Jump to content

A collection ending in Triumph and not failure!


Tickman

Recommended Posts

It all started when a little a35 was advertised by Cros and I was not quick enough so that was gone too quickly. :(

 

Not too long later there was another for sale thread with reference to a £399 Toledo, I nearly didn't click on it but when I did I was surprised to not see VAG content. Having learned from the a35 disappointment I fired off a PM straight away. When Tim got back in touch he sent over loads of pictures of all parts of the car showing all the bad spot and none of the good parts! The car look honest but a little tatty in the pictures.

 

Obviously it was not local and collecting it from the middle of nowhere would be an absolute nightmare so I agreed to buy it and sent over the money. :)

 

A plan was kind of put in place, I was going to Manchester to visit family and Manchester is in England so a lot nearer to my new car. A lift from Manchester to Tim's was organised by using the following words 'Dad are you busy Monday?' Sorted.

 

Monday arrived and with insurance in place and an MOT booked to make me legal off we set. Hill and Dale were travelled until we arrived at a strange place with smooth roads, this we found very unusual, even the road to Tim's which was not on the sat nav was smoother than a lot of roads in the local area. This I was taking as a good omen.

 

As we pulled in to Tim's fantastic place, more than a little jealous, we met the man himself. A cursory look around the car and a quick spin up the lane led to some paperwork.

All offers of tea and hospitality were politely declined with the unknown length of journey in an unknown car ahead and a time limit of having to get to the garage before it closed.

 

A quick picture of the speedo before setting off.

post-17457-0-62071200-1460664357_thumb.jpg

More coming up, still typing!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Directions were asked to the local garage to fill up for the journey, with no garages being 'local' we got a top up from a can in the garage. A+ seller, even gives you extra fuel after the car is yours and not his problem! :)

 

We headed north with me taking it steady to get used to the car. 50 was quite comfortable and quiet along the country lanes. We got to the garage/ services and I filled up. I got back in the car and flicked the key to find only the ignition lights and no starter or click!  :?

 

Popped the bonnet (so cool it hinges forward, a first for me) and within two minutes I had him going by shorting the starter solenoid to the battery which are happily next to each other.  :-D

 

Off we go again and start plodding our way to Stretford and my date with the MOT station.

After driving over the Derbyshire Dales and many twisty roads and hills we eventually have a little stretch of the M60 at rush hour. This we take in our stride and arrive at the garage for 5:30.

 

I explain the not starting on the key to Phil (it had done the same at a food pit stop) so Phil comes out and puts the key in and he fires right up  :shock:

 

I am told it will be done first thing in the morning and to give a call at 9:30.........

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Obviously I have the MOT check page on my phone and am checking it in the morning and nothing has changed online so I give a quick call to be told 'sorry I am running late, it's being done now'   :-(

 

Finally I get the call and the news..

 

 

you can collect it now were done!

 

Passed  8)

 

post-17457-0-07625700-1460665898_thumb.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Obviously it has some advisories and some recommendations of work needing done but Phil said 'It is actually quite tidy underneath'

So now I tax it and take it 'home' for the night in Manchester where Mrs T takes it for a spin round the block with my mum riding shotgun and comes back raving about how good it is :)

 

Finally after Chuck has got up and showered she eventually see the car that she will be learning to drive in. I take her for a spin and he gets another thumbs up.

 

So now we are in Manchester with two cars and need to head home as Marianne has an appointment on Thursday.

Tuesday night is a catch up with some more family and then Wednesday we set off at about 10. We plod up the road doing 55-65 all the way.

The only issues we have are some lumpy running and cutting out when I pulled into the first service stop at Lancaster. I am sure this is the possibly original leads from the distributor so a full service of the ignition system is priority number 1.

 

The next stop is the last services on the M6 for fuel as the needle drops very quickly through the last 'quarter' of the tank.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We leave the services and head for Dundee.

