How to play at ’70s Touring Car racing.

If you grew up in the ’70s then talk of modified Dolomites will evoke an image of Andy Rouse winning Touring car races... which it has to be said is a long way from a down-at-heel 1850HL in Russet Brown.

There’s a lot you can do to perk up a Dolomite though and with the right mods it can have pace and style to match the most exotic classics. First thing is to ditch the steel wheels and sit it on some alloy wheels, but they’ve got to be right. Minilites look good, but nothing beats the GKN alloys as fitted to the Sprint. Refurbished sets (which will be airtight unlike the originals) can be bought from specialists like Quiller Triumph from around £55 each. If you go much bigger than the 13-inch standard wheel you can run into clearance problems which will required a lower profile of tyre.

With it looking right, you’ll need to make sure it starts and Quiller suggests a high-torque starter in place of the original, since they’re the same price and parts supply problems mean the originals can’t be rebuilt. The next step is to make sure the cooling is up to scratch as it’s a touch marginal on the 1300 and 1500. Quiller supplies an electric fan conversion which can be used with a thermostatic controller to keep it cool in traffic. On the subject of heat, the engine bay in the Dolomite is pretty tight, so a set of braided fuel lines can cure the common problem of fuel vaporisation.

PRODUCED:     1973-1980
ENGINE:     1854cc 4 cyl
PRICES:     £500 (tatty) to £5000
UPSIDE:     Pure ’70s style
DOWNSIDE: Make sure you buy a solid one
WHY YOU WANT ONE:     Who doesn’t love a vinyl roof?
CLUBS:     Triumph Dolomite Club: www.triumphdolomite.co.uk, 08700 111737
SPECIALISTS:
Quiller Triumph    www.quillertriumph.co.uk
Rimmer Bros    www.rimmerbros.co.uk
PARTS PRICES:
Electric fan    £62
Electric fan controller    £30
High-torque starter    £177
Front wishbone poly bush kit    £37
Complete car poly bush kit    £210
Gaz uprated springs and dampers    £357

Read the full article in the October 2011 issue of Classic Car Mart - available to buy here.