The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Hi everyone, I thought it is about time I put up a project thread after being a member on here for a while.

I originally intended on using the CA18DET from a nissan s13 that I had lying around but since then I have changed my mind and gone down another route. I am now planning to install a 2.0 Fiat twin cam into my Toledo. The reason for this engine choice is that after owning a Vauxhall chevette that I put a 16v Corsa engine into, with a modern engine there is far too much wiring and things that can go wrong. Give me a carb and a dizzy any day of the week

So after knowing I'd like to make a Fiat powered Toledo I went on the hunt for a suitable engine and gearbox. Fortunately after not too long of a search I was able to find a good 2.0 Engine and manual gearbox at a very good price.

So I'll let some pictures do the talking:

Here is the engine and gearbox when I picked it up:




Here is the gearbox after a long time with a wire brush and then following a coat of paint:




Here is the engine after stripping of all seals and ancilliarys: I replaced all the seals, cambelt and tensioner, water pump etc I fitted new core plugs and gave the block a coat of gloss black:



And here is the finished article, bolted upto the box with a new clutch and refaced flywheel. All ready to go into the car whenever I can book some time off work!



I'll keep this updated as and when I do anything.

Good stuff! I do love a good modification thread! What sort of power output will that unit kick out?

A good choice and different from the Vauxhall-engined cars. Don't forget to beef up the rest of the running gear, brakes and suspension.

Well the engine is only 115bhp standard so I'm hoping the rear axle will hold up ok until I can find a sprint axle.
After I get it in and running in standard form to make sure everything works alright I will be fitting bike carbs. Supposidly with decent carbs the 2.0 can kick out up to 140bhp if healthy.
After that the next stage will be to fit pistons from a 1.6 as the tops are domed. This should raise compression from 9:1 to 10.5:1 and will then be hopefully pushing around 160bhp which will be enough in the Toledo. Im sticking to these modifications as it uses standard parts and wont break the bank.
I may lighten the flywheel depending on what the throttle response is like.
I assume trackerjack brakes will be necessity although I'm tempted to convert to 4x100 for a wide choice of wheels.

Currently this is how the car sits, I have spax adjustables on the front and looking for uprated rear shocks but there hard to find.

The TSSC shop sells Gaz adjustable rear shox for the Dolly range, with or without adjustable spring platforms and they are cheaper than Rimmers or Jigsaw (who only sell AVOs) though not cheap at about £200 a pair for the full monty ASP ones!
From the experiences of other members here the Gaz ones seem to be the ones to go for for adjustment range and bush life.
You need to be a TSSC member to buy from them, but I am so it's not necccesarily a problem and there are other benefits that make joining worthwile anyway!
Good luck with the conversion, seen a few Moggys and Spridgets running that lump and they seem to go alright!

Steve

That's an awesome looking car, I really like the look of those wheels. There's a set on eBay at the moment but I can't afford them

I have seen those wheels on eBay and I was also very tempted! There 14" too which would be much better for ground clearance and arch gap. I wish I could afford them too!

Well, you could always take a punt on this set instead...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TRIUMPH-SPITF ... 636wt_1344

or these...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-TRIUMPH-TR7 ... 500wt_1361

Is the offset for Heralds/Spitfires and TR7s not different to the offset required for a Dolomite? If so which way is it 'out', could it be resolved with spacers?

James

Dunno about the TRs but the Spit/Vit has a greater offset than the Dolly ie the wheels will stick out further increasing the track (which is good) but possibly fouling the arches (which is not so good) The difference is not huge, I believe you need something like a 1/4" spacer to fit Sprint rims to a Spit to avoid the rims fouling the top wishbones on lock. I think its a bit of a suck it and see job but if it works, a Dolly looks great on period Wolfies and if it doesn't, some Spit or Vit owner will doubtless be pleased to take them off your hands!

Steve

very interesting thread, I will follow with great interest. I really like how the car sits

Hi Guys,

Sorry I havnt been on her for a while, I thought it was about time I updated this as I have finally got round to making progress!

Here are a couple of initial shots, all the engine and gearbox mounts are now complete and ill get some better pictures when Im next at the unit.

Prop to pick up tomorrow so fingers crossed it might be driving in a few weeks!

Anyways here are a few pics.

May I ask why you fitted this engine instead of a Sprint motor?

Dan, I don't see anything wrong with doing something a little different. The Fiat twin cam was a good engine back in the day. A mate of mine had the Fiat 131 which had this engine. The engine was probably the best bit of the car!