The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Simple really, what are the main areas of concern for a toledo when considering rust?

& are there any other well known problems to look out for?

Thanks, Dan

The main rot spots are the front wings (especially around the headlmaps), the sills, chassis rails and the rear arches. I'm sure somebody else will mention a few more rot spots.

Check the door bottoms to ensure the drain holes have not become blocked and caused a rusty/crusty mess...!

Open up that bonnet and check the front scuttle area (where the windscreen washer jets are) as that little 'ditch' can be neglected and get filled with soggy old leaves and dirt thus causing the onset of our good old rusty enemy to start attacking...!!!

All I would recommend is be thorough and check (then double check!) everything you possibly can...! Check that all the electrics work properly, check that all the mechanical bits do everything they should. Then when driving it ensure that it 'feels' right and it travelling straight and true and is not making any weird clonks/rattles or squeaks (although they all do that a little bit!)...

As well as the body ensure you check the interior to be sure it is a comfortable, habitable place to be... You need to budget for work in that area if things are looking a little tired/tatty!

The more documentation the car has with it the better (especially more recent stuff) as you can see what has been done and then see what may need doing in the near future (this can be a good bargaining tool!)...

All I can say is be careful, try and not get over-excited (which is what I do!) and be as overly critical as you can... Remember you are buying a car and it is the sellers job to make you WANT to buy it so don't feel forced in to something you're not too sure of...

Now just go for it, good luck...

Also check the base of the windscreen corners for filler as it is a well known area to rot out - tricky to repair too.

Boot floor is a good one as well, especially under the fuel tank. Try and lift the front carpets to have a look at the driver and passenger floor pan too.

The most crucial area is the sill structure. These rot along the bottom from the inside out.
To check for sill weakness, jack the car up on the end of a sill and try to open/close doors. If the doors now foul then the sills
are weakened.
Also if you see any holes at either end of a sill (under the wheelarch) then it will be necessary to rebuild the sill structure.
Beware of cover sills (or patched sills).