The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Hi folks

While on my "originality" hunt I came across the castrol GTX classic 20/50W oil

http://www.castrol.com/castrol/sectiong ... 99#7094382

£24.95 for 1 gallon.

Can anyone recommend this oil or who has used this oil recently?

I really would like to turn the car back to as original as possible even down to the fluids and oils.

Thanks

Rob

That will do and is of the correct type you but im sure you could get it cheaper elsewhere, halfords classic is made by coma and the tin looks similar to the castrol one, its a bit pointless to spend money on something you cant see and will need throwing away in six months time, as long as its suitable oil and does its job then use something slightly cheaper, the odd £5 saved here and there will buy your burger and a cupper at the next car show

When you buy an oil filter please make sure you buy one with a non return vavle, this keep the oil in the filter when the car is sat unused.

I used to buy Castrol GTX back in the day (its good oil). but changed to Silkolene 20/50 (I get four gallons for £60) and its just as good .

Ah Castrol GTX, I used to love those 70s adverts. Oil puddling out of a leaky can to the sound of Mahler.

Nostalgia aside, what the others said. You can get similar SE spec oil more cheaply or a better oil for about the same price.

The API rating of XL is not as high as for GTX...SE/CC IIRC

I havent seen 50 weight GTX in the uk for a good while. I did buy some in a French hypermarket
about 8 years ago...no use to you now though.

Castrol do have a very good name in oils but I'd worry about the lowly SE/CC rating. You can get some higher rated
oils for a that money.

Jonners

Hi

Thanks for the replies,I have already been using the Comma classic car oil and has been good. (considering using the same again after the responses here) (just wanting the best for my little dolly)

Now.. Wing mirrors.

Currently have steel wings fitted,one is slightly dented and the other is in need of changing. Seeing the clubs GRP wings is certainly on the cards for next spring time. one thing I have been considering though is Do i drill holes into the new GRP wings and fit the wing mirrors OR fit door mirrors?

Again many thanks for the replies!

Rob

Depends how original you mean by original? As you know your car appears to have wing mirrors from new?

...so if you want it to look "original" then add them.

I want the car to be as original as possible.

As the car hasn't actually been taken too far away from the original state. and I would much sooner prefer to "wind back the years" so to speak and make it look as original and as tidy as possible.

Thanks

Rob

boybiffa wrote:Currently have steel wings fitted,one is slightly dented and the other is in need of changing. Seeing the clubs GRP wings is certainly on the cards for next spring time.

boybiffa wrote:I want the car to be as original as possible.

I thought this thread was going to be about bicycles!

well i suppose i should have expected that but i thought of it this way

good solid steel wings are at least £200 each if not more where as the GRP wings have just as good a following (if not slightly better than steel) at half the cost and which don't rust and can be fitted with half the fuss,leaving me more time and money towards other things for the car.
its still an everyday car and when everything is complete ti will still be an everyday car so i need to still think sensibly about certain things.

was quite funny to re-read what I had put

@nick I once had a bmx that was the exact same color as the dolly too! (was it fate???)

Rob

Carefully fitted and painted, the GRP wing option would be indistinguishable from steel other than by people with magnets so I'd not consider a change of construction material to be too great a deviation from "original", go for it!

I know of a chap who runs a spotless, albeit slightly modified, 1967 Wolseley 16/60 which has glass wings fitted and, apart from the visible row of screw heads along the drip rails, they look absolutely as good as the rest of that expensively restored and very lovely car.
As with anything else in refinishing, it's as much in the quality of the prep as that of the parts.

DoloWIGHTY wrote:Depends how original you mean by original? As you know your car appears to have wing mirrors from new?

...so if you want it to look "original" then add them.

I always thought and remember Dolly 1300 only having a drivers door mirror only as standard

In fact,all the new Dolomites my Dad owned from '76 to '81 (5 in total) only had a drivers door mirror fitted ad these were 3x1500s',1x1500SE and 1x 1500HL.

DoloWIGHTY wrote:Depends how original you mean by original? As you know your car appears to have wing mirrors from new?

...so if you want it to look "original" then add them.

I always thought and remember Dolly 1300 only having a drivers door mirror only as standard

In fact,all the new Dolomites my Dad owned from '76 to '81 (5 in total) only had a drivers door mirror fitted ad these were 3x1500s',1x1500SE and 1x 1500HL.

Drivers door mirror was standard on later Dolomites and the customer has the option to have other mirrors of varying style, shape and colour. I have a 1500HL that has black drivers and passenger square mirrors.