The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

The Number One Club for owners of Triumph's range of small saloons from the 1960s and 1970s.
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 Post subject: My 1980 Inca Sprint
PostPosted: Mon Aug 31, 2020 10:17 pm 
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Future Club member hopefully!
Future Club member hopefully!

Joined: Mon Nov 28, 2011 9:49 pm
Posts: 59
Location: Ipswich, Suffolk
Hi all, old Dolomite owner returning again! I owned a 1500 SE for a few years which i got back from the brink of scrap and turned around again.

ImageMy 1979 Triumph Dolomite 1500 SE by Triggers Retro Road Tests, on Flickr

Original thread for it here: https://forum.triumphdolomite.co.uk/vie ... hp?t=29637

I turned it into a swan but i never completely jelled to it, i wasn't keen on the 1500 OHV engine if I'm honest and when a friend offered me his Morris Ital Van that i had known for many years something had to go and the Dolly unfortunately was it, it now belongs to another enthusiast who I'm sure many of you know.

Anyway i digress, a few years passed as had a few other classics and the urge for a another Dolly was growing, especially a Sprint, I sold a Granada Scorpio which i had done up and had a buyer after my immaculate Marina Estate so now was the time!, a Facebook contact commented on the Dolomite Facebook page that he was thinking of letting his go as it had a gearbox fault so after a bit of a chat i drove down the A12 to his to view the car.

ImageMy 1980 Triumph Dolomite Sprint by Michael Carpenter, on Flickr

It was love at first sight!

It had it's faults but as a whole it was a very tidy car, it was originally registered by BL Cars of Cowley and used as a Unipart Managers car for it's first 2 years where it was then sold to a doctor, it started life as a automatic but was converted to a manual with overdrive in 1991, a price was agreed and the seller even kindly drove it back to mine as the gearbox was shot!.

ImageMy 1980 Triumph Dolomite Sprint by Michael Carpenter, on Flickr

Image1980 Triumph Dolomite Sprint by Michael Carpenter, on Flickr

The first job was to remove the stickers, they were a little overkill for me then to investigate this clutch problem, it wouldn't go into gear with the engine running and then it was in gear the car would drive with you foot still on the clutch, a mechanic friend of mine said if i supplied the parts he'd do the clutch for £300 so it was farmed off to him for the day.

Image

Image

It ended up being the cross shaft pin... all that work for a £9 pin, clucked a new clutch in at the same time and celebrated by going to the pub with some mates.

Image1980 Triumph Dolomite Sprint by Michael Carpenter, on Flickr

It took ages to refit the transmission tunnel, it had been bodged up in the past and held in with wood screws so i had to fit new speed clips and bolts, also found the live ballast cable had burned out and was putting 14v live across the bulkhead! that along with the rotten fuel hoses that were peeing petrol out off under the bonnet I'm amazed the cars not caught on fire!

anyway there's still lots of little jobs to sort, next one being the timing as it's running far too rich and balance the carbs and replace all the coolants pipes as they are leaking, and a bit of bodywork, and the screen rubber trim... it never ends!

ImageMy 1980 Triumph Dolomite Sprint by Michael Carpenter, on Flickr

I have the correct rear Triumph badge on order off eBay.

ImageMy 1980 Triumph Dolomite Sprint by Michael Carpenter, on Flickr

I quite like the SE style burr walnut dash.

ImageMy 1980 Triumph Dolomite Sprint by Michael Carpenter, on Flickr

I fitted a set of rear seat belts so i can take my children out in it.

ImageMy 1980 Triumph Dolomite Sprint by Michael Carpenter, on Flickr

ImageMy 1980 Triumph Dolomite Sprint by Michael Carpenter, on Flickr

ImageMy 1980 Triumph Dolomite Sprint by Michael Carpenter, on Flickr

The headlights have had a halagon upgrade and are amazing, far better than my modern cars!

ImageMy 1980 Triumph Dolomite Sprint by Michael Carpenter, on Flickr

ImageMy 1980 Triumph Dolomite Sprint by Michael Carpenter, on Flickr

I love the original Unipart plates too!