Eventually we get home with no more stops and park up ever so slightly knackered, not from the drive but because of three nights with the family (eating too much and drinking far too much) but collection achieved.

 

post-17457-0-44128200-1460667257_thumb.jpg

 

455 miles done which is roughly half of its annual mileage since new.

 

Impressions of the car: It's brilliant, why the British car industry mostly died is a shame when they made cars like this.

 

Impressions of the seller: What more could anyone want. Honest about the car (probably put it down more than it deserved) and a top fellow shitter. I didn't have a look around his collection as I could possibly outstay my welcome!

It was very nice to meet you, good luck finding a lucky buyer for the Ambulance!

 

John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

First used 71 yet it's L reg?

 

Any idea where it was first?

I think it's a glitch on the MOT system. My Toledo is an L reg and the MOT checker States 1 July 1971 too but the first reg date on the log book is definitely some time in 1972.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

First used 71 yet it's L reg?

 

Any idea where it was first?

 

Registered by Appleyards of Harrogate 7th September 1972 to a Mrs M Cawood. It is all in the Triumph passport to service :)

 

Yeah that's odd, according to interwebs 1/7/71 would make it a J, L came in 1/8/72.

As said above, just a glitch.

 

Am glad the car got you home OK. That was a brave journey in a car that was an unknown quantity. I was a bit wistful seeing it go as it was good to drive and with simple mechanicals shouldn't take much to keep on the road.

I had every faith in the car and my RAC card :) It is far better than I had expected with the pictures and description, I am just grateful to whoever pulled out of buying it last year did. 

It also didn't lose much water and the small amount appears to be from the bottom hose and not the radiator!

 

I think it's a glitch on the MOT system. My Toledo is an L reg and the MOT checker States 1 July 1971 too but the first reg date on the log book is definitely some time in 1972.

Log book states 01 09 1972 which arrived yesterday after paperwork being done on Monday!

Doing stuff online does sometimes work.

 

 

 

I need to get a list and get shopping for it, any ideas the best place for decent stuff? Having bought loads of stuff for Morris Minors I would rather go with a recommended supplier rather than discovering for myself which places sell rubbish.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Try the Triumph Dolomite Club forum and get in touch with a lovely chap called Alun Nicholas. He produces some amazingly good fibreglass wings and front sections that will have your Tolly looking perfect in no time. These are the best out there and not hugely pricey either.

 

Look forward to seeing more updates.

 

Ken

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That is a lovely Tolly. Ace interior!!!!! Triumph dating can be a bit interesting. Don't forget date of manufacture and date of registration can vary by quite a lot ;)

 

Parts for these are cheap and easy to get. Try Mick Dolphin via the interweb. 

Looked him up, thanks.

 

Looks pretty decent in the pics tbh

Looks pretty decent in real life too.

 

Try the Triumph Dolomite Club forum and get in touch with a lovely chap called Alun Nicholas. He produces some amazingly good fibreglass wings and front sections that will have your Tolly looking perfect in no time. These are the best out there and not hugely pricey either.

 

Look forward to seeing more updates.

 

Ken

Had a look, will keep an eye out.

 

I know the perfect solution for stained headlining too ;)

Headlining perfectly clean, looks as new to me :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had one of these, got it as a swap for one of the first CD stereos out. Catalogue job I never paid for so win win.  :-P

Decided to head down to Kent in it from Wirral where I had a job. It broke down on the M6, managed to limp off at  the Cannock exit. Bought a gallon of oil and chugged it in (all of it) as that was the extent of my mechanical knowledge. It was fucked. Had a walk, found  pub, called me dad and got nicely pissed while I waited for him to show up to take us home. Shitty 2 hour round trip for him, I slept like a baby all the way home. Left the car, Fuck knows what became of it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looks good. We took one in that looked much like this on the scrappage scheme. I suppose you could understand that they got £2,000 which was probably a fair bit more than that one was worth, but it seemed really sad to scrap a very well kept car, when it is quite possible that it's replacement is knackered by now

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...