Dolomite Sprint for sale

[garyf]

Hi All

I'm new to the Forum and spotted this Beauty for sale, I've got a mate tempted to have a look at it.

What do you guys think it's current value is?

https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1884282

Regards

Gary

[shaunroche]

Looks quite nice to start with but a few oddities abound - a 1975 car?

It has the early type badge on the front and the seamed vinyl roof which would be correct, but a series 2 dashboard (round hazard light switch etc.), OD, coin tray and headrested seats and a tandem brake cylinder which I thought came in later than 1975, more 1976+ and the side trims midway up the doors. And I'll be the first to say it, the indicator/side lights are upside down!

The Broadspeed plate on the aircleaner is likely a red herring and what does the chassis plate say, VA0700 (which would make it M reg at the latest so 1973ish) or VA11700 which would be closer to '75?

It looks very, very tidy until you look underneath....those chassis legs look rough as does the paint so that would be worth closer inspection.

Series 1 rear bumper, Series 2 boot badges.

Looks like it's had a lot of money spent on it...those furry door seals are hellishly expensive new, and they look very new to me!

Hard to say price wise, £15-20K, maybe more as it's at a dealers?

Steve/Carledo will be along in a mo...he'll put me right!

[xvivalve]

A similar car ended at £14k at auction within the last fortnight...but didn't reach its reserve.

A car with only 11k miles from new in a presentable condition, but not without its faults, finished at auction a few months back at £18k

In the current market I'd say it'd maybe sell at £12k?

Tandem cylinders came into existence in '78, so I'd suggest the car was reshelled or more likely identity swapped in order to benefit from rolling tax exemption

[tangocharlie1]

The chassis number is VA10700DL on a P reg which makes it one of the last of the series 1 cars even though it is close to the "changeover period which introduced the series 2 cars" as such i would expect it to see features of the early Sprints, i agree there is a bit of early and late hybrid thing going on, let's hope the potential buyer knows exactly what they are looking at and are not entirely swayed by shiny paintwork.

[shaunroche]

The chassis number is VA10700DL on a P reg which makes it one of the last of the series 1 cars even though it is close to the "changeover period which introduced the series 2 cars"....

My P Reg 1975 sprint is VA10585 and a series 1, so is only 115 cars younger - it did not have OD, had a series 1 dash and had a single line master cylinder.

The fact the shell has the latter type door trims on it suggests all is not as it seems....As Alun says...identity swap...

[B8WLY]

Depends what you want from a Sprint ?

If you are an originality nut, probably not for you.

However if you are a realist who recognizes Triumph Dolomite Sprints were never going to be original vehicles all their life’s as they were cheap and cheerful in their day so got cut for spares or scrapped, and let’s face it rotted for fun, it means not many original vehicles really survived.

To me a good Sprint is a car that’s mechanically sound, with a good body, some history and a good interior. That car screams to me approx 16-18k all day long.

Sprints are not E Types. E Types are 120k upwards for a good series 1 with decent history.

A good Sprint is 18k. And that looks nice.

Just my opinion.

[Carledo]

Looks quite nice to start with but a few oddities abound - a 1975 car?

It has the early type badge on the front and the seamed vinyl roof which would be correct, but a series 2 dashboard (round hazard light switch etc.), OD, coin tray and headrested seats and a tandem brake cylinder which I thought came in later than 1975, more 1976+ and the side trims midway up the doors. And I'll be the first to say it, the indicator/side lights are upside down!

The Broadspeed plate on the aircleaner is likely a red herring and what does the chassis plate say, VA0700 (which would make it M reg at the latest so 1973ish) or VA11700 which would be closer to '75?

It looks very, very tidy until you look underneath....those chassis legs look rough as does the paint so that would be worth closer inspection.

Series 1 rear bumper, Series 2 boot badges.

Looks like it's had a lot of money spent on it...those furry door seals are hellishly expensive new, and they look very new to me!

Hard to say price wise, £15-20K, maybe more as it's at a dealers?

Steve/Carledo will be along in a mo...he'll put me right!

I reckon the VIN is VA 10700, which would put it firmly in 1975, last of the series 1 cars. Most of the big parts back this up. Overdrive was optional at this stage (and retrofits so common as not to be worth mentioning) and the coin tray is standard more or less past the first 2000 cars. Out of place are the dash wood and hazard switch (VA15000>) and (possibly) the speedo which appears to have the later, less cluttered font (VA30000>) However, all the woodwork appears newly refurbished, not to OE spec either, but pretty regardless, it's well within the possible that a later dash panel has been fitted, either by choice or in ignorance.

