Wanted buying advice for a Dolomite 1850 auto

[poppyman]

hi, i am thinking of buying a dolomite 1850 auto 1972.
can anyone tell me what to look for? as it has been a while since i have worked on them.

many thanks,

tony.

[Steve AKA vitessesteve]

I would suggest the free downloadable TSSC buyers guide - but the link seems to be broken at the moment.  http://www.tssc.org.uk/tssc/cars_final.asp?model_ID=37

[John Bonnett]

Is this the one?

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2527.....e=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

Well worth having a look at. 3 owners and under 30k miles.

I have always liked the 1850 Dolomite. My father had two of them one after the other and I was so impressed with them and thought what fantastic cars they were. And I still think that. I doubt there was much at that time that could compete with them in terms of their very well appointed and comfortable interior, handling and performance. My brother had a Dolomite Sprint at about the same time; early 80s and to be honest, I was disappointed with its performance and still preferred the 1850. It could be my next car. But not this one. I'll not bid against you 😉

[Nick Jones]

Rust.  Anywhere between the bumpers and below the roof........

Seriously, structural rust around the front subframe mounts is a common problem and difficult to repair properly.  The sills are another rot spot, worst places are below the front end of the front doors or just in front of the rear wheels.  Also inwards from that point where it can affect the mounting points of the trailing arms and that is really very difficult to fix.  Rear wheel arches can also get bad especially the front edges behind the rear doors.  Bottom of the screen pillars also go sometimes and are another difficult repair.

Cosmetically, the doors rot out and rear lip of the bootlid.  Also the front edge of the bonnet and the front wings/front panel just above the headlights.

Rot in the boot floor and/or the bottom of the fuel tank is also reasonably common.

Mechanically, the 1850 engine has it's issues - mainly head gasket and water pump related.  The manual gearbox on the early ones (pre '74) is a bit feeble but the later ones last better.  Autos are reasonably tough but horrid in my opinion.  Some front suspension joints were hard to find - maybe better now?

A decent 1850 is a good car - I liked mine, more than the Sprint that followed it in some ways.  Not many good ones left now.

Nick

[John Bonnett]

Nick, this is all a bit worrying. I might have to re-think my next car.

[nicmk1est]

it would certainly put me right off getting one,if i was a new comer.......in other words get one with good body everything is re-placeable thru parts dealers

[Nick Jones]

Quoted from John Bonnett

Nick, this is all a bit worrying. I might have to re-think my next car.

Not really - you just need to have a careful look and prod.  The earlier cars (pre 74 ish) are often better as I think the steel used was better quality.

The same applies to any car from the same era.  Dolomites are no worse and probably rather better than their contemporaries for rot - a bit like the big saloons.   Very few Vauxhalls left from the same era.......  or Marinas.  Cortinas pretty few and far between too.

Nick

[John Bonnett]

The car on Ebay has been withdrawn.

[poppyman]

hi everyone,
many thanks for your replies and info. i did buy the dolly on ebay! hence why it was ended.
it had no rust in any of the usual places, apart from a little bubble on the n/s front wing.
it also came with loads of history to back up mileage.
also has an oil pressure guage fitted, 45psi at tickover when warm! hope this is about right?
has also had some spray work, but done to a high standard.
it had all new brakes, 4 new shocks and fully polybushed.
can anything be done to prevent head gasket failure? ie would adding a bottle of "k seal help"?
any comments will be a help.
thanks all,
regards,
tony.

[RobPearce]

Quoted from poppyman

can anything be done to prevent head gasket failure? ie would adding a bottle of "k seal help"?

No, don't add K-seal. It doesn't help anything and probably makes stuff worse.
The head gasket on the 1850 is not a problem if it's properly maintained. Or even vaguely maintained - mine was largely ignored and the only time I had head gasket problems was in the 200 miles between taking the head off (for problems elsewhere) and re-torquing the studs. And that was my daily driver with a 30 mile each way commute.

[Toledo Man]

I second what Rob has said. DON'T use any additives in the coolant. I've not had a single problem with the cooling system on my 1850 auto. Use glycol based antifreeze at the correct strength (30-40%), change it every 2-3 years and it should be fine. You will find lots of help and advice on the TDC forum so get yourself over there as well. I've just had a look at the eBay listing and it looks like it is a good one so you've done the right thing by buying a good one that's ready to go. Mine is still a rolling restoration. The 1850 engine is well suited to the BW65 auto and is a pleasure to drive.

Enjoy!