The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Don't regret being honest, I appreciate the honesty!!

There's no evidence that it's been repainted from black and no evidence in the receipts of a swap and believe me my history is comprehensive!!

According to the production record that I have seen and my heritage certificate, she was built on the 13th August 1980. The plant shut down on the 26th August 1980 so she was built less than two weeks before then end of production. So it's not a surprise that it's actually a TR7 cover on a dolomite back plate! Like Jonners said, you got what you got that late in production.

I'm happy it's supposed to be grey, I just want to get the shade nailed.

EDIT: That said, I believe the last car to be built at Canley was a yellow Spitfire. I don't know when the final Dolomite was built so it could have been a few days or a week before the plant was shut. I have the list of Sprint and 1850 chassis numbers between mine and the final one but no dates.

Did a quick Google and it came back with an entry on the forum,

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=11296

References to BMC Dove Grey, but as you were replying on there, you probably know.

Ah brilliant, I was looking for that post. In that case I may have the wrong shade of grey, I've used a Ford dove grey. I'll have a look in the daylight, if I'm not 100% I can easily sand the pu coat off and just overspray it in BMC dove grey. No major disaster and it's not going to stop me rebuilding the head now. Thanks for bringing it up Pippin.

You're welcome. It would be unlike you not to have taken a "before" pic, so why don't you just compare the "after" colour with that?

When I restored JYD I'm sure I used Ford Dove Grey, which was very similar to the original colour...

Thanks Mart

I seem to remember that I took the air box in to Halfords pre sandblast to match a colour and that was the closest I could find as well, anyway, these are the only before photos I have. Not like me to not do a before pic, luckily they're pretty good from a colour point of view!





See Mahesh, no black paint here!!



Here are some photos I took in the daylight, I say daylight it's winter in the UK so I rushed out there before it rained!











I don't think its that far off, the PU is a bit beige but that will tone down as it fully hardens. Plus the light in the office is yellow so that doesn't help.

Thoughts please.....

Sprints came out of the box with either grey or black airboxes, but Ive only ever seen TR7 ones in grey.

My Sprint is black...

That's also bizarrely an earlier TR7 airbox outer...the later ones that would have been contemporary had a vacuum or temperature controlled flap valve instead of the two open pipes. They really do seem to have been trawling in the barrel at the end of the line.

Nice job on the carbs but I would personally have waited until the manifold was on the engine before fitting them as it puts less
weight on the unc bolts that hold the manifold on, and you get better viz of water leaks and access to fix them with the carbs off.

You can always whack them off again no worries, or just fit them to the engine out of the car....loads of ways to skin a cat.

Jonners

That's also bizarrely an earlier TR7 airbox outer...

I'd like think this happened

"We've run out of Sprint air box covers"

"Just go into the TR7 warehouse and see what you can find!"

Re the carbs, I thought you'd say that so they aren't bolted up fully, just enough to hold them on properly!

A quick before photo of the cylinder head.....



Note the plug tubes are in upside down!





Just trying to organise everything now, I repainted the rocker cover as I caught it slightly when polishing off the paint on the Triumph logo. Just need to do it again, this time with masking tape protecting it!

I'm pleased to see that the air box looks much nearer the original colour under natural light.

Thanks, when you all see it then we can pass final judgement, if I need to repaint it then I'll just repaint it.

In case you haven't seen my post in the Dolomite related section, I think a small post can easily get lost in there!

I'm laying the head components out for the photo which is useful because I can check if anything's missing! Low and behold I have lost a collet and need another pair!!

Will an 1850 pair fit a Sprint?

Part numbers are different, 154060 for a Sprint, 106663 for an 1850. But there's a seller on eBay saying 106663 fits a Sprint as well.

James467 wrote:

Nice use of food containers, I hope you cleaned them thoroughly as chicken tikka stains are a pain to remove!

Exemplary efforts!

I would want to see them side by side before making that call....

The prospect of one falling out doesnt bare thinking about....

If you HAD to choose I'd maybe use them on the bucket shim side. The bucket shims are the same as 1850 ones.

Jonners

I've got loads of spares James if used ones are ok?

Karlos wrote:Nice use of food containers, I hope you cleaned them thoroughly as chicken tikka stains are a pain to remove!

Knowing James, he probably put the food containers through an ultrasonic cleaner and/or mediablasted them before use!