The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Thanks for all of the great info everyone.

Just got my provi license back from the DVLA stating I've forgotten to send a piece of paperwork they told me not to send last time! So I'll be sending out the forms for 3rd time tomorrow!

Must say the 1300fwd is currently my favourite of the lot, but I'd consider either a dolly of Fwd if one is for sale localy, just need to scrape a ton of money together, and my search for employment is hard due to the fact no-body likes to hire during a recession!

here's a picture of Sheila as she was when I got her

I have just realised I've seen that car on YouTube, the dented rear bumper and patch on the wing gives it away!

What is standard equipment in a 1300fwd in the way of gauges heaters, radios etc etc? I'm not too greedy about what I want but it'd be nice to know what the car has!

And are there any improvments anyone can suggest for a stock 1300fwd, to improve handling, performance or economy? Mostly the later, I'm a poor person and petrol is pricey. I saw a late 1990s program the other day and petrol was at 53p a litre,its double that now!

Standard equipment was excellent for its time but (obviously) not what you get on a modern.

The heater is fairly basic (choice of floor or screen vents, no face-levels) but very effective - if you stick it on full you'll need the windows open even if it's snowing! Radio wasn't standard fit although there was an optional mounting but it's easy enough to mount whatever you fancy in them (my choice was a 5 quid car-boot radio / cassette and an MP3 adapter). Seats don't recline but the driver's adjusts for height and tilt, steering wheel is also adjustable for tilt and reach. And you get the folding window winders

As for upgrades, the handling really doesn't need any unless you plan to drive like Adam (see youtube for details). It's nicely predictable and, at the limits, will tend to scare you before killing you - always a good thing cos you get the fun factor without the pain! Most of the reasonable engine upgrades will improve power and economy, depending how you use them. The gearing is quite low and (probably*) impossible to change so anything that increases power throughout the rev range will let you do the same speeds with less throttle or more speed with the same throttle.

Twin carbs are good (instant extra 14 horses and 1000 revs for the factory set-up), so is matching the manifolds to the head if you like a little Dremmel work - some of the castings really were quite dire in that area! Beyond that, as has been said elsewhere, any tuning mod for a 1300 spitfire or herald will work just as well on the FWDs but don't push things too far because the gearbox input shaft is a weak point (better breaking that than the box itself though!)

Oh, and don't forget central locking and cup holders

Twin carbs are only any good if set up right, you will also need to change the throttle linkage if fitting TCs to make it cable operated, its not a difficult job if you have the bits.
Decent igintion parts and having the timing profesional set up will make the difference.
The gearbox gearing can be altered but he final outcome doesnt warrent the the costs and time involved.
It should go without saying good tyres are a must have and check all the bushes and ball joints etc on the steering and suspension as worn bushes will make a lot of difference to handling and stopping.

1300dolly wrote:Twin carbs are only any good if set up right

Isn't that the case with all carbs though?

Would fitting the dual carbs make it a 1300TC of sorts? From what I heard despite being faster than he normal 1300 it was a bit more thirsty. Nice to hear there is a good heater and adjustable bits though, and the folding window winders of course!

I would imagine the Dolly has simillar stuff but more in keeping with 1970s style?

Hows parts back up for the old 1300fwd? I know Dolly panels are reasonably easy to get hold of but panels and trim for the fwd seem to be pretty thin on the ground, and in some cases non-existant.

Bolting twin carbs on their own onto a 1300FWD will make minimal difference and will pulverise economy.

The reason the TC preformed so much better than the single carb version was the use of the Spitfire camshaft whose extended duration really enabled the engine to benefit from the twin carb set up.

So if you go twin carbs do the cam as well. Then you may as well do the head becasue the engine will be out to do the camshaft, and then you will quickly hit about 90 - 95 bhp.

If you don't/won't/can't do all that there are dark ways of making a standard single carb go very nicely thank you.

fwd front wings, expect to pay £30+ they appear regular at autojumbles and ebay
bonnets, abit thinner on the ground but still plenty around
headlight cowlings,plenty still about
headlights, same as mini (7inch)
rear light, on ebay all the time but dont pay nore than a few quid.
doors, plenty of second hand ones about
Rear wings same appplies
boot lid, same as toledo still loads avalale in very good condition
window glas same as dolly
engine parts same a s dollys/spitfires
gearboxes very rarley go wrong, still some good used ones aorund
interior, carpet, rare but easy to make up with dolomite carpet
seats, dont wear out but still avalable. door cards, never known anyone to ask for any.
front panels very rare but easily epairable if need be.
front valance, rare as rocking 'orse poo

So pretty much all the parts are obtainable, there are a few fwd specalist and the club have a lage stock of fwd spare old and new via Alan Cassie.

Thanks again for all the great info.

Just trying to convince the parents, they don't like the idea of me driving a car built when the term 'saftey feature' meant 'not crashing'!

Also, a quick rather un-important question. Regarding the Dolly 1.3/Toledo, will the quad headlamps from the 1500HL fit in place of the 1300/Toledos standard squareish ones? I was just wondering as I prefer the look of the 1500H, but can't afford an engine that big.

front panels very rare but easily epairable if need be.

