Project Rusty Triumphs in Scotland - Dolomite in "most reliable" shocker - 08/02/24

[captain_70s]

Fleet news.

Kept filling the Volvo with sealant, it kept leaking. I have now found a solution though.

With that problem permanently* solved** I put the interior back in.

This means the girlfriend will go in it, which makes it AN FUNCTIONAL CAR. 

I also fitted a less fucked rear light.

 

Threw the Dolomite's door cards in and affixed the dash correctly. Fitting the fresh air vents makes it quite a bit less horrible on warm days

I also managed to wrestle the rear bumper on having acquired some lengthy bolts. Also gave the chrome and stainless a go over with some Autosol.

I think it's done about 300 miles since going back together. Mostly around town and local A roads. It pulls well once warmed up properly, it'll actually gain speed on the flat from 20mph in top. At 55mph it's doing 3,500rpm, which is really as fast as you want to go for any sustained period of time. It seems quite happy to sit on the motorway but it feels too mechanically "busy" for my tastes.

As of the the 24th it'll be taking me and Girlfriend_70s to Derbyshire (avoiding motorways) on holiday for a week before I drop by FotU and then shoot back up the road. I'm only mildly bricking it.

 

[AnnoyingPentium]

4 minutes ago, captain_70s said:

Fitting the fresh air vents makes it quite a bit less horrible on warm days

[captain_70s]

RIP.

Ats yir Dolly deid. The shimmed thrust washers had a lifespan of 300 miles.

So I shall be asking work if I can use the work van to go on holiday and skip FotU entirely because I no longer have any desire to attend or drive any old shit.

If anybody happens to have a small journal Triumph SC crank I'm in the market for one...

[SiC]

Aww fuck man that's shit. 

[SiC]

YouTube doesn't like that title and has aged restricted it 😬

[SiC]

How lucky do you feel?

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1382751038878006/

If you have the work van, you could have a holiday detour to the glorious* town of ...

 

[captain_70s]

9 minutes ago, SiC said:

Aww fuck man that's shit. 

8 minutes ago, SiC said:

YouTube doesn't like that title and has aged restricted it 😬

Pure. Cunts.

6 minutes ago, SiC said:

How lucky do you feel?

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1382751038878006/

If you have the work van, you could have a holiday detour to the glorious* town of ...

Nothing is worth travelling that far south...

[SiC]

If this had an A-Series, I'd sell a spare lump that's cluttering up my garden. But then if it was an A-series, it probably wouldn't have terminally broken again. 

[big_al_granvia]

fuckin shitter mate, another engine rebuild??? at least you have the volvo

[big_al_granvia]

2 minutes ago, SiC said:

If this had an A-Series, I'd sell a spare lump that's cluttering up my garden. But then if it was an A-series, it probably wouldn't have terminally broken again. 

is that not a plan, fit a 1300 a-series, they were rwd in the minor, was goin to suggest a semi modern bl lump as most of them have seen rwd fitments in kitcars

[GingerNuttz]

Was always a shot in the dark shimming that thrust bearing. 

Oh and obligatory 

[SiC]

9 minutes ago, big_al_granvia said:

is that not a plan, fit a 1300 a-series, they were rwd in the minor, was goin to suggest a semi modern bl lump as most of them have seen rwd fitments in kitcars

Need back axle, diff, propshaft to suit and the engine mounting points sorted. If going through that hassle, a more modern lump probably would be a better idea. But then all that is a shit load of work than swapping a power unit. 

Or fit a spare 1850 setup he may have lying around rotting away...

[LightBulbFun]

I am curious would a Triumph V8 fit a Dolomite? I was wondering this while looking at @Six-cylinder's Toledo at the FoD and thinking given the inline 4 and the V8 are of a shared heritage right?

looking at the silver lining and all that perhaps now would be a good excuse to find out?  

or failing that, Rover V8?

[captain_70s]

Rover V8 fits, with a lot of chopping about. The issue with fitting a Triumph V8 is that it's the same amount of work as the Rover unit but shitter...

The V8 is related to the OHC slant 4 engines, but not my cast iron OHV unit dating from 1953...

[wheel nut]

I have this

it's a 1300 that was a good engine around 15-20 years ago when the car it was in was scrapped. Been sitting in a garage since then.

Alternatively I also have this

It's a 1500TC, don't know anything about condition but it's from a low mileage automatic. Disadvantage - it comes with the rest of the car attached. 

I would like £80 for the 1300 engine or £200 for the complete 1500 engine with car attached. Both are in Forfar. I can post more pics if you're interested.

 

[Matty]

47 minutes ago, wheel nut said:

I have this

it's a 1300 that was a good engine around 15-20 years ago when the car it was in was scrapped. Been sitting in a garage since then.

Alternatively I also have this

It's a 1500TC, don't know anything about condition but it's from a low mileage automatic. Disadvantage - it comes with the rest of the car attached. 

I would like £80 for the 1300 engine or £200 for the complete 1500 engine with car attached. Both are in Forfar. I can post more pics if you're interested.

 

Job sorted then

[SiC]

48 minutes ago, wheel nut said:

would like £80 for the 1300 engine or £200 for the complete 1500 engine with car attached. Both are in Forfar. I can post more pics if you're interested.

What's the rest of the car body like? Especially the seats and interior.

[wheel nut]

1 minute ago, SiC said:

What's the rest of the car body like? Especially the seats and interior.

