The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

For the Sprint era, the gaps in chassis numbers mark the changes; I have them listed...somewhere...

I found the production history in an old Sprint article I have.

So I have copied it in full.

June 73 - Sprint introduced with first chassis number VA/1-DL, alloy wheels, vinyl roof, front spoiler and twin exhaust pipes fitted as standard. Overdrive and tinted glass available as an optional extra.

Autumn 73 - Automatic and laminated windscreen became available as optional extras

May 75 - Final chassis number of first series approx VA/10745-DL.

New series starts with VA/15001-DL. Overdrive and tinted glass now standard. Also fitted with side body trims, interior plastic tray around gear lever and a driver's door mirror.

Headrests now available as an option.

March 76 - Final chassis number of second series VA/18278-DL. New series starts with VA/20001-DL. Front headrests, Radio and Laminated Windscreen now standard.

Limited Slip Diff available as an optional extra.

1978 - Triplex 10-20 laminated windscreen becomes standard fitting.

September 78 - Final chassis number of third series approx VA/26896-DL. New series (1979 model) starts with VA/30001-DL.

August 79 - Original chassis number series ends in VA/31188-DL.

New VIN type chassis number system introduced for 1980 models, all Dolomites share a common series of numbers starting with 100001. New style eight-character alpha-numeric prefixes. Sprint has prefix TWTLD5AT (manual) and TWTLD3AT (auotmatic).

1980 - Twin rear fog lamps fitted.

August 80 - Dolomite production ceases. The Dolomite is a Sprint with chassis number TWTLD5AT/113504.

Notes: The chassis number prefix VA indentifies the Sprint, the Dolomite 1850 had WF.
The DL suffix indicates the body style saloon.
On a left hand drive car the suffix will be LDL.
On cars fitted with overdrive there will be a letter O after DL, automatic cars will have the letter A or the letters BW after DL.
The engine numbers are also prefixed VA but are suffixed HE (HEA on an automatic).

Production Figures for Sprint:

1973 = 5446
1974 = 4232
1975 = 3589
1976 = 4035
1977 = 2554
1978 = 1352
1979 = 1240
1980 = 493

Total sold = 22,941

Steve

Thats it

How many LHD sprints were build, in Spain until late 1977 were not dolomites due close market for foreign car, bloody Franco¡¡¡ but I can remember some new ones in MARION BL official dealer in General Moscardo street in Madrid it was when I fell in love with the car, inca-yellow one all those ally wheels, 16 valves and oh so handsome vinil roof... I was like the school boy on the famous Jaguar advertisement " Someday, someday" looking at a new series II XJ trough the big showroom window...
I still have the catalog for the complete BL range that sold MARION then: Triumphs, Jags, Marinas, Allegros, minis of course and some more I guess.
I have to find it and scanning it to put it on the forum.

Regards, Raul Rivera.

Did any of the later (or any) model 1300 dollys have a green demister warning light in the temp guage/fuel guage instrument clock?

The demister warning light was purple I believe Ken, and migrated to the combined fuel/water temp gauge in the very last few Toledos (1976) when the red pull type hazard light switch was introduced to the flat dash models.

Prior to this Tolly's still had two warning lights in the gauge but they were both green for left and right indicator. After the change there was just one green indicator warning lamp which flashed when either indicator was operated, and the second warning lamp was the aforementioned purple demister one.

This simple change actually hid much more significant loom changes, including seat belt warning lights, the aforementioned hazard lights (which had been standard from the off in Dolly's/Sprints), different distributor, altered starter motor wiring, a different alternator, and reverse lights as a factory option (the pre-wiring was there).

The very last series Toledo's were fitted as such (on a P plate) and it was the standard for the Dolly 1300 aftre the 1976 rationalisations.

I'll get me coat.....

spanishdolly wrote:How many LHD sprints were build?

Hi Raul,

Only 5226 Sprints were exported (RHD and LHD) and none after 1978. I guess that from VA30001 on (09/1978), no LHD Sprints were produced.

The story of the last Dolomite Sprint in Holland goes like this: A customer really wanted a yellow Dolomite Sprint by the end of the summer of 1978, but... it was no longer possible to order a new Dolomite Sprint from BL. So the only new Sprint that was available was a Brooklands Green one. He chose this one as it was this or nothing. This car was 1st registered 09/1978 and is still around (VA 26*** LDLO).

The Dolomite 1850HL was sold in Holland (in LHD form) until the end of production (the last "new" one being sold in 1982!). The Dolomite 1300 and 1500 were not available (I doubt if these were build in LHD form).

