Here is a brief summary of the last 3 years of my retro hobby.
I had always been a fan of Triumph Dolomites ever since teaching myself to drive in my mums 1500 SE and had a hankering for a V8 of some sort. I’d been looking at day vans and others and had a saved search for on ebay for V8 in classic cars. Then this turned up....
Previously a brown 1500 that had been fitted with a Rover V8.
Kept for a while but the local speed humps meant using it became a pain so was sold via RR.
I mentioned to the seller when collecting that my love for Dolomites had started with that 1500 SE and he just happened to have this in a lock up.
So off again to the south coast the following week and another project
This one sold eventually via RR
Now something had started and got out of control pretty quickly. Within the next few months, there was 7 Dolomites gracing the garage and garden. Most were acquired via word of mouth and through the Dolomite club For sale forum. Thats the problem with having a big garage and lots of parking space along with a car trailer. The following pics are random ones of the various Dolomites
First time in daylight since 1996.
MOT’d a week later after new brake components, fuel pump, battery and tyres
Sold via ebay and still see it at various shows throughout the year.
Then a 1500 FWD that was driven into the garage in 1982 and left until 2010. Unfortunately this was quite rotten and sold on then reappeared on ebay a few times. Not sure where it is now.
Then a Green 1500 base model that had been unused since 1999. I’ve since bought the Orange Sprint also ....more on that one later
Needed tyres, battery, brake components, clutch cylinders rebuilding then MOT’d 2 days later.
This one was sold and is still local to me
Orange 1850 Auto. Very original and had intermittent wipers and cruise control that had been fitted sometime in the 80’s. I put the minilites on as the tyres were better than originals. I think they suited the car quite well.
Sold via Triumph Dolomite club and is still around.
I then bought my first Sprint. This particular car turned out to be a bit of a let down so this was sold on and ended up in Denmark
So I bought a much nicer Sprint. My lad had this one after me.
I bought a Mini 1275 GT from RR for no other reason than it was available and it was local. I was unsure what to do with it but eventually after sitting for a few months, I sold it to somebody who was / is restoring it to original spec.
Then a car that I had coveted for a long time was offered to me. An 1850 that had been restored in the early – mid nineties and making approx 130bhp.
I took it on the RR early morning run around Birmingham when I first got it and spun it out on the island right out side the Fort Dunlop building. Investigation showed one of the tyres inside sidewall to be like this.
Plenty of tread but it turned out the tyres were the ones fitted in 1994. Swapped for a set of Kuhmos and as would be expected, the handling and ride changed completely.
Here it is on Prescott hill climb
I was gutted when I had to sell this one but didn’t want to be without a retro so made sure I bought another and paid some bills off with the balance.
I had bought a 205 GTI 1.6 off RR a couple of years ago but was never happy with it. Jerky clutch and rock hard suspension meant it never lasted long and was sold on.
That was this one.
So when the gold Dolomite sold I went after another GTI that I knew of. This time a 1.9 owned by a friend. I had driven it previously when I collected it from South Wales and delivered it to Portsmouth for him and knew straight away that it was better than the 1.6 I had at that time. I asked for first refusal and that chance to own it came when the Dolomite went.
Recently sold this one when I had been to the Triumph show at Stoneleigh and realised that I wanted another Sprint. I contacted the gentleman that I had bought the green car off and a deal was done for me to buy the Orange sprint. He had owned since 1984 and the car is completely original other than electronic ignition. Never welded and only really needs some minor paint rectification.
So that is where I am currently. Who knows what the next year will bring although I suspect another V8 will appear. I miss the noise that first Dolomite made.
Some more random pics of when things were getting a bit out of hand on the parking front....
I had always been a fan of Triumph Dolomites ever since teaching myself to drive in my mums 1500 SE and had a hankering for a V8 of some sort. I’d been looking at day vans and others and had a saved search for on ebay for V8 in classic cars. Then this turned up....
Previously a brown 1500 that had been fitted with a Rover V8.
Kept for a while but the local speed humps meant using it became a pain so was sold via RR.
I mentioned to the seller when collecting that my love for Dolomites had started with that 1500 SE and he just happened to have this in a lock up.
So off again to the south coast the following week and another project
This one sold eventually via RR
Now something had started and got out of control pretty quickly. Within the next few months, there was 7 Dolomites gracing the garage and garden. Most were acquired via word of mouth and through the Dolomite club For sale forum. Thats the problem with having a big garage and lots of parking space along with a car trailer. The following pics are random ones of the various Dolomites
First time in daylight since 1996.
MOT’d a week later after new brake components, fuel pump, battery and tyres
Sold via ebay and still see it at various shows throughout the year.
Then a 1500 FWD that was driven into the garage in 1982 and left until 2010. Unfortunately this was quite rotten and sold on then reappeared on ebay a few times. Not sure where it is now.
Then a Green 1500 base model that had been unused since 1999. I’ve since bought the Orange Sprint also ....more on that one later
Needed tyres, battery, brake components, clutch cylinders rebuilding then MOT’d 2 days later.
This one was sold and is still local to me
Orange 1850 Auto. Very original and had intermittent wipers and cruise control that had been fitted sometime in the 80’s. I put the minilites on as the tyres were better than originals. I think they suited the car quite well.
Sold via Triumph Dolomite club and is still around.
I then bought my first Sprint. This particular car turned out to be a bit of a let down so this was sold on and ended up in Denmark
So I bought a much nicer Sprint. My lad had this one after me.
I bought a Mini 1275 GT from RR for no other reason than it was available and it was local. I was unsure what to do with it but eventually after sitting for a few months, I sold it to somebody who was / is restoring it to original spec.
Then a car that I had coveted for a long time was offered to me. An 1850 that had been restored in the early – mid nineties and making approx 130bhp.
I took it on the RR early morning run around Birmingham when I first got it and spun it out on the island right out side the Fort Dunlop building. Investigation showed one of the tyres inside sidewall to be like this.
Plenty of tread but it turned out the tyres were the ones fitted in 1994. Swapped for a set of Kuhmos and as would be expected, the handling and ride changed completely.
Here it is on Prescott hill climb
I was gutted when I had to sell this one but didn’t want to be without a retro so made sure I bought another and paid some bills off with the balance.
I had bought a 205 GTI 1.6 off RR a couple of years ago but was never happy with it. Jerky clutch and rock hard suspension meant it never lasted long and was sold on.
That was this one.
So when the gold Dolomite sold I went after another GTI that I knew of. This time a 1.9 owned by a friend. I had driven it previously when I collected it from South Wales and delivered it to Portsmouth for him and knew straight away that it was better than the 1.6 I had at that time. I asked for first refusal and that chance to own it came when the Dolomite went.
Recently sold this one when I had been to the Triumph show at Stoneleigh and realised that I wanted another Sprint. I contacted the gentleman that I had bought the green car off and a deal was done for me to buy the Orange sprint. He had owned since 1984 and the car is completely original other than electronic ignition. Never welded and only really needs some minor paint rectification.
So that is where I am currently. Who knows what the next year will bring although I suspect another V8 will appear. I miss the noise that first Dolomite made.
Some more random pics of when things were getting a bit out of hand on the parking front....
