The things you do to continue your lunchtime dreaming

[Speedymeepmeep2]

Hello all

 

After several years of lurking, I finally registered and always meant to do a post to cover my cars but you know how it is….Removing access to the for sale posts though has prompted me into life.

 

Introducing my shite – a fine specimen of a 1979 Dolomite SE. The combination of wood door cappings and plush seats along with rectangular headlights and the flat dash is an obvious delight. I bought the Dolly coming up to 4 years ago. I was off sick from work and needed something to do other than watching TV or surfing the internet all day and therefore decided that a dolomite with the cylinder head in bits was the perfect way to get better.

 

Anyway, after purchasing the dolly and recovering it home, I spent most of 2019 fixing the headgasket, getting the brakes refurb’d and various other little tasks completed. A few* rust spots were identified but it passed an MOT at the local village garage and we were good to go. Some stuff happened in 2020 didn’t it and due to various life events, the dolly has hardly moved since from the garage. By doing this post, I’m hoping to kick the work needed into life (when the snow has gone )

 

During my time visiting the site, I’ve enjoyed a browse of the For Sale pages with dreams of purchasing another car to fill the additional patio space that I cunningly created during lockdown. This has gone from a Subaru Legacy (I grew up with a few different Subaru’s) to a Reliant Scimitar to a Volvo 122 but none have actually been purchased because obviously I should really sort the Dolly first shouldn’t I? 

[stuboy]

4 hours ago, Speedymeepmeep2 said:

Hello all

 

After several years of lurking, I finally registered and always meant to do a post to cover my cars but you know how it is….Removing access to the for sale posts though has prompted me into life.

 

Introducing my shite – a fine specimen of a 1979 Dolomite SE. The combination of wood door cappings and plush seats along with rectangular headlights and the flat dash is an obvious delight. I bought the Dolly coming up to 4 years ago. I was off sick from work and needed something to do other than watching TV or surfing the internet all day and therefore decided that a dolomite with the cylinder head in bits was the perfect way to get better.

 

Anyway, after purchasing the dolly and recovering it home, I spent most of 2019 fixing the headgasket, getting the brakes refurb’d and various other little tasks completed. A few* rust spots were identified but it passed an MOT at the local village garage and we were good to go. Some stuff happened in 2020 didn’t it and due to various life events, the dolly has hardly moved since from the garage. By doing this post, I’m hoping to kick the work needed into life (when the snow has gone )

 

During my time visiting the site, I’ve enjoyed a browse of the For Sale pages with dreams of purchasing another car to fill the additional patio space that I cunningly created during lockdown. This has gone from a Subaru Legacy (I grew up with a few different Subaru’s) to a Reliant Scimitar to a Volvo 122 but none have actually been purchased because obviously I should really sort the Dolly first shouldn’t I? 

welcome, is there any pictures of the dolly

[N Dentressangle]

Does it have sexy* SE stickers down the wings?

[wuvvum]

6 hours ago, Speedymeepmeep2 said:

a fine specimen of a 1979 Dolomite SE

Princess Anne Trigger used to have one of those.

[Rustybullethole]

Hardly moved it in four years. Yes defo get another motor.

[High Jetter]

Well hello, Dolly...

[Speedymeepmeep2]

21 hours ago, stuboy said:

welcome, is there any pictures of the dolly

The photos from the previous owner made it look quite nice in a 70s way....now imagine a couple of years of dust and some boxes on top....

[Speedymeepmeep2]

21 hours ago, N Dentressangle said:

Does it have sexy* SE stickers down the wings?

It does indeed. Complete with go faster stripes too. 

[Speedymeepmeep2]

19 hours ago, Rustybullethole said:

Hardly moved it in four years. Yes defo get another motor.

I will submit your reply as my evidence for when I get in trouble at home 😉. Once I get access to the For Sale thread again.... I actually bought it on Christmas Day so perhaps I need to ask Santa again?

[Speedymeepmeep2]

20 hours ago, wuvvum said:

Princess Anne Trigger used to have one of those.

Which was very useful for pictures when I was trying to put mine back together and how I originally found AS!

[motorpunk]

16 minutes ago, Speedymeepmeep2 said:

The photos from the previous owner made it look quite nice in a 70s way....now imagine a couple of years of dust and some boxes on top....

Phwoaaaaar!

[EyesWeldedShut]

[EyesWeldedShut]

When the SE came out my dad had a 1300 Toledo (I think because he, me and my brother had killed the Herald by all passing our tests in a span of about 18 months) and we ached on at him about the SE not realising that £3,295 was about the same as his annual income before deductions.
I'm with the Phwoaaaaar! too

[Speedymeepmeep2]

21 minutes ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

I do indeed find myself fantasising about getting behind the wheel.

[Speedymeepmeep2]

The other bit of the story I should have added is that my older cousin had a dolly in British racing green when I was early teens and that’s what prompted me to buy this. I recently saw my other cousin (his younger brother) for the first time after about 20 years and told him about my Dolomite and that I bought it because of his brothers sprint. Nah he says, it was just made to look like a sprint apparently....

[mat_the_cat]

36 minutes ago, EyesWeldedShut said:

At least they were honest about their propensity to rust!

[N Dentressangle]

2 hours ago, Speedymeepmeep2 said:

It does indeed. Complete with go faster stripes too. 

Looks fantastic. Much want. Would nearly swap for a Spitfire 😉

[Speedymeepmeep2]

10 hours ago, N Dentressangle said:

Looks fantastic. Much want. Would nearly swap for a Spitfire 😉

The Spitfire wins in terms of access. I bought the 1500 as well thinking easier to get spares as lots shared with the Spitfire. I think the dolly wins to get into though if you are less svelte?

[Timewaster]

12 hours ago, Speedymeepmeep2 said:

it was just made to look like a sprint apparently....

From the Dolly's I remember, they must have made thousands more sprint wheels than they ever did Dolly sprints.

Everyone seemed to have a set.

[Speedymeepmeep2]

On 12/13/2022 at 8:58 AM, Timewaster said:

From the Dolly's I remember, they must have made thousands more sprint wheels than they ever did Dolly sprints.

Everyone seemed to have a set.

I was thinking about buying some myself but I think the black (when should be silver) wheels suit it better. Fun fact is that although these look like the same wheels as the Spitfire, they are a different offset. I have 2 spares but can’t quite work out which is an SE wheel and which is the spitfire one.