The Autoshite spec Triumph thread

[Tamworthbay]

As it looks like it will need a bit of work I thought I may as well start a thread for my recently acquired autoshite spec triumph dolomite 1300. By 1977 the lowly spec must have looked a bit Spartan with very few concessions to comfort. It has a hole for a radio but it's a plastic thing and not sure if it was originally fitted or is aftermarket. The later stereo will certainly be coming out. They obviously expected Povo spec buyers to be heavy smokers as each door has its own ashtray.

 

The outside is pretty ropey with repairs needed on almost every panel but it's structurally sound and only the rear of the sills are needing a snog from the mig. Inside is gorgeous as you would hope after less than 70000 miles in just short of forty years.

[Tamworthbay]

Amongst the thick wad of receipts and info is the original sales invoice, the guy paid £2400 for it and didn't part ex anything. I checked the electoral role and it appears he is still at the same address and a grand old age of 92 and it looks a very nice house. He would have been 53 at the time so was the car for him or for his wife or children? Looking at the house I would think a 1300 dolomite would have been below his social standing and be looked down upon by the neighbours at cocktail parties, unless of course it was a second car to park alongside the jag. I will send off a letter to him with a pic of the car, it would be nice to know about its early life.

 

There is also a picture of it wearing an L plate. There is a mk3 Mondeo in the background of the pic so can't be too long ago. Is that how it got its prang on the drivers side front wing?

[HMC]

Looking forward to updates, love the classic shape these have.

 

That looks a right speedwagen, ahem.

[purplebargeken]

Yep, Triumph certainly catered for the smoker. 

 

Looks bloody good to be honest. Triumph used slightly poorer quality of steel from the mid 70's on but despite that, yours seems to have faired quite well. The rear wheel arches were always a rot spot and the grot usually extended down to the rear most jacking point. Luckily the panel work is quite easy to fabricate. The black plastic tray/radio housing is most likely OE. 

[purplebargeken]

The 1300 engines are actually quite tweak friendly. 

 

Back in the day (1982) my 1300 Toledo more or less kept up with a new XR3. The speedo needle was bouncing off the stop lol. 

[purplebargeken]

One thing I would heartily recommend.

 

Take apart every connection you can find and clean the bugger. Then spray with contact cleaner. Two main earths in the engine bay and two fiddly little fuckers in the rear light clusters. The sidelight/indicator unit gets a lot of grot thrown at it and can be very grubby. The housing is fragile monkey metal and corrodes at the speed of light. Bin the OE screws and get a set from Rimmers, keep the black rubbery grommets if you can.  

[Tamworthbay]

Looking forward to updates, love the classic shape these have.

That looks a right speedwagen, ahem.

I noticed that myself, sadly I doubt there are any fans so crazy to make the reg worth anything (not that I mind as I would never sell a reg off a car).

[purplebargeken]

I get it now. Duh!!!!!!!

[Tamworthbay]

One thing I would heartily recommend.

 

Take apart every connection you can find and clean the bugger. Then spray with contact cleaner. Two main earths in the engine bay and two fiddly little fuckers in the rear light clusters. The sidelight/indicator unit gets a lot of grot thrown at it and can be very grubby. The housing is fragile monkey metal and corrodes at the speed of light. Bin the OE screws and get a set from Rimmers, keep the black rubbery grommets if you can.

 

Added to my to do list, I needed to have a poke around anyway as drivers side rear indicator is not working and the bulb is ok. So far the to do list is:

 

Pre mot:

 

Strip and check brakes and suspension

Repair both rear arches and sill ends.

Repair small hole in wing top

Sort the clutch, most likely a dodgy slave but need to investigate further

Oil and filter change

Sort elastic trickery

Remove 80s stereo and speakers

Change headlight

Possibly change tyres (or may wait until after mot)

Fit rear seat belts

 

After mot:

 

Sort bodywork bit by bit, there's lots of bits

Change tyres if not done already

Start to look at tweaking engine a bit

 

And I bet a lot more once I start poking around.......

[Tamworthbay]

And refit chrome trim and get a locking petrol cap......

[egg]

My pipe smoking grandad used to have a yellow Dolomite, nice memories from my youth.

 

He's still going at 89, and now 'drives' a 306 Sedan (100 miles between last two MOTs)

 

Anyway, I'm glad there are people out there who care about these, even if I don't fancy one myself!

[Tamworthbay]

I guess it's just another piece of my childhood. These were everywhere and whilst I mostly lusted after a green sprint that lived a few doors up, I have always loved the shape. As a seventeen year old the sprint was still cool but these wouldn't haven't been, but then it was all mk2 escorts and capris. I have had an itch for one for years but just missing out on the Toledo on here a couple of weeks back made me think now or never. I love this for its simplicity. The dash has a speedo, combined fuel and temp gauge, a small central heater control and a couple of switches and that is it. It's unusual for me as I am a bit of a tart when it comes to gauges!

