear of the soffit and a very large upward impact (or possibly extremely bad jacking to judge from the state of the main rails behind the subframe) at the front which has crushed the internals and jacking point and badly bent the lower wing section. The front sill section behind the wing is also pretty rotten so with this and the hole I found in the rear upper corner of the flitch, I think the wing will have to come off but carefully cos its the one good panel on the car!











Lots more to come but lunch hour is now over for today! Steve

[DazasDolly]

I know what your feeling right now with the sills. On my TC the same thing had been done, cover sill over the originals on both sides which made the reinforcer's rot like yours. It make's you want to find the bugger that done it . But then again we get challenged a bit more.

My n/s chassis rail was similar to yours too, but on mine it looked like they had run over a curb and hit the subframe 1st.

How is the rest of the floor and boot looking Steve?

All the best

Darren

[DoloWIGHTY]

I guess you need to look at the context of why cover sills were put on?

The car was probably 10 - 15 years old, by that time simply another "old car" and this was a (cheap) way of keeping it MoT'd for another year (or two).

Seems daft now but I guess you can say it at least saved the car into this millennia rather than being scrapped in the 1980s?

[xvivalve]

Not a lot there that can't be repaired with what is in my cellar!

I'm only over the river; bring cash

[Carledo]

Fear not, Alun, I shall be heading your way shortly with large piles of beer tokens (and a rack for core, I haven't forgotten) However I first need to compile a definitive shopping list! with that in mind, a couple of questions come to mind, 1) I understand that sills and diaphragms are available in Zintec through the club, i'm definitely up for those but how about the soffit section? If not it's no biggie as my next door neighbour is a steel stockholder and has the equipment to fold up sections as well, and 2) With regard to doorskin bottom repair sections, just how far up the door do they go? as you can see from my pix the rot extends at least 4 or 5 inches above the lower swage and though 3 of the 4 door shells are recoverable, its probably cheaper to get better 2nd hand doors than fork out for full skins (I saw a few at Stoneleigh this year for about £90 each!) Any thoughts welcome, Steve