The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Results of the axle shearing and the wheel coming off, but back and under the car - see pic on Motorsport forum - I'd appreciate advice from anyone with expertise on best way to tackle this. I have a shell with some donor panels - or is it easier to straighten? Will the distortion of the front door frame be corrected just by fixing the rear? Amateur or professional job, or just too expensive to bother? Re-shell again is an option, assuming I can find one with no rust and a reasonable paint job, but time consuming and expensive as a new cage is NZ$2000+ Measured to the top of the chrome strip that goes to the top of the rear wings, the right wing is sitting 1.25 inch higher than the left.

Car is still stuck on the trailer with one corner up on blocks. Have not yet had a chance to look properly underneath for more damage. Will have to effect some temporary repair first to get the car back on 4 wheels and mobile.

Geoff

Hi Geoff, You were lucky not to roll the car ,however try taking it to local body repairers .It will need putting on a jig and pulling to the rear and down ,then lots of panel beating.
If you have a good shell it might be cheaper to reshell it as labour costs could get large .
It is not a diy job with that amount of distortion ,without good measurements it will only be trouble.
Hope this is of use and good luck

All can be repaired but do you want to. As said above the cheapest (and best) is to reshell. Straighten such a damage is a lot of work and does tear some original spotwelds what you cannot see directly. When you start with another shell it's just take from the one and put on the other again. It does leave no bad thoughts during racing again. It is not good to start a race thinking will the the major repairs hold every time.

Jeroen

Over in blighty its a reshell no question....

In NZ maybe you would try and repair it but as Jeroen says not for a racer or rally car.

Jonners

Ive seen far worse than that repaired. Wants the quarter panel and inner arch cutting away, then pull the rear down on a jig - this should pull the driver's door gap back into line. Then panel beat the floors and edges straight again and weld on the new inner arch and quarter from your donar car. Its certainly not a DIY job, it needs doing by someone who really knows what they are doing, but i would think its far quicker to repair that then reshell - especially if its a seam welded and caged shell.
Dont give up on it, leave it on the trailer and go visit a a few body repairers, hopefully one of them will have the enthusiasm and skills to get involved with the repair. Ideally, you want someone to do the jig work only, leaving you to do the panel beating and fitting of the new panels. As its a race car, it need not be as perfect in terms of panel gaps as a show car, as long as all the suspension mounts are in the right place it will handle as it did before - thats down to the skill of your jig man. I would not have any problem driving that again after its been repaired - done correctly, it will be as strong as the original shell, or stronger, if you seam weld bits that were spot welded originally!
Matt.

As i said all can be repaired but if you have to pay for it a reshell is cheaper in the end. I do estimate a workshop is a full week busy repairing it. You can reuse your doors, bonnet subframe and all and replace in one piece. Have both cars next to eachother and switch parts as much as needed or wanted. You have to repaint after the repair and maybe the donor shell also less the doors etc.

Jeroen