Interior is a bit grubby but I think it would all clean up ok apart from the carpets. Note that the 1500TC interior is a bit different to later dolomites, for example the shorter door cappings and seats with no headrests are 2 obvious example - there might be more that I'm not aware of.

Body has rusty sills, wheel arches and one rusty front wing. I'm sure you would find more rust if you started digging. 

[Yoss]

I don't ever remember seeing cloth seats in that light grey. Seen plenty in vinyl which are infinitely more practical being wipe clean but those look good.

Can't get on with 1500 door cappings though, completely half arsed. Toledos look better with no door cappings at all. 

[Split_Pin]

FUCKSTICKS. 

Sorry to hear about this Tony. You and Davey put so much work into this and as you say it's fought you all the way. 

Unfortunately I'm shite with trite inspirational words in these circumstances so happy Easter.

[Lacquer Peel]

13 hours ago, captain_70s said:

RIP.

 

 

Ats yir Dolly deid. The shimmed thrust washers had a lifespan of 300 miles.

So I shall be asking work if I can use the work van to go on holiday and skip FotU entirely because I no longer have any desire to attend or drive any old shit.

If anybody happens to have a small journal Triumph SC crank I'm in the market for one...

Baws. 😢

If you need any engines collected I will be heading to FOTU in the Renault Express. 

[aldo135]

Ah shit mate we were just talking about those thrust washers… I’m back in the country let me know if I can help picking up engines etc. I’m sure the kids would be delighted with a wee day trip to Forfar 😂

[sdkrc]

Do you want the engine from the V90? 

[Back_For_More]

That truly sucks donkey wang.... They're known for thrust washer issues but I thought it would last a bit longer than that. 

Unfortunately got rid of all the Spitfire bits I had so can't offer anything but commiserations. 

I'd snap up the TC if I were you. You may even maker a bit if you sell off the bits you don't need.... 

[Rust Collector]

Sorry to see that mate, was just having a read through and enjoyed seeing the progress with the car.

If it should help then I’m based down near Brighton, if you wanted the engine from Leatherhead then I could collect it and palletise it for onwards delivery once I’m back in the country at the end of the month.

[big_al_granvia]

13 hours ago, wheel nut said:

Interior is a bit grubby but I think it would all clean up ok apart from the carpets. Note that the 1500TC interior is a bit different to later dolomites, for example the shorter door cappings and seats with no headrests are 2 obvious example - there might be more that I'm not aware of.

Body has rusty sills, wheel arches and one rusty front wing. I'm sure you would find more rust if you started digging. 

ginger cradles his mig torch sobbing gently, pleeasee fukin dont mate

[rml2345]

That's proper shite man, really sorry to see it. To buck the trend, a new* crank is probably the way forward and likely to be one of the easier ways back to Doloshite motoring.

Or stick a redblock in it.

[captain_70s]

Fleet update.

Volvo

Pictured RIGHT NOW.

 

I went to Shitefest in the WINNER WAGON. Roughly 600 miles as a round trip.

Down in convoy with @sdkrc acting as a rolling roadblock to prevent me from getting 12mpg.

It, once outfitted with some cardboard, a tarp and an airbed made for my weekend's accommodation.

I reckon superior to a tent but ultimately still not pleasant. I'm too old for this camping shit.

Great weekend was had, convoyed down with @davidfowler2000, @Supernaut, @320touring and @jaypee.

The following week I went on holiday in the Volvo, to the Derbyshire/Nottinghamshire border. Somewhere in the region of 750 miles over a week.

I even washed the car in preparation.

We went through the Yorkshire Dales, because motorways are fucking tedious.

While on holiday we saw some fancy houses.

Some trams,

Some cars,

Some seals,

And Skegness.

The car performed faultlessly. I had a less fucked tyre fitted while I was down there (booked into local garage to work out why the tracking is fucked) and crashed into the wall of the tyre shop putting a load of divots in the bumper from the pebble dashing. I think they call it "patina" or "character" or something.

Then on the Saturday was Festival of the Unexceptional.

It's now having a rest. It's grumbling from the drivetrain somewhere, same as my other one used to, probably the diff is empty or something... Will have a check.

 

Acclaim

Pictured RIGHT NOW:

Haven't done anything with this. Timing belt is still slack so it's relegated to light duties until I can pull it apart. Last tank it got 40mpg though, which is nice.

Dolomite

Pictured RIGHT NOW:

So. It was pissing oil, this was cured by retorquing the cylinder head. I got a good 90-180 degrees out of the nuts before hitting the book figure. So it was SLACK. Fuck knows how it didn't blow the head gasket.

Here's me looking like a dick taking my engine apart for the billionth time:

Then it ate it's thrust washers so has been laid up since. @GingerNuttz is gonna try and fab up some solid bronze alloy thrust washers to the exact size required on a CNC, because no challenge is great enough.

I've done a bit of sanding/polishing as the paint has shrunk back since it was sprayed, as you'd expect.

Still getting the hang of it. Should turn out well enough for a car in use.

Electricity situation still ghetto.

Actively started to house hunt with Girlfriend_70s now. Driveway is a must, garage would be nice, but rare to find on rental properties around here.

[Matty]

@captain_70s was that the car museum at ambergate in Derbyshire you went to? Pretty sure i recognise the side picture of the vx4/90 i fell in love with when we visited.

[captain_70s]

Aye, The Great British Car Journey.

It was alright. Wasn't a fan of the audio guide and the selection of cars was a bit odd. 5 Austin Sevens and 7 Minis but no Vauxhall Viva?