By 'front panels' do you mean the bit below the bonnet but above the grille and the sections around the headlamps?

at the momment it seems the Toledo is the best option, being cheap to buy, economical, some are tax free and they are the fastest of the 1300 bunch. The FWD has the benifit of the cheapest insurance, due to it being FWD and all are tax free, but its also the most expensive to buy. The Dolly is the best looking with the long boot, but the rwd factor pushes up insurance and you have to pay tax.

captain_70s wrote:Thanks again for all the great info.

Just trying to convince the parents, they don't like the idea of me driving a car built when the term 'saftey feature' meant 'not crashing'!

The great visibility is a fantastic safety feature. Having to concentrate on the road all the time is a great safety feature. Any accidents had will be at a lower speed than they would be in a modern car.

Also, a quick rather un-important question. Regarding the Dolly 1.3/Toledo, will the quad headlamps from the 1500HL fit in place of the 1300/Toledos standard squareish ones? I was just wondering as I prefer the look of the 1500H, but can't afford an engine that big.

It can be done but it needs a fair bit of welding. The 1300/toledo headlamps, especially the replaceable bulb units, are much better at lighting the road anyway (they can be fitted with modern style H4 halogen bulbs)

captain_70s wrote:Thanks again for all the great info.

Just trying to convince the parents, they don't like the idea of me driving a car built when the term 'saftey feature' meant 'not crashing'!

........

The FWD has the benifit of the cheapest insurance, due to it being FWD and all are tax free, but its also the most expensive to buy. The Dolly is the best looking with the long boot, but the rwd factor pushes up insurance and you have to pay tax.

Maybe point out to your parents that "not crashing" is, without doubt, the most effective safety feature possible? Also, knowing that you're gonna get hurt if you crash, or if someone hits you, is probably the best way available to concentrate your driving skills and anticipation. So starting with a car like this is a better way to keep their son safe than surrounding him with airbags where he may never develop any appreciation of the dangers involved

As for FWDs being the most expensive - if you can spring a short-notice bid on them (nothing like the element of surprise!) the one on EBay at the moment is sitting at £421 with long MOT, less than 2 days to go and a really nice colour. Of course it will probably double that (or more) by the end but it might not and you'd kick yourself if you're looking and someone else won one at that price......

Thats god advice about not crashing.
The effort and cost involved in changing to square headlight would outweigh the extra costs of buying a HL model.

One car you have over looked is the 1500fwd, dolmite HL(ish) looks with a front wheel drive engine, not everyones choice but worth considering, and tax exempt. you should be able to buy a usable one for £500.

Definitely go for a 1500fwd! Though I would say that...

Lovely little motor, not quite as funky looking as a 1300fwd as they look more dolomite, but still get great chrome etc.
Tax exempt is a massive bonus. And as they are overlooked they are getting rarer, and are often a bit cheaper. I love mine.

Spunkymonkey wrote:.........As for FWDs being the most expensive - if you can spring a short-notice bid on them (nothing like the element of surprise!) the one on EBay at the moment is sitting at £421 with long MOT, less than 2 days to go and a really nice colour. Of course it will probably double that (or more) by the end but it might not and you'd kick yourself if you're looking and someone else won one at that price......

I'm watching that. My first car was a 1300TC fwd. I don't need it. I don't have the room for it. I can't afford it. Damn this forum.


I want it!!

There are 3 1300 Triumphs on the bay at the momment.
The nice 1300fwd, a brown Dolly 1.3 that looks mint for 2 grand and a sold but crashed Dolly 1.3 in a nice green for £700.

Wish I had the cash, but its all going on travel expenses to get me to college, job hunting and driving lessons...

Maybe point out to your parents that "not crashing" is, without doubt, the most effective safety feature possible?

True, but I wouldn't trust the other drives around here, over last winter there were over 5 rolled cars on the 18 mile road between my house and the nearest town, and two of those crashes had involved more than one car. (bear in mind I travel early at about 6:00am and there were cars crashed from the night preivious though)
Ironicly all the crashes involved at least one modded hatchback... I wonder what the cause could be...

captain_70s wrote:

Maybe point out to your parents that "not crashing" is, without doubt, the most effective safety feature possible?

True, but I wouldn't trust the other drives around here, over last winter there were over 5 rolled cars on the 18 mile road between my house and the nearest town, and two of those crashes had involved more than one car.

That's where well-developed anticipation comes in. Lost count of the number of times round Devon lanes that someone might have hit me if I hadn't got out the way. That's how I learnt to be in reverse by the time I'd stopped and 20 feet back before they failed to stop where I'd just been

I would be weiry of buying an accident damaged one without first having a very good look at it even if the damage appears minor.

I see car accidents on a daily basis and most are caused not just by speed but the driver not seeing whats going on ahead of them or thinking that because they have big exhausts, over sized illfitting wheels and a stereo that can be heard in the next time zone improves your driving ability by 5000%.