Cheers,
Ronald

www.triumphowners.com/tahitisprint

So my 1850 converted to sprint is from 1977 where I can find the chassis nº, I need to located it to transfer the car to spanish plates, now in on portuguese plates.

Regards, Raul.

which driver side LHD or RHD? mine is lhd

sprint95m wrote:Tinweevil, it strikes me that you could split things into two sections. With the deletion of the 1500TC and Toledo the Dolomite range was expanded to include the Dolomite 1300, 1500 and 1500HL. Perhaps the sections should be pre-expansion and post-expansion. From the lists in the posts it seems that the biggest changes occurred in 76 when the Dolomite range was expanded.

Regarding fog lights, all cars sold new in the UK from 1980 must have one rear fog light fitted to the offside that operates in conjunction with dipped headlights (not main beam or sidelights). So Alfasuds with their single fog light in the centre of the back panel are unroadworthy! (Front foglights, when fitted, can only be used in conjunction with dipped headlights too.)

Here in the civilised part of the World, one may drive in conditions of reduced visibility (i.e. mist, fog or falling snow), using only a pair of front side lights (i.e. 2 x 4~5W) together with a matched pair of front fog lights, provided the fog light mounting positions, comply with certain conditions, regarding height, lateral separation and lateral distance from the outer edge of vehicle.

Provided these conditions are satisfied, one can legally leave one's headlamps switched off. In fact, use of headlamps in moderate to thick fog, is a major hindrance, especially at night; negating the advantages of having correctly positioned & aligned front fog lamps!

This is the simplified view, as expressed in the current 2015 edition of the Highway Code.

http://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/driving- ... w-226.html

http://www.highwaycodeuk.co.uk/driving- ... o-236.html

However, you might wish to do a little further reading with regard to UK law! For example, try reading Part III, Regulation 25 - (2)(b)(ii) of The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989, which is the actual legislation, to which the Highway Code refers:

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989 ... on/25/made

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1989 ... ule/6/made

First time I've looked at this topic, and thought if anyone could confirm the following,

There were two different type of complete parcel shelfs, depending on early or late Sprint,
or so I was told when I bought one many years ago.



PS. The new one was stored in the car in the original box but has peeled off the covering
on the front bar. The original is still fitted in the car, and has not warped or peeled
(22 years in a garage).

VYO 372M wrote:Early cars definately had better quality carpets in my opinion, being of a much thicker pile so to speak.
Not that the later carpets were bad, they were still way better than many other cars of the period (and beyond).

I to have always prefered the early dials to the later type, much nicer visually in my view.

It is interesting to see all the little detail changes over the years, it would be great if someone could do a book detailing all the changes in the Triumph Small Saloon models over the years like the books I have seen on the Herald/Vitesse etc.

Steve

I am inclined to agree! I much prefer the earlier style of my 1974 Triumph Toledo instruments, to those of later models. I'm trying to identify a matching rev counter (possibly ex Triumph Spitfire Mk. II, III or IV?); preferably with a few integral warning lights!?!

naskeet wrote:

VYO 372M wrote:Early cars definately had better quality carpets in my opinion, being of a much thicker pile so to speak.
Not that the later carpets were bad, they were still way better than many other cars of the period (and beyond).

I to have always prefered the early dials to the later type, much nicer visually in my view.

It is interesting to see all the little detail changes over the years, it would be great if someone could do a book detailing all the changes in the Triumph Small Saloon models over the years like the books I have seen on the Herald/Vitesse etc.

Steve

I am inclined to agree! I much prefer the earlier style of my 1974 Triumph Toledo instruments, to those of later models. I'm trying to identify a matching rev counter (possibly ex Triumph Spitfire Mk. II, III or IV?); preferably with a few integral warning lights!?!

You'll have to get your rev counter from an 1850 Dolomite (early model) to get anything remotely like a match. Spits 1-4 had cable driven rev counters, as did Vitesse and GT6 1 and 2 (but they are 6 pots anyway) Spit 1500 had electric rev counter but its the same as late Dolly face.
For my boy's Toledo (project Satin Black) I am using a late Sprint Speedo and rev counter (I'm not allergic to "easiread" dials) matching auxiliary clocks in an aftermarket 3 dial pod atop the dash centre, a la Cortina GT and I bought a handful of marked individual warning lights at Stoneliegh earlier this year which I will mount in the dash in positions yet to be decided but based on ease of visibility. They were only 99p each, it would have been rude not to!

Steve

Early sprint/1850 had different rearseats than the later ones. And i thought the early bodies had more spotwelds per meter.

Jeroen

i heard that early ones were built from thicker/better steel too?