ImageMy 1980 Triumph Dolomite Sprint by Michael Carpenter, on Flickr

So there she is, It was restored around 2008 time and had a absolute fortune spent on it, unfortunately though it looks as if it was then sold back on not quite finished and the next owner bodged it a bit with mastic and silocoin to sell it back on again so there a few things that aren't quite right to sort but i'll get there.

Many thanks for reading.

_________________
1976 1850 in Pimento Red with 33000 miles


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 Post subject: Re: My 1980 Inca Sprint
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2020 10:09 am 
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TDC Cheshire Area Organiser

Joined: Wed May 17, 2017 6:28 pm
Posts: 1405
Location: NANTWICH.
Nice looking car Trigger :D I also like the Marina estate as well, i have a soft spot for Marina's (not a swamp) they weren't really as bad as they were made out to be :wink:

Tony.

_________________
NOW A CLUB MEMBER 2017057 :bluewave:


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 Post subject: Re: My 1980 Inca Sprint
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2020 10:12 am 
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Joined: Wed Aug 16, 2017 2:06 pm
Posts: 628
Location: Outer Hebrides
Lovely car trigger, love them in yellow - it looks a good car. The rear badge is correct, but not sure about the front one.

_________________
Triumph Dolomite Sprint,RNK 957W

Built 26/6/1980 (one of the last built), Auto, Porcelain White - Genuine Mileage 52,820 (warranted).

Only 3 previous owners, (2 within the same family).

Supplied by Lavender Hill Garage Ltd, Enfield, London, by garage owner Jimmy Metcalfe on 30th September 1980 to Geoffery Robinson, Enfield.

Club Membership No: 2017092


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 Post subject: Re: My 1980 Inca Sprint
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2020 3:46 pm 
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Future Club member hopefully!
Future Club member hopefully!
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 7:10 pm
Posts: 1926
Location: Holland on sea
Quote:
Lovely car trigger, love them in yellow - it looks a good car. The rear badge is correct, but not sure about the front one.
Lovely looking Sprint, the rear Triumph badge is not correct for that year and should have a silver background and the front should also be the word Triumph on silver, but most Sprint owners prefer the earlier front badge ( me included ), at the end of the day it's your choice which badges you have :D :D


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 Post subject: Re: My 1980 Inca Sprint
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2020 4:12 pm 
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TDC Member
User avatar

Joined: Wed Aug 16, 2017 2:06 pm
Posts: 628
Location: Outer Hebrides
Quote:
Quote:
Lovely car trigger, love them in yellow - it looks a good car. The rear badge is correct, but not sure about the front one.
Lovely looking Sprint, the rear Triumph badge is not correct for that year and should have a silver background and the front should also be the word Triumph on silver, but most Sprint owners prefer the earlier front badge ( me included ), at the end of the day it's your choice which badges you have :D :D
Never noticed the Triumph badge, naughty me - I only looked at the Sprint badge. Did the V reg have the laurel badge at the front?

_________________
Triumph Dolomite Sprint,RNK 957W

Built 26/6/1980 (one of the last built), Auto, Porcelain White - Genuine Mileage 52,820 (warranted).

Only 3 previous owners, (2 within the same family).

Supplied by Lavender Hill Garage Ltd, Enfield, London, by garage owner Jimmy Metcalfe on 30th September 1980 to Geoffery Robinson, Enfield.

Club Membership No: 2017092


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 Post subject: Re: My 1980 Inca Sprint
PostPosted: Tue Sep 01, 2020 4:26 pm 
Offline
Future Club member hopefully!
Future Club member hopefully!
User avatar

Joined: Tue Oct 03, 2006 7:10 pm
Posts: 1926
Location: Holland on sea
Quote:
Quote:
Quote:
Lovely car trigger, love them in yellow - it looks a good car. The rear badge is correct, but not sure about the front one.
Lovely looking Sprint, the rear Triumph badge is not correct for that year and should have a silver background and the front should also be the word Triumph on silver, but most Sprint owners prefer the earlier front badge ( me included ), at the end of the day it's your choice which badges you have :D :D
Never noticed the Triumph badge, naughty me - I only looked at the Sprint badge. Did the V reg have the laurel badge at the front?
Yeah i seem to remember the later Sprints had the Laurel badge, not sure what date this happened from :D


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