Affordable Worthwhile Modifications/Improvements

[aaronstorey24]

Hi all,

I've owned my 1300 4 door Triumph Toledo for a good few years now and I've always kept it in pretty much stock condition. However, I was wondering if anyone could suggest some worthwhile improvements/mods that wouldn't be too harsh on the wallet within reason?

Any suggestions welcome whether it be performance upgrades, ride comfort, or just general preventative maintenance to avoid future problems.

I look forward to reading your comments!

Many thanks,
Aaron

[triumphdolomiteuk]

Trackerjack brakes. Essential. Anything else after that is just indulgence.

[yorkshire_spam]

2 suggestions:
1) Electronic points replacement - £40ish. Fit and forget, never have to mess around gap'ing points or dealing with modern rubbish condensers failing.

2) Radiator/Cooling - if you find the cooling is in any way shape or form marginal, find a REALLY good rad and make sure you have a known good water pump.

Cheers, Sam

[aaronstorey24]

Trackerjack brakes. Essential. Anything else after that is just indulgence.

I'm guessing these are disc brakes? I've currently got drums all round due to it being an early model but I'm seriously considering upgrading. Thanks for the advice I'll take a look!

[aaronstorey24]

2 suggestions:
1) Electronic points replacement - £40ish. Fit and forget, never have to mess around gap'ing points or dealing with modern rubbish condensers failing.

2) Radiator/Cooling - if you find the cooling is in any way shape or form marginal, find a REALLY good rad and make sure you have a known good water pump.

Cheers, Sam

Thanks for the advice I'll definitely look into these! Personally I've always got on alright with points but I'll check out the electric ignition for sure. As far as the cooling goes is there any better water pumps that can be fitted or does it have to be a Tolly one?

Cheers, Aaron

[Matt Cotton]

Hi Aaron.
I went for electronic ignition for my 1500 many years ago and as the other chaps have said it is worthwhile and 'fit and forget'.
However, if you are happy with points and condenser set up I would recommend a set from The Distributor Doctor.

As mentioned, many others out there are not known for their reliability.

Best wishes MC.

[naskeet]

Hi all,

I've owned my 1300 4 door Triumph Toledo for a good few years now and I've always kept it in pretty much stock condition. However, I was wondering if anyone could suggest some worthwhile improvements/mods that wouldn't be too harsh on the wallet within reason?

Any suggestions welcome whether it be performance upgrades, ride comfort, or just general preventative maintenance to avoid future problems.

I look forward to reading your comments!

Many thanks,
Aaron

(1) Front & rear anti-roll bars - I've had some on my four-door, 1974 Triumph Toledo 1300 since the early-1980s

(2) Good-quality, properly-aligned front fog lamps

(3) Rear fog lamps

(4) Auxiliary, high-intensity "reversing-lights" (i.e. work lights or front fog lights with opaque removable covers) for use in unlit driveways and car parks at night

(5) Thermostatically-controlled & manually-over-rideable electric radiator-cooling fan

(6) Legally upgraded headlamps if not already undertaken by the previous owner

Trackerjack brakes. Essential. Anything else after that is just indulgence.

Unless one drives like a madman, the Triumph Toledo 1300 brakes (i.e. front disc-brakes & rear drum-brakes) are quite satisfactory and nicely weighted for progressive braking under all required deceleration conditions!

[triumphdolomiteuk]

Trackerjack brakes. Essential. Anything else after that is just indulgence.

I'm guessing these are disc brakes? I've currently got drums all round due to it being an early model but I'm seriously considering upgrading. Thanks for the advice I'll take a look!

Drum brakes all round were barely adequate for the job 50 years ago, let alone in the 21st century. Triumph realised this back then and put front disc brakes on the model as standard not long after your car was built. The Trackerjack conversion replaces the original Triumph discs with modern vented discs and gives you a chance of stopping if the modern car in front of you has to make an emergency stop.

[triumphdolomiteuk]

Trackerjack brakes. Essential. Anything else after that is just indulgence.

Unless one drives like a madman, the Triumph Toledo 1300 brakes (i.e. front disc-brakes & rear drum-brakes) are quite satisfactory and nicely weighted for progressive braking under all required deceleration conditions!

Other than on a deserted road in Norfolk, have you actually driven a Triumph this millennium in normal road conditions? The world has moved on, braking systems have massively improved on cars since our beloved Triumphs were built. If we want to actually use our cars on roads, rather than trailer them to classic car shows, we need to ensure that they are as safe as possible to use, for the sake of ourselves, our passengers and other road users.

[Carledo]

I'd certainly upgrade the brakes from drum to disc and fit a servo, whether you need to go the whole hog and fit the TJs is for you to decide. I'm a big fan of the TJ conversion and use it on all my Dolomites, but whether you REALLY need it on a 1300 Toledo would depend on the sort of driving you do and your personal style. If you are contemplating the C.T. Round Britain Run or something similar, you need the TJs! If you just go to shows and pootle the lanes on sunny Sundays, you probably will be fine with the later spec single discs. There are also some brake pipe run upgrades i've developed that improve braking balance in emergency stop situations.

