The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Yes thats a good idea

Tony

James467 wrote:Here you go, I googled it!!!

Audi-RS4-Avant-Austin-Gelb-004.jpg

Now THAT one I like And the car's not bad either! I really must get around to building a Dolomite/Toledo Estate!

Steve

I really must get around to building a Dolomite/Toledo Estate!

That's what I was planning when I have finished NWL, a Sprint Estate!

Mahesh wrote:I'm too far away for you to take a paint chip ,

Got a second opinion on Rafs TR635CSI, wife and kids like it.

Well, at least some in the Mahesh household have taste! Something went wrong with the bonnet, as in I seem to have lost it somewhere in a layer! I genuinely like metallic Austin Yellow though...

Still, it got me wondering what a Dolomite would look like today if Triumph/BMW decided to do a one of those retro look moderns? Judging by the BMW Mini, the Fiat 500, and the VW Beetle I would say that it would physically be the size of a bus but with half the interior space, and look as if someone had created a balloon version and over inflated it.

Enough looking out of the window and daydreaming (as said by 99% of my school teachers) I've a process document to write up, pah.

James467 wrote:

I really must get around to building a Dolomite/Toledo Estate!

That's what I was planning when I have finished NWL, a Sprint Estate!

Triumph would never have done such a thing!

Dolomite project Ajax ?

Raf, your TR635CSi looked better,

Tell me about it, luckily for the world the Carbodies estate version prototype was banished to some obscure part of Canley, and probably lives on as someone's tin opener. Aww, I'm actually feeling sorry for it now..!

PS. The photo says Project Ajax, but that's the project name for all 1300/Dolomites.

Galileo wrote:

James467 wrote:

I really must get around to building a Dolomite/Toledo Estate!

That's what I was planning when I have finished NWL, a Sprint Estate!

Triumph would never have done such a thing!

Dolomite Project Ajax.jpg

1300FWD Estate by Carbodies circa 1967 IIRC Like a lot of other Triumph prototypes that never made it into production, this one was sold off and used till it rotted away. Believed scrapped about 10 years ago. I have some experience of the Michelotti prototypes having been a previous owner of the Herald Hatchback and they were not at all well made! They were more of a styling excercise, a "how about if we did something like this then" and would have to have been "productionised" before any sales could be envisioned, there was no rustproofing very little soundproofing and only marginal waterproofing! A Carbodies job might have been better though as they actually built the T2000 Estates on which this was based. Whereas Michellotti was a design studio and more interested in the concept than production realities!

To James, i've gone into this a bit and decided that the donor to use should not be a Sprint but a Toledo. Using a Dolomite shell gives an unfeasibly small tailgate with the longer tail making the roofline drop lower and the high boot sill you'd end up with a tailgate like a letterbox! I've seen a couple of Photoshops of Dolly estates and this is evident.
The short tail body gives a naturally higher roof line and the Toledo bootlid drops to bumper level, making a more practical car.
Of course you could offer it with a range of power units - and doors, how about a Sprinted 3 door shooting brake and an 1850 O/D 5 door estate?

Steve

The actual candidates are already in the shed for years. A long boot estate and two door coupe. When going to convert to estate I was planning to fit a different roof skin and not follow the existing line. A short boot like the proto looks too short but maybe this vision is caused by having volvo 145'so also. The coupe will be a daf marathon conversion like but not sure about the end. Long or short and what lights. The long boot estate gets toledo like vertical lights.

I would not wait for it in the rest of section. First a house to finish, two sprints, a replica gp2 sprint, early toledo, 1300 fwd, an allegro.........
Jeroen

Good list, leave the Allegro till the end (of time).

Mahesh wrote:Good list, leave the Allegro till the end (of time).

sniggers....

A little less Allegro and a little more Larghissimo.
(Raf, keeping it classical since 1966)

Don't forget, when that Carbodies estate was made, there were no longtail bodies to work with! I think, stylistically, they tried too hard to make extra space by continuously raising the roofline towards the rear - and the vertical frame between the rear door window and the rear side window is a bit clumsy, a bit of rake would make it look so much slicker. Not bad for a first effort though I guess!
Jeroen, I don't think you can compare this idea with a Volvo estate, sure the Volvo has a much longer tail (and a massive overhang) but the Volvo is a much bigger car altogether and if you want something that big, buy a Volvo (or at least a Triumph 2000/2.5, which I know you have) This concept is more on a par with the BMW 3 series Touring, a well balanced load lugger with slightly sporting credentials and enough room for the dogs/pram. For the guy who doesn't want to drive a shed (or worse still, an MPV) just because he now has a family!
By the way, I don't hate Volvos, i've had 5, 1x245, 3x240 estate and a 122s estate. They drive and handle much better than anyone who hasn't tried it would ever believe!

Steve

PS, And, of all the 200+ cars i've owned in a long lifetime of cars, the Amazon is one of only 2 or 3 I would buy back without hesitation!

That is exactly what I do miss and that is a bigger rear side window. It will never be a volvo size wise but an estate with a longer rear side window is more "estate" for me. The carbodies one is too non estate on the rear I think. Maybe we can compare the two versions in about ten years. I'm not a particular volvo fan but when you are in need of a very reliable tax free estate a 145 is the only option. My daily red one is a 1969 model. Had some renovation last year but can go on the next ten year's and at the moment it's the new company car.

As I am more a sand road type than a track driver a dolomite in the sand is very nervous finding it's way in the already made tracks and ditches. When I'm in the volvo I always think where I go now I don't need roads. That car makes it's own tracks no matter what tractor went before me.

Jeroen

soe8m wrote:That is exactly what I do miss and that is a bigger rear side window. It will never be a volvo size wise but an estate with a longer rear side window is more "estate" for me. The carbodies one is too non estate on the rear I think. Maybe we can compare the two versions in about ten years. I'm not a particular volvo fan but when you are in need of a very reliable tax free estate a 145 is the only option. My daily red one is a 1969 model. Had some renovation last year but can go on the next ten year's and at the moment it's the new company car.

As I am more a sand road type than a track driver a dolomite in the sand is very nervous finding it's way in the already made tracks and ditches. When I'm in the volvo I always think where I go now I don't need roads. That car makes it's own tracks no matter what tractor went before me.

Jeroen

Then what you need is a 2 door Toledo Estate, that will have a massive side window!

Steve