 

I am not sure what to do about the aftermarket steering wheel. I love the look of it but it could be sold to put funds back into the project. Decisions decisions....

[eddyramrod]

That car needs to come up here.  The EO combination would have been issued in Barrow!

 

Warning: if it gets near Hyacinth, the attraction may prove too much!

[Tamworthbay]

That car needs to come up here.  The EO combination would have been issued in Barrow!

 

Warning: if it gets near Hyacinth, the attraction may prove too much!

the first owner lives in Wilmslow and it was sold by G & E Benson ltd, does that ring any bells?

[eddyramrod]

Hmm, Wilmslow... I would have expected MA/MB, or maybe NA-NF.  Perhaps he wanted it registered out of town for some reason.  There's no accounting for people...

[Tamworthbay]

The receipt is for second hand car sales but he is the first owner, so perhaps a car that was already in a dealers and being sold off? Or perhaps G & E Benson was in Barrow and he worked there or it was the nearest triumph dealership?

[eddyramrod]

I don't know where G&E Benson was; I'm not local, so they could easily have been a Barrow dealership.  Your suggestion of the car being pre-registered stands up.  It could easily have been a demonstrator, or loaner.  If he responds to your contact we may even find out!

[320touring]

that looks an honest lil car-best of luck with getting it shipshape:)

[Tamworthbay]

It is a fair bit crustier than the pics would have you believe, but nothing that can't be sorted. Should make a nice summer runabout.

[Tamworthbay]

Some clever person on the dolomite forum has found this:

 

G. & E.BENSON

Grizebeck Service Station

Grizebeck

Kirkby-In-Furness

Cumbria

LA17 7XH

 

It would fit with the reg but is a long way from Wilmslow, the plot thickens........

[trigger]

Send a V888 form off for the old previous owners details, that should tell you a lot.

[Tamworthbay]

Bub came for a nose round it tonight

[Felly Magic]

Nice to see a misery spec Dolly saved. I bet it's a rare survivor, can't be many base models left

[Tamworthbay]

It's true autoshite in every way, base model, old fashioned when new, not desirable now. Perfect! The inside is a minimalistic heaven in unmarked black vinyl. Even the wood dash looks like they have used a spare floorboard.

[purplebargeken]

The sheer simplicity of the basic Dolomite/Toledo is really rather pleasing. It is solid, dependable and very open to home spannering skill levels. 

[AnthonyG]

Lovely. Maybe the wheel was fitted by someone who really wanted a TR5?

It looks a bit weird given the povo nature of the rest of the interior. Although I'd keep it on though, gives the car a bit of character!

[Tamworthbay]

Lovely. Maybe the wheel was fitted by someone who really wanted a TR5?

It looks a bit weird given the povo nature of the rest of the interior. Although I'd keep it on though, gives the car a bit of character!

The steering wheel has no wear at all so I would think the last owner fitted it. He was quite a character and I could see someone getting him at a present. I am unsure as to whether to keep it or swap back to an original. It's nice and suits the car well, but it's also worth a good few quid which would help the recommissioning work come along as there are always things to buy!

[purplebargeken]

Keep it!

 

For a while anyway. Regular Dolly wheel is easy to get hold of.

[Tamworthbay]

I have managed a couple of hours and made a lot of progress, the clutch slave seals are borked, there is a tiny bit of corrosion on the bore so I am undecided whether to give it a hone or just buy a new slave. The steering flapping about is because the column is just resting loosely in the support bracket at the bottom so I guess I need one of these: http://www.rimmerbro.../Item--i-CRC360 Alaso managed to strip out some of the aftermarket stereo bits and work out that the mounts for rear seat belts are there. Added to the to do list are a gentle clean back and preserve of a couple of areas of the inner wing - guess it's brake/ clutch fluid that has stripped it but it's only surface rust, and similarly a couple of subframe bits that just need a quick lick of chassis black. The removable gearbox cover is just brilliant. In the past I have grubbed about under an MGB GT sorting the clutch slave and it is a right ball ache. This time I just gently leaned in and twiddled to my hearts content. So overall a very positive few hours despite my dodgy back swearing at me continually.

[captain_70s]

At the price of the clutch seals I'd give that a shot before replacing the whole unit, I've heard grim tales about the quality of reproduction ones.

 

Looks like a tidy car, nice to see those raised digit numberplates. Higher spec Dolomites actually got larger ash trays in the front doors!