The Triumph Dolomite Club - Discussion Forum

Hello all...

It's been a long time but my Toledo has been static since it didn't make it home from last years Cranleigh Classic car show!

This year will see quite a bit of work happening to it and I want to treat it to a few choice, period trinkets.

I have a Smiths Vacuum Gauge to add as I've always liked these and I just cannot wait to see it darting about as I drive!

One thing I discovered just before Christmas (I have tons of old classic car magazines!) was the Smiths 'Oil Check' which is a pull-out, dash mounted device that glows red or green depending on your oil level. Smiths claimed it was the end of the dip-stick!!!

Do any of you have one of these intriguing sounding contraptions fitted to your Triumph?! I'd love to see one in situ.

Anyhow, I look forward to getting my Toledo back up to scratch (or near to it!) in readiness for the Spring so I am sure I will be back on here more frequently asking pointless questions...

All the very best to you all.

Ash, is there any chance of scanning the article in question and posting it on here?

http://mk1-performance-conversions.co.uk/smiths-66.pdf

Here's a PDF with Smiths' offerings at that time. At page 7 the oil check is briefly described. Don't quite follow how it functions though.

Im assuming the new dipstick would be hollow with a float inside it that makes or breaks a contact giving the indication on the guage. Talbot alpines and horizons had a similar idea.

Tony

I remember my Talbot Solara having an electrical connection to the dipstick.

Anyway, here is that page from the PDF.

My Lancia Beta Coupe had a thing on the dash that you pushed in that showed the oil level on a gauge, never had a car since that had one. Mind you, oil level on that thing was the last of my issues, more the oil overheating as I slid around Whipsnade Zoo car park at full chat but that's another story for another time...

Galileo wrote:as I slid around Whipsnade Zoo car park at full chat but that's another story for another time...

now is a good time......



Ian.

Galileo wrote:My Lancia Beta Coupe had a thing on the dash that you pushed in that showed the oil level on a gauge, never had a car since that had one.

The Rover P4 had one, so it's not a new thing by any means. IIRC On the P4 you pressed a button and the fuel guage read the oil level in the sump.

Lots of Renaults had a guage which showed oil level as you switched on the ignition, it zeroed when the engine was started.

Steve

sprint95m wrote:

Galileo wrote:as I slid around Whipsnade Zoo car park at full chat but that's another story for another time...

now is a good time......

Ian.

Sadly not as interesting as the initial non-disclosure created anticipation wise!

In my youth, a number of us treated the Chiltern hills around Dunstable, Whipsnade, Kensworth, Markyate etc as our own rally circuit, Whipsnade Zoo car park being the grass track stage. After hooning up the B4540, braking hard for the sharp right, floor it to the top chasing down the Vauxhall SRI 130 in front (bottom of the hill still would be the Austin Maxi, Chevette and Cortina Carousel) which usually got taken at this point, hard left into the car park, a few laps of the circuit and pop out through the lower gate back onto the tarmac stage. At this point, there was a loud alarm buzzer going off and the oil would be cooking itself, luckily the next stage was downhill to the crossroads where the 3 counties met... I'm a lot more sensible on the public roads nowadays (honest officer).

Thanks for sharing that PDF Henk and thank you Toledo Man for putting the image up of what I was talking about!

I am a sucker for a classic accessory even if it is a tad useless...

Although I want to add a few extra bits to my Toledo's dashboard (vacuum/economy gauge, outside temp' gauge and oil-check whatsit) I don't want to overfill it and make it look daft! There is a lot of empty space on it though...