The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Gary. See if there is a mechanical one in one of the boxes.
Mark

I'd refit a mechanical pump on a standard car. You may or may not need a spacer though depending on the pump!

Hi Mark, as there was an electrical already fitted, seems to be a problem with the mechanical one? so will source another one. Just a quick question to anyone, my son asked, 'why do some dolomite's have vinyl roofs and some don't?' Would the blue one, had a vinyl roof to start with? many thanks Gary

All Sprints had the vinyl roof fitted at the factory. All 1850s had vinyl on their D post as did the later 1500HL. Some people put a vinyl roof on their Dolomite to make it look more like a Sprint. My Dolomite 1300 had a vinyl roof.

I would always fit an mechanical pump to a dolomite. Some electric ones produce too high a fuel pressure
that can defeat the float valves and cause over fueling and too rich mixture.

There is a knack to fitting the pump , discussed eslewhere but you need to be careful that the lever goes on
the right side of the cam. Long armed pumps need a spacer, short armed ones dont.

Jonners

Hi Just quick update, Blue dolly has been sorted, white one is having the roof cut off tomorrow and what else is in the garage? well they all have something in common? they are all Triumphs. You could well say ' But it has a MG Badge' - but is a Burlington in disguise, based on a Herald 1200cc frame and running gear ( but what is nice even though it is a kit car it has been registered as a Burlington) . I have just been pulled it out of a barn, last on the road in 1991, but is a solid little car just right for the summer. Will Post pictures of the dollys when done. many thanks Gary

Sorry big pictures again don't know how to reduce them from a iphone?

Hi The roof has now been done on the sprint however finding it hard for a trimmer in the local area to re-apply the vinyl roof for me? how hard is this? is it a job for the professionals? as never done one before. If anyone know of a local (norfolk) person that could apply a vinyl roof it would be appreciated. Many thanks

I am now going to upset a few people but you can not please everyone all the time but can you can please some people some of the time. Me and my son had purchased to dolomite's a sprint of Lee and another 1850 from a Mark in London, it was our intention to do them together. We managed to sort out Lee's engine so it was running very well, still had problem with the 1850 fuel pump. So we put that to one side and looked at the body work of the sprint. We scratched out heads, where do we start, Lee gave us some extra doors but we felt this would still not bring it up to a standard it deserves, then there had been some welding in the past, pillars not particularly good, needs a vinyl and headliner, lots of layers of paint, etc etc. Then we looked around the 1850 and unfortunately there was no contest. The 1850 was solid, it was solid as the day it came out of the factory.

So Saturday morning came, Mark and Kevin arrived with hesitation and anticipation but by Saturday night the moment of no return was reached and by Monday? well see for yourself.

Didn't think we could drink so many cups of tea in the day, the local super market kept is in the good old hob nobs

So as you can see we are going to clean up the body work and underneath, the prepping will start, while the axles etc will sent off for shot blasting. Primed and then paint blue, (does anyone know the color code for the Triumph Royal / Navy blue). The sprint will then be re-born with a new shell

Sorry to all those who said keep the Auto, however the sprint needed a new lease of life?

Watch this space

many thanks Gary

Your's to do with what you please, but I hope you haven't scrapped the old Sprint shell?

What isn't up to scratch for one, is often better than others' have.

1850 Auto engine / box for sale?
Id be interested, depending on price.

Hi no the sprint is still complete at present, once the blue one has been painted and ready to accept the sprint, it shall be swapped over, then we see what can be done with the shell. Please don't get me wrong we have no intention of scrapping it. It may have a 1300 engine implanted so my son can drive it. but it will return to the road.

So you're keeping both shells, just swapping them between the cars so the Sprint has the better shell? This seems a lot of trouble to go to if both shells are still viable. If the original Sprint shell is still good enough for the other car, why don't you leave the shells where they are and just repair them as necessary. It seems to me that what you're proposing will just create two "mix and match" non-original cars. Or have I misunderstood?

Like he said....this won't please everybody and I would have been firmly in the camp of keeping a good 1850 auto as it left the factory.

White Sprints are more common...

Especially keep the 1850 auto diff away from Sprint power. It isn't up to it.

Jonners

Hi how do i put this, the shell is rough under the paint work, the pillars have been patched up many times, that is just on the surface. The doors have gone, yes Lee gave me replacement, the roof we have now sorted needed new vinyl and liner etc so why spent all that money and still not happy with the car. We did think long and hard overt this, we just did not know what can of worms we would uncover once starting to strip the sprint. So to ME the sprint is worth saving more than the 1850. ( you may feel differently)

Thought this would upset some people but these are my cars I do feel keeping them both on the road is the most important thing. So if this does mean that the characteristic of as car changes slightly in order to produce cars which will be seen on the road for another 20 years so be it.

Thank you for your understanding

Gary

At the end of the day, a Dolomite on the road is a Dolomite on the road - I don't think that can ever be a bad thing.

It may not be the most original/faithful way of doing it, but if it's that or the project being an absolute nightmare that gets abandoned... I know which I'd chose.

Just my 2 pennies..

Steve