EI is handy for sure.

One other thing I think is a MUST on the Toledo is to fit a front antiroll bar, it transforms the handling, turning a roly poly car into something pretty competent. And maybe go for some 5j Spitfire rims and 175/70/13 tyres.

IMO, it's best to get the car stopping and handling as well as possible before indulging any lust for more power. But on the useability side, an overdrive gearbox is a great (if not especially cheap these days) thing to have for long distance/motorway work.

Steve

[aaronstorey24]

Trackerjack brakes. Essential. Anything else after that is just indulgence.

Unless one drives like a madman, the Triumph Toledo 1300 brakes (i.e. front disc-brakes & rear drum-brakes) are quite satisfactory and nicely weighted for progressive braking under all required deceleration conditions!

Other than on a deserted road in Norfolk, have you actually driven a Triumph this millennium in normal road conditions? The world has moved on, braking systems have massively improved on cars since our beloved Triumphs were built. If we want to actually use our cars on roads, rather than trailer them to classic car shows, we need to ensure that they are as safe as possible to use, for the sake of ourselves, our passengers and other road users.

It would seem as if the Trackerjack brakes would be a wise decision. Could anyone advise me on where to get some from or at least buy components from? I can confirm that the drums do serve a purpose however they are far from what I would consider safe for modern driving conditions. Any advice much appreciated.

Many thanks, Aaron

[aaronstorey24]

I'd certainly upgrade the brakes from drum to disc and fit a servo, whether you need to go the whole hog and fit the TJs is for you to decide. I'm a big fan of the TJ conversion and use it on all my Dolomites, but whether you REALLY need it on a 1300 Toledo would depend on the sort of driving you do and your personal style. If you are contemplating the C.T. Round Britain Run or something similar, you need the TJs! If you just go to shows and pootle the lanes on sunny Sundays, you probably will be fine with the later spec single discs. There are also some brake pipe run upgrades i've developed that improve braking balance in emergency stop situations.

EI is handy for sure.

One other thing I think is a MUST on the Toledo is to fit a front antiroll bar, it transforms the handling, turning a roly poly car into something pretty competent. And maybe go for some 5j Spitfire rims and 175/70/13 tyres.

IMO, it's best to get the car stopping and handling as well as possible before indulging any lust for more power. But on the useability side, an overdrive gearbox is a great (if not especially cheap these days) thing to have for long distance/motorway work.

Steve

Thanks for the advice! Any tips on where to start looking for TJs? Also when talking about antiroll bars is this a thing that needs to be custom made or is there already triumph roll bars out there that would fit a Toledo?

Many thanks again, Aaron

[triumphdolomiteuk]

Thanks for the advice! Any tips on where to start looking for TJs?
Many thanks again, Aaron

There is a clue in Carledo's signature in the post above

[aaronstorey24]

Thanks for the advice! Any tips on where to start looking for TJs?
Many thanks again, Aaron

There is a clue in Carledo's signature in the post above

So there is! Thank you for bringing this to my attention haha

[Carledo]

I'd certainly upgrade the brakes from drum to disc and fit a servo, whether you need to go the whole hog and fit the TJs is for you to decide. I'm a big fan of the TJ conversion and use it on all my Dolomites, but whether you REALLY need it on a 1300 Toledo would depend on the sort of driving you do and your personal style. If you are contemplating the C.T. Round Britain Run or something similar, you need the TJs! If you just go to shows and pootle the lanes on sunny Sundays, you probably will be fine with the later spec single discs. There are also some brake pipe run upgrades i've developed that improve braking balance in emergency stop situations.

EI is handy for sure.

One other thing I think is a MUST on the Toledo is to fit a front antiroll bar, it transforms the handling, turning a roly poly car into something pretty competent. And maybe go for some 5j Spitfire rims and 175/70/13 tyres.

IMO, it's best to get the car stopping and handling as well as possible before indulging any lust for more power. But on the useability side, an overdrive gearbox is a great (if not especially cheap these days) thing to have for long distance/motorway work.

Steve

Thanks for the advice! Any tips on where to start looking for TJs? Also when talking about antiroll bars is this a thing that needs to be custom made or is there already triumph roll bars out there that would fit a Toledo?

Many thanks again, Aaron

A Dolomite antiroll bar bolts straight on, all the mount points and holes are already there!

Best to contact Jon Jackson (AKA Trackerjack of this forum) about a TJ kit. It is, however a relatively complicated thing to do and not for a novice, but if you have basic skills, a fairly talented amateur can fit it at home. Or I offer a complete fitting service (approved by Jon himself) But be warned, the TOTAL cost of the conversion including my labour is just over £600 (labour content is £200 of that, it takes me a full day to do it and that's after I've done some preliminary work) Parts include the TJ kit itself, (discs, brackets and mount rings) plus good used caliper carriers, new calipers and pads, new bespoke braided hoses and new wheel bearings.

If you wanted to go straight from drums to TJs, I can supply good, used disc brake hubs and vertical links to suit for sensible prices as well. I might even have a decent used servo kicking about. And you'd need a servo specific master cylinder too.

Steve