The dual circuit master cylinder is also a series 4 bit, but make sense as an upgrade, all my cars have it! It also appears to have 2" SUs which may justify the Broadspeed badge and there appear to be relays on the O/S flitch, almost certainly for headlights, another useful upgrade, as it has halogen bulbs fitted.

I've removed the lower sacrificial side strips from my 78 car, this series 1 shouldn't have them, but does. No particular significance to this. Replacement doors may have had holes for clips, for example. Badging is a compromise between taste and availability with originality coming a distant 3rd. I'm not alone in preferring the bright yellow early badges. The incorrect sidelamp fiting is a common mistake by pro restorers not familiar with the model. Though, to be fair, I know WHY it's wrong and STILL do it wrong on purpose! And no, I don't just do it to annoy the rivet counters! At least the lamps are the correct early type.

Of interest to me, is the interior grab handles in the roof. Early cars like this should have the hinged straps and later cars have the 2 point fixed ones and the fittings in the roof are different. It's my prime way of telling an early car reshelled into a later shell (or vice versa, though this is rarer) This car appears to have NO grab handles at all (see picture 18, view through the screen) which has aroused my suspicion! The headrests are also a bit out of period, though IIRC they were offered as an option around 75 before becoming standard from series 3 (VA20,000>) introduction in 76.

All in, it looks like a tidy example and I suspect the dealer selling it will be asking £20-25K. Yes there are a few imperfections and little consideration has been given to total originality. Which is not exactly unusual. But, aside from the grab handle issue, I have little reason to doubt it is what it says it is. Colour and trim codes match a Pimento red/black cloth car. I can't tell if the vin includes the last O for factory overdrive. And yes Shaun you are quite right, furflex is horrifically pricey, I recently got quoted £128 +vat (trade price) for enough to do a single car!

Steve

[xvivalve]

...and the coin tray is standard more or less past the first 2000 cars

CAB, with chassis number 6712, has no coin tray.

[Carledo]

...and the coin tray is standard more or less past the first 2000 cars

CAB, with chassis number 6712, has no coin tray.

And SCG with number 10250 had one, but that WAS an auto, which might make a difference.

To be fair, I was guessing the change point on this based on experience. Mostly the only non cointray cars i've seen have been very early Mimosa cars. And even I don't know EVERYTHING!

Steve

[tangocharlie1]

There is no coin trays on early manual cars, as i stated this car is VA10700DL so no O/D from factory. It was registered in Sept 1975. As stated the car is mix of early and late bits which unfortunately seems to be common issue these days, it would probably not put off most buyers who are just looking for a shiny Sprint, but it would certainly put me off and would effect the price i would be willing to pay.

[xvivalve]

It has also clearly had paint; look at the thickness on the front suspension turrets! Also, the fact the underside is fully painted rather than the usual simple benefit of overspray, so it could have started life as something completely different...and in my opinion, probably did.

[mahony]

This ones just also came up for sale which is also POA, i noticed it's also got a dual brake master, none the less it is a lovely looking Sprint

https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1889060

[Mad Mart]

This ones just also came up for sale which is also POA, i noticed it's also got a dual brake master, none the less it is a lovely looking Sprint

https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1889060

One of my old restos. Not looking as good as it did when it left me. Illegal plates.

[Carledo]

This ones just also came up for sale which is also POA, i noticed it's also got a dual brake master, none the less it is a lovely looking Sprint

https://www.carandclassic.com/car/C1889060

One of my old restos. Not looking as good as it did when it left me. Illegal plates.

Plates aren't ILLEGAL Mart, since whenever it was the rolling VED exemption restarted (2014?) it's been legal to put a black plate on a historic registered car. Regardless of what it wore from new. If memory serves, the Yellow/white plates were introduced in 68 and made mandatory in 72, but most new cars registered in that 4 year interim period were fitted with the new style plates, everybody wanted the "new thing".

Whether you SHOULD is another matter, personally I would only use black plates on anything registered before about 1970. Black plates on cars registered after a K at the latest just seems completely WRONG, to me, a black plate on a car that never had them from new is just anathema, most especially on a Sprint with it's always black rear slam panel, a bit of yellow breaks up the satin black! So all my Dolomites have Yellow/White plates. The Carledo still carries it's OE alloy rear plate with separate black plastic digits that I laboriously refurbed.

Steve

[Mad Mart]

I stand corrected. I'm with you though as to why you would put those plates on a vehicle that never had them from new.