www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/classiccars/7399511/Classic-Triumph-Dolomite-Sprint.html
The sporty version of Triumph's saloon was a performance sensation - if only it had been developed.
I owned one of these in Sebring Red with a Webasto folding sunroof AND it was an automatic :)
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I've always loved Dollys, the styling and even the wooden dash doesn't look naff to me. I thought the sprint engine was a little fragile? However doesn't the Saab 99 and 99 turbo share some lineage with this engine too ?
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>>> I thought the sprint engine was a little fragile? <<<
It certainly was no BMW jobbie that's for sure!
In all my years of mobile engine tuning, I reckon I only came across one that ran nicely (and it wasn't my one :)
Yes, Saab did use 'an improved' version of the 1850 Dolomite engine.
As the Telegraph article says, The Sprint, Stag etc., would have benefited from 'further development,'
shame really :(
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>> I thought the sprint engine was a little fragile?
It had 16 valves, but 8 were operated directly via an overhead cam, and 8 via rockers. So not the simplest engine I've ever worked on! A friend ran one, and we always reckoned it was off song within 500 miles of a tuneup. No matter what I tried to do.
But it really opened up a new market - a luxury, small, performance car. I'd still make room for one at home today, were it not for the terminal rust which they seem to attract.
Last edited by: Tigger on Thu 25 Mar 10 at 07:55
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What were the performance figures? It didn't say in the article.
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It was a long time ago, but didn't they like to catch fire? Something about fuel spitting back and soaking the soundproofing seems to ring a bell.
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>>>but didn't they like to catch fire<<<
I've not heard of that Dave, but I've seen a few (dozen) burnt air filter elements on various cars over the years.
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>> What were the performance figures? It didn't say in the article.
>>
118 mph, 8.5 sec. 0-60, 127 bhp.
Pretty tame by today's standards but pretty quick for a full size saloon back in the day. Just checked my lovely blue Vectra's figures and that does:-
131 mph, 9.5s, 134 bhp.
..and it does it for 150K+ miles with little TLC!
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Some friends not far away had a saffron 1850 HL stood in their drive for a long time.
They asked me to recommend a scrappie to take it away. I got them to tow it round to my place as I had a space.
The engine ran beautifully, the interior was in black Dralon and mint condition, it was one owner and about 24,000 miles.It was as rotten as a pair of pears. Every damn bit of it. I sourced a good pair of wings but after about 3 months with the torch lit I sold it to an enthusiast from Liverpool.
I think he only wanted for the V5C....it was tax-exempt !....1972.
Shame
Ted
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I must admit, I was an Escort Mexico and RS2000 man myself.
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I drove an employers Mk2 RS2000 when I were a Lad, seventeen in fact. Boy was I impressed.
M
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Bloke I used to work with had a Mrk 1 twin cam Escort fitted with a Shorrock Supercharger!!
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I used to work in a Triumph dealership & these were excellent cars, once converted to electronic ignition & the poppet valves soldered up on the butterfly flaps the tunning was never an issue. The biggest problem was always fan belts if they went slightly slack the battery just didn't charge & spreading the racks ( who remebers that)? & steering colomb joints that used to come loose or sieze! But terrific car in its day but an RS2000 would win any day.
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I had one back in about 1977
1972 K reg Ice blue with full length webasto sun roof, royal blue plush cloth seats
lovely drive but - where do I start with the problems?
The first day after I bought it the heater controls seized up, I ended up removing all the dash and fitting a replacement heater from a breakers yard.
The front nearside tyre started wearing abnormally (the fronts were new when I bought it) - after several attempts at tracking etc a visit to the dealer confirmed the car had been in an accident at some time and the car was basically twisted. Solution = a new tyre every 3 months!
Another trip to the breakers to obtain a new back axle followed
I do remember spending almost every weekend having to balance the twin carbs
rust bubbling up everywhere necessitated a full respay - looked great after though!
Finally the head gasket went, warped the head , cracked the manifold etc etc. A couple of handy lads from the pub bogged it up for me and I traded it in for.....
a Cortina MK 3 2000GT - white with a triple red side stripe, and after I fitted 2 spotlamps on the front it was an exact copy of the car that Sgt Carter of the Sweeney was often driven around in (Regan of course had the bronze Consul GT)......happy days
Jacks
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>>> Another trip to the breakers to obtain a new back axle followed <<<
Jeez ... I'd forgotten about my axle - talk about whine!!
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When I was an anorak programmer at Olivetti in Leeds in the '70s one of the top salesmen had one. He lent me his Fiat 128 estate but that's another story. I lusted after the Dolly. It looked classy in yellow with black vinyl roof. Sounded great too as he fishtailed his way out of the car park. It got to spend a lot of time in the garage soon after he bought it.
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Rear drivetrain whine was often a problem and one we've largely forgotten about since most cars started dragging their back wheels along.
The Reliant Scimitar was a sufferer of this (axle from a Transit??) and I remember us test driving one in the late 70s. The axle whine and other aspects made it seem so unrefined we left well alone and happily kept with our Rover 3500S.
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>>>Rear drivetrain whine was often a problem <<<
Sawdust was an effective remedy, I hear - albeit only temporary :)
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>> Sawdust was an effective remedy, I hear
Bellboy could probably tell you a few others.
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Did the sawdust need a banana too or was that something else?
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>>> Did the sawdust need a banana too or was that something else? <<<
No, you're probably thinking of stockings and suspenders whereby the nylons could make out as a fan belt in an emergency.
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The Bananas went into 2CV's.(when they run out of oil in the middle of S.America).
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Classic Triumph Dolomite Sprint - idle_chatterer
