Dolomite Sprint (conversion)
Being a lifetime enthusiast of the Triumph Dolomite Sprint (and even being the owner of one briefly), I decided that a Sprint should be the car to have again. An original Sprint isn't easy to find or cheap to buy. So why not convert a Dolomite 1850 to a Sprint?
As I have had many Dolomites I also collected as many Sprint running gear as I could find. About 20 years ago I managed to get hold of an original Sprint, body was completely rotten away, but the running gear was complete. The running gear was salvaged from the bad body and stored in my garage for years. At one point I decided to have the engine rebuild and took it to a specialist. Unfortunately this guy died suddenly and family disputes led to the fact that I couldn't prove that it was my engine (in the day a word was a word), so reclaming the engine was not possible. So the dream of a Sprint conversion was put back in the fridge!
Years later after a non directed search on the internet I found someone who had a Sprint converted Dolomite. The body was a mess, but the Sprint running gear was complete and in 'good working condition' according to the owner the last time he drove it. On dismatling the engine, it appeared to be in bad condition and at least a new or replacement short block was needed. Internet proved to be fruitful once, so why not be lucky twice?
In my internet search I found a guy who had a Sprint engine and was looking for a 2.5 litr 6 cilinder TR6 engine. I proposed a swap as I had a TR6 engine sitting in my garage. On collecting the Sprint engine, this guy had a fully painted Dolomite body standing in his shed and needed the space. So after some talking I decided to take the body along too. As this body was fully painted, it made more sense to convert this body to a Sprint. Searching through my car registrations, I found an original registration of a Dolomite Sprint (from the one I dismantled 20 years ago). So the conversion is still on, except the registration will be of an original Sprint!
The restoration will be a two (or more) stage process. First, it will be running on with two SU carb's but with a modified cooling system. A TR7 radiator (from a fuel injected TR7) will be used to cool the engine. For that, the inner front body panel has to be slightly altered to fit the radiator.
Next, the exhaust will be modified too with a single in line open damper system and original tailpipe. The tailpipe will be raised in the boot so that the awkward view of the tailpipe sight from the side of the car will disappear.
The second stage will be the addition of a full EFI system with electronic ignition. This upgrade will also include better disc brake system, hopefully with bigger discs and brake pads.
As I have had many Dolomites I also collected as many Sprint running gear as I could find. About 20 years ago I managed to get hold of an original Sprint, body was completely rotten away, but the running gear was complete. The running gear was salvaged from the bad body and stored in my garage for years. At one point I decided to have the engine rebuild and took it to a specialist. Unfortunately this guy died suddenly and family disputes led to the fact that I couldn't prove that it was my engine (in the day a word was a word), so reclaming the engine was not possible. So the dream of a Sprint conversion was put back in the fridge!
Years later after a non directed search on the internet I found someone who had a Sprint converted Dolomite. The body was a mess, but the Sprint running gear was complete and in 'good working condition' according to the owner the last time he drove it. On dismatling the engine, it appeared to be in bad condition and at least a new or replacement short block was needed. Internet proved to be fruitful once, so why not be lucky twice?
In my internet search I found a guy who had a Sprint engine and was looking for a 2.5 litr 6 cilinder TR6 engine. I proposed a swap as I had a TR6 engine sitting in my garage. On collecting the Sprint engine, this guy had a fully painted Dolomite body standing in his shed and needed the space. So after some talking I decided to take the body along too. As this body was fully painted, it made more sense to convert this body to a Sprint. Searching through my car registrations, I found an original registration of a Dolomite Sprint (from the one I dismantled 20 years ago). So the conversion is still on, except the registration will be of an original Sprint!
The restoration will be a two (or more) stage process. First, it will be running on with two SU carb's but with a modified cooling system. A TR7 radiator (from a fuel injected TR7) will be used to cool the engine. For that, the inner front body panel has to be slightly altered to fit the radiator.
Next, the exhaust will be modified too with a single in line open damper system and original tailpipe. The tailpipe will be raised in the boot so that the awkward view of the tailpipe sight from the side of the car will disappear.
The second stage will be the addition of a full EFI system with electronic ignition. This upgrade will also include better disc brake system, hopefully with bigger discs and brake pads.
Statistics
The Dolomite Sprint has a 4-cilynder, 2- litre, 16 valve SOHC (single overhead camshaft!) engine. In standard form it produces 127 bhp. It was one of the fastest production saloon cars in its day.
